Journey to Club 33: Part 2

             
               Part Two: My wife and I were so stoked to go to Club 33. We wanted to dress up for this special occasion. I bought a new tie specifically to wear to the club and my wife bought a  new dress. We were looking pretty suave I must say.

I clean up pretty well. Check out my mickey tie!

My wife in her new dress. This was taken outside our old house in Huntington Beach. What a hotty!

                 Once we were dressed it was off to the park! We arrived at the park and walked to New Orleans Square. We turned down Royal Street and got to the Club 33 entrance... we were pants peeing excited at this point. We stopped to pose for a photo in front of the entrance. The 33 logo plaque is behind my arm.

                   To get into the club you have to press a secret button next to the door and announce your arrival to the hostess. If you have a reservation they will push a button inside that allows the door to open. My wife pushed the intercom button and waited. After what seemed like an eternity we heard a voice asking if we had a reservation. My wife said yes and announced her name and that our reservation was for two. After a momentary pause we heard the magical buzz and opened the door. Once the door closed behind us the noise of Disneyland was silenced and we entered the magical realm of Club 33.

                    Upon first entering the club you find yourself in the lobby. Everything about the club is ornate and beautiful. The carpet, wallpaper, and artwork on the walls was personally picked out by Lillian Disney when she and Walt went antiquing in New Orleans. But the centerpiece of the lobby is a gorgeous antique french lift which takes you up to the main floor of the club. Before we took the lift upstairs we stopped for a photo op.

                     Once we got upstairs we were escorted to our table in the main dining room. Continuing with us taking photos of EVERYTHING we posed for photos with the menus.

I look WAY EXCITED!

My wife is adorable

 

                 On to the food! For lunch, you choose a main entree and there are buffet style appetizers and desserts. When I say "appetizers" I am not talking about potato skins, mozzarella sticks, or nachos. The appetizer buffet included crab legs, shrimp, lobster tails, California artisan cheeses, and fruit. Sadly, we did not get photos of any appetizers... sorry folks. The menu had a couple different choices but my wife and I ordered the same entree, a Chateaubriand fillet Mignon with Yukon gold mashed potatoes, baby heirloom tomatoes, and blanched green and yellow beans with a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction sauce. It was so delicious!

Even the plates have the 33 logo!

               That is part two of our trip to Club 33. In the next installment I will show you all the desserts we tried and take you on a photo tour of the club. Have any questions about Club 33? Leave them in the comments of this blog or send them to me on Twitter @ReelBigDork. Have a great day!

Goodbye Disney!

                  Mine and my wife's Disneyland passes expired yesterday and we will not be renewing in the foreseeable future. So we took one last trip to Disneyland together. We went on Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion and made a few last purchases of in-park merchandise. But everything we did had a sense of melancholy as this was our "last" time doing these things. As we left the park my wife started to tear up and as a result so did I.
                We have had passes for the last 4 years and have been going to the parks about once a week on average. We will miss going on Disney dates together for fireworks or Fantasmic. But with the price of passes increased by $200 and a baby on the way it just wasn't feasable for us to keep them anymore. Hopefully one day we can afford to get our passes back so we can take our son and instill the love of Disney in him.  I will miss you Disney!


See ya Later Walt and Mickey

       

Journey to Club 33: Part 1

A few years ago my now wife, then girlfriend, and myself were able to experience something very magical. We were able to dine at Club 33. For those of you not in the know Club 33 is a secret and ultra exclusive restaurant inside of Disneyland Park. The idea for the club came about during the 1964-65 World's Fair in New York City. Walt was hired to put together some attractions for a few of the pavilions and noticed that many of the companies had exclusive VIP lounges set up in their pavilions. Walt decided he wanted to build a VIP lounge in Disneyland to entertain executives and visiting dignitaries. Thus Club 33 was born. Walt and his wife Lillian Disney went to New Orleans to go shopping for antiques for the club. But sadly, Walt died before the club was able to open. Instead of the club becoming a lounge for VIPs, it became an ultra exclusive club with membership open to the general public ( If you have $12,000-$15,000 a year and can wait for 10-20 years to become a member). The club is located in New Orleans Square at 33 Royal Street.

This small plaque adorns the door to get into the club.

