{ January 5th, 2011 -- 5/365 } -- Club 33 and Disneyland Memories

{ January 5th, 2011 }

5/365

Die hard Disneyland fans will know what these double digits mean. They represent Club 33, an exclusive private club hidden about New Orleans Square at Disneyland.

I have visited there twice and absolutely love it! The food, service, character experiences and atmosphere are something special to remember.

Membership is super exclusive and while I am not a member, I had the (miraculous!) chance of meeting an old Cast Member who used to work and be friends with Walt Disney years ago and he and his wife blessed my family and I with the chance to go a few years ago.

The reason that I'm writing about it today is that my sister called and left the sweetest message on my phone saying, "I found pictures of when we went to Club 33...." It made me want to dig out my old memorabilia that I collected from my trips there and relive those memories all over again.

I have a pair of the 33 ears perched on my bookshelves and they remind me of the beauty of the Club and also the joy that I experienced when I was a Cast Member myself at Disneyland years ago.

So many memories!

The main dining room of Club 33 is my favorite to visit--it's decorated like beautiful Victorian mansion and overlooks Tom Sawyer Island and Pirates of the Carribean. I got a chance to stand out on those balconies and it's funny because no one notices that you're standing there or that there's even a restaurant above where they're at.

To get inside, you have to find a "33" marked on one of the New Orleans Square doors and the lift a little lever to be rang/buzzed in the door. No secret codes though. ; )

While working as a Cast Member, I also got the chance to visit Walt Disney's apartment above Main Street (another "secret" location unless you're a die hard Disney fan). I thought it would be impossible, but I asked and asked and asked and asked....and then asked some more, determined to see what the inside of his apartment looked like!

Finally, after a month or two of asking, a manager finally took me up there to have a private tour. I got to hold some of Walt's personal items, even his hairbrush. It was such an amazing feeling peeking out of the window over Main Street. I kept thinking, "Wow, how cool would THIS be to wake up IN Disneyland?"

I love that Walt Disney pursued past some major challenges and pursued his dream. He was so tenacious and I look to him as a role model of what kind of dreams can true if you just believe and work hard enough at them....and it doesn't hurt if you have

faith, trust and pixie dust either. ; )