*The Dream Come True*

The first time my husband and I went to Disneyland together, he shared with me a dream that he’s had for a very long time…to dine in a restaurant called Club 33. I had heard of it (I think) but didn’t know much about it, so he gave me some information, and over the years I’ve learned more about it.

In a nutshell, Walt Disney added Club 33 in the 1960s as part of the plans for New Orleans Square, with the purpose of having a special club for corporate sponsors and VIPs. The club didn’t open until May of 1967, 5 months after Walt’s death. Memberships include corporations and individuals and are extremely expensive. Members do get several special perks, including dining inside the club. It is decorated with several antique pieces collected by Lillian Disney, as well as various props from Disney films.

The closest that we thought we would ever get to going to the club was the day we took the “A Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour that Disneyland offers. Part of the tour takes guests into the lobby of Club 33, but that’s as far as you’ll get! They allow you to take pictures inside the antique-style lift and around the lobby, while the stairs to the second floor dining room taunt you :-) The only way anyone in the general public is able to dine there is by being invited by a member (or someone who works for a company with a corporate membership). I knew that several of our new friends who we met through the MouseWait app had been there, but I never bothered to ask how they were able to go. I just knew they were all very lucky for the opportunity!!

And then a few weeks ago, I got a message from one of those new friends asking if we would like to dine at Club 33. I cannot tell you how excited I was when I opened that email…the idea of this dream coming true for my husband was beyond belief!! Of course we accepted right away, even though we knew it would probably be the most expensive meal we ever eat…you do not pass up an opportunity like this that will probably only come along once!

Our day finally came this past Father’s Day, and it was everything we had dreamed about and more! There was a group of 12 of us who dined together, and it was AMAZING. The food was fantastic (and there was a LOT of it!), the décor is beautiful and rich with history, and the company was perfect. We were allowed to stay for as long as we wanted, which ended up being almost 3 hours. None of us wanted to leave! I was the last one to get up from the table, I just couldn’t soak it all in enough and I didn’t want it to end.

We took about a million pictures, so I’m only posting a few here, but many more can be found in my Flickr album. We tried to capture some of the unique decorations, but somehow pictures don’t quite grasp the feeling of being there in person.

Our dining group

Stairs....or lift?? Lift, of course!

The Trophy Room where we dined

Characters!!

SO much food!

View from below

Dreams really do come true at The Happiest Place on Earth!!

I love you honey and I’m so happy that we were able to make this dream come true for you, all thanks to some new, VERY generous friends who may never know how much we truly appreciate what they’ve done for us!