Christmas at Disney & Club 33
If you had to choose one holiday to spend your hard earned money on to see the decorations, themed treats and entertainment, Disneyland at Christmas is the place to be. Starting November 10th 2023 through January 7th 2024, experience the 3 month long holiday season at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. On November 11th, my co-workers and I went to both Disneyland and California Adventure but for a reason even more special than Christmas at the parks. We had a Club 33 “contact” who graciously allowed us to join her for lunch and ride some rides using her Experience pass. It was a once in a lifetime experience we were all super grateful to have.
Rope Drop and Rides
We started our adventure at 8am for rope drop. My co-worker Steven is a Disneyland pro. He knows how to navigate the parks and has set records in terms of ride count. As soon as everything opened, my other co-worker Kendall and I ran to Thunder Mountain Railroad while Steven went to rent a large locker for all of us to use throughout the day. Kendall and I walked on the ride. Neither of us had had caffeine, but the cold air slapping us in the face woke us right up. After that, we went into the newly remodeled Toon Town to go ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. I hadn’t been to Toon Town in years. I’m glad they still kept a lot of the same cartoon houses and interactive features. Runaway Railway was a cute ride. It’s silly fun. I liked that they used the same trackless system as they did for Rise of the Resistance. I liked how they used both animatronics and special fx projections. The ride itself had a very stylized look to it which was cool. I also loved that Goofy is hanging out with you during the ride. After that, we went on Roger Rabbit. That was another ride I can safely say I haven’t been on since I was like 6 years old. That was nostalgic riding that again. I had my own car and turning the steering wheel as you’re moving through space was difficult. I was like, how do kids do this? After Roger Rabbit, we left Toon Town and ran over to Adventureland and got in line for Indiana Jones. It broke down as it usually does, so we got out of line and went on the Jungle Cruise instead. That was scenic. I had never done that ride so early in the morning before so the sun shining through the trees created these pretty light rays. While on the boat, I was filming on my phone and forgot about the Piranhas. The Skipper was trying to distract us by looking at some rocks so when they jumped out of the water I screamed. I’m glad I didn’t drop my phone. After that, we went back over to Indiana Jones because they had just reopened it. Nobody was in line so we walked right on the ride. I always refer to this ride as the “giggle” ride because the movement of the Jeep is so silly it makes me laugh. I’m glad they fixed the giant snake in the ride. The last time I rode this a few of the features weren’t working. After Indy, we went to Galaxy’s Edge to ride Smuggler’s Run. Kendall and I were Gunners and Steven was co-piloting with a child who was behaving like he had just drank 12 pots of coffee. I was envious of the amount of energy he had. Surprisingly, the damage to the Falcon wasn’t too bad considering I’ve flown in worse conditions with all adults.
My Club 33 Experience
We took a break after 6 rides so that Kendall and Steven could pick up their mobile ordered Gingerbread cookies. They took those back to the locker and it was now time to head to New Orleans Square to meet up with our Club 33 contact. Out of respect for their privacy I won’t use their real name. For the purposes of making this easier to write and read, let’s call her Michelle. We meet up with Michelle and we think we are going to the door that has “Club 33” written on it but it turns out that’s not the real door. That’s the door all of the Disney influencers take photos in front of. The real door into the club is 4 feet over. That one has a doorbell and there is no number on the door. Instead, there’s a metal grated looking peephole cover. Michelle pulls out her membership card and rings the doorbell. A lovely cast member opens the door to greet us. They escort us inside to a cute courtyard area with a spiral staircase leading up to the entrance of the Club 33 Salon. They had a large Christmas tree set up at the base of the stairs so we all took some pictures there. Off to the side were some hanging lanterns and inside of them were Tinker Bell. As you begin to walk up the stairs there’s an alcove on the left with a statue in it. That’s how you know it’s classy when you see statues. The stair banister was decorated in Christmas garland. Before you enter the bright blue doors to the Salon, “Club 33” is spelled out in mosaic tiles on the floor welcoming you into the space. The first area you enter is their front desk and gift shop. They have glass cases where they sell all sorts of Club 33 exclusive merchandise. I already owned a stemless Corkcicle wine glass and the keychain, so I didn’t end up buying anything. However, they had a really nice cashmere Club 33 sweater and a Spirit Jersey. They even had a letterman’s jacket. If you don’t want to be super flashy, they also have jewelry and dishware with the Club 33 logo on it. Kendall ended up buying the cashmere sweater and Club 33 Tiki Room themed Mickey ears.
