Attention Disney Fans ...

[EC82]

I don't get you. I don't. You'll spend $600 on an annual pass to Disneyland or Walt Disney World, even if you don't live near the parks, you'll spend thousands of dollars on a vacation to Disney or a Disney Cruise, you'll blow a whole paycheck on pins to trade, you'll even spend tens of thousands of dollars to join the Disney Vacation Club ... but you pick apart a $75 expenditure on D23.

Now, I know, there are a lot of former NFFC-ers who want to see D23 fail, and their views should be taken into consideration, I suppose. But there are a lot of people who really complain loudly about D23.

But it's really interesting to look at comparisons. There's a Justin Bieber Fan Club that costs $99 a year, and for that you get access to tour tickets, merchandise-purchase opportunities, and that's about it. Or for $36, you get "digital membership," which is ... well, as far as I can see, nothing.

For 25 bucks you can join the Carrie Underwood Fan Club, and it doesn't get you much of anything.

As far as I can tell, Harry Potter doesn't even have an official fan club.

The closest thing I can find to an entertainment fan club (not music) is for The Three Stooges -- it costs $20. For a Three Stooges Fan Club.

None of them (except the Bieber club) actually GIVE you anything like gifts, the way D23 does. There are digital newsletters and a small newsletter for the Stooges fans, but nothing even close to the Disney twenty-three magazine.

They certainly don't have ANY kind of events, except concerts for the musical fan clubs. But nothing like the D23 events ANYWHERE, much less in (name whatever city is close to you that you wish D23 did events in).

The websites are minimal, at best -- a few behind-the-scenes or candid photos, not the kind of information and articles offered by D23.

Discounts to OTHER organizations the way D23 does? Not a chance. You can't show your Three Stooges membership card and get a discount at Ghirardelli.

And yet, for all of this, everyone here is hyper-critical of D23 and willing to discontinue their membership in THE OFFICIAL Disney fan club because it isn't everything they hoped for. And yet, if you do the math, it costs $6.25 a month to be a member of the ONLY official Disney club.

Now, $6.25 is less than a hamburger at Disneyland. It is about 21 cents a day.

I truly, seriously don't understand why people who claim to be Disney fans, who spend money freely on just about anything else from Disney, whine and complain so much about 21 cents a day.

[DreamFinder]

I don't get you. I don't. You'll spend $600 on an annual pass to Disneyland or Walt Disney World, even if you don't live near the parks, you'll spend thousands of dollars on a vacation to Disney or a Disney Cruise, you'll blow a whole paycheck on pins to trade, you'll even spend tens of thousands of dollars to join the Disney Vacation Club ... but you pick apart a $75 expenditure on D23.

Now, I know, there are a lot of former NFFC-ers who want to see D23 fail, and their views should be taken into consideration, I suppose. But there are a lot of people who really complain loudly about D23.

But it's really interesting to look at comparisons. There's a Justin Bieber Fan Club that costs $99 a year, and for that you get access to tour tickets, merchandise-purchase opportunities, and that's about it. Or for $36, you get "digital membership," which is ... well, as far as I can see, nothing.

For 25 bucks you can join the Carrie Underwood Fan Club, and it doesn't get you much of anything.

As far as I can tell, Harry Potter doesn't even have an official fan club.

The closest thing I can find to an entertainment fan club (not music) is for The Three Stooges -- it costs $20. For a Three Stooges Fan Club.

None of them (except the Bieber club) actually GIVE you anything like gifts, the way D23 does. There are digital newsletters and a small newsletter for the Stooges fans, but nothing even close to the Disney twenty-three magazine.

They certainly don't have ANY kind of events, except concerts for the musical fan clubs. But nothing like the D23 events ANYWHERE, much less in (name whatever city is close to you that you wish D23 did events in).

The websites are minimal, at best -- a few behind-the-scenes or candid photos, not the kind of information and articles offered by D23.

Discounts to OTHER organizations the way D23 does? Not a chance. You can't show your Three Stooges membership card and get a discount at Ghirardelli.

And yet, for all of this, everyone here is hyper-critical of D23 and willing to discontinue their membership in THE OFFICIAL Disney fan club because it isn't everything they hoped for. And yet, if you do the math, it costs $6.25 a month to be a member of the ONLY official Disney club.

Now, $6.25 is less than a hamburger at Disneyland. It is about 21 cents a day.

I truly, seriously don't understand why people who claim to be Disney fans, who spend money freely on just about anything else from Disney, whine and complain so much about 21 cents a day.

