Disney FILES Magazine

[Granny]

lol, you've got 7 out of about 18 selected, what kind of a dvc member magazine is that?

Like I said, YMMV. I think it's a good member magazine since things that are going on in the various parks are certainly part of the DVC experience.

Im sure the articles are all good, but like I said earlier you can read basic disney stories anywhere. you dont have to be a dvc member to already know about most of those topics.

I think this is where I'm deviating from many people here. I don't know about most of those topics at all since I don't read "basic Disney stories" in other places.

give me dvc stuff, important stuff, worthless stuff, exciting stuff, boring stuff
I dont care what it is as long as its dvc related

Gee, that's what these boards are for!

Seriously, it is rare for me to read anything new in the member magazine about DVC since we've already discussed it here in depth before it's ever published.

So I enjoy getting other news about the various locations. And an interview with Roy Disney that I hadn't seen elsewhere.

Not really a debate. Some people like it, some people liked VM better. No right or wrong here.

 

[Caskbill]

Okay, I guess I'm missing the big deal. Here's the content:

Letter from Editor: DVC related
"From the Desk of Jim Lewis": DVC related about Grand California DVC and Hawaii property
"Member Perks": All DVC related
"Member Getaways": All DVC related
"Disney Destinations": WDW, Tokyo Disney and DL resort & park info...not DVC related
"Holiday Dates around the World": Various parks holiday information around the world...not DVC related
"Disney Diversions": Movies, Home Entertainment, Books and Television...not DVC
"Grand Plans": Grand Californian expansion (incl DVC) and Hawaii DVC....DVC related
"Adventures by Disney": DVC exclusive Southwest Splendors trip
"Vault Disney": Historical Disney info not DVC related
"Around the Neighborhood": All about a DVC member family visiting various Disney parks around the world. Also a story about the member cruise. And a DVC connection to the Extreme Makeover home edition. All with a DVC tie-in, though not primarily about DVC.
"Behind the Name Tag": CMs who work on Adventures by Disney vacations. Mentioned DVC members only trip but that wasn't the main focus.
"Domestic Disney": Recipe for Egg Nog cheesecake...not DVC related
"Fridge-O-Fame": Member photos...DVC related
"Friendly Chatter": Interview with Roy Disney about a movie...not DVC related.
"Noteworthy": Information about Member Merry Mixer and other park events. Some DVC content.
"Photo Files": All DVC member photos.
"Back Files": Story about Walt's plan for an apartment in Disneyland. Not DVC related.

Articles primarily about DVC are colored blue above. I think that's a pretty good list.

So...what else would we want to really read about pertaining to DVC? Frankly, I like having a little more information about Disney aspects beyond DVC. I guess I'm in the minority but I liked the new magazine.

YMMV

Your summary is correct. The things missing are what use to be in the older VM magazines. There's currently nothing about OKW, BCV, or the other current resorts. A very short paragraph about AKV's timeline.


If one looks at the last issue of Vacation Magic, Vol 16, #4 (Fall 2007), there isn't a lot of difference between VM and DisneyFiles.

The point is that Vacation Magic use to be about DVC. Over the years it slowly drifted to less of DVC and more of 'other' stuff. I guess the name change makes sense if one looks at it that way.

I might argue on 3 of your choices. While they're DVC 'somehow', and maybe entertaining, they focus on members, not on DVC. That's the Adventures photo layout, the Fridge-o-Fame, and the Photo Files.

Discussions on this board show what members (at least those who post here) are talking about. It'd be nice if our member 'publication' covered these types of topics.

Just .02

 

[jodifla]

Yeah, I just got it. It's bigger, but has less in it of interest!

 

[TAKitty]

Disney Files is a blatant disney advertising magazine, much more obvious than the old Vacation Magic. I count this as the latest lessening of the DVC magic.

I agree fully! It looks like something you get free in your hotel room to promote the area.

