There's a place in the Disneyland Resort that most people have never been to. It's nothing new... on the day I am posting this article, June 15, 2007, it is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

If you've been to Disneyland you've probably walked right by this mysterious place in New Orleans Square which is marked only by a plaque with the number "33".

I hope you  enjoy these original photos along with facts from some very kind people at the Disneyland Resort who were gracious enough to bring you the Mouse Clubhouse virtual tour of Club 33.

Beyond these doors that you can see in
New Orleans Square lies the world of Club 33.


Here is Gary Maggetti, Director of Parks Food & Beverage
at the Disneyland Resort, who kindly took time
out of his busy schedule to talk to us about Club 33.

GARY MAGGETTI: Club 33 is a private, members-only club located in New Orleans Square at Disneyland. The Club, which opened in 1967, has roughly 500 Members.

Plans for Club 33 began after Walt Disney visited the 1964 New York World’s Fair, where he had been asked to create four pavilions for the fair. After seeing the many amenities for sponsors that were part of each pavilion, Walt thought it would be beneficial to have a similar area inside Disneyland that he could use to entertain corporate sponsors, visiting dignitaries and celebrities.



The venue itself would also be attached to the apartment that was being built for the Disney family above New Orleans Square, and the kitchen would serve both the private club as well as the apartment. He enlisted the help of set designer, Emile Kuri, famous for his work on Mary Poppins and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, to create the design for the restaurant. Unfortunately, Walt Disney never got a chance to experience his own creation as it opened in June of 1967, six months after he passed away in December of 1966. Though there are a myriad of myths, all untrue, about how it got its name, Club 33 is actually named after its address. The restaurant is located at 33 Royal Street in New Orleans Square. Next door, at 31 Royal Street, is the world famous Blue Bayou Restaurant.

Scott Wolf: Is that apartment that is now the Disney Gallery (above the Pirates of the Caribbean)?

GM: It is, the Disney Gallery and Club 33.

SW: Which room has the vulture in it?

GM: That’s part of what was originally called the Trophy Room. There are actually two main rooms to Club 33 proper. There’s the main dining room which overlooks New Orleans Square, and then we have the Trophy Room which holds which is adjacent to the kitchen.

We don’t call it the Trophy Room anymore; it’s actually called the Disney Room, but it opened up as the Trophy Room and there was actual taxidermy all throughout the facility.

For some humorous entertainment, Walt Disney’s original intention
was to have the vulture converse with guests during dinner.
To this day a microphone remains hidden in each chandelier

SW: Has the club changed much over the years?

GM: Very little. We’ve redesigned the bar area so that looks a little bit different but it hasn’t changed much from what it looked like in 1967. Some décor changes and table tops but not a lot has changed.

SW: You said you have corporate members and individual members. Why do you think the individuals would want to join instead of eating at the restaurants around the park?

GM: I think for our guests that are looking for a unique experience, this is the ultimate unique experience. We don’t get an opportunity to offer memberships very often and we have a very long waiting list... quite a few years. The list is so long right now that we’ve actually stopped taking additional members to the waiting list because it’s over in the thousands, so even if we added a dozen members a year it would take many, many years to go through.

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