Did the Expo Make D23 Worth It?

No. Does that answer your question?

I’ve already done a few posts on D23 including a post on how it could be fixed and turned into a cash cow. The recent expo in Anaheim did little to change my opinion on D23. When I saw what went down there I realized that the expo really had little to do with D23 and more to do with Disney marketing. The expo was simply a Disney expo. I’d have a hard time really calling it a fan meet (which a D23 expo should have been). If you want to do a fan club expo there is one simple rule. The fans have to be the focus. That means the fans run it, the do presentations, and so on. When a corporation plans and executes everything, it’s not a fan meet.

Lets forget about what the expo was for a minute. How many people had the ability to make it to Anaheim California to attend the expo? I know that was out of the question for me. I’m guessing a majority of the Disney fans east of the Mississippi were in the same boat. So what does that leave me? A discount at Disney on Broadway is something. Only problem is I’m not going to drive five hours each way to go see a play. If it his Boston I might consider it.

Is there anything else? Yes! Don’t forge the magazine! Ok I might enjoy that but I won’t enjoy paying $75 for a magazine subscription.

How about the special parties in Disney World for D23 members? Let me get this straight, to maximize the benefit of my membership I should plan a trip to Disney World based on the dates D23 members get the free stuff. In other words I paid $75 to get into a free party that is going to cost at least $2,000 to attend.

I could go over the rest of the benefits but it doesn’t get any better. The final head scratcher is the fact that the D23 expo let anyone in who was willing to pay for a ticket. You didn’t even need to be a member of D23.