Disney Channel Fans

I think everyone’s heard of Club 33 at Disneyland, but I’ve never read such an indepth review of what’s it’s actually like until now.

Source: The Examiner.com

One of Disneyland’s worst-kept secrets is the existence of a private club located in the heart of New Orleans Square. Named Club 33, this exclusive restaurant is located behind a small door adjacent to the Blue Bayou Restaurant, not far from the exit of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Even though Disneyland’s New Orleans Square recently spruced up its popular mint julep soft drinks by adding a sprig of mint and a maraschino cherry, Club 33 remains the single place in the park where one can order a authentic mint julep – the type that will leave you tipsy should you overindulge.

Though the door to enter the club is barely noticeable despite an intricate mirrored glass “33″ marking the address, the club itself is hardly hidden, taking up much of the second floor of the shops and restaurants that make up New Orleans Square. Club 33 diners can often be seen sipping a drink on the club’s balconies, peering through the upper branches of the magnolia trees that dot that area of Disneyland and taking in the view of Tom Sawyer’s Island and the Disneyland crowds massing below.

Club 33, named after the original 33 corporate sponsors of Disneyland to whom Walt Disney originally intended the club to cater, feels like an oasis amid the hustle and bustle of the ordinarily loud and proud theme park in which it resides. Members can enjoy elegant meals, private parties, corporate to-dos, and quiet conversations in one of the club’s rich, warm dining rooms. Guests of the club can also enjoy fine wines or cocktails at the restaurant, which is the only place in Disneyland Park where alcohol is served.

It’s not easy to get in. Currently, the waiting list for Club 33 membership consideration lasts well over a decade, and yearly dues are high enough to exclude the merely curious. But, as they say, membership has its privileges, and a trip to Disneyland which includes a satisfying meal at Club 33 gives the entire day a new perspective, and a rare glimpse into the mind of Walt Disney, even though he never was able to enjoy the club itself.

So who is a member of this club? The wealthy, the famous and semi-famous, the corporate member, the committed Disneyphile. All sorts of people have membership to the exclusive club and enjoy dressing up to enjoy a day at Disneyland (as they must; Club 33 has a strict dress code.) People who enjoy their anonymity might come face to face with the famous at the club. In fact, it is reported that Robert Kennedy enjoyed a meal at Club 33 with his family on a trip to Disneyland two days before his assassination.

On a recent trip to the club, I encountered a successful writer and producer of a hugely popular science fiction franchise. He told the story of how he had waited years for Club 33 membership, and his acceptance letter arrived while he was out of the country on location, nearly causing him to lose his place in line and chance to join. However, after some frantic communication, his membership was secured.

Upon entering the club, guests are sent to the second floor via an antique French lift. The tiny elevator can accommodate four guests at a time. Meanwhile, the maitre d’ has been informed of your arrival, and awaits you on the second floor. All throughout the club, Victorian flourishes abound, as Walt’s wife Lillian spent an extraordinary amount of time and energy selecting the perfect antiques and details for the genteel club. A lovely painted harpsichord (famously played on a visit by Elton John) rests in a corner near the extravagant bar, and you may be allowed to play it if you ask; A member of my party did, and it turned out to be horribly out of tune at the time. “We’re working on that,” the embarrassed host explained, though the piece is clearly meant to be more decorative than functional.

Other memorabilia discreetly distributed throughout the club include a phone booth from the Disney film “The Happiest Millionaire,” and an end table from the Banks’ home in the film “Mary Poppins.” The walls are tastefully decorated with conceptual artwork from various Disney properties, including films and the Disneyland Park itself. This art is often original, and changes from time to time.

