*+*+*Dreams Can Come True*+*+* Club 33 Trip Report COMPLETED!!

[DizNee Luver]

Monday, December 9, 2013 started at 4am in Portland Oregon. Tyler and I stayed at my oldest son & wife's home so he could drive us to the airport. We left his place in Lake Oswego at 4:30am and we were on our way to PDX. Nick left us at the Southwest Curbside Desk and we said our goodbye's to Nick. We left our 2 bags with the agent & headed inside to get in the security line. It wasn't too bad of a line and we got through with no issues. (except I always have to have my shoulder patted). We headed to our gate to wait for our 7am flight. We lined up to board around 6:40ish. Once inside, I noticed our wings were a tad icy!!



A few minutes later we hear the captain saying we'll be pushed back from the gate after our plane is sprayed down with de-icer. My hero!!



We had about an hour & a half flight to Sacramento where we'd be connecting to Orange County. These were as we were nearing the Sacramento Airport.







We got off our flight & moved a couple gates down and got in line to load about 30 minutes later. On the Sacramento flight & ready to head south.



Flying over Southern California.





John Wayne/Orange County Airport.



We headed to baggage claim, grabbed our bags & went to the transportation area to catch our Super Shuttle. We loaded and then waited as 5 more people (3 different parties) joined us. First stop was the World Mark (not the one we were going to), then the Grand Californian, then the Jolly Roger & then finally ours~~Dolphin's Cove/World Mark.

We checked in, they took my card to be on file (at least that was what I had been told on the phone the day before....more on this later), and we headed to our room. Friends of mine are members of World Mark and graciously paid for our stay with their points.

I couldn't do the keycards to get thru gates or the room...... they were super touchy.....but Tyler seemed to have the Magic Touch (thank goodness).

So let's take a look inside!! This was the front room.

 

[DizNee Luver]

More of our room. The dining table was off the front room & by the front door.





The kitchen is fully stocked with dishes, pans, towels, toaster, etc. They even had little seasoning packets, salt & pepper, etc.







Our unit had 2 bedrooms. This was the 2 twin room with a large closet.





This was the King bed room with a small cubby hole for hanging clothes. It did have a tv in this room.







Bathroom with deep tub but no fan (which is weird....you'd think they'd like the steam to be sucked out & not condensate on the mirror & walls).



This was taken later at night but this was the entry fountain (blurry...sorry) and one of their dolphin benches.





This unit will sleep 6 (the couch pulls out). The room was clean, for those staying & needing a kitchen....these are nice to have...just bring the food! The beds are comfortable, even the pull out wasn't bad....the mattress was a memory foam. So now onto the negatives........(please note that I'm not one to look down my nose at things, especially gifts....but wanted to make sure you have the info in case you're looking into staying there).....for a World Mark property, I was surprised at all the bare, plain walls and lack of "decor". I've stayed in motels across from the park with better decor. You know those ac/heater units that are in motels?? They had ONE of these for the entire room(s). It was located in the front room and as far away from bedrooms as you could get. Well I understand that near freezing temps at night is not the norm for S. Cali......but some people need heat, even when its just cool (not cold). Our unit ran the entire time.........it wasn't until night 2 that the front room was comfortable. The hallway (which was open in parts) was full of leaves and the soda machine kept your money if you used coins. (nor does the office offer to reimburse you). So it was ok, but I've stayed in nicer places like Carousel Inn, Premium HoJo room and of course Paradise Pier Hotel.

I'm glad we had a place to stay, I can't thank my friends enough for using their points on us, but if I were looking for a place to return to....this would not be on my list.

 

[kaoden39]

I love the dolphins!

 

[DizNee Luver]

We purchased our ART passes from a vending machine at the resort & then stopped into the office to buy our 2 day parkhoppers. The ART stop is about a block away & up on Harbor Blvd (we were on Orangewood). We got up there and waited, and waited, and waited.....and finally we decided to just walk. We got about 2 blocks from the park & the bus stopped in front of us, so we decided to hop on & ride the rest of the way.

