Disney Vacation Club Members can expect many extras when they join, one of which is the regular Members’ magazine, the Disney Files. The latest edition for spring 2012, is now out, and that’s what I wanted to look at this week.

Forgive the lateness of this, but bear in mind that when you live in the UK, you tend to get publications from the States a little bit behind everyone else! I don’t know about you, but the way I look through the Disney Files Magazine is to flip through it once, to see what catches the eye, then I read those articles. After that, I scour it from start to finish, just to make sure I haven’t missed anything.

Hopefully by now, you know me, and know that I’m not usually a negative Nelly, but here, I’m going to be. I flicked through the magazine, and nothing jumped out at me, which was a huge disappointment to me. I really like the articles that look at the history of Disney, and most of all, those that focus on Disney Vacation Club Resorts. Perhaps I’m just a nerd, but I love learning all about the latest additions to the neighborhood, or the little touches in an existing resort. There was none of this in this issue, which I thought was a huge omission.

Of course, this issue had to cover making an online reservation, but there is where you see the problem of print. It’s so out of date by the time you get it in your hands. I skipped through this, having already made online bookings, and covered it in an earlier blog.

However, it wasn’t all negative. After my quick browse through, my more thorough look saw me come across a fascinating interview with Bill Farmer, who’s voiced Goofy for more than 25 years. He sounds like just the sort of person all of us want to know, with a great, happy-go-lucky attitude.

This issue also covers the various questions posed by the Disney Vacation Club on their Facebook page in 2011. Some of the answers, with Members picking from an either/or choice, were obvious, but some were fascinating. The closest vote was over whether you’d rather have a professional chef or massage therapist. Now that is a tough one….! I’m personally going to use the information about Members preferring evening Extra Magic Hours to the morning ones for planning our future vacations.

The neighborhood notes are always interesting to read, and invariably I learn something new about the various resorts. The new look that they’re giving to the rooms at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa sounds interesting, and I love the look of the new throw pillows, with some famous horse faces from Disney animated films.

Another regular feature in Disney Files looks at the various Disney destinations around the world, and while again most Disney fans have already heard a lot of that news by the time they get the magazine, I found the look at the new entrance to Disneyland really interesting. I’ve not been a fan of the work they’re doing over there, but this helped me to understand more why they’re doing it.

And I personally can’t wait to get back to the Tokyo Disney Resort, where they’re introducing Goofy’s Paint’n’Play House in their Toontown. You can paint a room in Goofy’s house by taking aim with special paint applicators. Sounds like fun to me!

Of course anything by Jim Korkis (if you haven’t yet read his book the Vault of Walt, you should) is worth a read, and once again he doesn’t disappoint.

All in all, this issue of Disney Files isn’t a bad read, but I’d just like more. Maybe by the summer, they’ll be giving us a sneak preview of the Villas at the Grand Floridian…. we can but hope!