My wife and I had been yearning to visit and dine here for years before we were finally able to. Only members of the club can let you in or make reservations to eat there. There are only 457 members of the club so finding a member is like finding a needle in a stack of other needles. For us, getting into the club was nothing more than a pipe dream. Every time we would pass by the door we would dream about what was inside. Then one fateful day, something incredibly magical happened that would allow us to realize our dream beyond our wildest imagination.
At this point in time my wife was working at a restaurant. She didn't normally work on Friday's at that point in time, but for some reason was working that day. She also was not cashiering that day but was hostessing instead. A customer came in wearing a shirt with a small Club 33 insignia embroidered on it. My wife sat him at a table and unlike what she would normally do, small talk with the customers, she engaged the gentleman in a conversation about his shirt. She told him she liked his shirt and his response was one of surprise, he was shocked that she knew what that was. She informed him that she did know what Club 33 was, due to the fact that she and her boyfriend were HUGE DISNEY NERDS!!! She told him that we had always dreamed of being able to go. He then told my wife that she was in luck as he enjoys making dreams come true.  He asked her to sit down at his table and slid a piece of paper across the table to her and asked her to write down her name. He then took out his cellphone and made the call. He gave the receptionist his member number and asked my wife to write down her phone number. He then asked what day would work best? My wife couldn't believe what was happening and just said "whenever is fine." He hung up the phone and told her he had just called and made a reservation for us at Club 33 for lunch. But there were two conditions; the first being that we pay our bill and please not charge it to his tab (He had done this before and the people had charged it to his account, what kind of a-hole does that!?) The second was that she not tell me and make it a surprise. My wifes excitement level skyrocketed. This was unbelievable, so many things had to happen to make this possible. She worked on a day that she normally didn't, at a station that she normally didn't, and engaged a customer more than she usally did. In the end she couldn't keep it a secret from me, the whole situation was so crazy that she had to tell me.

Part II Coming Soon! Here is a picture to tantalize you:

BAJL Day 31: This Is The End: My Top 5 Disneyland Attractions

             Today is the final day of my Blog All January Long challenge. I have succeeded and am proud of that. I want to thank all of you who read my blog, whether it was everyday, once, or sporadically throughout the month. I would like to give an even bigger thank you to those of you who re-posted my blog and/or left me comments. I tried the best that I could to respond to your comments as quickly as possible. I was hoping that this challenge would make me a better writer but sadly it has not. My writing is still ripe with incorrectly spelled words, poorly composed sentences, and paragraphs that lead nowhere. So thank you all for putting up with my terrible writing to enjoy the content that was at its heart. I am going to end my month of blogging with a list, in no particular order, of my favorite attractions at Disneyland. Here we go!

• The Mark Twain Riverboat- This attraction was running on opening day of Disneyland back in 1955. I love this attraction so much. It was the first steam powered paddle wheeled boat built in America since 1900. My favorite part about the Mark Twain is sitting on the bow of the ship and just relaxing, watching the crowds walk by, and enjoying the scenery around the Rivers Of America. You truly feel like you are being taken back in time. Plus, there is never a line for this one so just walk on and enjoy a leisurely ride aboard the "Grand Steamer, Mark Twain".

• The Haunted Mansion- As my fandom for Disneyland has grown so has my affinity for The Haunted Mansion. This attraction has, by far, the most devoted fans of any theme park attraction. I think the reason that this attraction is so unusual is that it was the first one built after Walt Disney died. As a result, the attraction went through many stages of development with storyline changes, character changes, and the argument of scary V. silly. This attraction is one of the most rumor filled as well, with stories ranging from real ghosts being inside to characters in the attraction being removed after only being there for a few days as they were far too frightening to witness. In the 44 years that this attraction has been open effects have come and gone including, but not limited to, cast members wearing costumes and jumping out of hiding places to scare guests, as well as a completely alternate storyline (focusing on an old sea captain) that is still visible throughout the mansion. For all these reasons and more I have fallen in love with The Haunted Mansion.

