The Real Reason You Should Join D23
The 2024 D23 Expo starts this weekend, and MickeyBlog is there to cover everything!
Understandably, some of you may be wondering about the D23 program.
D23 Day Monument in Disneyland
In a strange bit of kismet, my annual membership package arrived today.
So, I can show you the real reason you should join D23.
What Is D23?
Disneyland Resorts Decked Out for D23
Fifteen years ago, The Walt Disney Company recognized an opportunity.
Consumers hold this giant corporate conglomerate in much higher esteem than other businesses.
Photo: Canva
So, Disney started its own fan service, and I mean a literal one.
D23 is the official Disney fan club. Members of this club gain access to membership events.
Picture: Disney Parks Blog
Some of them are special showings of classic Disney films. Others are exclusive premieres of upcoming projects.
For example, in two weeks, D23 will host a special screening at the El Capitan Theatre.
Photo: Hulu
D23 members can watch the first episode of season four of Only Murders in the Building.
Obviously, that’s a huge opportunity for fans of the show, which explains why the event sold out quickly.
Credit: Television Academy – Emmy Awards
Many D23 events sell out because fans embrace the communal opportunity of gathering with other Disney fans.
How Does Membership Work?
Here’s the oddity about D23. You don’t really need to do anything. Once you join, it’s like any other service.
You get as much or as little from it as you want. You can choose whether to attend member events or take part in other activities.
Remarkably, you don’t even need to pay anything. D23 membership is technically free.
The paid feature I’m about to discuss is a part of D23 Gold membership.
A six-pin set, celebrating six milestone anniversaries by artist Alex Riegert-Waters. (Image: D23.com)
When you pay $99 for D23 Gold, you unlock special benefits and perks, which I’ll confess I rarely use.
Instead, the primary benefits for me are the packages Disney sends and the various D23 discounts.
Once a quarter, Disney twenty-three arrives in my mailbox. It’s a physical magazine copy that becomes an immediate collector’s item.
Disney knows this and packages the item with special care. It comes in a unique plastic wrap that protects it from the elements.
So, some fans stick the magazine in a storage box and safeguard it to sell/show off at a much later date.
Others like me quickly open the packaging and read the magazine from cover to cover. It’s an absolute delight for true Disney fans.
Image: Pixar
For example, the most recent magazine cover displays an image from Inside Out 2, with an accompanying headline article.
Disney is selling itself as a luxury brand with this magazine, which makes it feel significant when it arrives each quarter.
However, that’s still just the lesser reason why I subscribe. The real reason is the annual gift…
What’s the Annual Gift?
Every year, Disney ships an exclusive gift, and there’s one thing I can say for sure.
If you’re wondering whether a magazine could ever be a collectible, I get that.
But this exclusive gift…it’s on a whole different level. You’re gonna want this.
Also, I suspect that if you choose not to open the package, it will dramatically appreciate in value.
Disney outdoes itself each year with the gift boxes, as best demonstrated a couple of years ago.
The Walt Disney World 50th anniversary gift box included an adorable lunchbox with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on a train.
They are riding around the landmarks at Walt Disney World such as the Tree of Life and Disney Monorail, both of which are visible.
I love this lunchbox so much that we keep it on permanent display in our home office.
Mickey Disney100 Statue
Last year, Disney went even more upscale with a Disney centennial statue. It’s Mickey Mouse…in platinum.
My wife took one look at it, grabbed it, and I never saw it again. I’m sure it’s in the house somewhere, but I have no idea where.
What I can say for sure is that it put a gleam in her eye, the likes of which I generally only notice when Stitch merch is involved.
Let’s just say that the D23 gift box is always a big day in this household.
The Real Reason You Should Join D23
Yes, that gift box is the real reason you should join D23.
We gleefully unboxed ours earlier. This year’s highlights include a Sorcerer Mickey figurine and a Genie figurine.
Those two items pair together to express the theme, which is Magic & Mystery.
You’ll also find novelty mismatched pins, one of which is magical while the other is mysterious.
Disney threw in a pack of collectible playing cards as well. I can’t wait to crack into those!
Also, you should know that Disney has added a bit of randomness this year.
For example, our gift included the Genie. However, others included three other Disney magicians: Maleficent, Mama Odie, and Merlin.
I’m currently eyeballing those goodies on eBay as we speak.
Since The Sword in the Stone is one of my faves, I really neeeed Merlin!
That’s how Disney gets you right there. Your love of all the film’s movies will leave you salivating at the thought of these gift box goodies.
Enjoy it all! (Image: D23.com)
That’s the real reason you should join D23. It’s like the ultimate loot crate Disney sends you once a year!
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