Club 33 in DL?

[ryanmilla]

Last night I was watching a show called Behind the Scenes at DisneyLand that I Tivo'd from Discovery HD. Great program with some neat insight to DL that I have never known. It was also nice to see the park, since I have never been to it. It had a lot more than I thought.

Anyway, they talked about the Club 33 and showed inside with many of the rooms. I have heard of it before, especially here are the boards. I was curious to know though how one becomes a member? They only mentioned on the show that it takes forever. I was curious to find out how much it costs and if you have to be invited or not?

This is more just for curiosity sake since I live on the east coast and wouldn't be frequenting DL anytime soon, but it got my curiousity going watching the show. Was curious to find out if maybe any DISers were members and if so maybe have a story or two about it? Otherwise, I'm sure there is a DISer here who at least has the skinny on the club.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

Here's a link to the unofficial Club 33 website.

I know there's a waiting list (several years), and I know it costs a lot of money to join (plus annual dues). I'm not a member, but I've eaten there on two occasions (as part of a DL event package). At lunch it's a buffet, and dinner is a full service meal.

Upstairs there's a phone booth from the movie, The Happiest Millionaire. There's also a beautiful glass elevator that Walt saw in a hotel or restaurant in Paris (I believe). He wanted to purchase the elevator, but they wouldn't sell it to him. So he sent his team over to take pictures and measurements, and recreated the elevator at Club 33.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

Here's a link to Wikipedia's article about Club 33.

 

[Leota]

As well as the waiting list & the expensive dues, you have to be recommended/sponsored by a member to be considered for membership. I've heard no matter how much money you have, you have to be recommended or else you can't join.

 

[oogie boogie]

About 10 years ago my mom was invited to her company x-mas party there. My dad didn't want 2 go so I went with her instead! Dinner was nice,had some filet mignon and other yummy apps, and deserts! My mom told me it cost like 10k a year to have a membership 2 the club. That's the only time I've been there.

 

[pr surfer]

My boss waited about 3 years. I don't recall what the dues were though.

Trivia time!

The name of Club 33 is not from the location on 33 Royal Street, nor does it have anything to do with the liquor license. The building was numbered after the decision on the name was made, and the resorts liquor license is addressed to their general address. The name belongs to the the 33 original park sponsors who agreed to the club.

 

[ryanmilla]

Thanks everyone for the info. It is really cool to hear. The links were great (thanks, Happy Haunts)! Nice way to procrastinate a busy Thursday afternoon of work.

PR Surfer - I think I might have read a trivia piece like that also. That may have been where I first heard about the club. I was trying to remember and when you mentioned it, it brought that back.

Again, thanks everyone for the info. This is really interesting.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

Sorry, pr surfer, but Snopes disagrees with you about the name.

Various origins are claimed for the name Club 33 — everything from the official explanation that the club was named after its 33 Royal Street address to the notion that Walt picked the name simply because he liked the way the number '33' looked. An off-repeated tale — that the club was named by Walt in honor of Disneyland's original thirty-three participants (park sponsors and lessees) — has a kernel of truth to, but it is also doubly wrong: the name was not chosen by Walt, nor did Disneyland have thirty-three participants.

Here's the membership information.

 

[pr surfer]

hmm... this is the story told me multiple times by staff at the Club and several members