Reactions to Are you 23? Announcement

[Wvugrrrl]

Go ahead... rant and whine all you want. We are not entitled to anything. This is a membership... its OPTIONAL! I have no sympathy when it comes to people who think they are entitled to things for free. I deal with that constantly with one of my sisters, who always has her hand out.

I don't think I'm entitled to anything for free. But considering the thousands of dollars I've spent up front on buying into DVC, as well as yearly dues, and the thousands of dollars I've spent buying AP's and park tickets for years before that, the extra money I've thrown at park tours and extra hard-ticketed events, not to mention the thousands of dollars I've spent on pins, and what's promising to be thousands more on Vinylmation, I don't think that it's unreasonable to wish that Disney would RECOGNIZE that and "reward" me. And it's not like this complaint is new - Pete & Co have always been very vocal about the lack of support and incentives that Disney gives the people who spend the most - AP Holders, FL Residents, and DVC Members. And God help you if you're all three - sometimes it feels like you're actually paying MORE on these "values" rather than saving money.

It's not so much the idea of D23 that I disagree with personally, it's the wording of the whole thing - like I posted earlier, and others have said as well - I think it's a slap in the face of the true Disney Communities that have brought people together for years to suddenly be discounted as "Unofficial" Online Commmunities"; furthermore, I think it's a really shady way for Disney to cash in on people's emotions - are we suddenly lessor Disney fans because we refuse to pony up the cash for the "opportunity" to spend more, even if we have been faithful consumers and parishioners who tithe regularly to the Church of Disney?

 

[LeesyUD]

What I want to know was whose brilliant idea was it to have the expo at DL instead of WDW? I know the fans for DL are crazy but isn't the WDW fan base much larger? Why not have an expo at each location. I am sorry but that is lame. I want to go to DL sometime but I am not going to fly all the way there for some Expo which is gonna end up being nothing more than a live infomercial for all the crap they are selling.

Also I have to say, why in the world when I want to pay the amount they are charging for "exclusive" Disney merchandise, when the quality of their merchandise is awful nowadays. My fiance was in Orlando on a business trip and bought me a cute set of Winter Hat and gloves which cost him like $45 for both. And they started falling apart the minute I got home.


It is bad enough that I have been a loyal fan to Disney for over 15 years now as well as a WDW CP Alumnus, and I get one "non transferable pin code" in all that time. And now they want ME to pay THEM money to have access to next to nothing?

If they think this is what their fan base wants, especially in the time of an economic crisis all I have to say is how stupid and naive.

 

[LudwigVB]

My initial reaction was that Disney is trying to co-opt Mousefest with their "expo" and Celebrations/Orlando Attractions magazines with their new D23 magazine. Clearly, Disney has to be embarrassed by the wildly successful Epcot 25th anniversary event that it missed out on, so now it will sell an exclusive pen "inspired" by nothing Walt ever touched!

This is the first time I've ever quoted myself, but after reading more details about the creation of D23 I noticed something interesting. Supposedly, it began three years ago when Steven Clark wandered around an archives warehouse in Glendale. I think what he meant to say was when he wandered around Future World three years ago on October 1!

 

[Sha]

I don't think I'm entitled to anything for free. But considering the thousands of dollars I've spent up front on buying into DVC, as well as yearly dues, and the thousands of dollars I've spent buying AP's and park tickets for years before that, the extra money I've thrown at park tours and extra hard-ticketed events, not to mention the thousands of dollars I've spent on pins, and what's promising to be thousands more on Vinylmation, I don't think that it's unreasonable to wish that Disney would RECOGNIZE that and "reward" me. And it's not like this complaint is new - Pete & Co have always been very vocal about the lack of support and incentives that Disney gives the people who spend the most - AP Holders, FL Residents, and DVC Members. And God help you if you're all three - sometimes it feels like you're actually paying MORE on these "values" rather than saving money.

It's not so much the idea of D23 that I disagree with personally, it's the wording of the whole thing - like I posted earlier, and others have said as well - I think it's a slap in the face of the true Disney Communities that have brought people together for years to suddenly be discounted as "Unofficial" Online Commmunities"; furthermore, I think it's a really shady way for Disney to cash in on people's emotions - are we suddenly lessor Disney fans because we refuse to pony up the cash for the "opportunity" to spend more, even if we have been faithful consumers and parishioners who tithe regularly to the Church of Disney?

Well that is me and God helps me everyday! I am PROUD to be all three also. I do get my monies worth and feel that Disney rewards me. I guess I know how to work it to make me happy.

