Club 33 is a mystery that any
Disneyland fan who has not experienced it ponders with each visit to
New Orleans Square.
The History
"According to Disneyland Food and Beverage
General Manager Matt Gray, Walt Disney was attempting to attract new
sponsors for
Disneyland park while he was at the
New York World’s Fair
in 1964. He noticed the fair had executive lounges for corporate
sponsors and felt that Disneyland should offer similar amenities. He
envisioned an exclusive setting – elegant, featuring fine cuisine and a
uniquely Disney atmosphere. Matt says that it was actually one of the
Disneyland sponsors who suggested that club invites be extended to
select individuals.
In April 1966, Walt and Lillian Disney travelled to New Orleans with
designer Emile Kuri, who had decorated the sets of “Mary Poppins” and
“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” to select many of the beautiful antiques
which would be featured in the club. The club opened at number 33 Royal
Street in New Orleans Square on June 15, 1967 – sadly, six months after
Walt Disney passed away. It would go on to be known as Club 33 – the
most exclusive address in all of Disneyland."
“Our biggest challenge,” says Matt, “is living up to the expectations
that our guests have built up in their heads from years of hearing
about what is behind the door.”
Club 33 includes two dining rooms and several adjoining areas, all of
which hold a variety of antiques and original works of art. After
ascending to the second floor in the unique Victorian-age, French-style
lift – a reproduction of one Walt had admired during a trip to Europe –
you enter The Gallery. Here you’ll find an oak telephone booth with
beveled leaded glass panels adapted from the one used in the Disney
motion picture “The Happiest Millionaire” and a rare console table which
was found in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Also in The Gallery are
original works by Disney artists and design studies for New Orleans
Square and the
Pirates of the Caribbean.
In Lounge Alley, you’ll find a beautiful harpsichord – one of the
results of the “shopping” trip to New Orleans. It features a scene
showing Jackson Square and the Mississippi River in the 19th Century,
hand-painted by WED artist Collin Campbell.
The Main Dining Room is decorated in First Empire style, recalling
the era of Napoleon and the early 19th Century. The room, decorated with
framed artwork by Disney artists, is lit by wall sconces and three
chandeliers. Fresh flowers, parquet floors and antique bronzes create an
atmosphere of serenity and warmth.
The Disney Room, or Trophy Room, is the second dining room. It was originally to be the setting for a show featuring five Audio-Animatronics
figures: two magpies, an owl, a raccoon and a vulture who would
entertain the guests and even participate in their conversations through
the use of microphones which were hidden in the chandeliers above each
table. The show never developed, however, and today only the vulture
remains on his perch in the corner of the room.
Pictures and most of the text by Disney
