D23 Anniversary Party News?

[WDW Vacationer]

Thanks for the report Monty! I'm very happy to hear you had a good time. You came from Canada so I hope the price was a good value for you.


Lastly,Welcome Back!:wave:

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Glad you had a good time, Monty.


Nice drivel....I mean, report.

 

[Monty]

There was a lot of miscommunication about the patches. I guess they had 25 units on hand, which sold out immediately, but they took orders for the others. It wasn't until I talked to one of the D23 staff were they able to clear things up and I was ready to stand in line for the merchandise.

Maybe I'll be able to snag a set on eBay for a more reasonable price. :shrug:

Glad you had a good time, Monty.


Nice drivel....I mean, report.

Better report done:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=557503

There's other stuff, but as much as I could remember about the D23 event itself.

 

[Monty]

Thanks for the report Monty! I'm very happy to hear you had a good time. You came from Canada so I hope the price was a good value for you.


Lastly,Welcome Back!:wave:

OK, if you factor in the air fare and resort... Maybe not such a great "value" in and of itself :lol:. But I'm used to my "whims" being sometimes very expensive... :shrug:

I had a great time and a fun trip. :king:

 

[Figment1986]

Kevin Yee had a good column on this subject recently on Miceage, although I think he didn't focus enough on the big picture ... and that is TWDC using 'social media' to co-opt the fan community.

It is much easier to impress a blogger/fan than it is a real journalist ... it's also much easier to buy one off with swag, free meals/booze and access to celeb Imagineers. And if said bloggers gush about whatever Disney is (or isn't) doing, it's much easier to control the majority of opinions of the fan community.

Anyway, just some thoughts ...

True, but if the blogger followed the guidelines that the FTC require for blogger who are "press" (Like I am with SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and universal) and publish in our article / editorial / update / review if we got anything from the organization like a free lunch, reserved seating, or even a free chair... as long as it has a cash value... then the readers can see what we got, and make an opinion of what we posted as well.

 

[hrcollectibles]

I was at the event last night and have to say I came away disappointed by a few things. The main reason I attended was because I'm a big fan of collecting character photos and autographs (hey it's free and it's fun to see my family grow and the characters change over the years). So when I saw the promise of "characters who we haven't seen walking around the parks lately" I knew I had to attend -- even with the steep cost. Well the only "rare" character there last night was Gaston. My wife is now riding me that Gaston's photo and autograph cost us $280. They had Horace and Clarabelle but those characters met in the parks every day until like a year and a half ago -- I'm sure everyone there last night already had their photos which is why those 2 characters spent the night walking aimlessly with few people taking interest. They had Jiminy Cricket -- maybe he's rare in Disneyland out in California where D23 is based but he appears everyday at AK. I feel they really misrepresented the character experience last night. I had been especially hopeful for who we would see based on the rumors for who will be appearing at tomorrow's Princess half-marathon: including Ariel and *Prince Eric*, Tiana Naveen & *Louis*, Pocahontas and *John Smith*, *Maleficent* and *PHEOBUS*. NOW there's a character line-up!!!!!!! I can't believe they pull Phoebus out of retirement on Sunday for everyday fans running the marathon and not bother to bring him to the event for major Disney enthusiasts who would truly appreciate his appearance. Even if we had just a few of those "rare" characters who'll be at the marathon -- that would have made it all worth it to me. Gaston and Belle's antics were truly the highlight -- but there should have been two or three more similar appearances.

I was also bummed by how they used the Diamond Horseshoe. The other reason I went was because the event was in this venue and I figured they just HAD to make use of the stage for something even though nothing was advertised. I was hoping for entertainment like a mini Diamond Horseshoe revue experience (circa 1998) with someone singing songs customized for the group on guitar (ala John Charles). What we got was like 3 or 4 different slideshows / video presentations saying how great D23 and the Walt Disney Company are. How is that entertainment? I dreamt of a lot of different things I would be presented with at the Diamond Horseshoe (maybe the Dapper Dans?) but what I imagined was entertainment not a Powerpoint presentation and a portable screen. I don't come to the Diamond Horseshoe for what I can get in the office -- I come to be entertained.

