Photo by Jeff Lange
Club 33.
Ask any hardcore Disneyana about this oh-so-exclusive eatery and I’m sure that they could probably tell you all about the hoity-toity restaurant that’s hidden away on the second floor of New Orleans Square. Where only a select few Disneyland guests get to dine amid splendor.
But — rather than just rehash the story of Club 33 — why don’t we all just go on a tour of the place? Here. I’ll have Flo contact the girl at the reservations desk inside. So that she can then buzz us in.
Photo by Jeff Lange
BZZZZ!
Okay. We’re in. As we check in for lunch, please note the lush carpet & beautiful paneling in the lobby area. Exquisite, isn’t it?
Alright. We’ve finished the check-in procedure. So our hostess now says that it’s okay for us to head upstairs.
So how would you like to make your grand entrance at Club 33? Obviously, you can take the stairs. Or — if you prefer — you can ride up in style inside an elegant glass elevator (FYI: This is an exact replica of a lift that Walt once saw in Paris while vacationing with his wife, Lily).
Photo by Jeff Lange
Well, now we’re upstairs. But our host is now telling us that it will be a few minutes before our table is ready in the restaurant’s main dining area.
That’s okay. We’ll just take advantage of this extra bit of time to check out the club’s other dining area, the Trophy Room?
Photo by Jeff Lange
This is obviously the more informal of Club 33’s two dining areas. Its walls are covered with all these great casual photographs of Walt and his family. Though — to be honest — the pictures aren’t the Trophy Room’s most memorable feature.
This is.
Photo by Jeff Lange
Yes, you’re right. That is one butt-ugly bird. However, had things actually gone according to Walt’s original plan, that rather unattractive Audio Animatronic vulture would have been one of the true highlights of a night spent dining at Club 33. You see, thanks to the microphones that were hidden in the Trophy Room’s chandeliers …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… a Disneyland entertainer (like longtime “Golden Horseshoe” star, Wally Boag) would — from behind-the-scenes — have been able to listen in on casual dinner-time conversation. Then — at an appropriate moment during the evening — this AA bird would have suddenly come to life and started cracking wise. Commenting on many of the things that the robotic bird had supposedly heard during the meal.
Speaking of meals … Our Club 33 host is now ready to take us into the main dining room for lunch. However, Flo needs to powder her nose. So she quickly slips into the ladies room that’s just off of the gallery …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… Only to pop out a second later and say “Give me your camera, Jeffrey.” What could there possibly be in the ladies’ room that would be worth taking a picture of? Would you believe a rattan toilet seat?
Photo by Jeff Lange
All this elegance and unique detail. And we haven’t even made it into the restaurant’s main dining room yet.
Clearly, we’re in for a memorable afternoon here at Club 33. So be sure and come back next week, when I’ll share some more photos that I took of the other parts of this spectacular if secretive Disneyland restaurant.
Photo by Jeff Lange