Disney President and CEO Bob Iger Announces the Launch of D23!

OMG! I love Disney and tend look at the positive in most of what they do but this is LAME!!

$75 for:

- a magazine (I get the "Mickey Monitor" and DVC "Disney Files" which is plenty)

- a "personalized membership card and certificate" (woo-hoo! Anyone can create this on a computer)

- a surprise gift (read cheap),

- "special" merchandise you can BUY (did you look at some of it? again...LAME and some of it outrageously priced! A PEN for $849.95 - REALLY??!!)

- oh let's not forget the DISCOUNT to "The Ulitimate Disney Fan Experience" - not FREE but a DISCOUNT. So anyone can go to this but but members get a discount - yipee!

Now, if they would add in special perks at the parks like special tours, discounts, gifts upon check-in, etc then it might be worth it. But as it is...
FORGET IT!:down:

Good luck pulling this off Disney, especially in this economy.

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Originally Posted by Ian

And it didn't start in 1999. That was the Millennium Celebration (which started 10-1-99, about 3 months before the official start of the new millennium).

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Just a detail, but the official start of the new Millennium was 1-1-2001, so the Millennium Celebration started 15 months before the New Millennium.

Regarding D23: I think this can only be a success if they add exclusive travel discounts for their members. Undoubtedly, the magazine will have stunning and exclusive material, but it adds to a huge pile of Disney-info already available on the net, so it is of very littly added value. And, unlike Disney management believe, the "exclusive merchandise market" is already mature for years and approaching a declining stage rapidly.

I agree with the majority here. No thanks. $75 for 4 magazines that you can get cheaper on the newstand??!! Everybody knows you get magazines cheaper when you subscribe. Oh yeah, I'll get a certificate, and the opportunity to buy ridicjulously overprice merchandise and a discount, a discount on the Expo. I'm a Disney fanatic, but come on...

Ian...you're just encouraging them to continue a bad idea...:nono:

When it's free or cheaper than the four mags, I'll consider it. Until then, no thanks.

:sulley:

This will all shake out through the year. If D23 offers enough "discounts" and specials for Disney fans (especially vacations and exclusive collectibles), it could be successful. But if not enough is offered (and I just don't see it right now), it will die a quiet death. Four magazines a year, a discount for a convention I'll never attend, paying a fee for the right to buy more stuff, and an advance screening of "Up" just doesn't do it for me.

What I don't understand is why not a blanket discount at the Disney Store or disneyshopping.com? I would think that even a modest 5% discount would draw in thousands of "members" and probably increase revenue during a time when nobody's shopping. But nobody asked me.

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Originally Posted by lockedoutlogic

the year of a million dreams was silly because it was an "annivesary" of a man's life.....

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The Year of a Million Dreams was not a celebration of Walt Disney. That was 100 Years of Magic.

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Originally Posted by The Joker

Just a detail, but the official start of the new Millennium was 1-1-2001, so the Millennium Celebration started 15 months before the New Millennium.

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Well ... that's sort of nit-picky. I know there was an element that insisted that the new millennium didn't start until 1-1-2001, but the truth is 99.99% of the world welcomed it on 1-1-2000.

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Originally Posted by big blue and hairy

Ian...you're just encouraging them to continue a bad idea...:nono:

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I know, I know. I'm guilty for sure, but I did want to give it a chance and see how it worked out.

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Originally Posted by BriarRose

The Year of a Million Dreams was not a celebration of Walt Disney. That was 100 Years of Magic.

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yeah....that was my mistake.....it was addressed

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Originally Posted by Ian

I know, I know. I'm guilty for sure, but I did want to give it a chance and see how it worked out.

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Must have been something in that castle water...

LOL! ;)

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Originally Posted by Ian

I know, I know. I'm guilty for sure, but I did want to give it a chance and see how it worked out.

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I think that's exactly what Disney is hoping for - people to throw away $75 just to see what is going to happen. They get instant income and when it falls apart after the first year, they put it down as a mistake and try something else for the quick buck. But, if they feel they get enough interest in the first year, they will increase the price until it does fail.

This seems like nothing more that a 'bottom line' boost for the end of the fiscal quarter.

Watch - they'll add some little trinket to the package, or 'For Members Only,' sometime in June to try to boost that quarters' numbers.

Could not agree more with what's already been said here previously.

This is lame, ill-timed and seemingly a money-grab on the part of Disney.

