Preface: Pato and I just got back from a short weekend trip to Disneyland. We had decided to go for two reasons - (1) we had never been during the Christmas season and (2) the first weekend in December is when Disneyland sponsors a special "Candlelight Processional." It includes an orchestra, lots of choirs and a telling of the Nativity story from the scriptures. It sounded like a nice thing to do before Christmas.
The Story: So, on the plane from Salt Lake to Orange County, I was sitting by a man from southern California. When he heard we were going to Disneyland, he mentioned he was a member of Club 33. For those of you who don't know, Club 33 is a very exclusive private restaurant located at 33 Royal Street in the New Orleans Square part of Disneyland. Walt Disney planned it as a place he could have a quiet dinner with his sponsors inside the park. Memberships to Club 33 are expensive and hard to get and are often passed down in families for generations.
After Jon mentioned about Club 33 and asked where I was from he figured out that I must be a Mormon. We spent the rest of the flight in conversation about the church. He knows quite a few members of the church and has certain questions he likes to get their opinions on. It was an . . . interesting conversation. Mostly, he's not a fan of Utah liquor laws. But he was very interesting to talk to. At the end of the flight he found his cell phone was out of battery, so he borrowed mine to call his ride. After we got off the plane he said "Well, maybe I'll call tomorrow and see if Club 33 has any cancellations." He gave us his card. Honestly, I really didn't expect to hear from him.
The next morning we got a call on my cell phone. It was Jon. He asked if we would like reservations at Club 33 at 2:00 - they had had a cancellation. We were both blown away! We hurried back to the hotel to change into slightly nicer clothes and at 1:57 were at the door of Club 33, right next to the exit for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The receptionist asked our name and what time our reservation was for and let us in. We waited maybe 10-15 minutes in the lobby before taking the antique French elevator to the upper floor. We were escorted to a table in the Dining Room overlooking the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. We were there a total of two and a half hours and the food was amazing. There were appetizers, seafood, salads, soup and dessert available on a buffet and a menu from which to order the main course. After appetizers we walked out on the balcony and took pictures while waiting for the main course. Everything was leisurely in a very nice way.
After the main course and a trip to the dessert buffet, we got talking to our waitress. Her name was Carolyn and she had been working there for forty years. She said she was the second "oldest" employee in the Disney company (oldest in the sense of consecutive years working there.) She gave us a pen with the Club 33 logo on it.
All day - before lunch and after - we would just start chuckling randomly at the thought that we were going to eat/had just eaten at Club 33. Really, it is the most exclusive public area that I know of in any of the Disney Parks. And it was just so unexpected - like Santa Claus came down a chimney out of nowhere and put a gift-wrapped surprise under our tree.
The rest of the weekend was also wonderful - the Candlelight Processional program and music were wonderful, the snow on Main Street, the other live entertainment . . . but the highlight remains the totally unexpected surprise lunch at Club 33.
Us at our table after dessert
On the balcony (just outside from where our table was) between courses. Rivers of America in the background.
A view of the dessert bar. Notice the Club 33 logo cookies in the background.
Paul at the table just after we were seated. Behind him is the table Lillian Disney used to sit at every Mother's Day.
Me at the door on 33 Royal Street.
The Mickey Mouse hat I bought there.