• Splash Mountain- I don't get to ride this attraction as much as I would like to but it still has a very special place in my heart. There is a certain nostalgia to this attraction as I was tricked into riding this as a child and for many years after I was terrified to go on it again. I think one of the reasons I enjoy this attraction so much is in part due to the music which is infectious to say the least. Every time I ride it with my wife we just bop our heads side to side and sing all the words. The other thing I like about this attraction besides the drops which are SO MUCH FUN is the fact that almost all of the animatronics used are from America Sings (an old attraction that has been extinct since before I was born). I never got to see America Sings but at least I can enjoy looking at the animatronics used in a classic attraction from the past.

 

• Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room-opened in 1963 this was the first attraction to feature audio animatronics (AA's as they are known in the fan community). The show, lasting approximately 15 minutes features birds, flowers, and tiki gods singing songs. My wife and I know the words to all of these songs as well and sing along with the entire show. Once again, this is an attraction that never has a wait and is a perfect escape from the summer heat. To maximize your enjoyment, grab a Dole Whip (pineapple soft-serve) before you enter and let the tropical sights, sounds, and tastes sweep you away.

• People Watching- this may not be an attraction but is by far my favorite thing to do in the park. Just sitting on a park bench and making catty comments about other people as they walk by will do so much for your self-esteem. You may not be as handsome as Brad Pitt but at least you didn't show up to Disneyland in a Snuggie (I have actually seen this). Besides the fashion faux pas and just good old fashioned uggos (ugly people) for you to judge you will also see cute couples, adorable families, and some of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen. This is the way Disneyland was meant to be enjoyed, do not rush, sit back, relax, and take it all in.

Check out this adorable old couple! I want Alex and I to be just like this.


          Well that is it folks! Hope you enjoyed reading my blog. I will continue to blog sporadically from here on out so PLEASE continue to check my blog for updates. Feel free to add me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @ReelBigDork. Thanks again and have a very magical day!

BAJL Day 26: More Disneyland Secrets/Strange Facts

              My previous blog containing Disneyland secrets/strange facts got me quite a few page views. So I figured I will just give the people what they want and write some more of my Disney knowledge.

• The center of Disneyland- there is a golden spike just after you walk through Sleeping Beauty's Castle which represents the original geographical center of the park. (Before Toontown was added)

• The read deal!- The drawbridge on the castle is not just for looks. It is a fully functioning drawbridge and has been used twice in the history of the park. The first time on opening day, July 17,1955 with the dedication of Fantasyland and again in 1983 for the re-dedication of Fantasyland after a major refurbishment.

 

 

 

•    One of a kind- The Mark Twain Riverboat is a 5/8 scale actual functioning steam powered boat. It was the first one built in America for almost 50 years! On opening day, the boat was so overloaded with passengers that it began to sink and the bottom tier of the boat was flooded in ankle deep water. Sidenote: Alex and I wish we could have our wedding ceremony on the Mark Twain.
  
• Enchanted Tiki Restaurant?- The original idea for the Enchanted Tiki Room was for it to be a restaurant. But, the show became too much of a distraction from the food and the restaurant idea was scrapped. This is why The Enchanted Tiki Room is the only attraction to have its own bathrooms (They are located to the left of the entrance doors).
• Mystery of the Haunted Mansion- The exterior building (what you see from the outside) was completed in 1963 but the ride did not open until 1969. So for six long years the mansion sat there leading to rumors that the ride was open for a day but had to be shut down because it was too terrifying. Some rumors claimed that guests had to be removed from the attraction after they had heart attacks or gone into shock from being scared so badly. The truth was that with Disney's commitment to the 1964-65 Worlds Fair, all of the imagineers were busy. Then, after Disney's death in 1966, the remaining imaginears went through a power struggle over who would decide what stayed in the attraction. In the end, two different thought processes emerged, the first thought the ride should be scary, the second thought it should be fun and silly. So, the imaginears just split the attraction in half and one group got to the first half and latter group got the second half. There is a visible line in the storytelling and tone of the attraction from the foyer to the observatory than from the corridor of doors into the graveyard.

               This sign was on the gate outside the mansion for 6 years!

                                                        It looks so creepy at night!


 Have any Disneyland rumors you need dispelled or upheld? Let me know in the comments and I will confirm or deny the rumor. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this post. If you want me to write more of these types of post just let me know.

 

BAJL Day 22: Strange Disneyland Facts

              I am hitting a blogger's block today so I am just going to blog about what I know a lot about, and that is Disney. So here are some interesting facts about Disneyland that hopefully you didn't know before. Hopefully I will have something more substantial to blog about tomorrow. Here we go!