I know that not everyone will agree. I don't expect them too. That is one of the great things that makes us human.

 

[mandymommy4]

Well what about us non-passholders who haven't been able to get anything. Can I get Tables in Wonderland...NO, can I get admission to special Passholder events, NO...how do you think that makes me feel. I frankly don't see how they screw their passholders as you put it, you guys get all the perks.

I love the idea of a Magic Kingdom Club or something else for those of us who frequently go to WDW, but not enough to justify an AP. I've felt left out for many years now.

Go check out the AP perks...... Then go look at the list of nights you cant go because of MNSSHP and MVMCP...... trust me when I say the "perks" are not that great....... especially compared to years ago! As a local discounts are blocked on the weekends and in the fall it is hard to come over in the evening because of the parties.

I love my AP... I will continue to use AP.... I have already had my pass PAY for itself and ALL my trips until I renew it.

They hype for all of this came from EVERYONE who speculated what it was about. All Disney did was say "are you 23?" nothing more. So you are disappointed. Big deal. You don't want to go back. Big deal. Someone else will go in your place. I have had horrible experiences at WDW... got them taken care of. It isn't going to ruin my magic and love of WDW. GET OVER IT! Not everything on that site is $800... AND NO ONE IS MAKING YOU BUY IN!!!!

Go ahead... rant and whine all you want. We are not entitled to anything. This is a membership... its OPTIONAL! I have no sympathy when it comes to people who think they are entitled to things for free. I deal with that constantly with one of my sisters, who always has her hand out.

NO doubt my pass "pays" for itself........ I go almost every weekend and LOVE being a passholder and I love being in the parks with my children, BUT..... Living less than a hour from the parks i also have Universal and Seaworld to choose from.......... I have only been to Universal once and we had Seaworld passes once but due to a difficult pregnancy we were unable to use them more than once.

SO..... I am giving Universal my money this year, I have heard great things about the pass benefits. But based on Disney newest "scam" it made my decision a whole lot easier (And the cost was a whole lot less).

I don't think anyone that was hoping for a loyalty club is expecting a hand out. That is just insulting.

 

[DVCsince02]

Hey!


I heard someone over here wanted some .

 

[mandymommy4]

Hey!


I heard someone over here wanted some .

Step away from the keyboard and eat cake!

 

[Stevegriswold]

I have a very nice pen that I was thinking about selling on ebay. But instead I would like to offer it here. All you need to do is join my club, Club D24.

Once you join my D24 club for $75 I will then offer you my pen for $800.

What Idiots

 

[BrierRoze]

I was reading some of the posts to my husband over lunch and when I mentioned the $800 pen he exclaimed "What?! Does it let you write out 3 annual passes with it?!"

Now THAT would make it worth it in my opinion!

Bic-4-Life!! haha!

 

[guynwdm]

Here's my thought....

In the frozen tundra of Iowa, where yes we have Barnes & Noble and Borders, I have learned that counting on them to have something is the last thing I should do. I would like the magazine and so the $75 to know that I am going to have it coming to me without running around town trying to figure out when it is arriving and who is getting it this time is worth it to me. I am not thinking of it as being anything more than a magazine subscription.... (and I will say it is very pricey magazine but then again you pay more than double for a diet coke in the parks as well) I would hope that they would have something more for their members in the future but guessing that they won't. I have the annual pass and have DVC as well so all I am considering it is a magazine rather than a discount card.

Does all the hype seem a bit lame? yep. Did it work for them? yep. (love it or hate it, it's created 6 pages of entries in a day.)

 

[*NikkiBell*]

ROFL at DVC...I was just coming on here to write something about cake or brownies.

 

[disneygal1]

At first I was not fond of this idea, but I've been thinking about this a lot lately. What is the one thing that makes a great online Disney community? It's members! It doesn't matter how flashy the website/forums are, or whether or not the webmasters/podcast crew gives out freebies. It's the members that make up a great community. I have found that the online Disney community is the friendliest, most inviting, generous community out there.

I think we should all ban together and make this new Disney community a part of the family. Sure it has some bugs and a "few fees", but that can all change. How many online communities have adapted and changed to suit the needs of the members? I'm sure a lot. I think Disney's intentions were honestly good, but like the game of telephone, got a little twisted after making it's way through the halls of a very large corporation.

So I say... let's show Disney what a true community is. Be proactive, become a member, give Disney feedback and constructive critism as a member. What does it say about us as a community, if we don't embrace and help out a newcomer?

Although I can't really afford it, I'm going to try to work some extra hours (it might take me a couple of weeks), join this new community, welcome them with open arms, and help make it as good as the many great communities we all belong to (like this one).

