Club 33 disney secret club

Club 33 is located in the disneyland but it wasnt feature in any of the maps. Club 33 members enjoy access to the club's exclusive restaurant and full bar. It is the only location within Disneyland to offer alcoholic beverages, though Disneyland has a park wide liquor license and has set up bars throughout the park for private events.

Club 33 members are privileged with access to the park 365 days a year. Club 33 offers individual and corporate memberships. In June 2007, Bloomberg News reported that the waiting list to join the club was estimated at nine years. The Los Angeles Times reported that the nine-year waiting list was capped at 1,000 names, with subsequent requests receiving a form letter stating "due to overwhelming demand," Club 33 is not adding names to the list.

Members at any level are allowed to make reservations 90 days in advance. Members at any level can make guest reservations 60 days in advance.

History

There are various origins that have been claimed for the name "Club 33." One says that Club 33 was named for Disneyland's 33 sponsors at the time, one of which was Chevron. Another explanation is that Walt Disney chose the name simply because he liked the way that "33" looked. Another, given by a Club 33 employee, says that since Walt wanted to serve liquor in the Club he had to obtain a liquor license - which requires a full street address. Walt, wanting to protect Disneyland's alcohol-free status, didn't want to use the park's Harbor Boulevard address, so he ordered that all the buildings in New Orleans Square (then under construction) be given addresses. According to the employee, "33" was chosen because Walt's lucky number was 3. And one explanation, arguably the most common, is that "33" when turned on its side bears similarity to two letter "M"s, as would stand for "Mickey Mouse." In actuality, it was simply the address assigned to the door by chance.

When Walt Disney was working with various corporate promoters for his attractions at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, he noted to himself of the various "VIP Lounges" made as a novelty for the corporate elite. This gave him the idea that culminated in Club 33. When the design of New Orleans Square was planned, this special area for corporate sponsors and VIPs was included in it. Disney hired Hollywood set director Emil Kuri to design the facility. Club 33 opened in May 1967, five months after Disney's death.

Club 33 originally was intended for the use of Disneyland's Corporate sponsors and other industry VIPs. After Disney's death, Club 33 was opened up to individual members also.
The door to Club 33 at Disneyland.
The door to Club 33 at Disneyland.

[edit] Interior

To enter Club 33, a guest must press a buzzer on an intercom concealed by a hidden panel in the doorway. A receptionist will ask for their 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. The lift is an exact replica of one Disney saw and fell in love with during a vacation in Paris, 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; even a sample of the original finish was taken so that it could be duplicated. A spiral staircase to the second level wraps around the lift.

The second level has two dining rooms. One room has dark wood paneling; the other room is more formal but has a lighter environment.

Once at the dining level, guests can view antique furniture pieces collected by Lillian Disney. Walt Disney also handpicked much of the Victorian bric-a-brac in New Orleans antique stores, according to club manager Michael Bracco.

The club is also furnished with props from Disney films. There is a fully functional glass telephone booth just off the lift 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 to order 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 has played this harpsichord, Bracco told Bloomberg News, and it can be played by anyone who sits down at it.

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 at least partially installed and remains so to this day. An Audio-Animatronic condor is perched in one corner of the club's "Trophy Room." The microphones remain in the room's lighting fixtures and are clearly visible at the bottom of each. 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. Currently this room is known as the "Disney Room."

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 are allowed to be photographed in the lift but are not allowed upstairs.

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