             1.) Cats! Cats! Cats!- there is a sizeable population of feral cats that live inside Disneyland. They were brought in to assist in controlling the rodent population in the park. It must be working as I have seen a few cats roaming the park but never a rat or mouse other than Mickey or Minnie. The cats have been spayed or neutered and immunized and roam freely in the parks. Though they often hide or sleep during the daytime you can often spot them around the backside of the Rivers of America or near Big Thunder Trail. Don't believe me? Below are some photos 

This little one is sleeping next to the train tracks

These two are on the hunt near the Hungry Bear Restaurant

                2.) How you can leave the state of California in under a minute?- simply take the rafts over to Tom Sawyer Island. The Missouri State legislature annexed Tom Sawyer Island in 1956. It was part of a publicity campaign put together by Walt as the Tom Sawyer books take place in the state of Missouri.

                3.) Disney Deaths?- 9 guests and 1 Cast Member have been killed at the park since its opening in 1955. Of those 9 deaths, 7 were caused by the individuals stupidity. The most grisly of the three deaths that were found to be Disney's fault, was the death of a cast member working at the America Sings attraction (which is no longer with us, RIP). The cast member got trapped between a stationary wall and the moving theatre and was crushed to death. Don't believe me? All the incidents have been verified by Snopes at http://www.snopes.com/disney/parks/deaths.asp


                 4.) Nothing EVER goes to waste- Disneyland is well known for paying homage to former attractions and recycling ideas. Animatronics aren't cheap so when the imagineers went over budget on Splash Mountain they used the leftover animatronics from America Sings to fill up the remainder of the attraction. The most obvious ones are located on the steamboat at the end of the attraction.

                                    Here they are in America Sings
 
                              Here they are in Splash Mountain

               5.) How to stay in Disneyland forever- many people have tried and failed but there are reports of guests scattering ashes of loved ones inside attractions such as The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Carribean. I don't know if any have succeeded in not getting caught but here is a link to prove to you that it has happened and been stopped. Also a video is located below.

 There it is folks! Just a small sampling of the strange and crazy things I know about Disneyland. Hopfully you didn't and I was able to entertain you for a few minutes. Have any Disneyland rumors that you need affirmed or dispelled? Leave them in the comments and I will respond to the best of my knowledge. Have a great day!

 PS- in an earlier post I promised a photo of me in my new glasses once I picked them up. Today I went to pick up my glasses so here is a photo.

  

 

BAJL Day 13: How Did I Become Such a Disney Dork?

         I have been a fan of Disneyland since I was a kid. My family used to go at least once a year when I was growing up (Mostly near my sister's birthday). As a result I became infatuated with the park. It was a place where my whole family was able to have fun together.
         My love for Disneyland grew along with me as I came to appreciate it as a safe haven. I was and will always be a dork and because of this I got picked on a lot in school. I couldn't leave my house to play without being picked on most days but going to Disneyland was an escape from my problems. It still is the same to this day for me. It is an escape from the stress and cruelty of the real world and the ultimate escape from it. Once you walk through those tunnels and into Main Street, you are taken away to another place, another time. I don't have to worry about bills, my job, or the stresses of my real life. I am free to be what I want to be.
        I can indulge my nerd-dom and experience the Holy Lucas Trinity (Star Tours, Captain Eo, Indiana Jones), or I can annoy everyone by singing all the songs in the Enchanted Tiki Room, or I can eat a ton of junk food and then ride on the teacups (hopefully I don't puke). Disneyland is the place where I can still be a kid. Where I can let my imagination roam free.
         Lastly, I am fascinated by the way things work. I like to know, how does this work? How did they do that? That is why I love Disneyland! Do you love Disneyland too? If so, leave a comment telling why.