I have not been a member since its debut beacause of the prices, how ever my problem is more along the lines of that in addition to the membership fee most of the events ( which sometimes have little or no benefit over a regular in park experience or watching movie) are pretty steep. As awesome as isthe destination D seemed 200+ for a series of panels seems justtt a bit over the top, however this is Disney we are talking about. ;-) Correct me if I am wrong but isn't that more than the full three day D23Expo
?

[mickeytotallyrock]

I agree with you EC82 people need to stop picking on D23. I understand that some people just don't have the money to join D23 which is allright but I hate the people that complain that D23 is SO Expensive when they are buying a $600 anual pass. Please note everyone you do not have to be a D23 member, No one is forcing you to join, but you get all mad because they have event that you can't go to because your not members. Yes events are expensive and they are mostly located in Anaheim, but you go if you can. The events are the icing on the cake because the magazines alone are well worth the price of membership. In my opinion D23 is great. I get wonderful magazines, can attend awesome events (which are now starting to spread the country with the Fanniversary celebrations), and save money with the discounts they offer. To me D23 is exactly what a Disney fan club should be, not expensive and provides an inside looks at the company.
Also Silver memberships are only $35. That is enough to buy 3-4 pins. If you have 3-4 pins at home (which most Disney fans do) then you could of had a silver D23 membership. You get all the great benefits except fot the magazine. But yet people still complain about D23 as they try to reach out to all the different price ranges.

D23 is a great fan club that I am proud to be a charter member of and will be until I die. D23 gives me just the right amount of Disney at home between park visits. I'm sorry if I rambled on or if I offended anyone but I hate all the negitivity D23 gets. D23 is for me.

[Second Star]

I have not been a member since its debut beacause of the prices, how ever my problem is more along the lines of that in addition to the membership fee most of the events ( which sometimes have little or no benefit over a regular in park experience or watching movie) are pretty steep. As awesome as isthe destination D seemed 200+ for a series of panels seems justtt a bit over the top, however this is Disney we are talking about. ;-) Correct me if I am wrong but isn't that more than the full three day D23Expo
?

First... EC82 THANK YOU!!!

Now for DreamFinder... Yes, $225 may seem a bit steep, but, the main difference between the Expo and Destination D... You're guaranteed to have a seat at the Destination D event for all the sessions. And how many people tried and failed to get into the performance by Dick Van Dyke and Vantastix at the Expo? Again, we had confirmed seats. And, how many concerts has Alan Menken done, for the fans? He was scheduled for about an hour and twenty and did a full 2 hours. We had confirmed seats for that performance as well. So, I don't think the $225 was all that steep. And for those of us who chose to do so, and spend the extra money, we had an absolutely incredible Monday at the Studio to boot.

In two days at Destination D I spent the majority of my time in sessions, at the Expo I spent that majority in line waiting for sessions. Sorry but there is no way to draw a comparison between the two.

Just my thoughts.

[EC82]

I have not been a member since its debut beacause of the prices

Which price? The $75 for the four magazines, the five free gifts, the membership card that gets you discounts at other places, and that you can carry in your wallet and say to people, "See? I'm actually a CARD-CARRYING fan"?

Or was it the prices for other events that are completely optional?

Or maybe you meant the $20+ you save with being a D23 member on Expo tickets? Let's say the Expo only happens once every other year (which it does), but you save $84 on tickets for four people when you buy with your membership. That means you have saved $42 a year, which makes the effective net cost of D23 membership $33 each year. Get the math?

But the core of D23 seems to me to be the magazine and the membership card. I wish the membership card got me discounts at places like the Disney Store and at shops at Disneyland and WDW, but maybe that will happen down the line. In the meantime, since Warner Bros., Paramount, Fox, Dreamworks, Sony, etc., don't do this, since NO ONE ELSE has this kind of an active fan club, and since I love Disney, it seems a very, very small price to pay -- and a price that, if you take advantage of just about ANYTHING D23 offers outside of events, literally can pay for itself.

(If you go to the airport even ONCE a year, then buy a D23 membership just for the Super Shuttle savings! I've used it four times this year, and it has saved me about $80 alone.)

