Disney Announces Free Membership into its D23 Fan Club

For the first time, in the history of D23, the official Disney fan club, the House of Mouse will be offering free membership to those who would like to become a part of the magical family. This new membership level allows certain perks such as exclusive content and discounted D23 Expo tickets, but this new opportunity will still have certain limitations for current members who are thinking about lowering their membership or canceling. Learn about which D23 benefits will be a part of this new free membership after the break.

Launching on June 17, 2013 at D23.com, this revamp of the D23 membership website will provide access to new content from deep within “the vault” of the Walt Disney Company, with exclusive glimpses into the future. The new D23 free membership will include:

Members-Only Website Content: Access to all exclusive content on D23.com
Exclusive Merchandise: D23 offers its members access to exclusive, limited-edition merchandise and collectibles
Subscription to Weekly D23 FanFare E-newsletter with breaking news and special offers
Discounted tickets to the D23 Expo 2013: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

However, free members will not have access to any of the D23 events except for D23 Expo, which has always been open to non-members. Gold and Silver members, including their guests, will still have all the luxury of the paid member-exclusive events.

Along with the new free D23 membership announcement, Disney also announced renovations and highlights to its fan club site:

Ask a Legend, a video feature in which Disney Legends like Marty Sklar answer fans questions;
Attraction Rewind, celebrating the beloved attractions of Disney’s past which once delighted theme park guests;
Weird Disney, looking at some of the more unusual and outrageous pieces of Disney’s past;
Muppetology, which opens up the Muppet-acular universe of our fuzzy friends;
The Quotable Walt Disney, a digitized version of the out-of-print book featuring some of Walt’s most enduring words;
First Look, which gives members a glimpse into what’s new and what’s next including Monsters University;
Characters, profiling the most beloved characters from television, film and comics with concept art and complete biographies.
23 Questions with Once Upon A Time star Ginnifer Goodwin and Phineas and Ferb’s “evil mastermind” Dr. Heinz Doofenschmirtz.
D’scovered: Treasures unearthed by the Walt Disney Archives, including rare imagery from the proposed Mickey Mouse Park, a concept which evolved into Disneyland; alternative dialogue for The Haunted Mansion penned by Disney Legend X. Atencio; the illustrated story script for “The Karnival Kid,” the 1929 short in which Mickey Mouse first speaks; and a special memento created for Walt by legendary artist Salvador Dali.
Disney A to Z – A complete and newly-updated electronic version of the definitive Disney encyclopedia with more than 7,000 entries written by Dave Smith, founder and Chief Archivist Emeritus of the Walt Disney Archives
D23 Presents – A deeper dive into all parts of Disney from the opening of Mystic Manor in Hong Kong Disneyland to rarely seen footage of the former Disney Studio on Hyperion Avenue.
Disney Legends and the Walt Disney Archives – Two new microsites; Disney Legends will provide a deeper look at those who’ve made significant contributions to the Disney legacy, and the Archives site will open up the doors of this institution so D23 can share more of The Walt Disney Company’s expansive collections.