A private trophy room is one of the dining areas in the club. Once containing numerous trophy heads and taxidermied animals, the room now consists primarily of Disney family memorabilia, though a collection of preserved butterflies owned by Lillian remains. An intriguing sculpture of a golden pointing hand draws attention in the corner of one wall; a host told me that the hand was to symbolize Walt’s famous two-finger point, which he was often seen doing (likely due to a cigarette dangling between the two fingers.) The room also contains a stuffed vulture in the corner, which Walt intended to create as an animatronic, much like his Tiki Room birds. This vulture would cleverly “spring to life” at an opportune moment and join in the guests’ conversation, thanks to microphones hidden inside the chandeliers hanging above the tables. This concept was never realized, although it seems to be a direct inspiration for “The Adventurer’s Club,” a no-longer-operating club that was located in the “Pleasure Island” row of nightclubs at Walt Disney World for many years. The Adventurer’s Club was a trophy room with various objets d’art that would come to life and interact with guests from time to time – just as Walt had envisioned for his Club 33.

The food at Club 33: impeccable menu, perfectly prepared food, and a substantial wine list and well-stocked bar. I started with a chocolate martini paired with some crab profiteroles, and then enjoyed a filet of Chateaubriand, though the seafood entrees were tempting as well. And the desserts were as beautiful as they were delightful to eat, with sculpted and shaved chocolate, ornate pastries, and all sorts of delicacies.

It is a shame, in a sense, that Walt Disney never was able to enjoy the club he envisioned (since he died just months before it opened), though it is a tribute to him that Disneyland continued with his vision to create his exclusive enclave in the midst of his unique themed park. Sitting on the balcony of Club 33 with a mint julep in hand, feeling the warm southern California breeze and listening to the excited commotion below, you can almost imagine what it might have been like to walk in Walt’s footsteps, and bask in the successful venture called Disneyland.

I’ve been waiting for ages to see more about Bandslam. The new movie that stars Aly Michalka and Vanessa Hudgens. And now, finally, we have an official trailer for the film!

Unfortunately, the trailer’s only up on Yahoo and they don’t have a handy little embed code, so you’ll have to click the screengrab below which will take you to the Yahoo site.

I hope you all enjoyed my title.

In an upcoming episode of Sonny With A Chance, Chad hires Selena Gomez to play the role of Sonny in a movie he is producing about his life.

In the episode, Selena plays herself, which kinda makes sense as the characters on the show are actors in the same universe as we are (note the numerous references to Ashley Tisdale, and Miley Cyrus / Hannah Montana).

Also, Tawni is fooled by a fake Nico and Grady. There are also fake Jonas brothers apparently.

The episode, “Battle of the Networks’ Stars” is set to premiere Sunday, June 7 @ 8:30PM ET/PT on Disney Channel.

As I mentioned in “Random Twitter Post #1,” I’m getting the hang of this Twitter

thing, and on the whole, it’s pretty cool.

It’s a good source of information, and I find the absolute cutest photos on it.

Just look at Emily Osment!

Nice right? Now check out Selena Gomez.

Of course, not everything is about cute girls. Sometimes it’s about Ashley Tisdale posting with her band members

And here’s one more hot pic of the Veronicas. Can’t wait for the concert next month.

“Once, Twice, Three Times Afraidy” was, in my humble opinion, a throwaway episode. Was it remotely interesting? Yes. But nothing of any real subsistence happened.

I bet Lilly would agree with me.

Well… she looks good. That’s all I know.

And Miley certainly looks excited!

Poor Jackson. That’s all I have to say.

Hey look, Hannah got a call, now maybe something interesting will happen!

Okay, I’m interested!

And look, Miley’s date is here.

Lilly seems troubled.

But sadly, all things must come to an end. but be sure to take the coffee maker.

I just read this on Selena’s Myspace Blog. I don’t know if it’s posted other places, but I wanted to make sure everyone got the chance to see it.

The one thing i love about being connected with my fans is that i can grow with you guys.

we are all going through lots of the same things

and i love that i can relate to all of you.

there is one thing that kind of hurts if i may share with you guys, a word that no one should be called when they are growing is… hypocrite.

my reasoning behind me disliking this word is because i believe we are all changing, growing and learning new things about ourselves everyday. I dont know about you guys but i feel like a complete different person from when i was 13, 14, and 15 and im pretty sure this feeling will occur again.

