Good, short piece on a visit to Club 33, Disneyland's secret, super-exclusive eatery above the Pirates of the Caribbean. I ate there once, and it was spectacular and very weird — the service and food were incredible, but the club was filled with sloppy-drunk Orange County old-money (Club 33 is the only place in the park where you can buy booze), who were literally falling-down-drunk and boisterous.
Deep in the heart of the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland's semi-secret restaurant Club 33 beats like a pacemaker. Officially, the club is located at 33 Rue Royale in New Orleans Square, near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. A decorative "33" and an intercom next to a French Quarter-style door are the only markers of the club's entrance. Disneyland's info line says 33 is the product of Walt Disney's "vision of a quiet, elegant place where he could entertain special guests." Sadly, Jesus had other plans, and Mickey Mouse's pappy ascended to that Magic Kingdom in the sky five months before the club's 1967 completion.
With Walt gone, it was decided to allow the public to dine there–or, rather, some of the public. Only card-carrying Club 33 members and their guests can enter the exclusive club. Individual gold memberships run $7,500, plus $2,500 in annual dues. Even if one does have this kind of excess income, there's a multiyear waiting list.
(Thanks, Xowie!)
