D23. Did you sign up?

[mkt]

Believe it or not, even in this economy, there are a LOT of people who still have ready cash, who still buy $1,000 pens, $15,000 watches, and $2,500 handbags. To ignore that potential market is just bad business.

I have the cash available... however, it's my choice to do with it as I please.

Maybe the shocking has happened. Maybe I'm finally over Disney.

Maybe I'd rather use the $75 to go and have a few drinks at a real yacht club with friends. Or having experiences at Disney parks rather than having a few moments of arousal over something that will ultimately go into a dresser drawer and won't be looked it ever again. Or maybe I'll use that money for a ticket to Cuba v. Japan in San Diego this weekend.

Maybe that's why I offloaded the overwhelming majority of my Disney collectibles almost 2 years ago and never looked back.

That's it... I know what happened. I stopped being a fanboy and became just a fan.

 

[dxwwf3]

If they REALLY knew their fan base, they would start throwing up more intricate EPCOT Center merchandise than the great in-park offerings they currently have. Special Horizons shirts, World of Motion hats, etc. And of course if they throw some Alien Encounter stuff out there, $75 for membership will be out of my wallet immediately

However, everything we've seen so far, doesn't lead to me to think they're all that in touch with the theme park fan with this club. Personally I have zero interest in the current offerings, but things could always change.

 

[WDWNooby]

Since I first asked what D23 was/is I got an announcement by e-mail...my answer is no, I didn't order...not sure if $75.00 is spent wisely at this time by doing so...that $75.00 could pay for part of my granddaughter's boutique experience this June.

 

[Phonedave]

I have the cash available... however, it's my choice to do with it as I please.

Maybe the shocking has happened. Maybe I'm finally over Disney.

Maybe I'd rather use the $75 to go and have a few drinks at a real yacht club with friends. Or having experiences at Disney parks rather than having a few moments of arousal over something that will ultimately go into a dresser drawer and won't be looked it ever again. Or maybe I'll use that money for a ticket to Cuba v. Japan in San Diego this weekend.

Maybe that's why I offloaded the overwhelming majority of my Disney collectibles almost 2 years ago and never looked back.

That's it... I know what happened. I stopped being a fanboy and became just a fan.

The point about people having money was about the pen, not the membership. It seems that people are getting hung up on this pen, and are somehow upset at TWDC for even offering it for sale in this economy.

Heck, if that was the case, lets shut down V&A and replace it with a counter that serves rice gruel for 50 cents a bowl.

I am hardly a fanboy either. If something catches my eye and i think - to me -it is worth the outlay, then I do so. Guess what? Thats the same with all my other interests. If I see books I like, I drop the cash. If there is a good deal on wine (especialy on French reds) I add to the rack. Obscure artist I like pops up on Amazon I add to the collection. TWDC offers a new "club" that looks interesting to me, I try it for a year.

Somtimes I get a book and it's pure dreck

Somtimes a get a wine that is mouthwash

Somtimes only one track is good, and rest of the album is painful to listen to

Somtimes I find the WDC offering to be not worth the cost.

Time will tell.

-dave

 

[brkgnews]

The point about people having money was about the pen, not the membership. It seems that people are getting hung up on this pen, and are somehow upset at TWDC for even offering it for sale in this economy.

Heck, if that was the case, lets shut down V&A and replace it with a counter that serves rice gruel for 50 cents a bowl.

I am hardly a fanboy either. If something catches my eye and i think - to me -it is worth the outlay, then I do so. Guess what? Thats the same with all my other interests. If I see books I like, I drop the cash. If there is a good deal on wine (especialy on French reds) I add to the rack. Obscure artist I like pops up on Amazon I add to the collection. TWDC offers a new "club" that looks interesting to me, I try it for a year.

Somtimes I get a book and it's pure dreck

Somtimes a get a wine that is mouthwash

Somtimes only one track is good, and rest of the album is painful to listen to

Somtimes I find the WDC offering to be not worth the cost.

Time will tell.

-dave

Very well-put, Dave.

 

[Einselen]

HA! Funny. I would actually like to know how many pages do we get? What kind of paper? How is it bound? Tales From the Laughing Place is incredibly well put together. Beautiful paper and a stiff cover. Orlando Attractions (which I like) is on cheap paper with little design flair and some ugly ads. Celebrations(which I like as well) is kind of between the two.

From my understanding and other posts the first Publication is 63 pages and higher quality. It is also not the standard 8.5 x 11 but "larger like a calendar" (another poster's words, not mine). How it is bound I am unsure, but it does look from the pictures that you clearly know you are paying for a higher quality publication. Also best part is NO ADS.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Well....B&N does not have their copies of the mag in yet. Even though we are what, 3 days, after the "highly anticipated launch date".:dazzle:


Moar fail?

 

[daliseurat]

From my understanding and other posts the first Publication is 63 pages and higher quality. It is also not the standard 8.5 x 11 but "larger like a calendar" (another poster's words, not mine). How it is bound I am unsure, but it does look from the pictures that you clearly know you are paying for a higher quality publication. Also best part is NO ADS.

