March 12, 2009: Magic Kingdom Club

[Werner Weiss]

This article looks at Disney's original affinity program. (Are you MKC?)

Link to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom Club

Do you remember the Magic Kingdom Club?

Please discuss it here.

[Sosai X]

[Athlonacon]

Was a card-carrying member of the Burger King Kid's Club (I liked Zap the best) and the Fox Kid's Club (we had Uncle Murph at San Diego's XETV station), but I never even heard of this one. Clubs were kind of the in-thing in the early 1990's, just about every single corporation offered one it seems... especially for kids. It sounds like this club went out with the fad that swept through the 1990's. Ever since the internet, people have wanted to do their own thing and be the master of their own realm, it's most likely what killed the appeal of belonging to a club.

As I remember, I think the Fox Kid's Club got like a tiny discount at the Family Fun Centers and the Burger King one got me like a free hamburger on my birthday or something. Nothing exciting, but if it's free I can't complain! I'm sorry I missed out on this club.

[Sosai X]

Magic Kingdom Club Update 91 - Video - Disney Pix - The Ultimate Disney Photo Adventure

Magic Kingdom Club Update 93 - Video - Disney Pix - The Ultimate Disney Photo Adventure

[CaptainCM]

I was a card-carrying member of this from (circa) 1994 until it's demise in/around 2001. I remember dealing (as a relatively new CM in City Hall) with upset guests who were used to getting their benefits.

[Monkey joe]

I was member since 1985 until 2000. I miss it and Disney news/magazine. Here hoping that Disney 23 get better deals in time like Magic Kingdom Club did.

[Disneyland Tickets]

Fun post Werner, Thanks! I've been promising my blog readers a MKC series post for months (maybe a year). There is so much to cover I can never figure out where to start (Tickets, brochures, magazine, cards, fliers, etc). If you don't mind, I might piggy-back off your layout to use as motivation.

Thanks for all you do, your site was and is my best source for the Yeserdays' Disneyland!

[fcanfield]

I was a member of the MKC from 1965 until it was disbanded. I was also a member of the magic years club which gave tremendous discounts on annual passports. It does look to me like the D23 is hopefully a resurection of MKC and not purely a merchandising arm. I have two shopping bags of MKC and related information which I hope to dispose of at this summers NFFC convention or this falls D23 EXPO.

[ucube]

correct me if i'm wrong, but magic kingdom club was also the FIRST place where you could enjoy Disneyland WITHOUT tickets - they had a special members only passes that gave you unlimited use of attractions - which was a great and amazing feature back in the day (and I'm talking 70s).

Does anyone else remember that?

[DrMemory]

Originally Posted by ucube

correct me if i'm wrong, but magic kingdom club was also the FIRST place where you could enjoy Disneyland WITHOUT tickets - they had a special members only passes that gave you unlimited use of attractions - which was a great and amazing feature back in the day (and I'm talking 70s).

Does anyone else remember that?

I remember something like that. My family was in the Canadian branch of this (still used the term "Magic Kingdom" but "Canada" or "Canadian" was in there somewhere) in the 70s and what we had were not exactly passes, but special ticket books which held the same, finite number of tickets, but the tickets, rather than being the usual A through E, were special "Gold" (actually a light brown-orangey colour) tickets that could be used on anything. These were on top of the books of regular tickets that we got with admission anyway, so they were a bonus.

[Disneyland Tickets]

Originally Posted by ucube

correct me if i'm wrong, but magic kingdom club was also the FIRST place where you could enjoy Disneyland WITHOUT tickets - they had a special members only passes that gave you unlimited use of attractions - which was a great and amazing feature back in the day (and I'm talking 70s).

Does anyone else remember that?

The MKC had exclusive Unlimited Passports before they were available to the general public in 1982, like this one from 1977 (link)

[Disneyland Tickets]

Originally Posted by DrMemory

I remember something like that. My family was in the Canadian branch of this (still used the term "Magic Kingdom" but "Canada" or "Canadian" was in there somewhere) in the 70s and what we had were not exactly passes, but special ticket books which held the same, finite number of tickets, but the tickets, rather than being the usual A through E, were special "Gold" (actually a light brown-orangey colour) tickets that could be used on anything. These were on top of the books of regular tickets that we got with admission anyway, so they were a bonus.

In addition to unlimited passports for MKC members, Disneyland had the "good on any ride" tickets you mentioned for MKC members during the off seasons, here is a green one (link). During the summer, the MKC ticket book just had more tickets, but they were still separate A thru E tickets.

[DrMemory]

Originally Posted by Disneyland Tickets

In addition to unlimited passports for MKC members, Disneyland had the "good on any ride" tickets you mentioned for MKC members during the off seasons, here is a green one (link). During the summer, the MKC ticket book just had more tickets, but they were still separate A thru E tickets.

OK, that makes sense, as we always went in the off season. Well, spring break, but these were still the calmer times when "off season" was "not summer." Also, I don't think spring break in Canada was synced up with the one in the States back then, which was great for vacation purposes.

[danyoung]

While I'm still a Bob Iger fan, I thought it was disingenuous of him to go on The View this week and promote the new D23 club by saying something to the effect that this is the first time ever that the Disney company has had a club where people could join and be a part of the company. I know he's kinda new, but the DVC was a pretty huge thing in its day!

[Gullywhumper]

Originally Posted by danyoung

While I'm still a Bob Iger fan, I thought it was disingenuous of him to go on The View this week and promote the new D23 club by saying something to the effect that this is the first time ever that the Disney company has had a club where people could join and be a part of the company. I know he's kinda new, but the DVC was a pretty huge thing in its day!

DVC? Disney Vacation Club? DVC is still going strong, with time share resorts at Walt Disney World and soon, Disneyland. You mean (MKC) Magic Kingdom Club. I too am still mad at Disney for droping the Magic Kingdom Club and Disney Magazine. Doesn't it cost more long term to keep canceling and then relaunching these types of programs? Rather than sticking with a tried and true program for decades, like Magic Kingdom Club! I hope that maybe, when they ditch D23 in a couple years, they'll roll it all into the "new" Magic Kingdom Club. Then stick with it for good.