Club 33

[chwilson88]

Is anyone on this board a member of Club 33? I read an article recently on the D23 disney website, and it said the waiting list for members at the moment is 18 years.

 

[EPCOTPluto]

I am not, but here's a Wiki on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_33

And a Youtube video of it, among others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgrAoy85eEc&feature=related

 

[Mukta]

I'm not a member, but I recently had dinner there. It made me really want to be a member.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=454463

 

[DizneyPryncess]

My Uncle's company is one of the original 33 members. He is taking my husband & I there for dinner in September for our first trip to Disneyland. I've heard stories that the waiting list is 3 years, I've heard its 14 years, and everything in between. Not sure what the true wait is - but I'll ask in September & post it on the boards.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I know someone on the waitlist... :lookaroun

Just under 3 years now.

 

[mkt]

18 years is part of the mystique. It's much shorter, especially when people who were previously able to afford Club 33 no longer can and spaces open up.

 

[TP2000]

Yes, wait lists for all private clubs have fallen by huge numbers over the last year. Club 33 is no exception and the wait list is just a few years.

I've had dinner at Club 33 twice as a guest of Standard Oil of California, who sponsors Autopia. It was a fun thing to do the first time, especially the thrill of ordering a cocktail inside Disneyland. But the second dinner there the thrill wore off a bit and you kind of realize it's just a restaurant with shleppy people in jeans and t-shirts sharing salad courses and Disney fanboys taking pictures of the china. I just wore a sport coat and slacks both times to dinner and I was one of the best dressed men in the room, so it's not an overly special atmosphere.

The CM's working at Club 33 also have a bit of an edge to them, and I think they take their roles in this amusement park membership restaurant just a tad too seriously. But it makes for an entertaining evening to watch them roll out the attitude parade.

The Napa Rose is a superior restaurant for a nice dinner, in my opinion. A bit better service that Club 33 and a far more impressive menu. I've never had a hint of less than stellar service and food at The Napa Rose. But ordering a cocktail inside Disneyland at Club 33 is a fun thing, at least once.

 

[agent86]

My Uncle's company is one of the original 33 members.

Here we go again... There is no such thing as "original 33 members". Perhaps what you meant to say was simply that your uncle's company IS a member. But the "33" is simply the address in New Orleans Square. It does not signify the "original number of companies that helped Walt build Disneyland", which is what is often reported. That's a myth.

 

[agent86]

The CM's working at Club 33 also have a bit of an edge to them, and I think they take their roles in this amusement park membership restaurant just a tad too seriously. But it makes for an entertaining evening to watch them roll out the attitude parade.

Wow, I'm happy to say I've never had that experience on my visits to Club 33. In fact, I would absolutely describe the service there as "stellar". What do you mean when you say they had an "attitude"? Just curious. What happened exactly? Maybe I just lucked out during my visits.

What I will say about it though is that the food, while great, is not as fantastic as one would expect. Especially for the price you pay and what members pay for their memberships. However, I'd still go again in a heartbeat just because its such a unique experience.

 

[TP2000]

Wow, I'm happy to say I've never had that experience on my visits to Club 33. In fact, I would absolutely describe the service there as "stellar". What do you mean when you say they had an "attitude"? Just curious. What happened exactly? Maybe I just lucked out during my visits.

What I will say about it though is that the food, while great, is not as fantastic as one would expect. Especially for the price you pay and what members pay for their memberships. However, I'd still go again in a heartbeat just because its such a unique experience.

The first visit it was the waiter who lectured our table on what a Malbec wine was, as if we didn't already know it was an Argentine import. He had already rubbed a few of us the wrong way, with this unnecesarrily haughty attitude as if he was the Queen of England's private secretary who was lowering himself to attend to some commoners who had entereed the parlor at a busy time of day. It was really more funny than anything, because the poor guy was really trying to put on a show for someone, but none of us were impressed. Just a snotty vibe from him, with some rather ungracious wording and comments.

The other thing I noticed on both visits was that the staff seemed very robotic, as if they had worked there for decades and they knew exactly what was supposed to come next but all of these darn guests were getting in the way of their plans. The service was not as polished as it should have been, or as I have experienced at Napa Rose or other OC fine restaurants like Studio at Hotel Montage, or the very crisp and polished service I recently had at the new Charlie Palmer restaurant at South Coast. Orange County has some very, very upscale and five star restaurants, and Club 33 comes in a notch or two below them when it comes to fine dining polish and panache. But then, when the Club 33 clientele shows up for dinner in jeans and t-shirts with wet hair from Splash Mountain, what can you expect?

I also remember the tiny mens room at Club 33 looking very trashed on my second visit as I ducked in after we arrived; wet hand towels everywhere on the counters, water stains on the mirror, etc. I visited the mens room again over an hour later, and the place still hadn't been cleaned. In any other top restaurant the restrooms would be attended to twice an hour at the least, if they were ever allowed to get that way in the first place by a clientele that should know better.

And yes, the food was not quite top drawer on both of my visits. It's very good for a theme park, but not quite in the league of top restaurants in a very affluent and sophisticated part of the country like 21st century Orange County. You really are just paying for the fading image of the place at this point, and the sheer thrill of drinking liquor inside Disneyland. Club 33 has seen better days, but it's still a must-do for any Disney fan at least once in their life just to say they've been.

 

[DizneyPryncess]

Here we go again... There is no such thing as "original 33 members". Perhaps what you meant to say was simply that your uncle's company IS a member. But the "33" is simply the address in New Orleans Square. It does not signify the "original number of companies that helped Walt build Disneyland", which is what is often reported. That's a myth.

Actually, no I meant what I said, but thanks. Here's a link to the original 33 companies along with an explanation.

http://www.disneylandclub33.com/Club 33 Name & History.htm

 

[agent86]

Actually, no I meant what I said, but thanks. Here's a link to the original 33 companies along with an explanation.

http://www.disneylandclub33.com/Club 33 Name & History.htm

All this is is some guy's fansite developed by someone who is clearly misinformed. He obviously didn't do his research before posting this information. I realized you posted the link in order to "prove me wrong" but you won't find any credible source that does that. The "original 33 companies" explanation is nothing more than a myth.