Club 33 is a private, members only club located in the Orleans section of Disneyland. It cost $33,000 to join, and another $15,000 to keep the membership annually. This is the only place in the park where hard liquor is served. The waiting list to get into this club is four years, but it could take as long as 14 years. You will never see our name on this waiting list.
I knew Friday was going to be a busy day, so I started by attending Mass and then staying for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. I prayed for all those on my prayer list and recited a Rosary.
We left for Disneyland at about two o’clock with dinner reservations at Club 33 at six p.m.
I have been to Club 33 a total of three times. The only way you can dine there is through a member’s invitation. Last Friday was the most recent visit. Mike had been holding out on us; he has a good friend who is a member of Club 33. When we ran into this gentleman at the funeral service of a mutual friend, he offered us the use of his membership at Club 33. Mike said that for years this man has been offering this opportunity to dine at the private club, so we finally took him up on it.
My First Visit to Club 33
Years ago some ladies from Sonja’s elementary school invited me to lunch with them at Club 33. At the time Sonja must have been in either second or third grade. What I remembered about this experience was that all the women ordered salads, but I ordered some type of roasted chicken. I never got the memo that we were all to order the same meal. I had no idea of the exclusivity or privateness of this restaurant, so I did not pay too much attention to any details. I do not believe that we had to pay an entrance fee for the park because the lady who owned the membership graciously took care of that. I was grateful for the experience and my roasted chicken was delightful.
My Second Visit to Club 33
We were guests again, but this time the Club 33 experience was won in a silent auction. We were a party of six, and as difficult as it was to narrow a date for all of us, we picked the worst day. Disney offers private parties for different organizations, which means that they shut down the park for these groups exclusively. This visit was in 1986 or 1987. Something was very unusual about this night; I noticed two women holding hands in the parking lot. I shrugged it off and kept this to myself. When we entered the park, it was apparent that we came on “Gay Night!” This was almost 40 years ago, and the shock of being surrounded by this made us all very uncomfortable. Seriously, we were not only out of our element, we stood out like sore thumbs. It was as if we were at a nudist colony fully dressed! I was worried about running into people we knew, which would have forced them out of the closet, or worst yet, people running into us, thinking that we were gay and living a double life.
This night was their private party and we crashed it! The organization was called Odyssey Adventures, but in reality it was a gay function. So to say that I remembered Club 33 that night would be an understatement and an eventful evening that is still swirling in my brain. I remembered telling Mike to hold my hand so that it was known that we were straight. I also told Mike not to walk with the men that were with us so as not to give out a gay vibe.
I called Disney the following day to complain, but to no avail. I also wrote several letters but they did not respond.
Club 33, We’re Back!
We finally got Mike to get us a date for Club 33. Sonja, Russ and the boys have annual passes to Disneyland, so they joined us for dinner. In my past posts I have declared a great dislike for Disneyland and all other amusement parks. I do not like to be around large crowds. But in order to dine at this exclusive restaurant, you must go to the park. The boys were excited for me to ride some of the faster roller coasters. We rode a total of three rides, and I was done! The lines were an estimated 30 minutes each; that’s an hour and a half of my time that I will never get back!
When we arrived for our reservation, a young lady with a 1920’s hairstyle and bright red lipstick greeted us, “You can wait here in the lobby until they call you in for your reservation.” In several ornate cabinets were Club 33 memorabilia available for purchase. We were told not to purchase anything until after dinner. There were many rules: absolutely no videos can be taken, and if you’re going to take pictures, it must be solely with your party.
The Powder Rooms
I did not hear the bizarre explanation about the restrooms or that it was forbidden to take any pictures. So when I went to use the facilities, I took so many pictures! Of course I will honor and respect the protocol by not sharing or posting these photos online. The bathroom was beautiful and sparkly clean. As I finished using the mouthwash, a young bathroom attendant walked in as I was putting the bottle of mouthwash in my pocket. I started to explain that I had used it, and I did not want to toss it into the fancy trash container. She was not interested in hearing my life story, so she kindly said, “We have a lot of those, don’t worry.” Then I went on to make small talk with her so that she wouldn’t think I was a thief.
Rebel Wilson, the famous singer, was banned from Disneyland for 30 days for taking a selfie in the women’s secret restroom. I do not understand the big overture about the restroom. I noted the bathroom descriptions: as you walk in, there is a light pinkish, antique lounge, with six tuck and roll buttons. Over the lounge is a beautiful Tiffany lamp, giving light over the comfortable chair. The wallpaper depicts Club 33 logo in brown, with the background in a soft shade of tan. On the wall is a picture of a woman framed in pink and gold. The drapes are dark brown satin and only serve as a statement piece. There is a beautiful, stained-glass window in the shape of a flower. Next to the window is an antique curio cabinet containing crystal perfume bottles and other ornate decorations.
The Dinner
This was a four-course meal and our grandsons were a bit lost when ordering, but they ate what was served. This was not my first fancy food rodeo, so when my first course arrived, it reminded me of Gramercy Tavern in New York, where we were served three fava beans in a swirly sauce. It was Friday during Lent, so I ordered fish.
The dinner was not the highlight of the evening; it was the ambiance, and everything that surrounded us. I loved the rich wood of the hand-carved medallions holding up every light fixture, but the best part was spending time with our family!
My Prayer
Dear Lord, I pray for the repose of the soul of Walt Disney. I pray that Disneyland’s executives would rid itself of all the Woke propaganda and make it the Happiest Place on Earth once again. Thank You for allowing us to share this special experience. Amen.