We arrived at the park, went thru bag check, got a locker & then went into DCA to see about getting FP's for World of Color and maybe Radiator Springs Racers. While Ty did the running, I hung out on Buena Vista Street and took a couple pics.





















Some of the holiday merchandise in the windows of the Five & Dime store.









A little more of the entry area of Buena Vista.











Ty got our WoC FP's for the yellow section and but RSR's FP were gone. (this was about 1:00). So we left DCA & headed to Disneyland!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

I love the dolphins!

At least they look like dolphins.....unlike the ugly catfish looking thing on top of the Swan & Dolphin resorts at WDW.......lol

 

[DizNee Luver]

We entered thru the gates of Disneyland and stepped onto Main Street......ahhhhh, one of my favorite feelings!!





We were to meet up with our lunch companions in New Orlean's Square.....so that was where we headed. As we passed thru Adventureland, we noticed that Indy was down.....we found this to be the case the entire trip. We rounded the corner from the entry to Pirates of the Caribbean and noticed immediately that the garland to the entry of NOS was different!



A few of the colorful garlands & ornaments in NOS.....one of my favorite places to be!











Tyler pulled out Mike's camera and played with this picture. Not sure which one I like better........ The balcony in the background clear or the sign in the forefront clear??





I think I like the sign clear & the balcony blurry.......

 

[Escape2Disney]

I can't believe I didn't find this report until today!

NOS is my absolute favorite place to be during the holidays. The décor is so unique! I could take pictures there all day long and never get bored.

I know they were going to close the Court of Angels. Were you able to take any pictures there, or was it already closed?

 

[DizNee Luver]

I can't believe I didn't find this report until today! NOS is my absolute favorite place to be during the holidays. The décor is so unique! I could take pictures there all day long and never get bored. I know they were going to close the Court of Angels. Were you able to take any pictures there, or was it already closed?

The Court of Angels was already closed......I loved going in there and taking pics. I know it's being incorporated into the entry for Club 33 after the remodel.

 

[kelmac284]

Subbing in. Am dying to see your report. So glad it worked out money wise and it sounds like it was fun regardless of all the boo boos. I never did get to see the rest of your DW report. For some reason I NEVER get notifications on that one and it is so hard to find reports on the DW side cuz they get lost.

Looking forward to seeing your pics of Club 33 and hearing how it was!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Subbing in. Am dying to see your report. So glad it worked out money wise and it sounds like it was fun regardless of all the boo boos. I never did get to see the rest of your DW report. For some reason I NEVER get notifications on that one and it is so hard to find reports on the DW side cuz they get lost.

Looking forward to seeing your pics of Club 33 and hearing how it was!!

We went on a shoestring budget, but it did work out....even with all the speed bumps!!

The link for the WDW report is in my signature....you usually can find one of my reports on this side.....so use it to link over. I'm not done with that one either. I'm on park day 3 of 3, starting at AK.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Well let's get to the good stuff~~Club 33!!!

So Ty and I walked down towards Club 33 and saw Sherry & Liza chatting, so we joined them. The line for Blue Bayou was super long and even though we were standing away from both restaurants, we still seemed to be in the way. A few minutes later, Vikki joined us. One other Dis'er ended up passing by and stopping to chat for a few minutes, but I didn't catch her name (sorry). Our lunch was at 2pm and we had been told (and read) that they don't like you checking in early, and to check in as close to the reservation time as possible. So right about 2pm, Liza went to and buzzed the desk and a hostess came to the door to check our group in. We were escorted into the lobby. Shortly after going inside, another group was brought in & then a couple. The lobby is not a big area, so I'm glad we got some pictures in there before it was wall to wall people.











The French lift is an exact replica of a lift Walt fell in love with in Paris. He wanted to purchase it but the original owner wasn't willing to sell. Walt sent his engineers back to get measurements, photos & a little piece, taken from the back, to ensure they got the right finish.