 

[tjkraz]

If one looks at the last issue of Vacation Magic, Vol 16, #4 (Fall 2007), there isn't a lot of difference between VM and DisneyFiles.

I went back to the Spring '05 issue of VM and still don't see any major differences. That issue did have a little more than two pages of resort-specific information, but not every resort was represented (nothing on SSR or VWL.)

The Winter '07 mag is also 8 pages longer than Spring '05.

The one thing I do miss is that I liked when they used little icons to associated the news blurbs with specific resorts--like a horseshoe for SSR and a lighthouse for OKW. But I certainly don't mind it being expanded to cover the Disney parks. I've enjoyed many of the articles printed over the years and think it's unfair to write them off as being Disney marketing fluff.

If there's one thing clear from this thread it's that there is no "one size fits all" solution. No matter what direction they take the mag in the future, some group will be disappointed.

Still I don't think any of these changes have occurred overnight--the mag has been largely unchanged for 3 years now. And I don't think I've ever read such criticism of it in the past. Perhaps the name change is just a lightning rod for some members' displeasure. Still assuming the mag has evolved over a greater period of time, I'm curious to hear about what sort of changes have occurred. What sort of stories and information did they use to fill 20+ pages in years past?

 

[DisFamily2006]

As you can see from my post count I'm a bit of a lurker. I felt compelled however, to chime in on this one in hopes that DVC reads this thread.

As members, my family and I have really enjoyed the neighborhood feel of the VM magazines. Especially the articles concerning things like the golden retriever at Hilton Head, etc. It just had more of a "community" feel. The new magazine really seems to lack this. I can't tell you how disappointed we were when we read it. Hopefully it will get better.

I get the impression that DVC is getting ready to explode (more than it already has) with new members. This is not a bad thing, I just hope Disney will maintain the "owner" feel and VIP treatment for us DVC'rs. It seems that more often than not now, I don't even get a "welcome home" when I arrive at the resort gate or at the check in counter. It's as though the employees don't even know about DVC. Especially at the dual personality resorts (BWV, BC, VWL).

I'm afraid that Jim Lewis may only be concerned with the bottom line. I know it's important to grow the business; just as long as they don't lose site of keeping members happy with lots Disney Magic. After all it's their stock in trade.

Just my 2 pennies....

 

[sjdisneywedding]

If there's one thing clear from this thread it's that there is no "one size fits all" solution. No matter what direction they take the mag in the future, some group will be disappointed.

its funny becuase over the years I have also noticed you and I see different posts from the same exact thread, not sure how that always happens

I havent seen any posts here saying they were disappointed with the VM. Theres a big difference in being disappointed in something and not minding the differences.


I see a few who dont mind any differences, a couple who like the idea of differences. many who dont like the idea of the change, but none who are saying "boy that VM stunk anyway, its about time the changed it up"

 

[dan and scott]

Bring back the Vacation Magic of yesteryear!!
The content might have been stale but at least it didn't insult my intelligence with the quirky quotes. We have saved every Vacation Magic since 98 and have enjoyed the articles/updates of the resorts. What next a coloring page??

Scott

 

[sjdisneywedding]

Gee, that's what these boards are for!

I guess thats why Im here way too much

Not really a debate. Some people like it, some people liked VM better. No right or wrong here.

its always based on everyones opinion, from the small sampling I am seeing here its not thats some like one or the other better. Its that some dont like the new one at all, while I dont recall anyone saying that about VM.

Im sure in the end it will never raise a big enough stink becuase there are so many new members filing in that they wont know the difference anyway. The new members will think its business as usual.

 

[Kurby]

I'm not a Disneyphile, but I enjoyed the magazine. Read it cover to cover and smiled lots
Bobbi

what's a Disneyphile? i've never heard that term.

oh and the bumper sticker??? we didn't get one.

 

[tjkraz]

I havent seen any posts here saying they were disappointed with the VM. Theres a big difference in being disappointed in something and not minding the differences.

