Free D23 Membership Explained | Paid vs Free Membership
Free D23 Membership sounds like a great deal when you hear about all of the great perks, discounts and special events you gain access to when you're a member of Disney's official fan club.
There are many key differences between being a free D23 member and a paid D23 member though that you need to keep in mind to avoid being disappointed and make the most of your membership.
In this guide we'll explain everything there is to know about the free D23 membership tier!
- How Do You Get A Free D23 Membership?
- What's Included In Free D23 Membership?
- Free D23 Membership vs Paid D23 Membership
How Do You Get A Free D23 Membership?
Becoming a D23 member is a simple process that can be done on the D23 website.
In the top right corner of the page you will see a button that says "Join The Club" which will lead you directly to all of the available D23 Membership options including the free/General Member option.
You can also use the dropdown menu on the left side of the page to access the membership page as well as options to redeem a Gold/paid Membership.
After selecting General Membership (the free membership option) you will be prompted to create a Disney account if you don't already have one.
From there you will need to enter general personal information such as name, address and phone number which will be used in the event that you upgrade your membership and want to receive D23 Gold Member gifts and Disney Twenty-Three magazine.
What's Included In Free D23 Membership?
Free D23 Membership, otherwise known as "General Membership" includes just a few benefits and perks not nearly as extensive as the paid-for Gold Membership.
General Membership includes access to a very limited amount of exclusive D23 Membership events which in the past have included early previews of new rides at Walt Disney World as well as movie screenings at unique locations such as Disney hotels or the Walt Disney Studios movie lot.
You will also get access to the D23 e-newsletter and special giveaways and sweepstakes with General Membership.
The D23 e-newsletter includes a recap of all major events throughout the Walt Disney Company including new film releases and announcements, Disney Parks & Resorts news and previews for D23 member events.
It's a great way to keep connected to all of the news coming out of the Disney universe!
General Membership typically does not include access to behind-the-scenes tours, member parties and meet-and-greets with Disney Legends and icons.
Most discounts and exclusive merchandise are often only available to Gold members as well and not General members.
This also excludes the discount to D23 Expo which has historically been between $20-40 off per person on tickets, though in recent years we've seen that discount significantly decrease.
Free D23 Membership vs Paid D23 Membership
We’ve outlined the key differences between the free D23 Membership (General) and paid D23 Membership (Gold) in the helpful table below:
| GENERAL D23 MEMBERSHIP | GOLD D23 MEMBERSHIP |
| Free | Paid |
| No membership card | Includes membership card |
| No Disney Twenty Three Magazine | Includes Disney Twenty Three Magazine |
| Includes Sweepstakes & Giveaways | Includes Sweepstakes & Giveaways |
| No discounts for D23 Expo tickets | Discounts for D23 Expo tickets |
| Access to limited D23 member events and experiences | Access to all D23 member events and experiences |
| No member gifts | Member gifts |
| D23 e-newsletter included | D23 e-newsletter included |