The hostess asked if we would mind sitting in the private dining room instead of the main room and we said no, that would be great. We were all secretly hoping this was the "Trophy Room", as this is one of the rooms that will be gone after the extensive remodel happening the first half of next year. We were able to either walk up the stairs or take the lift. The lift can hold 3 people, so since we all wanted to go in the lift, we took 2 trips.

Ty & I in front of the lift.



As we neared the 2nd floor in the lift.



As we were greeted on the 2nd floor, we saw this table with the Club 33 menus.



The Trophy Room is right across from the stairs and lift. These are pictures from around this room. The walls used to be adorned by animal trophies, but the family have removed them and other artifacts and pictures have replaced what originally decorated this room. There are still originals here but the famed audio-animatronic vulture has been removed because of the upcoming remodel. There used to be butterflies that belonged to Lillian on the walls, but one of them went missing, so they were removed as well. Some of these butterflies can be found at the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.





We were seated at a large round table that can seat 10.....so we were able to spread out and put our coats & purses, cameras, etc on seats next to us.



More of the dining room.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Here is the view out the windows from the Trophy Room.





The light fixture holds a microphone that has been here since the room was built. Originally Walt did this to over hear normal conversations and then would have his audio-animatronics characters respond but this system was never fully implemented. But the microphones still remain to this day.



The lunch menu.















Here's our group picture~~Sherry & Liza seated, Vikki, Tyler & I standing.



Place setting.....look at all those utensils!!



Close up of the plates.



More from our dining room.



Looking down the stairs from beside the lift.



Out in the hallway.

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you.....I didn't receive the invite, but I did receive an invite from the person invited.....lol

Will be sorting thru pictures today and will start posting as soon as I can.

Laurie --

I've mentioned in the Superthread -- which KCmike follows -- that I invited you, Liza/funatdisney and PHXscuba. It's not a secret! I am "the person invited" by the Club 33 member, and I extended the offer to you and the other 2 ladies! It is okay to acknowledge that! Heck, if someone else who received an invitation from a member included me in it I would be sure to mention it unless I was asked not to!

The other DIS'er who I spotted in New Orleans Square and who came up to chat with us while we waited was Janet (and her daughter) -- otherwise known as mom2rtk on the DIS. Kathy/ksromack and Mike/KCmike know who she is, as Kathy met her on this past trip to DLR and Mike is from the same general area! (Also, Janet takes awesome photos so I can't wait to see what she came up with from her first-ever DLR holiday trip!) I met Janet, Kathy and Kim/kmedina the day before I saw you for Club 33, and I then saw Janet in New Orleans Square and again at the Paradise Pier Hotel on Wednesday. Isn't it crazy how you can be in a place like DLR, with so many thousands of people, and run into the same folks over and over?

I even ran into Jessica on Wednesday in DCA! I couldn't believe it! She actually saw me as I was stalking the Bell Ringers for photos on BVS and called out my name. She was bummed that she didn't get to see you.

I love your (and Ty's) photos so far! I remember Ty mentioning that the camera (Mike's camera) was not focusing in certain areas of the Club. I was wondering why my own camera was having an unusually hard time focusing inside Club 33 when it normally doesn't have that much trouble, and I later realized that I totally forgot to set it for low light -- a setting which I have used in the past and completely blanked out on this time around. So that explains it.

Anyway, my point is that because I forgot to set my camera for low light on Monday, I am not sure how many of my photos will come out decently. I realized my mistake by the time I went into 1901 yesterday morning, however, so the 1901 photos should be decent! But I am very glad to see your crop of Club 33 photos because I am afraid to look at mine for fear of them all being terrible!

It was great to see you, and have a wonderful Christmas!

 

[6Smiles]

Looks like everyone had a wonderful time at Club 33

 

[kaoden39]

It all looks so great so far!