BAJL Day 10: Tips for visiting Disneyland

         I am a super huge Disneyland nerd and as such I know many ways to increase your enjoyment of the Disneyland Resort. So here are some tips that everyone should use.
         1.) Use the Fastpass system- this would seem pretty obvious but many people don't use the system to its full potential. I recommend beginning the day by grabbing a pass for the Radiator Springs Racers attraction in Cars Land. You can get a new fastpass either two hours after you get your current fastpass or when your current fastpass is up, whichever comes first.
         2.) Stay on property- besides your savings on parking (15 bucks per day) guests staying at any of the Disneyland resort hotels can get into the parks earlier than those who do not. This promotion is called Magic Morning Hours and runs many days throughout the week. Plus, you can use the Monorail to decrease walking distance between your hotel room and the parks. If you can't stay on property arrive at the park as early as possible. The first 2 hours after the parks open may be the least busy times of the day. You definitely want to enjoy this time in the park.
           3.) See the 2nd showing of Fantasmic!- when there are two showings of Fantasmic! The 2nd showing is generally less crowded so you don't have to spend as much time camping out for a great spot.
           4.) Experience the Fantasyland attractions after the fireworks- most families with small children leave after the fireworks are concluded. As a result, lines for most Fantasyland attractions decrease. (Peter Pan's Flight and The Matterhorn Bobsleds are often unaffected, sorry folks)
            5.) Bring snacks- Disney allows guests to bring outside food into the parks. Bring a backpack and fill it with snacks for the family. You can even pack a lunch, and have a picnic in the park. This can save you loads of money being that even churros cost $3.75 a piece. Lunch and dinner in the parks can be even more expensive.
            You can save money and time through proper planning. Everyone has their own tips and tricks to enjoy a day at Disneyland, these are just a few of mine. But no matter what you do, just enjoy your time experiencing the Disney magic.

BAJL Day 2: Top 5 Things I miss at Disneyland

         If I was more prepared these would be in order but I didn't take the time to really think about which ones I missed more. So here are my top 5 things I miss most at Disneyland in no particular order.
      1.) Main Street Electrical Parade- I only saw this one time at Disneyland as a kid but I loved every second of it. The music gets stuck in your head forever and the floats are awesome! My favorite float is probably the Pete's Dragon (Elliott) one which breathes smoke. I am not much of a fan of parades but this one is my favorite. The Disney company brought it to California Adventure for a while but then shipped it off to Walt Disney World in Florida. Maybe someday I will get to see it on Main Street U.S.A. again.
      2.) Skyway/Skybuckets- as a kid I loved going on this with my whole family. You could see the whole park from air which was really cool. Plus, it was the only way to get me near/in the Matterhorn as I was terrified of that ride until I was a teenager.
       3.) PeopleMover- When I was a kid Disneyland always seemed slammed when we visited and the PeopleMover never had a line so we always rode it. It was just so relaxing to sight-see all of Tomorrowland. It took you through the Star Tours que, over the Submarine Lagoon and Autopia, through Space Mountain, and a super speed tunnel(Tron tunnel from what I can remember). The worst part about the removal of this attraction was that its replacement(Rocket Rods) failed and was also shut down. The tracks are still there and quite visible to guests as they gather dust and become rickity old eyesores. Everytime I see the tracks running down the main entrance to Tomorrowland I am deeply saddened.
        4.) Country Bear Jamboree- As a child I loved going to the Country Bear Playhouse in Bear Country and seeing the Country Bear Jamboree. I may not remember the words to all the songs but I really miss this attraction. It was originally created for the failed Mineral King ski resort that Walt Disney was working on. Disney then decided to put the show in the park and I'm sure glad he did. I loved the music, Teddi Berra swinging from the ceiling and the talking busts of the deer, moose, and buffalo on the wall. Sadly the show was closed and replaced by the Winnie the Pooh ride but the talking animal busts are still in the building just where they used to be. "Thank God I'm a Country Bear"
          5.) Star Tours- The Star Tours attraction may still be at Disneyland but it's not the one I am writing about. Star Tours 1.0 opened in 1987, closed in 2010, and was probably my favorite ride EVER as a kid. I miss the storyline, getting to join the attack run on the Death Star, How COOL! But what I miss most of all is Captain Rex, the droid flying the starspeeder, who was voiced by Paul Reubens aka Pee-Wee Herman. I loved the dialogue in this attraction "I have a very bad feeling about this." "Brakes!" "This was my first flight and I'm still getting used to my Programming." Plus Paul Reubens provided the voice of Max in the movie Flight of the Navigator, a childhood favorite. I got to fly in outer space in a starspeeder piloted by Pee-Wee Herman/Max, what kid could want more than that?