The food was great -- both at the Diamond Horseshoe and the Dessert buffet. The Imagineer presentation was OK -- I never expected them to reveal anything. But what I did learn was that this far into the project they still have a lot of things to figure out. The letdown for me was the "entertainment". When I entered the gates and when they started the presentation at the Horseshoe -- they promised a lot of surprises throughout the night which got my hopes up. But there were no surprises for me other than total lack of entertainment. When they say "characters" that we haven't seen for a while I expect them to deliver that at that price point -- to me that implies more than one rarity.

I have a feeling that once the new Fantasy Land expansion is over Gaston will be making appearances.

 

[hrcollectibles]

There was a lot of miscommunication about the patches. I guess they had 25 units on hand, which sold out immediately, but they took orders for the others. It wasn't until I talked to one of the D23 staff were they able to clear things up and I was ready to stand in line for the merchandise.

Didn't they randomly insert 23 complete sets of patches in the magazines? If so, I guess those sets arent limited anymore...lol

 

[hrcollectibles]

I don't blame the Mouse or the people in the community either! If I could obtain exclusive interviews with people from WDI for a podcast or some early information on things like Nightastic for a website, I sure would take it in a heart beat. My problem is when they try to censor other people who do not feel the need to paint the pretty picture of the Disney Company and that is starting to happen.

I actually prefer to have a podcast that is more of a round table discussion between people then an interview.. That is why l really enjoy the Dis-Unplugged and MiceCast....

 

[SoccerMickey]

I actually prefer to have a podcast that is more of a round table discussion between people then an interview.. That is why l really enjoy the Dis-Unplugged and MiceCast....

I stopped listening to Lou Mongello's and Ricky Brigante's podcasts a LONG time ago. I always enjoyed the News and Rumors and Trivia spots but so much of the time on the shows were devoted to fans writing in on how cast members made Magical Moments for their families that I just did not care about. Really Mickey Mouse signing your daughter's autograph book warrents a letter??!?? The shows got a little too saccharine for me which surprised me in the end because they weren't Disney-sanctioned so it was disappointing to see what looked like to me these guys "selling out."

 

[trr1]

search did not come up so I did this http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=557661

 

[RSoxNo1]

I actually prefer to have a podcast that is more of a round table discussion between people then an interview.. That is why l really enjoy the Dis-Unplugged and MiceCast....

I stopped listening to Lou Mongello's and Ricky Brigante's podcasts a LONG time ago. I always enjoyed the News and Rumors and Trivia spots but so much of the time on the shows were devoted to fans writing in on how cast members made Magical Moments for their families that I just did not care about. Really Mickey Mouse signing your daughter's autograph book warrents a letter??!?? The shows got a little too saccharine for me which surprised me in the end because they weren't Disney-sanctioned so it was disappointing to see what looked like to me these guys "selling out."

Might I suggest my own podcast and/or WDW Today, as both are discussion based formats. My avatar shows our podcast name.

 

[drew81]

Other VIP's at Disneyland's event
-Kathryn Beaumont
-Richard Sherman
-Ron Clements
-Terri Hardin


Some of the characters out for DL's party- 3 Little Pigs, The Country Bears, Maleficent,

 

[TP2000]

I cant wait to compare the WDW vs the DL Events

The difference in the events between Disneyland and WDW was noticeable. Disneyland pulled out all the stops, and a galaxy of Disney stars was there in person to meet and greet the fans.

How very odd that Disneyland's party was only $65, while WDW's was $140. It appears those prices should have been flip-flopped for what people got.

Disneyland's opening and closing ceremonies for the D23 party... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLl7AZ0bpE4&feature=player_embedded