I think everyone’s heard of Club 33 at Disneyland, but I’ve never read such an indepth review of what’s it’s actually like until now.
One of Disneyland’s worst-kept secrets is the existence of a private club located in the heart of New Orleans Square. Named Club 33, this exclusive restaurant is located behind a small door adjacent to the Blue Bayou Restaurant, not far from the exit of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
Even though Disneyland’s New Orleans Square recently spruced up its popular mint julep soft drinks by adding a sprig of mint and a maraschino cherry, Club 33 remains the single place in the park where one can order a authentic mint julep – the type that will leave you tipsy should you overindulge.
Though the door to enter the club is barely noticeable despite an intricate mirrored glass “33” marking the address, the club itself is hardly hidden, taking up much of the second floor of the shops and restaurants that make up New Orleans Square. Club 33 diners can often be seen sipping a drink on the club’s balconies, peering through the upper branches of the magnolia trees that dot that area of Disneyland and taking in the view of Tom Sawyer’s Island and the Disneyland crowds massing below.
Club 33, named after the original 33 corporate sponsors of Disneyland to whom Walt Disney originally intended the club to cater, feels like an oasis amid the hustle and bustle of the ordinarily loud and proud theme park in which it resides. Members can enjoy elegant meals, private parties, corporate to-dos, and quiet conversations in one of the club’s rich, warm dining rooms. Guests of the club can also enjoy fine wines or cocktails at the restaurant, which is the only place in Disneyland Park where alcohol is served.
It’s not easy to get in. Currently, the waiting list for Club 33 membership consideration lasts well over a decade, and yearly dues are high enough to exclude the merely curious. But, as they say, membership has its privileges, and a trip to Disneyland which includes a satisfying meal at Club 33 gives the entire day a new perspective, and a rare glimpse into the mind of Walt Disney, even though he never was able to enjoy the club itself.
So who is a member of this club? The wealthy, the famous and semi-famous, the corporate member, the committed Disneyphile. All sorts of people have membership to the exclusive club and enjoy dressing up to enjoy a day at Disneyland (as they must; Club 33 has a strict dress code.) People who enjoy their anonymity might come face to face with the famous at the club. In fact, it is reported that Robert Kennedy enjoyed a meal at Club 33 with his family on a trip to Disneyland two days before his assassination.
On a recent trip to the club, I encountered a successful writer and producer of a hugely popular science fiction franchise. He told the story of how he had waited years for Club 33 membership, and his acceptance letter arrived while he was out of the country on location, nearly causing him to lose his place in line and chance to join. However, after some frantic communication, his membership was secured.
Upon entering the club, guests are sent to the second floor via an antique French lift. The tiny elevator can accommodate four guests at a time. Meanwhile, the maitre d’ has been informed of your arrival, and awaits you on the second floor. All throughout the club, Victorian flourishes abound, as Walt’s wife Lillian spent an extraordinary amount of time and energy selecting the perfect antiques and details for the genteel club. A lovely painted harpsichord (famously played on a visit by Elton John) rests in a corner near the extravagant bar, and you may be allowed to play it if you ask; A member of my party did, and it turned out to be horribly out of tune at the time. “We’re working on that,” the embarrassed host explained, though the piece is clearly meant to be more decorative than functional.
Other memorabilia discreetly distributed throughout the club include a phone booth from the Disney film “The Happiest Millionaire,” and an end table from the Banks’ home in the film “Mary Poppins.” The walls are tastefully decorated with conceptual artwork from various Disney properties, including films and the Disneyland Park itself. This art is often original, and changes from time to time.
A private trophy room is one of the dining areas in the club. Once containing numerous trophy heads and taxidermied animals, the room now consists primarily of Disney family memorabilia, though a collection of preserved butterflies owned by Lillian remains. An intriguing sculpture of a golden pointing hand draws attention in the corner of one wall; a host told me that the hand was to symbolize Walt’s famous two-finger point, which he was often seen doing (likely due to a cigarette dangling between the two fingers.) The room also contains a stuffed vulture in the corner, which Walt intended to create as an animatronic, much like his Tiki Room birds. This vulture would cleverly “spring to life” at an opportune moment and join in the guests’ conversation, thanks to microphones hidden inside the chandeliers hanging above the tables. This concept was never realized, although it seems to be a direct inspiration for “The Adventurer’s Club,” a no-longer-operating club that was located in the “Pleasure Island” row of nightclubs at Walt Disney World for many years. The Adventurer’s Club was a trophy room with various objets d’art that would come to life and interact with guests from time to time – just as Walt had envisioned for his Club 33.
The food at Club 33: impeccable menu, perfectly prepared food, and a substantial wine list and well-stocked bar. I started with a chocolate martini paired with some crab profiteroles, and then enjoyed a filet of Chateaubriand, though the seafood entrees were tempting as well. And the desserts were as beautiful as they were delightful to eat, with sculpted and shaved chocolate, ornate pastries, and all sorts of delicacies.
It is a shame, in a sense, that Walt Disney never was able to enjoy the club he envisioned (since he died just months before it opened), though it is a tribute to him that Disneyland continued with his vision to create his exclusive enclave in the midst of his unique themed park. Sitting on the balcony of Club 33 with a mint julep in hand, feeling the warm southern California breeze and listening to the excited commotion below, you can almost imagine what it might have been like to walk in Walt’s footsteps, and bask in the successful venture called Disneyland.
