If you know about it,
you probably have not been in.

If you have been in, you maybe shouldn't talk about it . . .

Oh well. Who am I to keep secrets?

When Walt Disney was building New Orleans Square in Disneyland, he planned a hidden club above Pirates of the Caribbean.  He wanted a private club to host foreign dignitaries and friends that would overlook the ornate streets and river below.
  Walt and his Imagineers designed an amazing dining room filled with antiques, a full bar and 5 star dining service. 
Walt Disney died 5 months before it was all completed. 
The room became a private dining experience for Disney elite.  It initially served the function Walt had planned; hosting dignitaries. 
Eventually, it was decided to open the club to an elite "membership."  To this day, there are only 400 members of Club 33.  Members can allow others to dine in Club 33 on their membership, but that is a rare occassion.
There is a 10 year or more waiting list to become a member.  The annual dues are only practical if you are a very rich. 
The small door is non-descript on the street of faux New Orleans.  Most people miss it, or assume it is simply decoration.



My wife and my brother labored over many phone calls for 3 months.  Presented as my 40th birthday present (which was in March), they managed to acquire a lunch in Club 33 at the dawn of April.  Not bad, considering it is virtually impossible to enter this Club at all. 

On April 3rd, Becky was given instructions to give her name at a small guest relations booth just outside of Disneyland.  They printed us special "Club 33" passes to the park. 

We were given a long list of rules;
dress code, no cell phones, no foul language, be at the door on time, drinking alchoholic beverages is a privilege that can be taken away. . .

Anxious about our time, we were early. We waited, looking at the clock.
Finally, I was able to buzz the door.



Becky was the one who actually talked into the buzzer.  Everything was in her name.  The door clicked, and we were in!

Kathryn at the elevator.
We waited in the main lobby in front of this old elevator to be granted access to the actual Club 33 above. 

Walt had wanted to buy an elevator at a hotel in France, but the owner wouldn't sell it to him.  Walt sent his Imagineers who took several photographs of the elevator and even took a chip of the wood to completely replicate it. 

I was nervous and excited.
Maybe they would decide they had made a horrendous mistake and tell us to leave at the last minute.



Finally, we were given the OK to enter the elevator and take the ride up to the main dining rooms.

We were seated in the middle of the main room with  windows overlooking New Orleans Square.

We were waited on by four or more servers.  We were given a menu with no pricing.
Dylan was shocked!


We chose our main courses and were guided to the salad buffet which included fresh crab,
soups in espresso cups and a massive dessert bar.


Drew and I went to the men's room, and we bumped into a nice gentleman.  I did a quick double take and told Drew, "Say hello to Mr. Grammer."

It was Kelsey Grammer.  AKA Frasier.  AKA The Beast in X Men 3.  AKA The Prospector in Toy Story 2. 

As celebrity sightings go, this was particularly sweet since many friends have often compared my brother and I to the brothers on Frasier.  Frasier is the older brother, and I was thinking about my older brother who had worked so hard with my wife to bring this momentous occassion to fruition.  My older brother was there in spirit.  The spirit of Mr. Grammer. 
Kathryn and Drew had never seen a celebrity from television, and they were beside themselves.  Mr. Grammer bumped into Kathryn and Drew at the salad buffet (several times) and engaged them with a kind smile and gracious small talk.

Drew returned from the buffet with a dessert that featured the smallest coconut known to man.
Honestly, this is a real coconut! 
This is what secret societies have been hiding from us for centuries! 

Tiny tropical treats!



The ladies (Becky and Kathryn) retired to the ladies room, and they chose to take pictures. 
It was something Drew, Dylan and I would have never thought of doing in our mannish retreat.


Now we know that all of those "Ladies Room" myths are true. 
It truly a decadent haven of pleasure.  Yes, an escape from the viscious vulgarity of the manly world.

With dinner, I ordered a martini. 
For the first time in my life, I was granted the privilege of drinking a mature beverage within the confines of Disneyland.


The food and service were amazing.  We eventually wandered out to the patio
that overlooks New Orleans Square and the huddled masses below.


Becky and I found ourselves in a place we only ever imagined we could be.



Even amongst the elite, in this high castle of glory, one might accidentally swallow a bug. 
This is what happened to me just before Dylan took this picture . . .


Back at our dining table, Drew returned with a dessert creation.
We all decided it looked like it could have been created by Tim Burton. . .


Nearing the end this rare experience, we asked our kind waiter to take a family photograph.


Waiting to leave, a final moment of reflection in
the exclusive Club 33. 
Is this Club actually STRETCHING?


Back to reality. 
I was blinded and overcome by the experience. 
I wore a pin of achievement; an obscure token of secret knowledge.

  A fringe member of Club 33.

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