Disney Magazine TERMINATED!

[tiggerguy]

I just called Disney magazine customer service. They told me they are not closing publication. I don't know if that is what they were told to tell people or not. They also offered me a special gift subscription price. Why would they do that if they were closing up shop? I hope they don't. I love that magazine. Hope they keep it going!!!

According to Rich Koster webmaster of disneyecho.com he was able to confirm the shutdown after the summer 05 issue.

I tend to believe this news as the news came from pretty reliable sources

[disneydame2004]

Here are Rich Koster's findings: (from post on JHM message board)

"I was able to confirm this news today, after making quite a few calls to various Disney Publishing offices in different parts of the country.

Finally the Los Angeles office gave me the straight news that Disney Magazine is ceasing publication. The current issue (Spring 2005) is not the last one, however... There will be one more, final issue published: Summer 2005.

I'll miss this magazine a lot.


-- Rich Koster"

[DissyLove]

I love that magazine, I thought of it as my seasonal Disney fix. I did think it was kind of costly for only a quarterly publication, but it did have tons of info. Maybe they should just hire some cheaper writers, like me!!!Over here, guys!!!

[disneydame2004]

More info from DiznewsPlus:

DIZNEWS: Disney confirmed Tuesday that it was shutting down its long-
running "Disney Magazine" at the end of the month, with the last
issue hitting newsstands this summer. Apparently the last issue
will cover the 50th anniversary of California's Disneyland. The
magazine is a quarterly publication with features on the theme
parks, movies and anything else that would drive sales for the
Mouse. The circulation is in excess of 1 million, though a chunk of
that was freebies for season pass holders. The magazine has been
around in one form or another for more than 40 years.

[wdw4us2]

I will really miss the magazine, especially "Ask Dave" and all the articles on past Disney employees.

I see by this action that the WDC is further abandoning adults who are interested in things Disney. I enjoyed Disney Adventures when it first came out, but now it is aimed squarely at "'tweens".

I still remember when the magazine was in all the rooms at WDW resorts. That's how we started our subscription almost 15 years ago. If they hadn't been so cheap and stopped this practice, maybe their subscription numbers would be where they think they should be.

Although I enjoy the info I find on the internet, I still enjoy reading things about Disney the old fashioned way.

[Lou Mongello]

Quick info: The magazine is now being rumored to be "back on life support", as Disney hopes to avoid what could possibly a very bad PR move...

Stay tuned

[DisneyonaDime]

Quick info: The magazine is now being rumored to be "back on life support", as Disney hopes to avoid what could possibly a very bad PR move...

Stay tuned

That's good to hear. I think it is a bad PR move on many different levels. For one it could show that Disney is losing its following and is sliding (bad for stock). Another is that once again Disney is losing its valued employees and is not doing everything to keep the family whole (bad for employee morale and creativity).

I have been thinking about this and it really does not make business sense. To stop a quarterly magazine because of the speed of the Internet doesn't seem like the right approach. I would think that the solution would be to speed it up and make it a monthly. You already have a good base and could easily add to it. I think the quarterly angle is its weakest aspect. We get Disney Adventures and the Family Fun magazine every month and we tend to forget that we are subscribers to the Disney magazine until it shows up out of the blue every quarter.

I hope that Disney does the right thing and makes the best out of the asset they have. I wish I had a million subscribers and a full staff to do something with. To throw the baby out with the bath water does not sound like a sound business move. At least sell it like they did to the Disney Stores and let someone make something big out of it.

[GrumpyDude]

actually, chopping the magazine would be good for the stock. DisneyonaDime, sorry but stopping a quarterly publication, that is losing money, due to the access of the internet is a perfect reason to stop it. a company that can identify trends and adapt to them are the companies that profit and survive.

Wall Street is very near sighted, only looking to quarterly and annual profits, in that order. Analysts would see the ending of a division (the magazine) that is continually losing money as a good thing, since operating expenses would decrease.

The biggest mistake people make with the stocks and bonds is that it is not you and me driving the market, it's the investment/insurance companies trading their institutional accounts driven by a floor full of MBA's in their big skyscrapers. They don't care about fan base, they care about profits, that's it, plain and simple.

[DisneyGuy81]

I will miss the magazine. I do hope it survives....

[disneydame2004]

I think Disney has been trying a little with their "Disney Insider" weekly newsletter to do what we expected from the magazine: articles about current and upcoming things, interviews with cast/crew, the 'Ask Dave' column, Goofy's trivia question. (free, subscribe at disney.com if you don't already get it)

It's a poor substitute, but it might have been their way of testing the market for an online magazine replacement.