Things that we may have liked or loved 1 year ago may be things we wont ever mention again and don’t want to either.

I remember when i was 12 telling my friends i would never ever wear dresses because i thought they were too prissy. Now I own more floral dresses than pants. Or how i hated mustard and gagged at the sight of it, now I will not touch a hotdog without it. I also said that I would never fall in love until i was much older to really understand the word…..

I am trailing off but my question for you guys is what have you said that may be completely different now? Its an interesting conversation starter I must say

The bummer about that part for me is i kind of get documented saying it……….

The number one thing in my life besides my family and friends is you guys and my job..

and I would love the chance to grow and CHANGE with you of course, that is if you allow me to…

if you give me that chance i will be forever grateful.

thank you.

“Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”

God bless

Sel

Now, I don’t agree with everything she said, but I do think that she’s already wise beyond her years and I think she has a very good handle on the fame aspect of her life.

The one thing I disagree on is how she sees the word hypocrite. See, I am hypocrite. Everyone is, albeit to different degrees. The diffrence is, I openly admit it. Although… I suppose Selena can’t really admit that. Now I’m rambling.

I would like to thank Bill for sending me this photo.

Of course, the question now is if that’s really Emily. And also, how do I get her to wash my car?

I would help if it was bigger, not a profile photo, and if she wasn’t wearing sunglasses. It certanly does look like her, but it really could be anyone.

So in “The Heartbreak Kid” Sonny decides to set up her teacher (Joy) and producer (Marshall).

But I’m not sure that Tawni is on board with the plan.

LOL. I love that cap. Anyway, it works out great… at first.

And it looks like Tawni’s feeling better now.

But as one might interpret from the title, Sonny has to break them up or eat worms. Okay, maybe that’s not that obvious, but it’s what happened.

The problem is, Joy and her cats are really happy with Marshall.

Fortunately, Chad has a plan. A plan that requires Sonny to go with him to lookout point.

“Isn’t that a date place?” It sure is Sonny. Chad doesn’t help for free, ya know. But at least the plan is fool proof. I mean, if it works in MacKenzie Falls it’ll work in real life.

Poor Nico and Grady. They got the short end of the stick. Or I guess the long end is what Joy hit them with. Whatever.

This Train Tour sounds like a really cool event, and I plan on seeing it in LA.

What follows is the official Disney press release.

ALL ABOARD FOR “DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL” TRAIN TOUR

Departing Los Angeles May 22; Tour to Cover More Than 16,000 Miles

Burbank, Calif. (May 8, 2009) — Disney is pulling out all the whistle stops and taking its show on the
road with a spectacular immersive and interactive 40-city train tour including a 3D sneak peek of film
footage from the upcoming movie “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” it was announced today (05/08/09) by
Dick Cook, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. Set amidst a snowy backdrop—complete with all of the
sights and sounds of Christmas including carolers, decorations, giveaways and many more surprises in
each of the 40 cities—the Train Tour is being launched with HP on board as the title and technology
sponsor and driven by Amtrak. This family event is for guests of all ages and is free to the public.
Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, “Disney’s A
Christmas Carol” opens in theatres November 6 in Disney Digital 3D™ and in IMAX 3D®.

Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, “‘Disney’s A Christmas Carol’ Train Tour is an incredibly
fun way to introduce families across the country to the wonders and spectacle that is Robert Zemeckis’
unique and spectacular new holiday film. We are so proud of the movie, and think the 3D footage is so
incredible, we just had to give everyone a chance to see it in Disney Digital 3D. From Los Angeles to
New York, and all points in between, guests are going to have a fabulous time discovering things about
the making of this extraordinary film, participating in their own festive fantasies, and getting into the
holiday spirit all year round. ‘Disney’s A Christmas Carol’ is great entertainment for moviegoers of all
ages, and this is the perfect introduction to a fun and exciting new holiday classic.”