After we finished shopping, we were escorted into the dining area. You first walk through a hallway with wooden cases on both sides of you filled with wine bottles. I wasn’t sure if those were just decor or if they actually used those. I would imagine it’s a functioning wine cellar as well as a decor piece. You walk past a few secluded booths. The booths were dimly lit surrounded by wood paneling, books in a bookshelf or other miscellaneous nicknacks built into the wall and a painting on the wall that would change scenes ever so subtly. It gives you that cozy vibe. We sat in the main part of the Salon which was much brighter and had a lot of windows. It was the main hangout area of the place. They had couches to sit on, regular tables, a Christmas tree and a harpsichord piano playing music on its own. Steven told us that the harpsichord piano was picked by Lillian, Walt’s wife. They also had a cabinet which displayed a bunch of hard liquor and wine with prices on them that would make your eyes pop out of your head. Steven said they have a $7,000 bottle of wine but we couldn’t find it. Over by the piano you could look out the window and see part of the train station in New Orleans Square. The part of the club we were in I think was also over Tiana’s Kitchen. We sat at a regular table and ordered a drink off their menu. I ordered the Hurricane which consisted of light and dark rum, passion fruit, lime, and grenadine. One thing to note is that they serve REAL alcohol here and not the watered down Disney version of booze. I had a buzz after drinking that. Steven ordered something in a short glass. It looked and smelled like it had bourbon in it. Kendall got the Tom & Jerry coffee made from rum, cognac, vanilla, sweet meringue and steamed milk. I believe she also got the Club 33 coffee which is coffee rum, liquor 43, coffee, with an orange and whipped cream. I have photos, so if I’m wrong don’t come at me. I can’t find a lot of photos online to compare it to. As for Michelle, I think she got a mojito. When it was time for food, Kendall and I both got the Club 33 Burger. This burger was the best burger I’ve ever had. It has St. Andres cheese, truffle bacon marmalade, tomato concasse, and Bernaise sauce. I didn’t know what any of those words meant except for truffle. For anyone who knows me, they know I love truffle. It came with delicious shoestring fries and a side of ranch. Steven got the Smash Burger and Michelle got Walt’s chili. Steven also ordered Citrus Tarte with Passion Fruit Meringue and Huckleberry Syrup for dessert. I’m not much of a fruit dessert person, but the one bite I had of it, it was pretty delicious.
After our tummies were full, Kendall and I decided to go look around before stopping to use the bathroom. There was this old elevator sitting in the salon and I had Kendall take a picture of me standing in it. Apparently, it is the original Club 33 elevator. I could smell the history standing inside of it. We went to the bathroom and there was only 1 stall so I looked around at everything. The decor and smell reminded me of my grandma’s house but in a good way. I don’t know how to describe it. There’s a lounge chair in there, a dual vanity sink with free items like toothpicks, mouthwash and feminine hygiene products. Their disposable hand towels were really nice. They almost felt like cloth. The fixtures on the bathroom doors were very elegant. They had nice toilet paper. All I kept thinking about was the fact that a bunch of celebrities have used this exact toilet. I’m like, this bathroom has Queen of Genovia vibes. I wonder if Julie Andrews has been here. I bet she stole some stuff too and put them in her purse. For the record we did not steal anything. Everything we took was free. After we met back up with everyone, we exited the salon and walked down the hallway to see a very special piano. This piano was the one used in the original Mary Poppins film. It was cool seeing it up close in-person. The level of detail on it and how well it looks after all these years is incredible. Down the hall, we could see part of the formal dining hall where they will do the 4 course meal dinners. We didn’t go in there. I really liked the Salon. There was more to look at in there and back behind the bar they had certain elements built into the bar that would light up and animate. The dress code there was business casual whereas in the dining hall it’s formal. We did not see any famous people, but Michelle told us she was at the Salon once and actor Ron Livingston was there. Tom Hanks and Jon Favreau have a membership too among other notable people. She told us the waiting list to apply to become a member is 20-30 years long. She’s like, that’s why you see a lot of older folks here is because they’ve been members for years. Overall, I had a really nice time at Club 33 with great company, great service, great food and drinks. We were there for about 2 hours. I really thought they would be more strict on taking photos but they really weren’t. The only rules were no video, you can’t use “live” photos and do not take photos with other people in them you do not know. The “no bathroom photos” thing has nothing to do with Club 33 rules but it’s a California state law which makes sense. In general, people shouldn’t be taking photos in public restrooms. That’s why the Kardashians got in trouble with Disney because they posted a photo in there.
