We were very happy to have the opportunity to attend a special event breakfast at Club 33, organized by two members of a discussion board to which I belong. Club 33 is an exclusive restaurant in the New Orleans Square section of Disneyland that only allows entry to members and guests of members, so the special event was indeed a rare opportunity. With all of the arrangements made ahead of time, we arrived at the Mickey and Friends parking structure at about 7:20am and joined the few cars that were in line in front of us and in the next row over. As had been promised, the toll booth opened at 7:30am, and we made our way through and were parked in the Pinocchio section. We made our way to the waiting tram, and when everyone was aboard, off we went.
We arrived at the tram stop, made our way through the bag check station and then joined the crowd that was gathered outside the exit gates next to the outside merchandise area. Some attendees were staying in local hotels and so had walked rather than driving to the structure and taking the tram.
Everyone is ready and waiting bright and early.
Those who had previously submitted a request received a special button created by the organizers of the breakfast to commemorate the event. At about 8am, two cast members (CMs) from Club 33 came out to escort our group through, and as we entered through the fire gate, we were each given a re-entry ticket to be used during the day and which was good at both parks. Our first stop was in front of the floral Mickey to take a group picture. Then, it was off to New Orleans Square and Club 33.
Club 33 cast members come out to escort our group.
One of the event organizers meets with the Club 33 cast members.
The park was not scheduled to open to the public until 9am, so various vehicles and other things were out on Main Street that weren't normally there. As we passed through Adventureland, we noticed that the Fastpass indicator for the Indiana Jones Adventure was not yet in operational mode.
What an unusual wait time.
As we were passing through New Orleans Square, we looked out onto the Rivers of America and noticed that the paddle wheel on the island wasn't functioning normally. Apparently, the water is too weak to move the wheel. See the video here (5.8 MB).
After those two "Disney geek" stops, we headed over to Club 33. Others of our group were making their way in through the open door, so we joined them. Entering the lobby, we made our way past the reception desk, up the stairs, to the left, through the hallway and into the main dining room. The restaurant has another room that is to the right of the stairs, formerly called the Trophy Room and currently called the Disney Room.
Getting to go through the magical door.
The magical door from the inside.
The reception desk area.
The elevator.
The staircase next to the elevator.
The room at the top of the stairs.
The door on the left leads to the Disney Room.
Some of the decorations on the walls.
We did hit a bit of a snag at this point because by the time we made it into the dining room, most of the seats had already been taken, and the only seats left were single seats at scattered tables. The staff did a bit of rearranging and organizing, and one woman very graciously agreed to change tables so that my husband and I could sit together. A glass of orange juice was provided on the table for each person, milk was available at the buffet bar, and coffee could be separately requested. Mimosas were also available for an additional fee.
Once we were formally greeted and welcomed, one table at a time was released to join the buffet line.
The available buffet items were as follows:
cheese and spinach mini-quiches
bacon
potatoes with onions and red and green peppers
steak medallions
scrambled eggs topped with mushrooms
Mickey-shaped waffles
corn flakes
fruit (honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
an assortment of cheeses
assorted danishes
scones
rolls
mini croissants
Bacon and mini-quiches.
Potatoes and steak medallions.
Scrambled eggs.
Can't have a Disney breakfast without Mickey-shaped waffles.
More goodies for breakfast.
Yes, even cereal is available at Club 33.
An assortment of fruit.
An assortment of cheese, even green cheese.
A selection of baked goods.
Danishes and scones.
Rolls and mini-croissants.
Mmmmm, breakfast at Club 33.
Notice the Mickey-shaped watermelon slice.
All of the items were very tasty. At one point, they must have run out of bacon, because sometime during the meal, one of the CMs came out to announce that more bacon had been brought out, which was greeted by a round of cheers from the attendees.
Event attendees enjoying their breakfast.
Each table had a fresh rose in a vase.
When we had taken the "A Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour in late 2004, we had been allowed into the lobby of Club 33 as part of the tour. Our guide had specifically mentioned the restaurant's ladies room, which has apparently gained some notoriety, and our guide advised that if we ever visited for a meal, we should be sure to check out the ladies room.
Here's a photo tour.
Notice the silhouette on the door.
The anteroom.
A closer look at the vanity table.
The chandelier in the anteroom.
The vanity mirror and light fixtures inside.
Notice the stacks of towels on either side of the mirror.
The towels in both the women's and men's restrooms are imprinted with the Club 33 logo.
The sink.
One of the infamous thrones in the ladies room.
Doors to the two individual stalls.
The ornate mirror.
It is my understanding that the men's room is wholly unremarkable and not worth mentioning.
At least they have a silhouette too.
During our meal, the doors to the balcony were opened, and we were encouraged to have a visit outside during our time there. The view is actually not that good, since the surrounding trees obstruct much of the view. Guests having dinner at Club 33 are able to stand on the balcony to watch Fantasmic! when it is being performed, but it appears that it would be a highly obstructed view. It was nice to stand outside for a moment and enjoy being there though.
The balcony across the way from the Club 33 balcony.
Underneath the opposite balcony is the jewelry store, more affectionately known as "the sparkly store".
A rare empty walkway.
A silent New Orleans Square.
A view into the dining room from the balcony.
The restaurant is beautifully decorated with various pictures, flowers and other things. Even the ceiling runner is interesting.
The design fits right in.
In the main dining room.
A view of the dining room.
Another view of the dining room.
A harpsichord sits in the hallway.
A close-up of the picture inside the harpsichord.
This table in the hallway was used in the film "Mary Poppins", with a picture from the film on the table.
The main hallway.
One of the wine racks.
Club 33 menus.
The bar.
On the wall in the hallway.
Another picture on another wall.
Even the cast member's nametags fit the theme (name omitted).
After everyone had been able to visit the buffet line, it was time for a special surprise. As everyone continued to enjoy their breakfast, it was announced that there was a surprise guest. In attendance at the breakfast was none other than Margaret Kerry, the original Tinkerbell, who had served as the live action model for the little pixie. She told the story of her audition for the part, which was the segment in the movie in which Tinkerbell is standing on the mirror, showing her unhappiness with her hips, and Ms. Kerry even demonstrated the scene for the group. She was the perfect special guest for such an occasion. Afterward, Ms. Kerry was graciously available to sign autographs and to speak individually with people.
Margaret Kerry, the original Tinkerbell.
Attendees waiting in line for an autograph and/or to speak to Ms. Kerry.
The line lasted for some time.
A raffle was then held. Earlier in the morning, everyone had been given a ticket to fill out, and a myriad of prizes was available for the lucky winners. Prizes included a Club 33 tote bag, a Club 33 lapel pin, a Club 33 keychain, a Club 33 mug, a firehouse display piece, a set of three vintage postcards, three copies of the Disneyland Detective book signed by the author, two cast lanyards with pins, a railroad book and another book by the same author, both of which were also signed by the author. As a winner's name was called, each person approached the prize table to pick their favorite.
Some of the Club 33 items available in the raffle.
More prizes.
More Disney-related prizes.
Yet more prizes.
When this was done, the festivities were coming to a close. Earlier, attendees were given the opportunity to purchase pre-selected Club 33 merchandise, so those who had submitted requests were given their orders. Shortly after 10am, our breakfast party disbanded, as the staff prepared for the day's brunch.
This was definitely a wonderful event, and everyone seemed to have a great time. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the food was terrific. Many thanks go to the two main people who organized the event (Thanks, Lulu & Dave!), special thanks go to Ms. Kerry for being there so early to join us for breakfast and for sharing her experiences with us, and thanks also to all the others responsible for making this event a success.
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