Wait to get into exclusive restaurant may be longest ever at Disneyland
The wait to get a membership for Disneyland's exclusive Club 33 is so long that wannabe members joke that the only way to move up the list is for somebody to die.
Dale Mattson has been parked on Club 33's waiting list since 2001, and Robert Tickell for about that long. And poor Chris Villaflor -- Walt Disney Co. informed him this month that the list is so bloated, he can't even get on it.
But now, there might be hope -- at least a glimmer of it. Disneyland officials said that over the next year they plan to rearrange some tables to add seating capacity to the members-only restaurant tucked away in New Orleans Square, identifiable only by a green door with the address: 33.
The membership, which stands at about 487, could increase to 500. Not exactly a huge growth spurt, especially considering that the nine-year waiting list is capped at 1,000 people.
It's so incremental that Tickell laughed hysterically when he heard the number. "That sounds like Disney," he said. "They're very protective of that club."
The club, created by Walt Disney himself as a place where he could entertain investors and business associates, didn't open until 1967, after his death. Since then it has been visited by presidents, princes and celebrities.
The restaurant, named for its address on 33 Royal St. in the park, is so secretive that the door remains locked and only members with a reservation are allowed in. (The club needed an address because one was required for its liquor license.)
Of its 487 members, individuals slightly outnumber corporations. Corporate memberships cost $25,000, plus $5,925 in annual fees. Individuals pay a $9,500 initiation fee, then $3,175 annually, Disneyland Resort spokesman Bob Tucker said.
Aside from the exclusivity, there are other perks. Reservations for a meal at the club include access to Disneyland for the day for those in the member's party, though they still have to pay their meal tabs.
Members are also invited to behind-the-scenes tours and holiday events and can request the presence of Mickey Mouse or any other Disney character at their meals. Memberships cannot be sold, leased, transferred or bequeathed.
"This experience cannot be matched anywhere else," said Mary Niven, Disneyland Resort's vice president of food and beverage. "Because the club is for members and their guests only, our cast knows individual preferences at a level that is truly unique."
