Disney's D23
Last week Disney unveiled a previously top-secret online project, D23, "The Official Community for Disney Fans."Many Disney fans like me have spent the last few days figuring out exactly what D23 is and what it offers. The "23" in D23 refers to the year the Disney Studio was founded. There are free and paid components of D23, which are listed in a rundown at MousePlanet.
Non-members can enjoy the D23 website, which is supposed to have breaking news and feature stories as well as "classic articles" and treasures from the Disney Archives. There is also a quarterly magazine which can be purchased at stores; I would expect it will be carried by Disneyana at Disneyland. (Speaking of magazines, I was very sorry that the E Ticket Magazine ceased publication...it was a fabulous chronicle of Disneyland history.)
The annual D23 membership fee is a steep $74.99 which gets you the magazine, an e-newsletter, a membership certificate, a surprise gift, and "exclusive special events and merchandise."
Based on the descriptions thus far, this doesn't seem to be something for which I'll be saving my pennies, especially if the membership is geared toward steering members toward high-end merchandise. I love Disneyland merchandise, but there is a limit to what I can afford and display, and I already have more than enough items tempting me on visits to the park... The website and magazine are of interest to me, and both can be enjoyed without joining D23.
That said, I'll be watching news of D23 closely in order to see what Disney does with the program.
There will be a D23 convention in Anaheim this September which can be attended by members and nonmembers alike.
Al Lutz and Jim Hill share more details about the new endeavor and critique what is known about the program thus far.
J.C. Loophole also has posted info on D23 over at The Shelf.
For extra fun, check out the Yesterland column on the Magic Kingdom Club, which is sure to stir up memories for many longtime Southern Californians.
posted by Laura @ 1:10 PM
3 Comments:
Another decade, another club. For me the price is also too steep and on top of that you have to pay for their special offers and admittance to that convention in the Fall. I did get a cool button type pin last Wednesday when I was there that promoted this new venture. I'll probably bookmark the site and visit it occasionally.
Thanks for the link. I too will be passing on membership- and from the info I've read and received- you can actually enjoy quite a bit of D23 without it. To me the archived material and the ongoing reprints of vintage Disney comic strips have made it a regular stop for me. The magazine, which is very high end, will be available at Barnes and Noble from what I understand. My favorite has been reading the Donald Duck strips- my favorite character!
Well, the D23 Expo is almost here. We are really getting excited for it. 4 days, but it is just packed with things to see and events. The rumor is that they will be announcing new movies and theme park attractions. There are a few hundred people discussing every minute detail on D23 and the Expo over at MiceChat: http://micechat.com/forums/d23-disney-twenty-three/
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