CLUB 33 FOR MY 33RD BIRTHDAY BABY!

Club 33...what is that you ask? Oh, just something I happened to find out about 2 years ago and threw it on my bucket list even though I knew I would never get into it. I will never be a dignitary, a famous person or be able to afford the 6 figure membership fees that are required AND the 14 year waiting list you have to be on to even try and become a member :) But, putting all that aside, I put it on my list anyways, after all, isn't that what the bucket list is all about, listing things you would like to accomplish before you die even if they do seem some what impossible.

When all the girls came over to my house last March to have a mini birthday celebration for Randi, somehow for her birthday I was given a gift...the gift of being invited to girls weekend with them. That same week Sydney learned she was accepted into the Disney College program. So we all sat around talking about Disneyland and everything amazing that goes along with it and then I said, thinking they wouldn't even really know what I was talking about, "hey, maybe Sydney can get us into Club 33, ha ha!" Then Randi chimed in with how awesome that would be and then I remember looking over at Robyn and she had the biggest eyes and the world's hugest smile and something just told me, "by george, I think your in!" Robyn had already made us a reservation at Club 33, but not because of her daughter's new adventure but because Robyn had a hook-up through her work! I seriously could not believe it. How in the world was it possible I was going to go to the secretive and exclusive, Club 33!!

We had to go to a particular gate that morning outside of the park and check in. They gave us our Club 33 passes which were also Disneyland tickets for that day.We headed into the park and over to Club 33 to check in. Ok so I admit it, I was like a little school girl, I was giddy and I was thinking I was better than the "commoners" around me who were just taking a picture outside the club, but weren't good enough to get in, ha ha! First Robyn rang the bell and then we just waited outside until they came out to get us. They come to you on their time, not yours :)
Robyn and Sydney ringing the bellRichelleRandi and blipMe (note to self, listen to your mom and stand up straight and keep your shoulders back, if I been a good girl and listened, I wouldn't look slouchy and my pouch wouldn't pouch out as far, drats!)Randi and MeFinally the lady steps outside and calls a name of a party, those people go in, then I believe she called another name and they go inside and then our big moment came, "Hawkins, party of 5!" Woo hoo!!! This was it, I was about to step inside Club 33!

As soon as you step inside you look straight ahead and you see this wall, the one behind us where we took a picturethen if you turn to the right is the little table where the lady works at and behind her is the coat check and the french lift they use to take you upstairs (unless your name is Carol or Richelle, then they make you take the stairs, whatever! it's Club 33, I got over it quickly ;)We went upstairs and were seated in the room that has a max capacity of 66 people (get it?!). We sat down and I just remember looking around and taking it all in. Still trying to believe that I was inside the impossible dream.Check out the napkins, every time you got up they re-folded them for you (I felt kinda bad that they kept doing it, but of course not bad enough to stop them!)After they poured our waters from a nice chilled bottle of Evian, they handed us our menus!Why yes, Josef, I will take some more Evian please :) After we placed our orders for filet mignon, asparagus and mashed potatoes we headed over for our appetizers. They serve them buffet style. They had tons of nasty things that once dwelled in the ocean which I of course steered clear from, but they also had green salads with a mango dressing, crackers and cheese, soups, breads and many oils to pick from for dipping and delicious fruit...and I am talking the pineapple must have arrived straight from Hawaii that morning, it was DELICIOUS! I ended up having a whole plate of just yummy pineapple. (yes, it is probably awkward to take as many random pictures as we did, but I needed to take it all in. It's over now and all I have is the memory in my head and these pictures so I am quite proud of all my pictures!)Ok so the next adventure while our food settled and we waited for our main course was to check out the bathrooms. Robyn said they were super cute. She was right, they did not disappoint. Disney really does not leave out any little detail. They had fresh flowers,curved ceilings,a little nose powdering area,gold everything, chandeliers everywhere in the bathroom,ok and the cutest toilets ever!! (can a toilet be cute?! I think so...)So after we were done with our tour of the bathroom and eating a little bit more appetizers, our meal came. It was delish too!After our meal it was time for desserts! The desserts were served the same way the appetizers were, buffet style. It was set up in the same area as the appetizers just on the opposite side of the area. They had a nice man who would just stand there and answer any questions you might have had about the desserts and make sure there was plenty set out for you. (check out the picture in the background, it was an original art drawn by a Disney artist for the ride Pirates of the Caribbean. The club is filled with artwork for Pirates and Mary Poppins!)They had such a random sampling of desserts, I loved it. They had eclairs, a sugar cookie, mini apple pies, a Mickey macaroon, German chocolate cupcake with filling in the middle, fudge cupcake thing, fruit pizza, chocolate cake and the most amazing S'more treat! I wish I would have had more room in my belly to eat more, or brought some tupperware containers to fill up for later, ha ha!Not really my dessert plate, but we pretended...Ok so a lot of the desserts had the 33 logo on it, we had to get the sugar cookie just for the logo...I have to admit, out loud, the cookie was nasty! But it had the pretty logo on it and glitter so what the heck, I will still give it 2 thumbs up :)After desserts we asked our favorite person there, Josef, if there were any secrets or anything exciting he could point out to us. He was so kind and took us on a little tour...This custom-designed harpsichord decorated with a hand-painted scene of the New Orleans harbor from the 19th century was in the gallery area with other original sketches and other works of art.Even though this Club was Walt's dream, he died 6 months before it actually opened. They did paint a portrait of him sitting at a table having his morning coffee and reading the paper over looking Disneyland.Here is the telephone booth that was used in the movie, "The Happiest Millionaire" and just so you know, it actually worked!The club has 2 different rooms you can eat in, the other room we did not eat in was set up to me a more casual dining room that seats 33 people. Walt wanted a vulture set up in the corner that you could talk to with the microphones that he had set up in the chandeliers above each table.and the two legged table from Mary Poppins (Walt Disney paid for the entire New Orleans area in Disneyland with cash he made from the movie Mary Poppins!)Do see what looks like a ship's mast in the picture...and a flag? This was done to give the feel of having a ship in port in New Orleans.
On the opposite side of the balcony of Club 33 is the apartment Walt had built for him and his family to stay in. As the girls got older and they weren't staying there as much they started turning the many the different rooms into other things....here is their apartment (it is the pink one across the way
through the trees)

one room was turned into the fruit room - where they prepare all the fruit
the salad room

the meat room




the "Trophy" room - the one where Walt put all of his dead friend's animal heads :)




and the entrance to Club 33....see I bet most of you didn't even know that was there!

looking straight out from the balcony

Syd, Randi and me

Randi and me

While the rest of us toured around like giddy little school girls, Robyn played it cool and stayed inside so she isn't in the picture with us :(

Josef was so nice to us. He could tell we just loved taking everything little thing in and enjoying it to the fullest (for me, I know this was the case because I knew I would never go back, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, I needed and wanted to take it all in and love every second!) He gave us each a Club 33 pen and a button for me to add to my button collection. Club 33 also has a small case of souvenirs you can purchase that obviously can't be purchased anywhere else. I had to get the Club 33 key chain, so if you see it on my keys, remember that I am better than you! JUST KIDDING!

That pretty much sums up the 3 hours we spent there. It was amazing and sad as we walked out knowing I would never step foot in there again. I have to sincerely give the world's biggest shout out right now to Robyn for getting us in there. I don't think she will ever truly know how much it meant to me. I can't not express it into words how happy I was to be there. THANK YOU Robyn from the bottom of my heart for crossing off the impossible off of my bucket list!