Club 33 Sign
The Mouseplanet column in USA Today recently brought to my attention some proposed Club 33 policy changes, along with the mention of Club 1901, the new VIP lounge that will be built into the Carthay Circle Theater in the new Disney California Adventure revamp.
Club 33 Policy Changes
Proposed changes for Disneyland’s famously exclusive, members-only Club 33 are causing a stir. The Club offers different levels of personal and corporate membership, and most of the policy updates center around changing the levels.
According to the article, the Gold membership (estimated $3,600 annual dues) for the club will be phased out in 2012, leaving only the new Platinum membership (estimated $10,000 annual dues). The differences in the membership levels are significant not only in price, but also in what you get for your money:
Reported Platinum Membership Benefits
Premier Annual Pass (admission to all parks at both Disney World and Disneyland)
Four Additional Premier Annual Passes for family and friends
Access to Club 1901, the new VIP lounge in Carthay Circle Theater in Disney California Adventure (see more details below)
Book up to 5 VIP guided tours per year
Reported Gold Membership Benefits
Annual Pass to Disneyland Resort
(These members LOSE the past benefit of admission for a guest into the park for the day when not dining at Club 33)
(These members do NOT receive additional annual passes)
(These members do NOT have access to Club 1901)
Existing Gold level members will have the chance to upgrade to Platinum. All new Club 33 members will be required to join at the Platinum level.
In addition to the membership level changes the following policies may also change in 2012:
- Free valet parking at the Grand Californian Hotel is now offered only when the member is dining at Club 33
- When dining at Club 33, members may still request guest passes for those dining with them. However, regular members are now limited to 50 guest passes per year; corporate members are limited to 100 passes. Once the allocated guest passes have been used, members can purchase additional tickets at a 20 percent discount.
The official club member booklet will be released in a few days. Until then, these changes are just “proposed” and may or may not come to fulfillment.
Club 1901
Over the past two years, we’ve reported about a VIP Club/Restaurant in the Carthay Circle Theater in Disney California Adventure; and Disney execs mentioned a Carthay Circle Restaurant (with menu developed by Napa Rose Chef Andrew Sutton) in the same spot at the D23 Expo earlier this year.
Carthay Circle Theater Model
With the mention of the Club 1901 Lounge (named for Walt Disney’s birth year) in the Club 33 policy changes, we’re left wondering if the location in the Carthay Circle Theater building in Disney California Adventure will be a full restaurant, just a VIP lounge, or both.
What are your thoughts about the potential Club 33 policy changes? Let us know in the comments below.
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I’ve been trying for years to get a lunch or dinner reservation at the club.
Now it seems my chances will be further diminished!
Schucks. 🙁
I hope you all of you current members are able to get through and keep the Club the way it has been for yours. Best of luck! Until I get myself in there, I will remain forever jealous! Haha
To clarify, Club 33 members get 5 tour guides for an entire day every year. For example on a recent tour, the member we were with used 4 of his guides for the year when he brought a group of 40 people to the park. It was fantastic, we were in the parks with our guides from 8:30 am til 12:30 pm. The parks opened at 8 and closed at 12. It was so much fun.
To go to Club 33 without paying a lot of money annually, just stay at a Disneyland Signature Suite and ask them to put in for Club 33 dinning. If they have the room they will reserve you and your party at the club.
Walt, that’s a novel suggestion I didn’t even know existed as an option. A person would still have to be VERY committed to going to Club 33 via this route, though, as each Suite apparently runs about $2,500~$3,000/night! Still irks me that the choice now is $3k/night vice the $10k/year it used to be. Grumble, grumble… 🙁
$3600 a year membership still made it possible for some members if the middle class to participate in something super special like this, but at $10,000 a year, it will be something only the wealthy can afford, this will definitely take this dream of mine out of reach.
I fear this is just another “degradation” of the original Walt Disney dream. The original club, although not secret, didn’t go noticed by the average guest. I used to always tell potential guests that one of the things I loved about Disney was that, for the most part, once you entered the park, you were no more nor no less important than any other guest. Sadly, in the last decade or so, there seems to be a new “perks for pay” program around every corner. Premium seating at fireworks or parades with a dessert party, Dining with priority show seating for a fee, Concierge level resort rooms with add on fee for extra fast passes,etc… has ruined much of the magic for this old timer. The unspoken truth about my beloved Disney is that they have always been guilty of “pricing out the riff raff” thru admission prices, but now admission price is just one of a few out of reach costs to fully enjoy the old Disney experience. I feel Disney is banking on building their business around the high income families and have turned their back on the upper middle income families. I’m afraid they havn’t realized how quickly the wealthy get bored with “new toys” and that us middle and upper middle income families may not come running back so quick. Even “free dining” presents you a paid receipt that is so high, the 20% out of pocket tip is nearing what I used to be able to feed my family on. Sorry to complain, but the special benefits for pay has just taken a lot of the magic out of the World for me.