D23 Magazine and Club

I feel D23 membership in 2014

  • Exceeded my expectations

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Met my expectations

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Fell short of my expectations

    Votes: 2 100.0%

  • Total voters
    2
  • Poll closed .

MKCP 1985

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After a second straight magazine with no gift for member subscribers and no editor in chief listed for the magazine, I have come to the opinion D23 is not living up to the classic standards of giving more than is expected. In my opinion, having the Disney Store manage subscriptions and merchandise has devalued membership.

I generally like the website content but the traveling D23 Fanniversary events were disappointing.

Please cast your vote to express your opinion of the club's performance -
 

216bruce

Well-Known Member
I do miss a lot of the original D23 perks like the freebies with every magazine and the member trips that they used to have- the one to Marceline was great! Also, the Disney Geek and Armchair Archivist webcasts were a lot of fun, but those too are gone. I have to honestly say that the last magazine (Into the Woods on the cover) was quite disappointing for content. It was really just a huge ad for DCL and ABD for the most part. My gut feeling is that without having Steven Clark around, who was the original leader of D23, that things with D23 are on shaky ground and feel 'rudderless'. It seems like the last issue was a last minute production and the overall offerings of the club are pretty much on-hold. The whole situation with what is going on sure feels like budget cuts and I really wouldn't be surprised if it's days are numbered; or at least it's going to transition into something else once it's new leader, whose name is Adam Sanderson, does whatever he's going to do with it. Since his tenure with the company is largely a television one and has a huge amount of 'synergy' involved (cross-promotion) I suspect that the magazine will de-evolve into just an extended way of cross-promoting- just like the current issue does. Sad, it started out as SO much more.
On the upside is the streaming and subsequent webcast of their Carousel of Progress presentation. That's a NICE addition for members, but, yeah, I give it until shortly after the next convention in August.
I agree on the Fanniversary event as being a letdown. I'm just glad there is so much more to do in Chicago or it would have been a wasted trip.
I'm usually very upbeat about Disney's changes, but this one so far has very little.
 
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MKCP 1985

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Either there is not a lot of interest in D23 at this point or this thread is buried in a seldom visited forum, but it looks like plenty of people have checked it out.

I went back and gave the magazine a second read over the weekend, finding some worthwhile content buried behind the movie and cruise line stories, so that is good.

It will be worth watching to see what comes of the D23 program after 2015's D23 Expo.

Every year I debate renewing membership. What is D23 going to provide members to keep them coming back for another year?
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
I think the writing on the wall was evident when 'free memberships' came into the mix.
I was able to 'join' because of it, but it seems obvious the move was made to open up D23 to far more people.
It also would open up more marketing opportunity to such folks, who may not have been aware of D23 run Events such as the Expo.
So it is primarily a marketing tool at it's core.

I have mixed feelings regarding D23 as a 'fan club'.

The website is quite enjoyable to check out now and then, and i do enjoy it.
This was the primary reason i decided to take the free membership..so i could view the 'Members Only' online content.
I have enjoyed that aspect.
The webcast recently done for the CoP presentation in Orlando was a nice plus, and more such features that any member could partake in would be nice.

Despite those things, i could never see myself paying for a membership for a club that basically does very little outside of California as far as Events go.
If i lived near Glendale, Burbank, or Anaheim i would likely feel differently.
The film showings and other smaller Events at the Studio and WDI would make a paying membership far more worthwhile.
Several times i have looked at the list of upcoming Events listed on the website and have wished i was around the area to attend.
Alas, that has yet to have happened...and the non-CA Events are a mixed bag and often a bit too expensive to attend in my opinion.

I have always heard great things about the D23 Magazines, but even that cannot justify the cost of a membership to me.
One can always buy them 'second hand' if need be and avoid the pricey membership costs.


I get the impression that D23 exists primarily for the Expos, and for promoting them.
As the poster above me noted, it will be interesting to see if D23 continues once the 2015 Expo is over.
There was some talk among people a year or two ago about D23 closing up shop or morphing into another type of entity.
It will be interesting to see what, if anything, develops.
 