 

[DizNee Luver]

Laurie --

I've mentioned in the Superthread -- which KCmike follows -- that I invited you, Liza/funatdisney and PHXscuba. It's not a secret! I am "the person invited" by the Club 33 member, and I extended the offer to you and the other 2 ladies! It is okay to acknowledge that! Heck, if someone else who received an invitation from a member included me in it I would be sure to mention it unless I was asked not to!

The other DIS'er who I spotted in New Orleans Square and who came up to chat with us while we waited was Janet (and her daughter) -- otherwise known as mom2rtk on the DIS. Kathy/ksromack and Mike/KCmike know who she is, as Kathy met her on this past trip to DLR and Mike is from the same general area! (Also, Janet takes awesome photos so I can't wait to see what she came up with from her first-ever DLR holiday trip!) I met Janet, Kathy and Kim/kmedina the day before I saw you for Club 33, and I then saw Janet in New Orleans Square and again at the Paradise Pier Hotel on Wednesday. Isn't it crazy how you can be in a place like DLR, with so many thousands of people, and run into the same folks over and over?

I even ran into Jessica on Wednesday in DCA! I couldn't believe it! She actually saw me as I was stalking the Bell Ringers for photos on BVS and called out my name. She was bummed that she didn't get to see you.

I love your (and Ty's) photos so far! I remember Ty mentioning that the camera (Mike's camera) was not focusing in certain areas of the Club. I was wondering why my own camera was having an unusually hard time focusing inside Club 33 when it normally doesn't have that much trouble, and I later realized that I totally forgot to set it for low light -- a setting which I have used in the past and completely blanked out on this time around. So that explains it.

Anyway, my point is that because I forgot to set my camera for low light on Monday, I am not sure how many of my photos will come out decently. I realized my mistake by the time I went into 1901 yesterday morning, however, so the 1901 photos should be decent! But I am very glad to see your crop of Club 33 photos because I am afraid to look at mine for fear of them all being terrible!

It was great to see you, and have a wonderful Christmas!

We looked for Jessica both days but never found her. In fact every time we visit since she started working there, we haven't found her.

Oh I hope you got some decent pictures in the club.....it is harder to get good pictures in the low lighting. Mike had "cheat sheet" for Tyler to use.....but Mike's still learning.....so I'm glad we ended up with so many good ones. Its the low light/action shots that still need some fine tuning.....lol

I wasn't sure who all knew and was waiting until I actually started writing the report to put who all was involved. Guess I should have been keeping up on the Superthread......

Looks like everyone had a wonderful time at Club 33

We really did.....it was everything we had hoped & more!!

It all looks so great so far!

Thanks Michele......more to come!!

 

[kaoden39]

Woo hoo!

 

[PHXscuba]

After my camera totally misbehaving on a previous trip I have also finally written out the instructions for changing the settings successfully!

I can't believe how quickly you have all your photos up! I may have to have you send me few of the photos of things I wish I had taken pictures of but didn't. It was truly a wonderful time in Club 33 and a magical experience.

PHXscuba,
who has always secretly wanted to show up in another DISer's photos

 

[DizNee Luver]

Woo hoo!

After my camera totally misbehaving on a previous trip I have also finally written out the instructions for changing the settings successfully!

I can't believe how quickly you have all your photos up! I may have to have you send me few of the photos of things I wish I had taken pictures of but didn't. It was truly a wonderful time in Club 33 and a magical experience.

PHXscuba,
who has always secretly wanted to show up in another DISer's photos

I didn't have to do anything to them and I usually don't photoshop any.....1 I don't really know how to do it & 2. I usually take plenty that I can pick & chose which ones to share.

It is kinda fun being in someone elses photo. I realized on one of our Goofy's Kitchen meals that someone doing a TR had been sitting behind 2 of my kids & were in the background of many photos. In fact we had taken a picture of their whole group with one of the characters. lol

 

[DnA2010]

Everything looks fantastic so far, DH and I hope someday to experience the club. For now we will live through you! I saw some of the relics when I visited the WD Family museum this past January, it was great too