News Club 33 coming to Walt Disney World this Fall

[castlecake2.0]

The Sentinel is reporting that this was announced by Disney. Can anyone point me to the announcement? It seems odd that I can't find it anywhere.

There's information on it in an internal cast publication published yesterday. Basically says the same info that is already posted here.

 

[TP2000]

So what does the "33" stand for? I've heard it's the 33rd level of free-masonry Walt achieved. Until I hear a reputable answer, that's what I'm going with.

33 comes simply from the street address of the front door at Disneyland's New Orleans Square; 33 Royal Street.

And just so you don't think the street numbering system in New Orleans Square is some vast conspiracy, every shop and restaurant has a street address and number. Right next door to 33 Royal Street is 31 Royal Street, also known as The Blue Bayou Restaurant that inhabits the bayou of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Club 33 is just it's street address, and the way to find the otherwise unmarked entrance. As Dr. Freud said, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

 

[WEDwaydatamover]

If you look at the double eagle of the Freemasons 33 degree it's uncanny how similar the original Club 33 symbol is, in an abstract way of course.
Nothing to see or say. Keep moving.

 

[TP2000]

If you look at the double eagle of the Freemasons 33 degree it's uncanny how similar the original Club 33 symbol is, in an abstract way of course.
Nothing to see or say. Keep moving.

Here's the original Club 33 symbol on the door (to the right of the young lady) taken from the official Club 33 brochure Disneyland produced in late 1966 for its March, 1967 opening.

And here's the logo on one of the first Club 33 membership cards issued in 1967, this one to Donald Douglas Jr., CEO of Douglas Aircraft of Long Beach, California and 1960's corporate sponsor of the Flight To The Moon, Presented by Douglas in Tomorrowland. This logo still looks exactly the same way on all Club 33 materials in the 21st century.

I know absolutely nothing about the Freemasons, aside from reading regular mentions over the years in various online conspiracy theories, but I Googled "Freemasons Double Eagle Symbol" and got many versions of this image. What exactly is the similarity you are seeing, aside from the number 33 in a very different font?

 

[WEDwaydatamover]

A Club 33 type venue is long overdue for WDW. I don't have any faith that Team Disney Orlando will show any wisdom or do the the right thing as far as its execution goes. I feel cynical but also squarely in Realityland. I see a money grabbing generic husk of Club 33 over saturating every park.

I think they should call it Club Disney. Fun!

As for freemasonry, Club 33 and old Walt... Who knows? It wouldn't be beyond either organization to have fun with symbolism or architecture.

My favorite OBVIOUS knods would be the missing/ reappearing capstones of Journey into Imagination or the double pyramid building complete with missing capstone on each end of Universe of Energy (aerial view).

I know. I know. Club 33 is just an address on Royal Street

 

[VJ]

"If you can dream it, you can brand it." Seems to be the motto of today's Disney.

Club 33 is nothing but a brand for Disney to exploit anymore. That much is clear.

 

[Laketravis]

I think a black helicopter just landed in my yard.

 

[WDW1974]

The Golden Oak crowd i'm guessing

The thing is that is not a big enough audience. Hell, I could see Disney throwing membership in to the residents for the first year. It's still a drop in the bucket. ... But others have told me that my 'guess' is largely correct. That at least to start, Disney is going four smallish lounges. One in each park. You pay for a 33 membership, you get into all of them and certain perks (yeah, some that I think Charter APers like myself should have been given for free years ago, but you know me and my entitlement mentality!)

 

[WDW1974]

You mean Apple, Coca Cola, and Walmart?

Please don't leave out the defense contractors and government 'officials' ...

 

[WDW1974]

Thats the POINT its basically a speakeasy with a concealed entrance by no means is it ostentatious

at WDW I expect the entrances will be backstage and the clubs will have special entrances and private parking the clubs will probably have park entrances as well.

But lets face it these clubs are in reality 'executive dining' for TDO because they cant be seen in a 'Disney' restaurant too déclassé for their exalted positions

The secondary goal is to collect cash from the Golden Oak people.