 

["Got Disney"]

 

[redrosesix]

Hey maybe we should look at it like this. You get 4 magazines for $75. If they were $25 each, then you're getting 1 free... Yeah, there's the discount - buy 3 magazines at $25 each and you get 1 free. Oh, wait, they're selling the magazines for $16 at Barnes and Noble. Nevermind...

That almost sounded like a joke that a skipper would tell on the Jungle Cruise.

 

[grizbuzz]

So did anybody post comments on their site? I left them a scathing message. I encourage people to tell them what you think. Here's a link if ya need it:

http://d23.disney.go.com/contactus.html

Thanks. I submitted the following message for Disney:

So, I didn't join D23. I must admit, the idea of being in an official "Mickey Mouse Club" of some sort does hold some appeal, but D23 does not sit right with me. I'm not angry at Disney. I didn't have any expectations of D23, so I'm not particulary disappointed. I'm just not joining. And here are some of the reasons why:

1. D23: Don't like the name and positioning of the fan community. It tries to be too mysterious and exclusive. Just have a simple and straightforward fan club instead of trying to over hype this and pretend it's somehow exclusive for "members only." I really like the open, inclusive feeling of the Disney fan communities like the DIS and it would be great if a Disney fan club was like that as well. Heck, Mickey doesn't turn away anyone who loves him and that's his universal appeal. Everyone is welcome at Disneyland and WDW. Shouldn't everyone be welcome in the fan community even if they don't have $75 or don't join in the first 30 days?

2. Invitation to join came from disney.shopping.com: Hello! If this is a real fan community and not just a merchandising scheme, then why is the email invite coming from disney shopping? Disney lost all credibility off the bat with me there. If an Imagineer or even Mickey invited me, I'd have read the email right away. As it is, I'm just making it through the D23 promotional email and website now -- only because the discussion on the DIS peaked my curiousity on the topic.

3. Fee to join: if you're going to make me pay for this, then I need to see value in joining. An overpriced magazine with content that I'll probably be able to find in some version or another for free on the Internet doesn't do it for me. Either does a certificate or exclusive rights to buy merchandise. To be honest, events, rewards and discounts are pretty much the only things that would draw me in...and good events that make it worth my $75. Events need to be specified upfront in order for me to be willing to part with my money. It would also be nice if some events were close to home (like maybe Pixar Studios in the Bay Area would be nice ) I also like discounts, and I need to understand upfront what they are, to see if they are worth my $75.

4. Access: I'd like to feel like joining a Disney fan community gives me access to information, imagineers and the "magic." And this doesn't have to be exclusive or "members only" access. I'd like a fan club to give me the opportunity to learn more about the history of Disney and perhaps even gain a teeny tiny voice in shaping its future. If I joined D23 I'm concerned that I might be self segregated myself into the "suckers" segment of Disney customers. I might be taking myself off any customer list Disney might have to offer hotel discount codes and putting myself on the customer list to get more adds for $800 pens from Disney shopping.com. Let's just say I do not see myself wearing a D23 logo anytime soon. And this is coming from someone who willingly wears DVC promotional materials to advertise for Disney for free. I would be uncomfortable wearing anything D23 at this point.

I'm not protesting and I'm not holding out from joining out of principle. I just don't feel drawn to join. I will probably read info available for free on the D23 web site and I will hurry to join if I find info that demonstrate there are events, discount or rewards that make it worth the money. And if Disney would look at changing the name and exclusive positioning of the fan community, well that would be most appreciated.

 

[Blue Skies]

I'm not planning on joining D23. I feel that there are already plenty of groups (albeit not 'official') that meet many of the Disney fan needs. For example:

Like Disney history/trivia? - - - Buy Lou Mongellos trivia books!
Want to join a 'fan club'? - - - Join the National Fantasy Fan Club (NFFC)!
Want a Disney Magazine? - - - Subscribe to Celebrations or Attractions magazine!
Like the Disney Railroad? - - - Join the Carolwood Pacific group!
Rich Disney fan? - - - Join Club 33!
Want to be part of an online group? - - - Join the DIS, DISfriends, Facebook, Laughing Place, Netcot, etc...
Want to go to a Disney 'convention'? - - - Go to Magic Meets, WestFest, Mouse Fest (if it returns)!

I would be more interested in D23 if they had something like tiered membership. Like say $25.00 to join, $50.00 to join and get a 'gift', $75.00 to join and get the 'gift' and the magazine.


