D23 is actively working to increase capacity at its events, reaching out to Official Disney Fan Club members around the country

Jim Hill

13 years ago

There's a joke from "Annie Hall" that I love:

Two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort. And one
of them says, "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." And
then the other one says, "Yeah, I know; and such small portions."

I bring this story up today because D23 now finds itself
dealing with a different sort of customer service problem. In that the
behind-the-scenes tours & special events that The Official Disney Fan Club
offers have become so popular that they typically sell out almost immediately.
Which then leads some members to grumble about the small number of people who
actually get to take part in these programs.

"We recognize that this is a problem," admitted Steven
Clark, the Head of D23." But – then again – having events like our tours at
Disney Studios and Magic & Merriment at Walt Disney World repeatedly sell
out tells us that our members really value and enjoy what D23 does. So, in a
way, this is a good problem to have."

But that said, Clark recognizes the frustration that some
D23 members feel at being repeatedly shut out of fun events like these. Which
is why Steven and his staff are now making a real effort to increase capacity.

"Take – for example – our Disney Studios tours. We've now
basically tripled the number of tours that we offer at these day-long events.
That's nine separate groups of D23 members being taken behind-the-scenes at
Disney Studios, getting into areas that the general public never ever get to
see," Steven said.

And come this December, The Official Disney Fan Club is
looking to do pretty much the same thing with its third annual Magic &
Merriment event. For the first time ever, staging two of these two-day-long
seasonal celebrations back-to-back. So that even more D23 Members can have the
chance to see everything that Walt Disney World has to offer when it comes to
the holidays.

"We also recognize that there are D23 Members living in
places other than Southern California and Central Florida. Which is why we're
now making an effort to regularly stage Official Disney Fan Club events in
other parts of the country," Clark continued.

The first of these new D23 events – this Saturday's "Cars 2
Cross Country" screening – is actually a startlingly good deal. For just $10,
if you're a member in good standing with The Official Disney Fan Club, you can
purchase two tickets to a Disney Digital 3D presentation of Pixar's latest
production. Which – given that a single seat for a 3D movie typically costs
between $12 – $15 – is quite the bargain in today's economy.

What's more, because D23 management wanted to show that it
was actively listening to members' complaints & concerns (i.e. the
perception that most of the Club's events are held in & around Anaheim,
Burbank and Orlando), these "Cars 2 Cross Country" screenings are being held
about as far away from Southern California and Central Florida as you can get.
To be specific:

The AMC Loews on Chicago's Michigan Avenue

The Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14 on Seventh Street NW in
Washington, DC

The Century San Francisco Center on Market Street

Better yet, members of the D23 management team are going to
be on hand at each of these venues so that they can then interact with members
of The Official Disney Fan Club. Take – for example – Becky Cline, the Director
of the Walt Disney Archives. Who'll be riding herd on Chicago's "Cars 2 Cross
County" screening.

"I've always wanted to visit Chicago. Which is why I've
tacked a couple of extra days onto this trip. So I can then really get out
there and explore this city. See all of the Walt-related sites," Becky
admitted. "Plus it'll be fun to meet with Chicago's D23 members at Saturday's
screening. Give them a chance to win some prizes by answering some Disney
trivia questions."

And Clark promises that there would be more of these sorts
of D23 events held around the country. Though he wasn't quite ready to reveal
all of the details when we spoke this past Friday, Steven did broadly hint that
something involving the Muppets might be in the works for this Fall.

"We literally had our first meeting with the Muppets folks
last week. So we're just getting started with hashing out the details for that
particular event. But before any of that can happen, there's the 'Rocketeer'
20th anniversary event at the El Capitan and the D23 Expo in August," Steven said.

Speaking of which … The first details about the Ultimate
Disney Fan Event (which will be August 19th – 21st at the Anaheim Convention Center) have begun trickling in. With Monday's
announcement that the Dream Store (which will be loaded with D23-themed
merchandise and other specialty items from the Disney theme parks) will be
returning for the 2011 Expo.

What's more, the silent auction that's in the works for this
year's event promises to give Disneyana enthusiasts the chance to bid on all
manner of unique experiences, tours, artwork and props. With each of these
items specifically designed & selected to appeal to Disney's biggest fans.

And in the weeks ahead, look for even more D23 Expo-related
announcements. As Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Walt Disney Studios, the
Disney Channel, ABC, Radio Disney and Disney Interactive Media Group get ready
to reveal what they have planned for the Ultimate Disney Event for fans &
families.

But – again – that's some eight weeks off in the future. For
now, Steven and the small-but-dedicated team of Disney cast members who run D23
are concentrating on making sure that tonight's "Rocketeer" 20th anniversary
event and Saturday's "Cars 2 Cross Country" screenings are as successful &
enjoyable as they can possibly be for club members.

Which clearly isn't the same sort of customer service that those
two elderly women in the Catskills were getting at the top of today's story,
now is it?

Your thoughts?