[DissyLove]

I don't really know why, but I LOVE the Disney Magazine and really don't enjoy the Disney Insider (online) that I get. Maybe if more of the material was the same I would like it more, I don't know....

[Jiminy Cricket]

Newspapers and magazines make the vast majority of their profit from advertising. The actual cost of printing/mailing/distributing the magazine or newpaper is covered by the subscribers.

Disney has the problem of having to limit ads to those that will appeal to its guests as well as avoid ads that conflict with any of its vast holdings of other companies. Therefore, Disney Magazine is more of a service to its guests than it is to the bottomline, which drives the "suits" and "bean counters" crazy.

Disney Magazine is a glossy magazine which is more expensive to produce. I would rather see the magazine go to a cheaper format a la Family Fun rather than lose it altogether. Time will tell.

[Winnie]

Okay after trying to read and catch up some some of the threads here I was bummed when first reading this and then excited when reading it may be a bad PR move....kind of like a good Disney Movie - always keeping you on the edge of your seat. The question seems to be - will there be a Happy ending that we all want?!

[DisneyonaDime]

actually, chopping the magazine would be good for the stock. DisneyonaDime, sorry but stopping a quarterly publication, that is losing money, due to the access of the internet is a perfect reason to stop it. a company that can identify trends and adapt to them are the companies that profit and survive.

Wall Street is very near sighted, only looking to quarterly and annual profits, in that order. Analysts would see the ending of a division (the magazine) that is continually losing money as a good thing, since operating expenses would decrease.

The biggest mistake people make with the stocks and bonds is that it is not you and me driving the market, it's the investment/insurance companies trading their institutional accounts driven by a floor full of MBA's in their big skyscrapers. They don't care about fan base, they care about profits, that's it, plain and simple.

I agree with a lot of what you said, Grumpy Dude. When a company recognizes a losing effort within their organization and puts an end to it, that typically shows that they are paying attention and running a company that is focused on its shareholders. But PR and bad press do affect the stock as well. If it didn't, companies wouldn't care about getting it. I know that divesting a small division like Disney Magazine will not make or break the stock, but Disney has been under a microscope for the last several years. They have been heavily criticized for how it is handling its intellectual capital. Even the big firms and MBA’s gauge a stock’s worth by investor’s perception, changing of CEOs, and other non profit-based measures. By the way, not all MBAs think about the bottom line. I try to look at other things.



My point about the Internet and a quarterly publication is simply why not try to bump it up a little before giving up? I do agree with Jiminy that it is tough for Disney Magazine to advertise when the overall company has its hands in so many pots. It is a predicament for them. Maybe a cheaper version is the answer. I worked in the newspaper advertising business for years and we would give the paper away if it counted towards advertising. ABC rules require that a percentage of the full subscription must be paid in order to count a subscriber and then be able to charge for advertising for that subscriber. Advertising pays the bills.



None of us know the specifics about why they aren’t doing well, what their definition of “well” is, or what it would take to make it more profitable. I agree with Jiminy that I would like to see them at least try to change something before giving up. I work in a business where a product might be extremely profitable but not make the billion that our company wants. It frustrates me to no end when we let products that are successful go away because they don’t contribute enough. If that’s the case, at least let someone else have a shot.



Long live Disney Magazine!

[yensid1071]

From the various articles I've read regarding the magazine cancellation, including the SaveDisney site, it seems that the decision was made at a lower level. Iger didn't find out till this past Tuesday. When division heads found out, they were steamed and let their feelings be known. So much for letting lower levels of management make bigger decisions.....

I remember first seeing the magazine in 1994 when we stayed on property. It was in our room and we've subscribed ever since. Hopefully the DL 50th Anniv issue won't be the last....

If they follow thru on this, it's really sad that they'd scrap a publication that has been around for 40 years and had such a loyal market. It's a tool that allows them to advertise to a perfect demographic: their customers. Ads in other magazines would be more hit and miss, but they know exactly who is getting it with this magazine. And if it *is* losing money, many companies have a loss-leader where they take a small hit in order to boost another segment of their business. This mag only helps promote the parks, movies, video, etc.

I found out that you can send a note to the magazine to express your thoughts. I know subscribers can use it, but am not sure about non-subscribers. The link to the site is HERE . You can also send an email to the company directly. I know I'll send in a note saying I think they need to keep it around! The bigger the response they get, the more it will get their attention that they need to keep it!!