[JerrodDRagon]

Ever hear of to each his own....I paid 500 bucks to go to the happiest place on earth...not a bad deal

Since I paid that...I can't go and BUY everything I want now can i? I'm a student I don't make too much right now....but to be honest I am going to get a membership BECAUSE of the next D23 convention and if you are going not only do you get a discount on tickets..you also get to go in a line that is let in BEFORE the normal people...WAY worth it since last year every first big show got sold out before the normal people got in


But times are hard...and for me D23 is only worth it to get into the convention early...along with the free stuff too

[disneylandreport]

The reason we pay what we do, for anything Disney produces, is because they put out an awesome product. For some reason people forget that, or don't realize it. How else can you explain why I can go to Knotts every single day for an entire year it and will still cost less than it does for a single day at Disneyland.

It costs what it costs because Disney takes their product seriously, and want to deliver. We can pay or not.

[Second Star]

I have said it before, over the last 10 years that I have been serious studying Disney, I have found Disney fans to be very fickle. They seem to want the Disney company to be everything to everyone, or for the company to concentrate its efforts on their particular area of interest, otherwise Disney is screwing up, or greedy, or ...

But, the one thing I have noted lately, which I think is a result of broader societal views - particularly here in the United States, is a growing sense of entitlement among the fan base to the entertainment product Disney creates. You can see posts of this attitude right here on the this board often. While I am sure many fans (with this attitude) would deny it, but, what I read in many of their comments is this view that Disney is gouging the fans simply for their own profit. Profit, and economics is important, but, there are other things going on that most fans never get to see, that cost a significant amout of money to support.

:Begin shameless plug: That last sentence it a bit of a teaser. This last week I had the opportunity for a Disney experience I never thought possible. Anyone interested can check out my blog over the next couple of weeks to learn about the experience. :End shameless plug:

I guess my point is, what most of us see as fans is only the tip of the iceberg, and there is so much more going on behind the curtain that make the Disney products as awesome as they are for us.

[Roger55]

I have said it before, over the last 10 years that I have been serious studying Disney, I have found Disney fans to be very fickle. They seem to want the Disney company to be everything to everyone, or for the company to concentrate its efforts on their particular area of interest, otherwise Disney is screwing up, or greedy, or ...

But, the one thing I have noted lately, which I think is a result of broader societal views - particularly here in the United States, is a growing sense of entitlement among the fan base to the entertainment product Disney creates. You can see posts of this attitude right here on the this board often. While I am sure many fans (with this attitude) would deny it, but, what I read in many of their comments is this view that Disney is gouging the fans simply for their own profit. Profit, and economics is important, but, there are other things going on that most fans never get to see, that cost a significant amout of money to support.

:Begin shameless plug: That last sentence it a bit of a teaser. This last week I had the opportunity for a Disney experience I never thought possible. Anyone interested can check out my blog over the next couple of weeks to learn about the experience. :End shameless plug:

I guess my point is, what most of us see as fans is only the tip of the iceberg, and there is so much more going on behind the curtain that make the Disney products as awesome as they are for us.

Well said...

Over in another post I echoed the same sentiment. There I said in response to a question posed if Disney was becoming a symbol of corporate greed...

Here is another question to consider....

"Are Disney fans becoming a symbol of people who have an out of control sense of entitlement and huge self-centered attitude?"

So to answer the original question posed... the answer is YES Disney is becoming and has been for a long time a symbol of out of control corporate greed .

But the reasons aren't because it is in fact greedy and out of control. The reasons are because the consumers for whatever reasons have for the most part chosen to view Disney as something they are entitled to at a price they feel is reasonable. Not a price reasonable to everyone, but a price reasonable to their own personal situation.

You can see the entire discussion at the following link...
http://micechat.com/forums/disney-bu...e-greed-3.html

[merlinjones]

IMHO -- Personally, I wish that D23 would be more focused on using their unique position in the company to help pry open the vaults; to advocate for the actual availability to the public of unreleased historic media from the Walt era: movies, tv shows, animation art, music, LPS and singles, film festivals, screenings, a Disney Classics Channel, etc. -- rather than just having presentations to memorialize those things for fans (though that is a nice thing too), while the actual works remain largely unavailable to new generations and the broader public. Focus on restoration, preservation, rebuilding, exhibition, distribution -- expanding and renewing the legacy of the classic works and characters -- and not so much PR for already available and touted products and franchises to the already converted.

My perception is: When asked about releasing Walt era products, other parts of the company often reply: "D23 does that now" -- but they don't really.

[JerrodDRagon]

I have said it before, over the last 10 years that I have been serious studying Disney, I have found Disney fans to be very fickle. They seem to want the Disney company to be everything to everyone, or for the company to concentrate its efforts on their particular area of interest, otherwise Disney is screwing up, or greedy, or ...