I did read a review that says it's very high quality. I'm not sure yet if the content is great though. The old Disney Magazine had so so content, no real NEWS but was cheap. So I'll wait to see what everyone thinks of it.

 

[daliseurat]

The point about people having money was about the pen, not the membership. It seems that people are getting hung up on this pen, and are somehow upset at TWDC for even offering it for sale in this economy.

Heck, if that was the case, lets shut down V&A and replace it with a counter that serves rice gruel for 50 cents a bowl.

I am hardly a fanboy either. If something catches my eye and i think - to me -it is worth the outlay, then I do so. Guess what? Thats the same with all my other interests. If I see books I like, I drop the cash. If there is a good deal on wine (especialy on French reds) I add to the rack. Obscure artist I like pops up on Amazon I add to the collection. TWDC offers a new "club" that looks interesting to me, I try it for a year.

Somtimes I get a book and it's pure dreck

Somtimes a get a wine that is mouthwash

Somtimes only one track is good, and rest of the album is painful to listen to

Somtimes I find the WDC offering to be not worth the cost.

Time will tell.

-dave

Well said. And honestly, the price for the club has nothing to do with the pen. The price for the club seems steep for what you get. And with the economy what it is, it seems irresponsible. I would usually jump to join, but with that price, I going to wait and see what a lot of people who joined early think.

Your point about people being irritated about the pen being offered is priceless. What bugs me about isn't that they offer it, but that they don't really have anything else that makes me go WOW! ( I like the Walt/Oswald fig) So when I see the outrageous pen, I have to wonder if THAT is the type of merchandise I might be expecting to see available. Stuff that I would never buy at that price, or have any interest in. I think it was a bad choice to offer that right now. Better T-shirts, more exclusive figures, maybe exclusive CD's or out of print books like the terrific DISNEYLAND STORY by RANDY BRIGHT. Maybe even some of the merchandise that only CAST MEMBERS can usually get. Stuff that fans WOULD really go nuts for. But a pen? Sorry, but I don't believe any fans are clamoring for a pen. Right now, it sticks out. If it was just one thing in a huge pile of really cool stuff I don't think anyone would care.

And, by the way, a dinner at Victoria and Alberts would be far more satisfying, memorable and cheaper than the pen.:lol:

And I agree...time WILL tell.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

From my understanding and other posts the first Publication is 63 pages and higher quality. It is also not the standard 8.5 x 11 but "larger like a calendar" (another poster's words, not mine). How it is bound I am unsure, but it does look from the pictures that you clearly know you are paying for a higher quality publication. Also best part is NO ADS.

The publication is the ad.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

The publication is the ad.

Exactly.

 

[sueuk]

Well after I moaned about the postage to UK and said I wasn't joining - my husband came, looked at it and said "you waste money on lots of other things, you may as well waste it on postage" .... so I did!!
I know ... :ROFLOL:

 

[Einselen]

The publication is the ad.

I knew that would be said, but any publication/magazine is essentially an ad on the topic it is covering. I love Attractions and think it is a great mag, but I don't need to see a full page ad on Ripley's Dish Network, Wet and Wild, Direct TV, Vonage, etc.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Your point about people being irritated about the pen being offered is priceless. What bugs me about isn't that they offer it, but that they don't really have anything else that makes me go WOW! ( I like the Walt/Oswald fig) So when I see the outrageous pen, I have to wonder if THAT is the type of merchandise I might be expecting to see available. Stuff that I would never buy at that price, or have any interest in. I think it was a bad choice to offer that right now. Better T-shirts, more exclusive figures, maybe exclusive CD's or out of print books like the terrific DISNEYLAND STORY by RANDY BRIGHT. Maybe even some of the merchandise that only CAST MEMBERS can usually get. Stuff that fans WOULD really go nuts for. But a pen? Sorry, but I don't believe any fans are clamoring for a pen. Right now, it sticks out. If it was just one thing in a huge pile of really cool stuff I don't think anyone would care.

I'm just going to adopt this as my opinion, and say I came up with it first.

Seriously, though, that's pretty good insight. The fact that (as of two days ago) there were just three pieces of merchandise linked directly to the club's shopping page, and one of them was the Magic Pen, probably doesn't put the best face on the thing if they want to attract a wide swath of customers.

People log on, see that one of the most prominent items on display is a $1,000 pen, and that becomes kind of emblematic of the whole club. Some who could afford the membership and might enjoy some of the offerings might just assume this is something for people who heat their houses with stacks of $20's kept by the fireplace or go to auctions to bid on gold-plated paper clips, and don't bother looking any further.

So I'm not saying they shouldn't sell the pen, just move it out of the front window. :lol:

 

[daliseurat]

Exactly. Right now, for me the exclusive merchandise is not going to get me interested. So I'm looking only at the mag and the minor perks.