Club 33
Encyclopedia
Club 33 is a private club located in the heart of the New Orleans Square
section of Disneyland. Officially maintained as a secret feature of the theme park, the entrance of the club is located next to the Blue Bayou Restaurant
at "33 Royal Street" with the entrance recognizable by an ornate address plate with the number 33 engraved on it.
Club 33 members and their guests have exclusive access to the club, which is not open to the public. In addition to beer and wine Club 33 has a full bar. Although patrons must order directly from their server rather than the service bar. Club 33 is the only location within Disneyland to offer alcoholic beverage
s, while the park has a park-wide liquor license
and has set up bars for private events.
Members receive complimentary access to both Disney parks whenever they are open plus early park admission several days each week. In addition members are entitled to complimentary valet parking at the Grand Californian Hotel and access to the Lilly Belle, the presidential car on the Disneyland Railroad. Club 33 members receive up to six Immediate Fastpasses when they insert their Club 33 membership card into any of the Fastpass kiosks and bypass the stand-by queue. Members are permitted to join the skipper in the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain and the engineers in the engine compartment of the steam trains.
While many stories circulate regarding the origin of the name of Club 33, two stories are the most widely circulated. The first and official explanation states Club 33 gets its name solely from its address of 33 Royal street in New Orleans Square at Disneyland.
A second and less well known story speculates the name honors there being 33 corporate sponsors at Disneyland in 1966-1967 when the club was being built and opened. Those sponsors are as follows:
, he noted the various "VIP
Lounges" provided as an accommodation for the corporate elite. This gave him the idea that culminated in Club 33. When New Orleans Square was planned, this special area for corporate sponsors and VIPs was included. Disney asked artist Dorothea Redmond to paint renderings and hired Hollywood set director Emil Kuri to decorate the facility. While originally intended for exclusive use by Disneyland's Corporate sponsors and other industry VIPs, when Club 33 opened in May 1967—five months after Disney's death—individual memberships were also offered. As of 2011, there is a 14 year wait list for new memberships. The membership wait list has been closed for several years until the waiting time is significantly reduced. Corporate members pay an initiation fee of $27,500, and individual members pay $10,000 in addition to annual dues, which are about $6,100 or $3,500, respectively. Initiation and dues may change annually.
, but the owner of the original refused to sell. Undaunted, Disney sent a team of engineers to the Parisian hotel to take exact measurements for use in the creation of a replica. A sample of the original finish was taken ensure faithful reproduction.
The second level has two dining rooms. One room (the Trophy Room) has dark wood paneling; the other room (the Main Dining Room) is more formal but has a lighter environment.
Once at the dining level, guests can view antique furniture pieces collected by Lillian Disney
. The walls are adorned, in part, with butterflies pinned under glass and hand-painted animation cel
s from the original Fantasia
film. Walt Disney also handpicked much of the Victorian bric-a-brac in New Orleans antique stores.
The club is also furnished with props from Disney films. There is a fully functional glass telephone booth
just off the elevator that was used in The Happiest Millionaire
and an ornate walnut table with white marble top that was used in Mary Poppins
. A video capture from the film on display atop the table shows actors Karen Dotrice
, Matthew Garber
and David Tomlinson
standing immediately to its left. A newly-installed bar prepares drinks for members and their guests.
A harpsichord
which was rumored to have been an antique was in fact custom-built for Lillian Disney specifically for use in Club 33. The underside of the lid features a Renaissance
-style painting that was actually done by Disney artists. Elton John
and Paul McCartney
have each played this harpsichord. It is now in disrepair and it cannot be played anymore.
Walt Disney also wanted to make use of Audio-Animatronic technology within Club 33. Microphones in overhead lighting fixtures would pick up the sounds of normal conversation while an operator would respond via the characters. Though the system was never fully implemented, it was partially installed and remains so to this day. An Audio-Animatronic vulture
is perched in one corner of the club's "Trophy Room." The microphones are clearly visible at the bottom of each of the room's lighting fixtures. The animal trophies (Walt inherited them from a friend), for which the room was named, have been removed by Disney family members. Photos of the room with the trophies still installed can be seen on the walls now.
In the dining room area one may walk through a door leading to the balcony. The balcony overlooks the water in the New Orleans area of the park. The shows often put on there are also very visible from the balcony.
Disneyland guests participating in the "Walk In Walt's Footsteps" tour are provided entrance to the lobby of Club 33. The tour guide will provide a brief history of the club and explain some of the artifacts in the lobby. The tour members may be photographed in the lift, but are not allowed access to the upstairs area.