My 1901 Experience at DCA
After we had lunch, Michelle, Steven, Kendall and I went on The Haunted Mansion using her Experience Pass privileges which basically gives you lightning lane access to rides. The wait time for that ride was around 60 minutes, so I’m glad we were able to walk right on it. The mansion was decorated in A Nightmare Before Christmas decor both inside and out. It was cute. After Haunted Mansion we made our way across to Disney’s California Adventure. We made a pit stop at another secret Club 33 spot not many people know or talk about called “1901”. That happens to be the year Walt Disney was born. This secret entrance is located next to the main entrance of Carthay Circle. Instead of a doorbell they had a keycard pad where Michelle scanned us in. Once you enter inside, there’s a front desk and two dapper men dressed to the nines as if they had just come from a movie premiere. They helped us out and sat us at a little secluded lounge area. The theme for this place revolved around Walt Disney’s Animation Studio. There were animated drawings on the wall and the place had that old Hollywood feel. The staff there were really fun and nice. I ordered a non-alcoholic drink and everyone else ordered the limited edition poison apple trees they were selling there. I guess they were supposed to sell them during Halloween time but didn’t so they had a bunch there. The tree trunk had a face on it and the branches were holding 3 poison apple glasses you can fill with booze. For every tree you buy you get a free drink. So some of us had to order more alcohol to make sure we took advantage of this deal. It’s not often you get free drinks at Disney. We hung out for a little bit and finished our drinks. I don’t know what it is with Kendall and I wanting to see bathrooms, but her and I were curious so we went to the bathroom there. There were only 2, a men’s and a women’s. Kendall went first so I was waiting outside for her to finish. One of the staff members told me I could use the Men’s restroom since there’s nobody in it. He said it has a shoeshine station in there. I laughed and was like okay. How often do I ever get to see the Men’s restroom let alone one with a shoe shine station. I was very happy with how clean it was in there. Good job 1901. It wasn’t as fancy as the Club 33 women’s restroom, but there were some details on the tile walls that were elegant even for a men’s bathroom. As soon as I opened the door, a man was standing outside waiting to use it and we both looked at each other and I laughed. If there’s any famous men who have used that bathroom, I can now say I’ve used it too. My favorite feature of 1901 was while we were walking around looking at things, a shadow of Walt appeared on the wall of him walking by before disappearing. That was kind of cool and spooky at the same time. The service and drinks were great. Being a film nerd, I loved the old Hollywood aspect of this place. At the bar they had directors chairs instead of barstools. They also had a little glass case where they sold some merchandise. Kendall bought a 1901 pin.
