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At Disneyland, what is Club 33?

Bronwyn Harris
Bronwyn Harris

In New Orleans Square in Disneyland, near the Blue Bayou Restaurant, there is a door marked "33." This is the entrance to Club 33, a little-known members-only establishment that is also the only place in Disneyland able to serve alcohol.

Club 33 was designed by Walt Disney himself to entertain Corporate sponsors and other VIPs, and it was included in the original plans for New Orleans Square. After Disney died, the club was opened up to members who could pay the fee, which ranged from $7,500 to $20,000 US Dollars (USD), with an annual fee of $3,025 to $5,825 USD, depending on type of membership. There is also an initiation fee of $10,000 USD, and a waiting list that can be over five years long.

Gourmet dining is offered to members at Club 33 at Disneyland.
Gourmet dining is offered to members at Club 33 at Disneyland.

Members of the establishment also receive free admission; to Disneyland, along with a complimentary guest — although, compared to the member fees, they probably wouldn't notice the price of admission. They are also granted complimentary parking. Anyone with the money who is willing to wait through the long waiting period is able to become a member. At any given moment, there are always fewer than 500 members.

The entrance to Disneyland's private, members-only club is marked with the number 33.
The entrance to Disneyland's private, members-only club is marked with the number 33.

When guests enter Club 33, they immediately see an antique-looking glass elevator that is a replica of a Parisian elevator Disney saw and tried to buy while on vacation. When discovering that the original elevator was not for sale, Disney sent engineers to take measurements in order to build an exact replica. Other furnishings include antiques chosen by Lillian Disney and furniture featured in the studio's films.

Gourmet food and drink is provided for members. A staff of around 70 is available to make sure all guests are served and happy, even remembering individual members' favorite dishes and making sure they are available when the members visit. Guests and members do have to pay for their food and drink, although the prices are reported not to be high and are definitely eclipsed by the exorbitant prices of belonging to the club.

The origin of the name "Club 33" has sparked many different rumors over the years. One version of its origin is that it was named for the 33 original investors in Disneyland. Another has Walt Disney choosing the name simply because he liked the way that "33" appeared — as two sets of Mickey ears when turned sideways — or because Disney's favorite number was 3, again, due to the Mickey ears similarity. Disneyland's official explanation is that the address is 33 Royal Street in New Orleans Square, causing it to be called "33."

Discussion Comments

julies

I have been to Disneyland one time, many years ago when I was a kid. My family and I have been to Disney World in Orlando several times though.

I am wondering if they have a club similar to this at this Disney location? I would not be surprised to find out there is also a club like this in Orlando that caters to the wealthy where they can eat and drink some alcohol.

andee

I would love to see what it looks like inside Club 33. I also had never thought about what the number 33 looks like when turned sideways to resemble a pair of Mickey ears. With the imagination that Walt Disney had, it is easy for me to imagine this is the real reason behind the "33" name.

honeybees

For those wealthy people who have a lot of money to spare, I am sure the prices to become a member of the club mean very little to them. I think the honor and prestige of belonging to such an elite group is of more importance than paying the annual fee.

I have no idea what it would be like to be a member of this club. My family has been to Disneyland one time and this took months of saving our money just to be able to go. If we ever have the chance to go back again, we would still need to save our money to pay for the admission tickets and food and lodging while we were there.

SarahSon

I have been to Disneyland a few times and never even knew that Club 33 existed. Now I am fascinated by this and will definitely be looking for this the next time I visit Disneyland. It would be interesting to hang around there for awhile and possibly get a glimpse of somebody famous going inside the club.

popcorn

If you go to Disneyland it is a a good idea to take a quick snapshot of the Club 33 logo and watch the door around 11AM and 5PM when they admit people for lunch and dinner. There is a good chance that you might catch a peek of someone famous going in and have something extra special to tell your friends about when you get back home.

We didn't even know what we were looking at when we were walking through the park heading back to one of the Disneyland hotels. Someone noticed a bit of a crowd around the Club 33 door and a guy next to us gave us a bit of the lowdown on Disney's Club 33. Quite the story!

lonelygod

I wonder how hard it would be to meet someone who had access to Club 33 at Disney World. I would love to have a chance to experience such an exclusive club myself, though I imagine a lot of people dream of brushing shoulders with celebrities.

One of the things I find really exciting about Disney's Club 33 is the food. I've heard they have a really impressive buffet available which cost the same as a one-day admission to the park. That is pretty cheap when you consider the price of the membership. Who knows, maybe I'll meet someone someday who can get me into Walt Disney's Club 33.

MrSmirnov

There are some interesting first hand experiences of people who have been inside Club 33 and it is worth taking a look at their stories through a quick online search. From what I have read the current waiting list for membership at Disney's Club 33 is now 14 years and has been closed to applicants.

It never ceases to amaze me what the truly wealthy choose to spend their money. You should look through some of the Club 33 pictures if you get bored. The inside is pretty impressive and while I am not sure it is worth the thousands of dollars to join, it is interesting to look at.

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    • Gourmet dining is offered to members at Club 33 at Disneyland.
      By: oksix
      Gourmet dining is offered to members at Club 33 at Disneyland.
    • The entrance to Disneyland's private, members-only club is marked with the number 33.
      By: papparaffie
      The entrance to Disneyland's private, members-only club is marked with the number 33.