My member-friend and I just gave the new 2015 rules and benefits guide a quick once-over. The following are some items that I believe are changes from last year. Be advised I might have missed something or thought something was a change that was not. But I think I'm pretty close.
Those of you that rely on the kindness of a member to get you into Club 33 may be interested in some of this. And BTW, this post applies only to the Gold membership level. Other levels may have different rules. Here goes:
1. Maximum party size for Unaccompanied Guest Reservations is six.
2. 24 Hour advance notice of changes or cancellations, not new but: Less that 24 hours...$50 Per Person fee charged to the member's account. This used to be $100 per reservation.
3. 20 minutes late...and you're officially late. You might have to wait a long time for a table or the Club can declare you a no-show at their discretion. With the $50 Per Person penalty...do your member a BIG favor and don't be late or change or cancel under 24 hours.
4. Any reservation 8 persons or more is now a "Large Party" reservation, must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance and requires a $50 Per Person deposit. Large Party reservations will have a minimum 18% gratuity added. Member must be present. No guarantee you'll all be at one table, but if not the Club will make every effort to have adjacent tables for your group.
5. 21 Royal Priority Reservations. No idea what this really means as no details about its operation have been released yet. But have to assume 21 Royal will be available to the general public in one way or another and not a Club 33 member exclusive...otherwise why mention "Priority" reservation at all, right?
6. Immediate Use Fastpasses. There's a temporary method of distribution to members of this benefit, until Disney finalizes some sort of new system of issuing these immediate use Fastpasses to members. Basically they pick them up all at once. 12 per member account, per day. Used to be 6 per member card, per day issued at Fast Pass machines. Now it seems one member can pick up all 12. And since they're picked up all at once, have to assume there's no expiry time of day on them. Which would be a nice additional perk if you're a member.
7. Premium Annual Passes. 2 issued for member and spouse/partner. These are no longer marked "Club 33" in any way and are standard character passes. Just like the general public, members use these for their personal park admission and annual pass discounts. My member-friend joked he'll miss the "oooh" factor he sometimes got from Cast Members when presenting the old Club 33/Annual Pass combo card at merchandise and food locations for his discount. No more, because:
8. Club 33 Membership Photo ID Card. This new card is now only used for direct Club 33 benefits and privileges, such as complimentary valet parking and admission to Club 33. It is no longer used for Park admission or discounts. These have not shipped to members yet, but the generic annual passes have and came with his "kit."
9. No mention of the Lilly Belle or wheelhouse of the Mark Twain as benefits. Oversight or deliberate? No idea. Maybe it's an unpublished benefit?
Anyway...that's all I can recall just now. There are many other rules and regs...but my post is just about the new or changed ones.
Reaction of my member-friend: No big deal. The change $$ penalty might be costly some day, but most of his guests are pretty responsible and well-versed in the rules. The large party $$ deposit for 8 or more will be a very slight occasional inconvenience, he says.
He was crossing his fingers that they would at least allow card-carrying Gold members without guests to drop-in to Salon Nouveau without dining reservations. But that was not to be. Still, he goes there to dine, so he gets admission regardless.
Those of you that rely on the kindness of a member to get you into Club 33 may be interested in some of this. And BTW, this post applies only to the Gold membership level. Other levels may have different rules. Here goes:
1. Maximum party size for Unaccompanied Guest Reservations is six.
2. 24 Hour advance notice of changes or cancellations, not new but: Less that 24 hours...$50 Per Person fee charged to the member's account. This used to be $100 per reservation.
3. 20 minutes late...and you're officially late. You might have to wait a long time for a table or the Club can declare you a no-show at their discretion. With the $50 Per Person penalty...do your member a BIG favor and don't be late or change or cancel under 24 hours.
4. Any reservation 8 persons or more is now a "Large Party" reservation, must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance and requires a $50 Per Person deposit. Large Party reservations will have a minimum 18% gratuity added. Member must be present. No guarantee you'll all be at one table, but if not the Club will make every effort to have adjacent tables for your group.
5. 21 Royal Priority Reservations. No idea what this really means as no details about its operation have been released yet. But have to assume 21 Royal will be available to the general public in one way or another and not a Club 33 member exclusive...otherwise why mention "Priority" reservation at all, right?
6. Immediate Use Fastpasses. There's a temporary method of distribution to members of this benefit, until Disney finalizes some sort of new system of issuing these immediate use Fastpasses to members. Basically they pick them up all at once. 12 per member account, per day. Used to be 6 per member card, per day issued at Fast Pass machines. Now it seems one member can pick up all 12. And since they're picked up all at once, have to assume there's no expiry time of day on them. Which would be a nice additional perk if you're a member.
7. Premium Annual Passes. 2 issued for member and spouse/partner. These are no longer marked "Club 33" in any way and are standard character passes. Just like the general public, members use these for their personal park admission and annual pass discounts. My member-friend joked he'll miss the "oooh" factor he sometimes got from Cast Members when presenting the old Club 33/Annual Pass combo card at merchandise and food locations for his discount. No more, because:
8. Club 33 Membership Photo ID Card. This new card is now only used for direct Club 33 benefits and privileges, such as complimentary valet parking and admission to Club 33. It is no longer used for Park admission or discounts. These have not shipped to members yet, but the generic annual passes have and came with his "kit."
9. No mention of the Lilly Belle or wheelhouse of the Mark Twain as benefits. Oversight or deliberate? No idea. Maybe it's an unpublished benefit?
Anyway...that's all I can recall just now. There are many other rules and regs...but my post is just about the new or changed ones.
Reaction of my member-friend: No big deal. The change $$ penalty might be costly some day, but most of his guests are pretty responsible and well-versed in the rules. The large party $$ deposit for 8 or more will be a very slight occasional inconvenience, he says.
He was crossing his fingers that they would at least allow card-carrying Gold members without guests to drop-in to Salon Nouveau without dining reservations. But that was not to be. Still, he goes there to dine, so he gets admission regardless.
I have a very special someone (a decade-long annual pass holder who's never been to Club 33) I was hoping to take to dinner. Initial thought was to celebrate an anniversary. But I have a sinking feeling that now we may never get there, even as a nice surprise.
