Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Yeah, I live about 10 miles from the world. And today is my day off. So what better way to spend a day off other than hitting one of the parks.<<< Ahh...Lucky you. >>>I wonder what schlock magazine publisher they can sell D23 too..as really it is only worth anything for the magazine--especially if you don't live near DL<<< Heck, they got rid of their mag, too. Remember Disney Insider? I miss that.
Originally Posted By leobloom >> Heck, they got rid of their mag, too. Remember Disney Insider? I miss that. << Wasn't there a Disney Magazine even before that?
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey <<Wasn't there a Disney Magazine even before that?>> Yup - I still have all my old issues!
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Wasn't there a Disney Magazine even before that?<<< There's been tons. They seriously have no loyalty to the fans unless it pays for them.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 <<<<Wasn't there a Disney Magazine even before that?>> Yup - I still have all my old issues!>> Me too, but what do I do with them? When I die, Happy Haunt's gonna have a heck of a time throwing away all my "junk"
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Someone else has ClubD23.com? That is funny.>> You might be shocked at what some Spirits own that Mickey thinks he has some right to ... just saying ... <<No Cease & Desist letter yet, EE? )>> Considering they let folks like Jeff Lange and others sell and profit off their intellectual property/copyrights (including on site's like this one) and are in bed with so many webmasters these days, I don't think Disney's evil Legal Dept would have a chance in the court of public opinion (and very likely a court room, although our system in the USA is inherently corrupt when it comes to little guys vs. multi-national multi-billion corps). Disney needs to either go after everyone (like that video shop near the Staples Center that I was stuck in my limo in Sunday that has a large Mickey painted on the sign!) equally, or stop the pretend game of picking who they're going to pick on! ~Thanks Matthew, my collar was up!~
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I think I'm waaaaay out of the loop on these things - never heard of it.>> I know EE ... and I barely know about it. Crazy kid! <<D23 is run out of Corporate Communications - the "club" is exactly what you'd expect from a PR machine. Except for the fact that it is missed every target set and is costing the company millions of dollars at the moment.>> And you wanna bet me a suite at the Grand Cal for a week and dinner (with wine pairings at Napa Rose) that D23 won't be around in 2-3 years at all? <<I'm amazed that their Destination 55 thing still hasn't sold out - it is such a small affair and they can't even hit their own local market right. Incredible. >> I'm so sorry I won't be there. I hear my second fave LA weatherdude will be asking panel questions of DLR Prez and Generally Huggable dude Georgie K. But ... I am sure we will get all the blow by blow details ad nauseum thanks to all the Disney sites. ~Did I mention I really loved WoC?~
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Disney has some really sharp people, but sometimes they really miss the mark, and I think they did with D23. I've been members of other Disney clubs, but the WDC soon loses interest in their fan base, and disolves the club abandoning their fans. I really never had any interest in joining D23 because of that. For it to be successful I think you have to have both a dedicated fan, and Disney employee overseeing, and advising the operation of it. I think those kind of people still exsit inside the Corporation.>> Yes, they do ... but they might as well be kept in a dungeon. No one allows them to do what needs to be done. You get scary folks like Steven Clark running things for the fans. I recall meeting him in 2001 when he was WDW Ambassador and it was like he was a scary pixie dusted coated walking AA PR machine. Every public face they put out these days is much like him. It's all show ... and show in a fake way. <<Isn't Ms. Mucha the head of D23 right now?>> ~There's a word for her~
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<A little bit of both, I'm in grad school. Studying magical bathroom design, of course.>> I honestly thought of you last week when I tried out the new DCA facilities that were built near Paradise Park. Large, clean (spotless really), Airblade dryers and GET THIS TDO -- WARM WATER THAT ISN'T JUST A TRICKLE. ~ABC has 'issues'~
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt <<Me too, but what do I do with them? When I die, Happy Haunt's gonna have a heck of a time throwing away all my "junk">>
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>> I know EE ... and I barely know about it. Crazy kid! <<<< I've told you about it! Sheesh! So, when are we getting a Cali report? And when are we convening with the other member of the DG Club? Email?
Originally Posted By leemac <<And you wanna bet me a suite at the Grand Cal for a week and dinner (with wine pairings at Napa Rose) that D23 won't be around in 2-3 years at all?>> Zenia has been told to improve D23 sales by hook or by crook - hence offers like the new discounted level and the Refer A Friend (and get yet another pin). It is hemorrhaging millions of dollars. They are also padding events to make them seem popular - the recent Arclight series was a dud - some theaters had more freebies than D23 members. This will be toast in a few years - that is a sure bet....
Originally Posted By dshyates Here is an article where The Daily Disney chats with an Imagineer about the new audio. <a href="http://thedailydisney.com/blog/2010/09/space-mountain-music-hear-all-about-it-from-an-imagineer/" target="_blank">http://thedailydisney.com/blog...agineer/</a>
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>This will be toast in a few years - that is a sure bet....<<< Shame, since it's a great concept, but the execution is terrible. Now...why don't OTHER people see that? LOL. AKA, it's nice to be right. ;-)
Originally Posted By leemac <<Shame, since it's a great concept, but the execution is terrible. >> I'll have to disagree with you there - it is a terrible concept that has been mismanaged from the start. There is no market for a Disney fan club on the scale that is required for the company to make it work. Definitely not if you see it as a profit center. Sure - if you want to market to the fan base then make it free and charge a premium for events. Don't charge folks $75 for a magazine that is worse than Newsreel and for access to events (although they seem to screw up the online sign-up every time). If it was free then you could build on a huge available market. Instead the bulk of their fanbase is in SoCal as everything is so DLR-centric. Imagine making it free and developing events for Denver, Seattle or Boston? It would then make sense to fly an animator or imagineer out to talk to groups.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Now...why don't OTHER people see that?>> They do - which is why their membership number can't get through a few tens of thousands - i.e. tiny considering the cost of running and marketing it.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>I'll have to disagree with you there - it is a terrible concept that has been mismanaged from the start. There is no market for a Disney fan club on the scale that is required for the company to make it work. Definitely not if you see it as a profit center. Sure - if you want to market to the fan base then make it free and charge a premium for events. Don't charge folks $75 for a magazine that is worse than Newsreel and for access to events (although they seem to screw up the online sign-up every time).<<< That's what I was going for. The concept of a club is great. Paying for it isn't. That sets up exclusivity. >>>They do - which is why their membership number can't get through a few tens of thousands - i.e. tiny considering the cost of running and marketing it.<<< No, I mean the people that buy into it and defend it to the death. Heh.
Originally Posted By MousDad Creating a real fan community would work and be successful, but Disney would need to get their hands too dirty, so it will never happen.
Originally Posted By leemac <<No, I mean the people that buy into it and defend it to the death. Heh.>> Gotcha - although I bet those folks are the ones that get access to every event. It just doesn't work outside of LA. Even the WDW events seem "meh".
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>> Gotcha - although I bet those folks are the ones that get access to every event. It just doesn't work outside of LA. Even the WDW events seem "meh"<<< Get access, as in comped, or buying? The people I'm referring to are the ones that buy the pins en masse, fly down for weekend events, and essentially burn THEIR OWN money on it.