. Rather than being located in New Orleans Square, it is located on Center Street off World Bazaar. Members of Disneyland's Club 33 do not have reciprocal privileges in Tokyo Disneyland's Club 33.
Note: these websites are not official representations of Disneyland or Club 33. Neither Disney nor Club 33 maintain an official public website for the Club.
New Orleans Square
New Orleans Square is a themed land found exclusively at Disneyland, though a similarly themed area can be found within Tokyo Disneyland's Adventureland. Based on 19th-century New Orleans, it was the first new land to be added to Disneyland after the park's opening. The land was opened to the...
section of Disneyland. Officially maintained as a secret feature of the theme park, the entrance of the club is located next to the Blue Bayou Restaurant
Blue Bayou Restaurant
Blue Bayou is a full-service New Orleans/Cajun-style restaurant renowned for its unusual ambiance. Restaurants are located at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland, in Chiba, Japan....
at "33 Royal Street" with the entrance recognizable by an ornate address plate with the number 33 engraved on it.
Club 33 members and their guests have exclusive access to the club, which is not open to the public. In addition to beer and wine Club 33 has a full bar. Although patrons must order directly from their server rather than the service bar. Club 33 is the only location within Disneyland to offer alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s, while the park has a park-wide liquor license
Liquor license
-Alberta:In Alberta, liquor licences are issued by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.-United Kingdom:Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted—pubs, restaurants, shops and other premises must be licensed by the local authority. The individual responsible for the...
and has set up bars for private events.
Members receive complimentary access to both Disney parks whenever they are open plus early park admission several days each week. In addition members are entitled to complimentary valet parking at the Grand Californian Hotel and access to the Lilly Belle, the presidential car on the Disneyland Railroad. Club 33 members receive up to six Immediate Fastpasses when they insert their Club 33 membership card into any of the Fastpass kiosks and bypass the stand-by queue. Members are permitted to join the skipper in the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain and the engineers in the engine compartment of the steam trains.
Name
A second and less well known story speculates the name honors there being 33 corporate sponsors at Disneyland in 1966-1967 when the club was being built and opened. Those sponsors are as follows:
- Kodak
- Atlantic-Richfield
- Bank of America
- Bell Telephone
- C & H Sugar
- Frito Lay
- General Electric
- Global Van Lines
- Carnation
- Hallmark
- Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.
- Douglas Aircraft
- Coca-Cola
- Hills Bros. Coffee INC.
- INA
- Lincoln Savings and Loan
- Monsanto CO
- Pendleton
- Pepsi-Cola
- Ken-L Ration
- Aunt Jemimas
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
- Spice Islands
- Chicken of the Sea
- Sunkist
- Sunsweet Growers INC
- Swift & CO
- Timex
- United Air Lines
- The Upjohn CO
- The Welch's Grape Juice Company INC
- Wurlitzer
- Western Printing and Litho CO
Origin
When Walt Disney was working with various corporate promoters for his attractions at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
, he noted the various "VIP
Very Important Person
A Very Important Person, or VIP is a person who is accorded special privileges due to his or her status or importance.Examples include celebrities, heads of state/heads of government, major employers, high rollers, politicians, high-level corporate officers, wealthy individuals, or any other...
Lounges" provided as an accommodation for the corporate elite. This gave him the idea that culminated in Club 33. When New Orleans Square was planned, this special area for corporate sponsors and VIPs was included. Disney asked artist Dorothea Redmond to paint renderings and hired Hollywood set director Emil Kuri to decorate the facility. While originally intended for exclusive use by Disneyland's Corporate sponsors and other industry VIPs, when Club 33 opened in May 1967—five months after Disney's death—individual memberships were also offered. As of 2011, there is a 14 year wait list for new memberships. The membership wait list has been closed for several years until the waiting time is significantly reduced. Corporate members pay an initiation fee of $27,500, and individual members pay $10,000 in addition to annual dues, which are about $6,100 or $3,500, respectively. Initiation and dues may change annually.
Interior
To enter Club 33, a guest must press a buzzer on an intercom concealed by a hidden panel in the doorway. (At one time, a member needed only to insert his membership card in a slot near the buzzer and the door would open. However, this process no longer works.) A receptionist will ask for his name over the intercom and, if access is granted, open the door to a small, ornate lobby. Guests have the option of going to the dining level via an antique-style glass lift or a staircase to the second level which wraps around it. The lift is an exact replica of one Disney saw and fell in love with during a vacation in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, but the owner of the original refused to sell. Undaunted, Disney sent a team of engineers to the Parisian hotel to take exact measurements for use in the creation of a replica. A sample of the original finish was taken ensure faithful reproduction.