But, the one thing I have noted lately, which I think is a result of broader societal views - particularly here in the United States, is a growing sense of entitlement among the fan base to the entertainment product Disney creates. You can see posts of this attitude right here on the this board often. While I am sure many fans (with this attitude) would deny it, but, what I read in many of their comments is this view that Disney is gouging the fans simply for their own profit. Profit, and economics is important, but, there are other things going on that most fans never get to see, that cost a significant amout of money to support.

:Begin shameless plug: That last sentence it a bit of a teaser. This last week I had the opportunity for a Disney experience I never thought possible. Anyone interested can check out my blog over the next couple of weeks to learn about the experience. :End shameless plug:

I guess my point is, what most of us see as fans is only the tip of the iceberg, and there is so much more going on behind the curtain that make the Disney products as awesome as they are for us.

Once again...to each his own...

Some may say Disney is not being greedy over ticket prices but if look at how much they have gone up in the last ten years WITHOUT adding one new E ticket to me it seems like for a while they did the bare minimum to keep people coming in the parks....

I just like companies that meet there fan's half way.....you put the money in..and we will too fair and simple

[disneylandreport]

Once again...to each his own...

Some may say Disney is not being greedy over ticket prices but if look at how much they have gone up in the last ten years WITHOUT adding one new E ticket to me it seems like for a while they did the bare minimum to keep people coming in the parks....

I just like companies that meet there fan's half way.....you put the money in..and we will too fair and simple

I don't go to a lot of different amusement parks myself. I'm a regular at Knotts, and I've heard enough about Magic Mountain to be scared. Same for Universal. I'm fairly confident in saying that none of the parks don't even sniff half way. With the exception installing new exciting roller coasters from time to time, they are more or less standing there waiting for you to make up the whole distance.

[taylorear]

(If you go to the airport even ONCE a year, then buy a D23 membership just for the Super Shuttle savings! I've used it four times this year, and it has saved me about $80 alone.)

What!? You get a discount on the Supper Shuttle!?? How did I not know this? (Honestly - I bought my subscription for the magazine and the membership card... I didn't really pay attention to any of the other perks - oops!)

I think, in general, people have their own idiosyncratic ways of justifying what they spend on what. You can't really apply a straightforward logic to it. Somebody may place a monetary value on the quality of their car wax, and then complain that certain grades of motor oil are too expensive...

[Roger55]

IMHO -- Personally, I wish that D23 would be more focused on using their unique position in the company to help pry open the vaults; to advocate for the actual availability to the public of unreleased historic media from the Walt era: movies, tv shows, animation art, music, LPS and singles, film festivals, screenings, a Disney Classics Channel, etc. -- rather than just having presentations to memorialize those things for fans (though that is a nice thing too), while the actual works remain largely unavailable to new generations and the broader public. Focus on restoration, preservation, rebuilding, exhibition, distribution -- expanding and renewing the legacy of the classic works and characters -- and not so much PR for already available and touted products and franchises to the already converted.

My perception is: When asked about releasing Walt era products, other parts of the company often reply: "D23 does that now" -- but they don't really.

This past Destination D Diamond Package went to the Disney Animation Studios where one of the presentations was all about the extensive effort to restore and preserve the entire catalog of animated films, live action films, television shows etc. It was not just a high level presentation but a detailed technical explanation of what the steps are to preserve and restore all sorts of recorded media.

Another part of the Destination D Diamond package was a visit to the Walt Disney Animation Archives and Research Library. The attendees were show actual and original artwork and other animation related items inside the actual vaults. I think a total of 5 different vaults were opened up for the attendees to enter and examine their contents.

I think with your interests merlinjones, you would have been in your Disney heaven.

[merlinjones]

>>I think with your interests merlinjones, you would have been in your Disney heaven.<<

That all sounds fine and dandy, especially for those who have never experienced it, but I don't just want to hear D23 talk the talk and take a peek in the archives -- I'd love to see them walk the walk and offer Walt's entire film/tv/music/art library on Blu-rays, DVDs, CDs, art books, downloadable media -- on the shelf at the theme parks and local big box and online retailers -- all of it fully available to the general public (not just a narrow band of fandom) and exhibited on the big-screen and cable and broadcast for new generations to consume and enjoy (as well as for my own entertainment, enlightenment and rediscovery).

To borrow an overused phrase: "D23 should not be a museum", but a distribution pipeline and profit center for traditional Walt Disney legacy product -- to keep the dream, themes, and art of his works (and beyond just the animated features) accessible, alive and thriving into the future.