Thursday, November 17, 2011

Disneyland! (No children allowed...)

You heard me right....Disneyland, and we left the kiddo at home!  Let me back up so you get the whole story as to why we left Kyle behind on this trip.  ;o)

Inside Disney Club 33 - November 13, 2011
A few weeks ago I got a postcard in the mail from the University of Redlands, Alumni department.  Something about a Disney Club 33, and enter your name by going to this website.  I had no idea what Club 33 even was, so of course I immediately went to the website given on the card, as well as eliciting the help from good old Google.  My research brought to my attention that Disney Club 33 is an exclusive club hidden within Disneyland.  It is for members only.  Most people (including myself) didn't even know it was there....but now you do (and me too!).  ;o)

I showed it to my darling husband Josh, and asked if he wanted me to put our names in for the raffle for tickets.  The event was through the U of R, and for $105 a ticket, you got breakfast in Club 33, and a park hopper ticket for the day.  (You can't even get a park hopper ticket for $105, let alone the privilege of having breakfast in an exclusive hidden restaurant!)  What a great opportunity that the U of R offers it's alumni.  =)  Josh was excited about the prospect of attending the event, as well as myself.  So, I put our names in, and waited.  I kept the postcard sitting on the desk, right in front of the computer keypad, where I looked at it every time I sat down at the computer.  Every time I looked at it, I got excited about going.  That's how you manifest, ya know.

It was now Halloween, and I was looking at the postcard that said, "Names will be drawn on Monday, October 24, 2011."  I thought for a second about throwing the postcard away, or at least setting it to the side.  It had been a week, after all.  But, I quickly let go of that thought, and decided that was silly...of course we were going, so I was going to keep the postcard handy for the information.

It wasn't but the next morning that I got the phone call from the U of R, leaving me a message saying that my name had been drawn for tickets.  I called them back to confirm our spots in the event...and We. Were. IN!  Now came the fun part....finding a place for Kyle to be for the day, while Josh and I went to this fancy dancy place for breakfast.  Everyone kept saying, "It's Disneyland, why don't you just take Kyle with you?"  I don't think people could appreciate the venue of Club 33, to really "get" why we were not taking Kyle with us.  Not only that, he's 3 years old...and we just don't think he's ready for Disney yet.  Now don't get me wrong...I'm sure he would love it!  BUT...I don't think he would handle all the walking and waiting that comes along with Disney.  We would make it a few hours and have to leave.  Josh and I decided it would be more fun this time to go and BE the kids for the day, so to speak.  We're thinking that we may take him next year when he is 4 years old.  =)

A huge thank you goes out to my U of R friend, and my SAI 'big sis', who entertained Kyle all day, while we went to Disney all day!  Kyle even got to climb in a police car at lunch time (her husband is a police officer).  Kyle had such a fun day playing with Susan's two girls.  We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends who are willing to support us when we need it!  =)


So, what is Disney Club 33?

It is an exclusive hidden restaurant in Disneyland.  Why the 33?  That is the street address within Disneyland, 33 Royal Street in new Orleans Square.

33 Royal Street


The club opened on June 15, 1967.  It is the most exclusive address in all of Disneyland.  Club 33 includes two dining rooms and several adjoining areas, all of which hold a variety of antiques and original works of art. After ascending to the second floor in the unique Victorian-age, French-style lift – a reproduction of one Walt had admired during a trip to Europe – you enter The Gallery. Here you’ll find an oak telephone booth with beveled leaded glass panels adapted from the one used in the Disney motion picture “The Happiest Millionaire” and a rare console table which was found in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Hello?
The Lift


About to take a ride up the lift!


Table in the motion picture Mary Poppins.


Josh and I had breakfast in the "Trophy Room".  We sat at a large round table towards the back of the room (right next to the door to the kitchen).  We could see the old time microphone in the middle of the chandelier right above us.  This room was originally to be the setting for a show featuring five Audio-Animatronics figures: two magpies, an owl, a raccoon and a vulture who would entertain the guests and even participate in their conversations through the use of microphones which were hidden in the chandeliers above each table. The show never developed, however, and today only the vulture remains on his perch in the corner of the room.

The Menu

We were served fresh squeezed Orange juice, and delicious coffee out of fancy decorative coffee cups.  We were served a delicious buffet breakfast consisting of bacon, mini quiche, eggs, steak, potatoes, Mickey Mouse waffles, pastries, cereal & milk, and fresh cut fruit.  It was delicious, and among my favorite tastes from this breakfast was the potatoes, eggs, and the quiche.  The whole breakfast was delicious!

In the Trophy Room, just finished our breakfast.  Josh looks tired already... ;o)

I was advised to visit the restroom by the lady sitting next to me (who was a U of R alumni, and also worked at Disney previously for 18 years).  Well, with all the OJ and coffee, I was sure to make a visit before we left there anyway, lol!  So, off I went to see what I had to see in the ladies restroom.  Behold- a throne!  No really, the toilet was literally a throne.  Here is a picture I took with my cell phone, sorry it's not very good...but the lighting was dim.  Yes, I even took a paper napkin from the restroom, as it has a fancy "33" symbol on it.  ;o)  Such a tourist!  LOL

The Ladies Throne

We went out on the balcony, where we overlooked the New Orleans section of Disney.  It is amazing how many people do not look UP!  LOL  There we were...and no one even knew we were there!  We had a nice view of the lake, and we were a hop and a skip away from the Haunted Mansion.  It was fun getting to do something "special" that day at Disney!  It wasn't just your ordinary visit to the Happiest Place on Earth.

Us on the Balcony

Leaving the exclusive Disney Club 33...ready to go play!

We had such a nice time!  And even though we didn't know anyone there, there was something about being with a group of people who have all experienced the U of R, in some way shape or form.  It didn't matter what year we graduated....what mattered was that we all had "Och Tamale" in common!  =)

Och Tamale - Entering Club 33


After breakfast, we enjoyed the rest of the day riding everything we could at Disneyland.  It was a pretty 'light' traffic day at Disney, so our longest wait for a ride I think was 20 minutes.  Most of the rides we got on with either no wait, or a max of 10 minutes.  It was awesome!  We rode all the big rides...Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, etc.  We saw Captain E-O...that was interesting, lol.  I know I saw that when I was a kid, but I sure don't remember it, nor do I remember the bouncing seats, haha!  We drove little cars on the Autopia ride, and used lazer guns to fight the evil Zurg on the Toy Story ride.  We had lunch at The Golden Nugget (I had chicken nuggets, and Josh had fish and chips).  It was a full day, that's for sure!

Beautiful Christmas Castle!
Sleeping Beauty
Autopia Ride
Indiana Jones Ride


We spent the evening in California Adventure to ride the "Screamer" roller coaster, Tower of Terror (much to my dismay), and the World of Color show.  We had a delicious dinner of chicken pesto pasta, and a Mediterranean salad...while enjoying live music under the twinkling lights decorating the trees on the patio.  It was a lovely evening (and day) together, just the two of us!  We don't get many days (or even a few hours) to be JUST a couple....so why didn't we take the kiddo with us to Disneyland?  Do you understand now...?  ;o)

California Adventure

Photos taken by Josh Buchanan - J. B. Photography 

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