Rides and Entertainment
At this point I think everyone had a little buzz. Mine had finally gone away from Club 33. We walked on Radiator Springs Racers which was fun. I had never walked on that ride before. It’s usually such a long wait. We then walked over to Midway Mania on Pixar Pier where I scored horribly. I’m never good at these arcade style game rides. We parted ways with Michelle and thanked her again for everything. She was so sweet and fun to be around. I think she felt the same way about us because she invited us to hang out with her again in February. I’m glad we got to stop at both Club 33 and 1901 because all of that fueled us for our next part of our adventure which was hitting up more rides and waiting for the Christmas parade. From there, we rode Soarin’ Over the World and then headed back over to Disneyland where we ran over to It’s a Small World and filmed them doing the lighting ceremony where they lit up the exterior of the ride. It was cool to see it go from basic to festive with all of the Christmas lights they had on there. From there, we headed back to Main Street and camped out for the parade. The parade was everything I could’ve asked for. I can’t remember the last time I watched a Disneyland parade, so seeing it as an adult I was impressed by how large the floats were and the attention to detail each one had. The characters were really fun to watch. My favorite float was the Toy Story one. I loved that movie growing up. I felt like a kid again seeing Buzz and Woody. My favorite performers have to be the adorable snowman people. I don’t know why, but their short little arms and hands waving and their plump bodies were so cute.
After the parade we went to grab dinner at the Carnation Cafe. I ordered a club sandwich. Kendall got a wedge salad and Steven got chili. The food was pretty good. I’m glad we had a reservation for it and that it was timed perfectly with how our plans were panning out. After dinner, we stood out on Main Street again to see them do their snowfall ceremony where they play Christmas music, project animations onto the buildings and spray “snow” everywhere. It looked really pretty with the icy looking castle in the background. When you turned around you had the view of the Main Street Christmas tree with the snow falling down in front of it. It felt very festive. When that ended, we walked over to the front of the castle where they had it all roped off. We thought it was for the fireworks show, but they had “Filming in Progress” signs posted, lights and other film gear set up. We never did find out what they were filming but it seemed like more than a promotional video for the park. The fireworks show ended up being canceled, so I’m not sure what was happening in front of the castle. The castle looked really pretty up close without hoards of people standing right in front of it. It was cold and icy with the water fountains on and lit up. It looked like something out of the movie Frozen. We trotted over to Haunted Mansion to ride it at night. Steven had acquired a lightning lane pass for it so we walked on it. Even though you’re indoors for the ride, it’s still spookier seeing the mansion at night. We tried to go on Pirates of the Caribbean but it was closed. We decided to go into Tomorrowland and rode Star Tours and Astro Blasters. Since we were over there we also hit up Autopia. That ride is always fun at night. We each got our own car. I got stuck in a traffic jam right before you got off the ride. Kendall and Steven were waiting for me as I’m sitting there idling waiting for the cast member to tell me to go on through. I was like, I don’t get the appeal of this ride. You drive for hours in traffic to get to Disneyland only to drive a car and get stuck in traffic. How is this a fun ride? After Autopia Kendall wanted to ride Matterhorn and she tried to get me to do it with her, but that ride sketches me out. I told her that the ride is scary during the day but at night when you can’t see the track it’s probably 10x worse. I passed on it so she rode it by herself. I went and bought a churro and got her one too. When she got off the ride she was like yeah, it is kind of scary because there’s no lights in there so you can’t see anything. We ate our churros and walked over to It’s a Small World again but this time we got on the ride. It was a nice moment to rest our legs for a little bit. I liked the Christmas decor they had in there. After Small World, Steven looked on his app and was like, Pirates is open! So we went back over to New Orleans Square and walked onto Pirates. It was pretty cool because nobody was on it. They were only filling every other boat. There was like a group of 4 people 2 boats ahead of us, us and our boat, and then like 2 or 3 empty boats behind us. It was like we had the ride all to ourselves. By the time we got out, it was 12:15 am . The park closes at midnight so we headed back to the entrance.
From rope drop to closing time, it was a long Disney day. We got to do both parks, both exclusive clubs, I finally got my churro after putting it off for so long, and in total rode 16 rides. I’d say this was a pretty successful day thanks to Steven and Michelle for letting us all hang out together and experience these things together.
