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".

Recently, we were given access to enter this beautiful club so that we may bring you a Mouse Clubhouse exclusive virtual tour.

In a recent interview with Gary Maggetti, Director of Parks Food & Beverage at the Disneyland Resort, we had the chance to discuss some of the details of this club and I'm happy to bring you that interview as well.

So please 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, 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. It actually is a separate corporation from The Walt Disney Company, and we have about 480 members. Members are roughly split 60/40 between corporations as members and our gold club members, which are individual memberships.

Club 33 opened in 1967. Walt (Disney) wanted it as a place to entertain the visiting dignitaries and celebrities, and it was actually attached to the apartment that was being built for the Disney family above New Orleans Square, as a restaurant for that.

It actually opened six months after he passed away in December of 1966. It opened up in 1967, so he never got a chance to eat there or experience it.

The Disney Gallery over Pirates of the Caribbean

GM: Its address is 33 Royal Street and it needed that address to get a liquor license. There were a couple things happening at the same time.

When the plans for the Disney apartment and Club 33 were going through the planning process and through the city, not only did they have to apply for a liquor license, but they also had to apply for a post office address for the apartment. So they really needed the address for two purposes.

So the need for a Royal Street in Disneyland accomplished two goals so it’s 33 Royal Street.

Shani: I assume the city still needs to have that as a street to this day?

GM: Correct. Because it’s the only place in Disneyland (Park) that has a liquor license.

Shani: What about California Adventure since they sell alcohol there?

GM: That’s a separate liquor license. But they didn’t need a street because the property itself applied for a liquor license.

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.

SW: So the best advice now is make a friend with someone who’s a member. (We all laugh)

GM: Exactly.

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