Desperately grasping for negatives are we?
People buying individual magazines in a store in larger numbers than subscriptions isn't "proof" of anything at all. In stores people are attracted by what they see and can take home on the spot. Without follow-up with those buyers to determine whether after their purchase they do or do not go on-line to purchase a membership, buying patterns in an individual TDS don't prove anything one way or the other.
If you're suggesting that people buying the magazine instead of memberships is proof of Disney's folly, the issue for you must be the approximately $11 difference between buying a membership which includes a magazine subscription vs buying the magazines individually in a TDS. Sorry Evan, an $11 membership fee over and above the magazine cost is not prohibitively expensive. If you factor in the "freebies" that members have received [a lithograph, a cloth commemorative patch and for first-day charter members an exclusive pin] they are easily worth more than $11.
If it's a matter that you personally couldn't afford the $75 membership and thus feel unfairly excluded... Do you feel unfairly excluded from Broadway-style productions in your town? Or perhaps you're unfairly excluded from dinner out in a fancy restaurant? Those things can cost as much or more than a D23 membership.
You'll get no sympathy from me with your nonsensical whining about D23. It's not a money-grab, people are quite willing to pay for what they're getting. It's not elitist, anyone with $75 can join. It's a marketing operation by Disney designing to bring in more profit for the company, just as building a new Shanghai park, adding new rides in FL or selling DVC memberships are.
No, just formulating my own opinion on the subject, I see you've done the same.:lol:
On the contrary, I think that buying the Magazine, rather than the whole kit and caboodle, does say something. It's a impulse buy, people DO like what they see, as you said, and they do buy it. However, why don't they get drawn in after that purchase? My Hypothesis, as flawed as
you think it is, is that the whole club membership is too much, while the magazine, is a good "part" of it. Hence...Only buying that.
I wasn't approximating based on money, it's more of a "choice" thing. they like this mag, they buy it. Next month's comes out, they don't like it. Instead of plunking down a large sum, they can pick and choose what they want to pay for. Which is smarter, IMHO. Why pay a large sum of money for something on day one when you have no idea what the product is going to entail a few months down the line? I hardly think that the "Freebies" that included were worth it. Maybe that's personal taste, but lithos, pins, and patches don't really capture my attention. In anything, it's something a bit more real. :lol:
I don't feel excluded at all, and I don't see why that's been a driving point here. I can join D23 anytime I want to. I don't want to, however, because I don't see the worth. If you do, that's fine. I'm not attacking you, or anyone that likes the product. Enjoy it. I'm glad you can. Not looking for sympathy, either, I just want The Walt Disney Company to see that they need or should offer a more differentiated product if they want to capture a larger demographic. The way I see it right now, they are missing out on a large part of it. I think that they could capture it with a better product. In that, it's just looking for something better, and on a discussion board, I'll discuss it. If I offended you in anyway, my apologies, Monty. You know I don't like to argue, but discuss.