The only thing I can see that may actually gain some legs is the expo. There seems to be a big demand for this type of stuff and these types of events. Look at Comic-con, the various Apple events, and the CES in Vegas. It would be neat to actually have a high-production expo put on with the cooperation of the Disney folks. We'll see where it goes.

While I understand that for some folks D23 is a waste of money, let's be careful not to down those people who decided it was not. Sure everyone is entitled to an opinion but I'm starting to read some negative posts that almost make it seem that those of us who decided to give it a shot for the first year and see what happens are naive or misinformed in some way. I know these comments aren't ill intended but me personally, I'm excited about this.

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Originally Posted by BamaJenn

While I understand that for some folks D23 is a waste of money, let's be careful not to down those people who decided it was not. Sure everyone is entitled to an opinion but I'm starting to read some negative posts that almost make it seem that those of us who decided to give it a shot for the first year and see what happens are naive or misinformed in some way. I know these comments aren't ill intended but me personally, I'm excited about this.

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you bring up a good point....

I don't think anybody should be ridiculed for purchasing a consumer product......in this case this DTV23-34-36....

I personally criticize because this is a thinly vieled attempt at a moneygrab on Disney's part.....a yearly fee for something that in many cases won't provide any return to the consumer (like 50% of the Health Club memberships in the US)....it's a pretty pathetic attempt at subscription service on Disney's part....in my opinion

But if people choose to try it....there is nothing wrong with that

I suppose if I had money to spare I would buy a membership as would a lot of people maybe. Maybe if this came out before the problems with the economy it may be a different story.

I think it would be smarter of them to market it as a monthly fee, which would work out to $6.25 a month, give or take a fraction of a penny.

Hey, for $6.25 a month, I might try it. It's just that $75.00 seems extravigant.

Maybe I will.....:spend:

I don't think that I will get it for the fact that I spend plenty on my yearly trips and I don't want to pay 75.00 for a few magazines? If I wanted that then I would buy them from my kids school...
How many of these will be on Ebay selling for big bucks?

What a joke! Bob Iger, you should be ashamed! When there are people who are trying to figure out how to eat these days and you put a fee like this on something, I just throw up my hands.

This is WEAK. A weak attempt to rebound from poor sales. I doubt this was in a plan for years. Sounds like a half-axx scheme. From what I read, I can get the same info here on intercot....only thing with the club is maybe I would get to see some behind the scene pics. Other than that....weak. If they want people, offer a free 30 day trail.

After looking around the website, I understand this even less! The only thing I don't seem to be able to do is buy an $1885 figurine! Really, I was going to do that!

Like I said before, when you subscribe to a magazine, you get it cheaper. ESPN The Magazine is a buck an issue by subscription.

Really, please enlighten me, what the heck are you paying for?

:sulley:

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Originally Posted by lockedoutlogic

you bring up a good point....

I don't think anybody should be ridiculed for purchasing a consumer product......in this case this DTV23-34-36....

I personally criticize because this is a thinly vieled attempt at a moneygrab on Disney's part.....a yearly fee for something that in many cases won't provide any return to the consumer (like 50% of the Health Club memberships in the US)....it's a pretty pathetic attempt at subscription service on Disney's part....in my opinion

But if people choose to try it....there is nothing wrong with that

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Thank you very much for seeing my point. I by no means wanted to start a "flame war" with my comments but amidst the desire to vent from those who aren't impressed, it's making those of us who decided to jump in and see what it's all about look like we're, again, naive and misinformed. All I ask is that everyone be careful not to make the new D23 members feel that way.

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Originally Posted by big blue and hairy

After looking around the website, I understand this even less! The only thing I don't seem to be able to do is buy an $1885 figurine! Really, I was going to do that!

Like I said before, when you subscribe to a magazine, you get it cheaper. ESPN The Magazine is a buck an issue by subscription.

Really, please enlighten me, what the heck are you paying for?

:sulley:

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like most things disney has done for the past 50 years.....

for 75 bucks you get the privilege of "feeling like you are a member of the club"

Think about it....it started with Mickey Mouse Club......then progressed through the parks....they were the first to have annual passes.....one of the first to have all inclusive gate charges.....and have done hundreds of different "clubs, memberships, passholders, gold keys...etc etc etc".....then they rolled on through the "Vacation Club"....for when little purchases no longer cut it.

Disney has played the exclusive card for 50+ years....everything designed to make you a member or not.....on the inside or out....a have or a have not....

It's an effective strategy....and it has served them well.