You are overthinking and believing this is bigger than it will be. These are private bars for people with too much money and too little sense to feel superior to other fans. Disney knows its market well. Just look at all the white trash that regularly stays at its top tier resorts. It gets worse by the year. And then you bring the blogging whores into it ...

 

[WDW1974]

Supply and demand

Nah. Rubes with empty lives and deep pockets.

 

[WDW1974]

But then it didn't stop them from building a few bungalows at Poly and charging several thousand dollars a night.

ETA: And much to my surprise I'm having to try multiple dates to find any availability:

"This room type is unavailable for the dates, party size or offer selected."

Maybe the guests who are staying in those bungalows are clamoring for a private space in the park where Mr. and Mrs. Howell can relax?

I've seen them available plenty and DVCers, obviously, get first crack at booking. But also look at how few of them there are.

 

[TyrantBossMedia]

Ah yes, something else the rest of us cannot afford in Walt Disney World. So happy.

 

[KrzyKtty]

I don't see why this really bugs so many people. DL had it for decades and it doesn't really affect people's enjoyment of the park. Just because someone decides to pay for higher level features doesn't mean it detracts from my enjoyment. If that was the case, then we should be ed about Moderate and Deluxe resorts no? Sounds a bit like sour grapes to me.

 

[Goob]

You are overthinking and believing this is bigger than it will be. These are private bars for people with too much money and too little sense to feel superior to other fans. Disney knows its market well. Just look at all the white trash that regularly stays at its top tier resorts. It gets worse by the year. And then you bring the blogging whores into it ...

Why are you so bitter?

 

[ford91exploder]

I don't see why this really bugs so many people. DL had it for decades and it doesn't really affect people's enjoyment of the park. Just because someone decides to pay for higher level features doesn't mean it detracts from my enjoyment. If that was the case, then we should be ****ed about Moderate and Deluxe resorts no? Sounds a bit like sour grapes to me.

Because Club 33 was an unique institution created by Walt Disney himself.

Now some MBA is going to make a bunch of cheap copies. Nothing wrong with creating a new concept along the the same lunes but they are too stupid to so they cheapen the original

 

[KrzyKtty]

Because Club 33 was an unique institution created by Walt Disney himself.

Now some MBA is going to make a bunch of cheap copies. Nothing wrong with creating a new concept along the the same lunes but they are too stupid to so they cheapen the original

But no one knows that yet. The original article even said this isn't confirmed yet. So everyone is jumping on the judgement bandwagon without any design confirmation. And Walt may have created a similar institution into WDW if he had lived long enough to see it's construction till the end.

 

[doctornick]

I haven't really seen this discussed, but I would tend to think they'd want to build (convert?) places for this that would have views of the entertainment productions. i.e. somewhere in World Showcase where you could watch Illuminations, somewhere on Main Street where you could watch Wishes/Happily Ever After, etc. That would seem to me to be a selling point for membership, though I wouldn't think every location would have to be set up like such.

Also, regarding DAK, is it possible that some sort of lounge was included in the large showbuilding for Pandora?

 

[Laketravis]

I've seen them available plenty and DVCers, obviously, get first crack at booking. But also look at how few of them there are.

There may not be very many of them, I think only about 20. But each one represents no less than $900K in revenue per year, or the total equivalent of 1,800 Club members at $10K per year.

Not bad for a few floating rooms.

 

[Biff215]

But then it didn't stop them from building a few bungalows at Poly and charging several thousand dollars a night.

ETA: And much to my surprise I'm having to try multiple dates to find any availability:

"This room type is unavailable for the dates, party size or offer selected."

Maybe the guests who are staying in those bungalows are clamoring for a private space in the park where Mr. and Mrs. Howell can relax?

But you're looking at cash prices for these rooms I'm guessing, as looking on the DVC side I can book one for the next week (spring break) and a majority of each of the next few months. Now this could be one available or many, but they're not being fully booked all that often. Disney only makes these available at cash prices when they own the points or someone trades out theirs.

So there appears to be a ceiling here for something like this, and the Poly bungalows may have actually been exceeded it.