The second level has two dining rooms. One room (the Trophy Room) has dark wood paneling; the other room (the Main Dining Room) is more formal but has a lighter environment.
Once at the dining level, guests can view antique furniture pieces collected by Lillian Disney
Lillian Disney
Lillian Disney was the wife of Walt Disney. She was married to him from 1925 until his death in 1966.-Early years:...
. The walls are adorned, in part, with butterflies pinned under glass and hand-painted animation cel
Cel
A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate...
s from the original Fantasia
Fantasia (film)
Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...
film. Walt Disney also handpicked much of the Victorian bric-a-brac in New Orleans antique stores.
The club is also furnished with props from Disney films. There is a fully functional glass telephone booth
Telephone booth
A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box or telephone box is a small structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience. In the USA, Canada and Australia, "telephone booth" is used, while in the UK and the rest of the Commonwealth it is a "telephone...
just off the elevator that was used in The Happiest Millionaire
The Happiest Millionaire
The Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 musical film starring Fred MacMurray and based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Costume Design by Bill Thomas. The musical song score is by Robert and Richard Sherman...
and an ornate walnut table with white marble top that was used in Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins (film)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
. A video capture from the film on display atop the table shows actors Karen Dotrice
Karen Dotrice
Karen Dotrice is an English actress known primarily for her role as Jane Banks in Walt Disney's feature film adaptation of the Mary Poppins book series. Dotrice was born in Guernsey to two accomplished stage actors...
, Matthew Garber
Matthew Garber
Matthew Adam Garber was a British actor best known for his role as Michael Banks in Walt Disney's 1964 film Mary Poppins...
and David Tomlinson
David Tomlinson
David Cecil MacAlister Tomlinson was an English film actor. He is primarily remembered for his roles as authority figure George Banks in Mary Poppins, fraudulent magician Professor Emelius Browne in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and as hapless antagonist Peter Thorndyke in The Love Bug.-Early life:Born...
standing immediately to its left. A newly-installed bar prepares drinks for members and their guests.
A harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
which was rumored to have been an antique was in fact custom-built for Lillian Disney specifically for use in Club 33. The underside of the lid features a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
-style painting that was actually done by Disney artists. Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
have each played this harpsichord. It is now in disrepair and it cannot be played anymore.
Walt Disney also wanted to make use of Audio-Animatronic technology within Club 33. Microphones in overhead lighting fixtures would pick up the sounds of normal conversation while an operator would respond via the characters. Though the system was never fully implemented, it was partially installed and remains so to this day. An Audio-Animatronic vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
is perched in one corner of the club's "Trophy Room." The microphones are clearly visible at the bottom of each of the room's lighting fixtures. The animal trophies (Walt inherited them from a friend), for which the room was named, have been removed by Disney family members. Photos of the room with the trophies still installed can be seen on the walls now.
In the dining room area one may walk through a door leading to the balcony. The balcony overlooks the water in the New Orleans area of the park. The shows often put on there are also very visible from the balcony.
Disneyland guests participating in the "Walk In Walt's Footsteps" tour are provided entrance to the lobby of Club 33. The tour guide will provide a brief history of the club and explain some of the artifacts in the lobby. The tour members may be photographed in the lift, but are not allowed access to the upstairs area.
Tokyo Disneyland's Club 33
A second Club 33 is located in Tokyo DisneylandTokyo Disneyland
is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...
. Rather than being located in New Orleans Square, it is located on Center Street off World Bazaar. Members of Disneyland's Club 33 do not have reciprocal privileges in Tokyo Disneyland's Club 33.
External links
- Club 33 Information: a fan website with information about Club 33.
- Club 33 review: a MousePlanet review of Club 33.
- Snopes.com - Snopes article on Club 33
- Mickey the Mason - Orange County Weekly review of Club 33
- MouseOwners thread on Club 33 - Steamboat Bill's review of Club 33
- http://drleeclub33.blogspot.com/ Retired bartender of Club 33, Dr. Lee Williams', blog address
Note: these websites are not official representations of Disneyland or Club 33. Neither Disney nor Club 33 maintain an official public website for the Club.