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Sage of Time

Well-Known Member
I was never entranced by the pull of D23 and found it quite wasteful and ridiculous. There's very little 'hard' historical content associated with the organization.
 

Sora_Keyblade

Active Member
Definitely underwhelming. The magazines looked nice, but contained a lot of the same "fluffy stuff" that is a bit boring for the more devoted fans.
 

prberk

Well-Known Member
I was going to go to California this week to see a friend graduate from seminary, but cannot make it. He and his wife suggested that I come in August instead, when I won't get to see the graduation, but will instead get to have more free time (and money) to hang out. I am thinking about going to the D23 Expo, since it fits the time period, and it also looks like I can buy tickets as a free member.

The website shows some interesting things this year, including a live orchestrastion of the Silly Symphonies, and a large collection of DL memorabilia (in association with the 60th anniversary). So, it looks like fun. But I do not see a comprehensive schedule. Does anyone here have one, or know where the link might be.

Second what would be the benefits to attending the Expo of becoming a gold member?

I do think that it is nice that it will be adjacent to DL, but I do concur with everyone here that it seems like D23 paid membership is hardly valuable to anyone who cannot make it to Burbank. Perhaps they could create a partnership with local museums or theatres to offer more programs in other cities. And I did want to attend the Attraction Rewind program at the Contemporary Resort last fall, but could not make it. At least they streamed the CoP part, whicih was very interesting to me.
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
I was going to go to California this week to see a friend graduate from seminary, but cannot make it. He and his wife suggested that I come in August instead, when I won't get to see the graduation, but will instead get to have more free time (and money) to hang out. I am thinking about going to the D23 Expo, since it fits the time period, and it also looks like I can buy tickets as a free member.

The website shows some interesting things this year, including a live orchestrastion of the Silly Symphonies, and a large collection of DL memorabilia (in association with the 60th anniversary). So, it looks like fun. But I do not see a comprehensive schedule. Does anyone here have one, or know where the link might be.

Second what would be the benefits to attending the Expo of becoming a gold member?

I do think that it is nice that it will be adjacent to DL, but I do concur with everyone here that it seems like D23 paid membership is hardly valuable to anyone who cannot make it to Burbank. Perhaps they could create a partnership with local museums or theatres to offer more programs in other cities. And I did want to attend the Attraction Rewind program at the Contemporary Resort last fall, but could not make it. At least they streamed the CoP part, whicih was very interesting to me.


I am also making plans to attend this years Expo, my first.
From what i gather doing research about the Event, the actual Expo schedule is not made available until the week it takes place so it makes it extremely difficult to plan a lot in advance.

I have noticed that this year however they announced what days a few of the more popular and anticipated events are happening, such as the Parks & Resorts panel and the Disney Legends ceremony.
This at least gives you a little clue as to when a few key happenings take place....but as far as a thorough day-by-day, hour-by-hour line up you will have to wait.

I'm going to the Expo just to see a couple of things, and hopefully meet some people.
Still not sure if i should buy a 3-day ticket...or just do one or two days.
 

prberk

Well-Known Member
I am also making plans to attend this years Expo, my first.
From what i gather doing research about the Event, the actual Expo schedule is not made available until the week it takes place so it makes it extremely difficult to plan a lot in advance.

I have noticed that this year however they announced what days a few of the more popular and anticipated events are happening, such as the Parks & Resorts panel and the Disney Legends ceremony.
This at least gives you a little clue as to when a few key happenings take place....but as far as a thorough day-by-day, hour-by-hour line up you will have to wait.

I'm going to the Expo just to see a couple of things, and hopefully meet some people.
Still not sure if i should buy a 3-day ticket...or just do one or two days.

Sounds like we are in the same boat.

I started a thread about it in the Disneyland forum. Let's keep up over there, and post anything new that we find out there.
 

radiohost

Well-Known Member
When they went out in Barnes and Noble is when I stopped. I was a member for two years and didn't renew because it brought no value since I don't live in LA or Orlando, and can't make the events.
 

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