Among the highlights of the tour are authentic artifacts on loan from the Charles Dickens Museum of
London; artwork, costumes and props from the film; demonstrations of performance capture technology;
and a chance to morph your face into one of the film’s characters using HP TouchSmart PCs. At each
stop along the way, a state-of-the-art Disney Digital 3D Theatre will be erected, where guests can get a
sneak peek of “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” and see other exclusive behind-the-scenes materials from
the movie. The latest details about tour stops and scheduled events are available at
www.christmascaroltraintour.com.

Featuring four custom-designed vintage rail cars full of behind-the-scenes attractions, entertaining
demonstrations, and fun activities, the tour will have its inaugural stop at Los Angeles’ Union Station over
Memorial Day Weekend, from May 22nd through May 25th. During the next 24 weeks, the train will make
40 stops in 36 states, as it travels its way across more than 16,000 miles of track. The tour will finish at
New York’s Grand Central Terminal over the weekend of October 30th through November 1st.
At every tour stop, Radio Disney will invite kids to enter for a chance to become a Movie Surfer
representing their hometown. Each Hometown Movie Surfer will get a chance to appear on Disney
Channel by filming their very own Movie Surfer’s segment! They’ll also receive a prize package of
exclusive Movie Surfer and “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” gear.

ABC television stations across the country will run local promotions. At each stop, guests will have the
chance to win an HP TouchSmart PC and an HP Photosmart wireless printer. Additionally, Disney is
working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America organization to provide an early Christmas experience to
kids across the country. Disney will present the organization with a donation in the amount of $100,000
at the May 21st launch in Los Angeles to further the organization’s efforts of helping kids grow up to be
great and will invite Boys & Girls Club kids to be part of the tour when it comes to their town. Boys &
Girls Clubs throughout the nation are impacting the lives of 4.8 million young people each year with afterschool programs that emphasize education, career exploration, community service, technology skills,
financial literacy, the arts and more to help them reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens.
A variety of innovative HP technologies helped to make the Train Tour possible. HP ProLiant servers and
HP ProCurve switches will provide Disney with the computing power that will allow guests to collect and
upload photos. Throughout the train exhibits, Disney is using HP TouchSmart PCs to run an interactive
face morph application and HP monitors to showcase performance capture technology as well as images
and digital effects from the film. Additionally, each train car will be wrapped with Disney’s Train Tour logo
using the versatility of HP Scitex printers.

“For decades HP and Disney have joined together to captivate audiences through technology innovation
and digital entertainment,” said Michael Mendenhall, senior vice president and chief marketing officer,
HP. “HP technology used in the making of ‘Disney’s A Christmas Carol’ has enabled Disney to push the
boundaries in performance capture technology. The Train Tour offers an innovative way for guests to
interact with HP’s latest technology and experience the magic behind the film.”
Amtrak locomotives and engineers will lead the four-car Train Tour (plus a private car), across the US, with
stops ranging from 1-3 days along the way. Each train station will be themed with holiday decorations, and
feature artwork from the film, Christmas Carolers, fun activities for the entire family, and snow!
“Rail travel continues to influence the way people connect with each other and celebrating the release of
a true classic is a perfect way to further that connection,” said Emmett Fremaux, Vice President
Marketing and Product Management, Amtrak. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be teaming up with Walt
Disney Studios for this 40 city tour to help educate Americans about the benefit of rail travel.”
Dolby Laboratories will be supplying its Dolby® 3D Digital Cinema solution for the traveling Digital 3D
theater, and Barco is providing the DP2000 digital projectors. Panasonic provides some of the latest
high resolution large screen technology available to consumers today throughout the train cars. And,
the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is encouraging guests
traveling to and from the train to Buckle Up, Every Trip, Every Time!

ABOUT THE MOVIE
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning
filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a
groundbreaking, performance-capture 3D motion picture event. Ebeneezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins
the holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery
nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come take him on an
eye-opening journey, revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo
years of ill will before it’s too late. Through the magic of performance-capture technology, Jim Carrey
tackles seven roles, including Scrooge and all of the Christmas spirits.