It would be cool if like Club 33 (but obviously on a different level), D23 had a 'clubhouse' in a park (kind of like a VIP lounge) where fans could meet.

 

[wishspirit]

Thanks. I submitted the following message for Disney:

So, I didn't join D23. I must admit, the idea of being in an official "Mickey Mouse Club" of some sort does hold some appeal, but D23 does not sit right with me. I'm not angry at Disney. I didn't have any expectations of D23, so I'm not particulary disappointed. I'm just not joining. And here are some of the reasons why:

1. D23: Don't like the name and positioning of the fan community. It tries to be too mysterious and exclusive. Just have a simple and straightforward fan club instead of trying to over hype this and pretend it's somehow exclusive for "members only." I really like the open, inclusive feeling of the Disney fan communities like the DIS and it would be great if a Disney fan club was like that as well. Heck, Mickey doesn't turn away anyone who loves him and that's his universal appeal. Everyone is welcome at Disneyland and WDW. Shouldn't everyone be welcome in the fan community even if they don't have $75 or don't join in the first 30 days?

2. Invitation to join came from disney.shopping.com: Hello! If this is a real fan community and not just a merchandising scheme, then why is the email invite coming from disney shopping? Disney lost all credibility off the bat with me there. If an Imagineer or even Mickey invited me, I'd have read the email right away. As it is, I'm just making it through the D23 promotional email and website now -- only because the discussion on the DIS peaked my curiousity on the topic.

3. Fee to join: if you're going to make me pay for this, then I need to see value in joining. An overpriced magazine with content that I'll probably be able to find in some version or another for free on the Internet doesn't do it for me. Either does a certificate or exclusive rights to buy merchandise. To be honest, events, rewards and discounts are pretty much the only things that would draw me in...and good events that make it worth my $75. Events need to be specified upfront in order for me to be willing to part with my money. It would also be nice if some events were close to home (like maybe Pixar Studios in the Bay Area would be nice ) I also like discounts, and I need to understand upfront what they are, to see if they are worth my $75.

4. Access: I'd like to feel like joining a Disney fan community gives me access to information, imagineers and the "magic." And this doesn't have to be exclusive or "members only" access. I'd like a fan club to give me the opportunity to learn more about the history of Disney and perhaps even gain a teeny tiny voice in shaping its future. If I joined D23 I'm concerned that I might be self segregated myself into the "suckers" segment of Disney customers. I might be taking myself off any customer list Disney might have to offer hotel discount codes and putting myself on the customer list to get more adds for $800 pens from Disney shopping.com. Let's just say I do not see myself wearing a D23 logo anytime soon. And this is coming from someone who willingly wears DVC promotional materials to advertise for Disney for free. I would be uncomfortable wearing anything D23 at this point.

I'm not protesting and I'm not holding out from joining out of principle. I just don't feel drawn to join. I will probably read info available for free on the D23 web site and I will hurry to join if I find info that demonstrate there are events, discount or rewards that make it worth the money. And if Disney would look at changing the name and exclusive positioning of the fan community, well that would be most appreciated.

Great email!
All you need to do is to tell them to fix the dang website too! I have NEVER had any searches on that thing work (even for D23!)

 

[MouseGuest]

I think many Disney fans are jumping the gun and judging D23 a bit too quickly. This week on Mouse Guest Weekly we talked to those behind D23, Steven Clark, Becky Cline and Dave Smith, to get the inside scoop and address some concerns Disney fans seem to have.

Check it out- Show #190:
http://www.mouseguest.com/podcast/index.php

 

[DISengineer]

When I first heard about RU23 I kept getting it mixed up the controversial day after pill RU 487. I thought Disney is really branching out. Actually now that I know what it is I am not surprised. I can picture some earnest pro fan Disney employees first proposing an official community on line. The MBA's in marketing then thought how we make money on this. Not the long term kind that will ensure our future and insure our future if we do something free for the fan base now but the short term kind that will guarantee a short term profit and increase our bonuses. Volia! RU23 is created.

At least they could give a perk like a once a year tour of the Disney archives or a free behind the scenes special tour. The brain trust at Disney has managed to pluck loss from the jaws of gain once again.
.

 

[DanMedix]

Count me in as another that sees no value in this whatsoever. There are more, better, and more down-to-earth Disney fans on HERE, and we get to share the love for free, everyday! Heck, we're already better, more personable, and much more fun than D23, and we don't need expensive pens to prove it! (Yes, DIS, I love yoooooo!)

The more I look at it, the more I think that it's the Disney heads that are drinking the kool-aid. Perhaps instead they should smell what they're shoveling?....