''Disney Magazine'' was an official

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

magazine that was published quarterly from December 1965 to April 2005. The ''Disney Magazine'', otherwise known as ''Disney News'' ''Magazine'', was the “Official Magazine for Magic Kingdom Club Families”. The magazine was sent out four times a year, with one edition per season and was free to members of the Magic Kingdom Club (MKC).

History

The magazine began life as ''Disney News'' in December 1965. The first issue was 16 pages long, and the cover showed

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

surrounded by several costumed characters in front of

Disneyland Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...

Sleeping Beauty Castle Sleeping Beauty Castle is a fairy tale castle at the center of Disneyland and formerly at Hong Kong Disneyland. It is based on the late 19th century Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. It appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures logos from 198 ...

. The magazine was initially a free benefit for members of the MKC but later started charging a cover price (discounted for members). The publication changed its name to ''The Disney Magazine'' in March 1994 to better reflect the increased size and content of the magazine. It became simply "Disney Magazine" in the summer 1996 issue.

The Magic Kingdom Club

For people that were a part of the Magic Kingdom Club, they were sent the ''Disney Magazine'' for free. This fan-based club, was a way for southern California residents to have a discounted admission price into the park. When

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

opened in 1971, the program became nationwide, allowing anyone the opportunity for a cheaper admission, as well as added benefits such as vacation packages.

Bob Baldwin

Over his 30 years with

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...

, Baldwin held many roles, one of which was the Worldwide Director of the Magic Kingdom Club. From 1978-1994 he ran the MKC, and spent most of his time in Japan and Europe over seeing the production of

Disneyland Paris Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Chessy, Seine-et-Marne, Chessy, France, east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, resort hotels, Disney Nature Resorts, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and a golf course. Disney ...

and Disneyland Tokyo. When he was not running the MKC, Baldwin was also the publisher of Disney Magazine for quite some time.

The First Issue

The very first issue of ''Disney News'' was published in the Winter of 1965. The 16 page print contained information on what was going on in the park, dates to visit, ticket prices, and special events for Magic Kingdom Club members. The cover featured an image of Walt Disney surrounded by his famous characters including Mickey Mouse and

Minnie Mouse Minnie Mouse is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a bow, polka-dotted dress, white bloomers, and low-heeled shoes occasiona ...

. The whole gang is gathered in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle at the

Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort, commonly known as Disneyland, is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division and is home to two theme parks (D ...

in California. At the time, this was the only Disney park in the world. This would turn out to be the only edition of the magazine with Walt on the cover during his lifetime. Walt passed away on December 15, 1966 due to lung cancer. His death came shortly after the plans for

in Orlando, Florida were announced. The magazine never announced a formal statement on Disney's death.

End of the Magazine

When Disney decided to shut down the MKC in January 2001, the magazine continued, but circulation numbers began dropping. Publication ended with the Summer 2005 issue. Subscribers were offered subscriptions to either ''FamilyFun'' or ''

Disney Adventures ''Disney Adventures'' (also short-formed as ''D.A.'') was an American children's entertainment and educational magazine published twelve (later ten) times per year by Disney Publishing Worldwide, a subsidiary of Disney Consumer Products, a unit o ...

'', or refunds. The magazine's website said the end was due to an increase of people choosing to find information on the Internet, and thus lack of readership.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Tim's ''Disney News'' Archive
Entertainment magazines published in the United States Quarterly magazines published in the United States Defunct magazines published in the United States House organs Magazines established in 1965 Magazines disestablished in 2005 Magazines published in California