Here's the best way to summarize my confusion:

1. Aside from the specific content which will vary from one issue to the next, I don't see ANY difference between this "Disney Files" and the last three years' worth of "Vacation Magic." Other than the name change, why is this now a hot button issue?

VM has been publishing fluff theme park pieces for years now. That Spring '05 issue I dug out had articles on Spring Training and the Flower & Garden Fest. Now suddenly 10 issues later (probably more) we're going to be openly critical of the content?

2. For those lamenting the good old days, how has the mag changed over the years? What are members NOT getting now that they did 5 or 10 or 15 years ago?

 

[Donna]

what's a Disneyphile? i've never heard that term.

oh and the bumper sticker??? we didn't get one.

The bumper sticker was easy to miss. It stuck to the inside of the envelope and was hard to notice. I went to tear up the envelope and wondered why it wouldn't tear, and there it was stuck inside the envelope. Really, you're not missing much!

 

[disney54us]

As you can see from my post count I'm a bit of a lurker. I felt compelled however, to chime in on this one in hopes that DVC reads this thread.

As members, my family and I have really enjoyed the neighborhood feel of the VM magazines. Especially the articles concerning things like the golden retriever at Hilton Head, etc. It just had more of a "community" feel. The new magazine really seems to lack this. I can't tell you how disappointed we were when we read it. Hopefully it will get better.

I get the impression that DVC is getting ready to explode (more than it already has) with new members. This is not a bad thing, I just hope Disney will maintain the "owner" feel and VIP treatment for us DVC'rs. It seems that more often than not now, I don't even get a "welcome home" when I arrive at the resort gate or at the check in counter. It's as though the employees don't even know about DVC. Especially at the dual personality resorts (BWV, BC, VWL).

I'm afraid that Jim Lewis may only be concerned with the bottom line. I know it's important to grow the business; just as long as they don't lose site of keeping members happy with lots Disney Magic. After all it's their stock in trade.

Just my 2 pennies....

You may be a lurker, but when you speak you speak for many. You have hit a bulls eye on every point you brought up! There goes that JL name again . Maybe the big powers need to start taking a look at what is going on, and how well their, upper management is doing. Maybe the powers need a member satisfaction survey?
It seems more and more DVC management utilizes that part of the contract, that they may make changes based on what they feel is best. Whatever happen to the members who pay $$, do we get a opinion? It doesn't seem that way.
I remember some years ago they changed the music that played as you walked through OKW, well OKW owners did not like the change and missed the old music. It was changed back! I read this in VM it was titled something like 'You spoke we listened', would that happen today? Is anyone listening?

 

[disney54us]

Mail came, no mag!

 

[tvwalsh]

I was entirely delighted with the picture on page 16 of the Disney Files Magazine! I plan to buy a large add on as soon as the new resort becomes available, and I was having a little trouble visualizing the location of the expansion project on the Disneyland property.

I am looking forward to more coverage of this construction project in future issues.

Sorry, this is my only comment.

 

[Cyndibear]

I never get these magazines when everyone else does. Mine normally comes 2-3 wks later. I just don't get that.

Cyndi

 

[AKV707]

I still have not received it. I will keep an eye out for it.

 

[AllyBri]

I miss the section of the Vacation Magic that had little tidbits about the different resorts. I'm not sure I am too keen on the new name. I'm a little puzzled (albeit, appreciative) re: the bumper sticker they enclosed in the envelope.

Disneymom
Thank you for mentioning the bumper sticker. I never realized it was in the envelope and nearly threw it away.

 

[DVC Mike]

I never get these magazines when everyone else does. Mine normally comes 2-3 wks later. I just don't get that.

Cyndi

Same with me... I'll get the magazine long after people have posted about it (2-3 weeks later)...

 

[kapeman]

We are about to close on resale.

Will the latest copy of the magazine come in our welcome package or will we have to wait for the next quarterly installment?