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Last year I received a subscription to D23 for Christmas. I was elated. I had heard about this new community for Disney fans made by Disney itself and I was proud to be a first year member. I couldn't wait to find out about all of the exclusive things I would now have available to me. I couldn't wait to become a part of the first Disney sponsored fan community.
Now almost a year later, I couldn't be more disappointed. D23 is anything but an online fan community. It offers almost no special things for the average Disney fan. Unless you can hop a flight to Florida or California whenever you please, it is almost impossible to take part in any special events. What about the 4 major D23 gatherings that were promised, you ask? Well it turns out when they said 4, they didn't mean 4 years in a row. Which means we won't have another one until 2011. And after that who knows when the next one will be held.
What about all of the exclusive merchandise they have for members? While the merchandise is cool, it is not cheap at all. And with no places to buy the items in the parks, you are also forced to pay shipping. It's as if Disney wasn't making enough money off of your membership fee....
The fee is also a huge issue for me. I understand that you now can become a member for less money now, but that membership doesn't include the magazine. To me, the magazine is the only worthwhile part of being a member. Even though it is just a more expensive version of the defunct Disney magazine, it is still enjoyable to read.
Now I know I have a lot of bad things to say about D23, but maybe it's just because it's not for me. If you're an annual passholder at WDW or especially Disneyland, D23 is a great value for you. You can take part in all of the special events and have a great time. However, if you're someone like me on the east coast, I see little or no value in membership.
Even though I won't be renewing my membership this year, I am not swearing off D23 forever. It's not something that can't be fixed. Having more events year round, a special location in the parks, or special park discounts would put much more value into membership for me. If it actually became a community where fans could gather together, then maybe I will take another look at it. But until then, my favorite forum suits me just fine.
Well that's my take. What do my guests think? Any D23 members out there?
I'm a member. I considered going to the convention in 2011, but I think they announced it will be around August 15th, and that time frame doesn't work for me. I'd like to go, and I'm hoping that maybe the next one, I'll be able to go...if I'm still paying the membership fee.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the magazine, I've enjoyed every issue (and I have them all...bought the first at the Disney Store before I had decided to join). But I'm not sure they're worth buying the membership for, either.
The little gifts that come with renewal and with each magazine have been nice to get, though. I wish I would have gotten the pin that was available if you were a charter member. But I didn't sign up right away and missed out on getting it.
I've written a couple entries about it at my blog but don't know the specific posts. Not that they were in depth or anything - more just about different issues of the magazine...
I also missed out on the pin. I got the future world patch, but it was the Living Seas. I wasn't very lucky there.
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely check out the posts on your blog. I'm interested in what everyone's perspective on this is.
Thanks, I appreciate you looking in at the blog. Haven't had much to say lately. But I try to keep posting.
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