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invisibelle
08-01-2011, 07:20 AM
I know everyone's favorite topic to hear about from lurkers is Club 33 ;) I just have to ask, though!

I've decided that dining there just once needs to be closer to the top of my bucket list. I've been dying to go for about a decade now, and it's time to try to make it happen. I'm aware that it's not permitted to ask for help here, but let's say I asked elsewhere, somewhere that it *is* permitted... :cool:

How would I go about confirming w/ someone that they actually are a member? Is there a membership card? Or any other ideas on how to make sure?

Thanks, guys... I know if anyone can help me, it's y'all!

Malcon10t
08-01-2011, 07:30 AM
How would I go about confirming w/ someone that they actually are a member? Is there a membership card? Or any other ideas on how to make sure?

Thanks, guys... I know if anyone can help me, it's y'all!I doubt you are going to get a member to give you a copy of their membership card. Most reservations are made as a friend of a friend. If you are paying someone to get you in, be forewarned, that is against the rules, and isn't likely to be a member. But yes, members have membership cards much like an AP.

invisibelle
08-01-2011, 07:39 AM
If you are paying someone to get you in, be forewarned, that is against the rules, and isn't likely to be a member. But yes, members have membership cards much like an AP.

Not necessarily planning to pay someone (though I may offer to pay for dinner if someone wants to dine w/ us), but as I live in Dallas, if I find someone who is nice enough to help me, I'm just looking for a way to confirm they're legit before I make travel plans. :) Thanks, that is helpful info!

Drince88
08-01-2011, 07:52 AM
Does Club 33 allow meals to be auctioned off at charity events now? I know they did for a while, but my brain is foggy on if they started disallowing that practice. That might be something to look into that would be legit, and a way to help out a charity in the process!

invisibelle
08-01-2011, 08:04 AM
Does Club 33 allow meals to be auctioned off at charity events now?

I've heard of this, but never actually seen it. I vaguely remember something about having to get permission directly from Disney to do it, so that may be why it's sort of seldom. I can't think of many funner ways to donate to charity, though =)

cstephens
08-01-2011, 08:14 AM
if I find someone who is nice enough to help me, I'm just looking for a way to confirm they're legit before I make travel plans.

If you think that someone might be lying to you that they're a member and can get you a reservation, and you need to see their membership card so they can prove that they really are, perhaps they're not the best person to be accepting assistance from.

dban3
08-01-2011, 08:14 AM
I doubt you are going to get a member to give you a copy of their membership card. Most reservations are made as a friend of a friend. If you are paying someone to get you in, be forewarned, that is against the rules, and isn't likely to be a member. But yes, members have membership cards much like an AP.

Yeah.... I just missed out on this. I have a friend and co-worker who is friends with a husband and wife who are both doctors and are Club 33 members. He was able get Club 33 reservations through the Drs for a couple of people at work but when I was thinking about asking him to hook me up (after all, lunch would run about $180 for two people), he said his Dr friends now want to actually personally know people who are getting the reservation through them. I don't know if the reservation policy for "guests" has tightened up or they are just being more cautious on who gets reservations under their name. I can't blame them. I still have hope.

As a side note on just how exclusive Club 33 is. My friend ask the Drs if they were also D23 members. They looked at him like he was talking Greek. "D23. what's that?" I guess Club 33 members tend to operate in an alternate Disney universe from the rest of us.

invisibelle
08-01-2011, 08:19 AM
...perhaps they're not the best person to be accepting assistance from.

Point taken, but I'm desperate enough to take a chance. =)

Teddi
08-01-2011, 09:37 AM
You can do a meal at C33, if you are willing to fork over about $2500 per person. IN CASE you might be interested in saving your pennies for a while, or if you have a chunk of change just needing to be spent, check out the Adventures by Disney, Backstage Magic tour.

Malcon10t
08-01-2011, 10:12 AM
Does Club 33 allow meals to be auctioned off at charity events now? I know they did for a while, but my brain is foggy on if they started disallowing that practice. That might be something to look into that would be legit, and a way to help out a charity in the process!No, this is no longer allowed. Too many were simply "selling" the seats under the guise of a charity event.

Malcon10t
08-01-2011, 10:19 AM
I don't know if the reservation policy for "guests" has tightened up or they are just being more cautious on who gets reservations under their name. I can't blame them. I still have hope. Due to people not behaving properly, it really has tighened up. Most people I know with a membership (and I now know quite a few), none will put someone in the club without either personally knowing them, going with them, or having someone close to them vouch for them. Getting the tickets, but not showing up for the meal costs the club member a pretty penny. Any damage done, costs the member. Show up not properly attired, the club member gets a warning on their record. The list goes on. So, most Club members really watch who they put in the club.

cstephens
08-01-2011, 10:35 AM
You can do a meal at C33, if you are willing to fork over about $2500 per person. IN CASE you might be interested in saving your pennies for a while, or if you have a chunk of change just needing to be spent, check out the Adventures by Disney, Backstage Magic tour.

We did that tour about 2 years ago, and it didn't include a meal at Club 33. Have they added it in the meantime? I would be very surprised if they did. I just went to look at the link, and they've not updated the itinerary, because they still list a reception at the Wine Cellar and dinner at Hook's Pointe, which doesn't exist anymore. I wonder where that dinner is held now.

invisibelle
08-01-2011, 10:36 AM
...check out the Adventures by Disney, Backstage Magic tour.

Good tip! I will look into that - I actually didn't know about Adventures by Disney before. I'm intrigued!

I am taking everyone's advice to heart here and trying harder to chat up my personal SoCal connections to see if anyone knows a generous club member... but I'm still going to want to see any friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend's membership card before I book travel! ;)

Malcon10t
08-01-2011, 10:48 AM
but I'm still going to want to see any friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend's membership card before I book travel! ;)

Just so you know, that won't happen. Find a friend you trust.

invisibelle
08-01-2011, 11:18 AM
Aw, I'm holding out hope - it worked out that way for my dad's cousin recently. Alas, friend-of-a-friend-of-dad's-cousin's-friend is a couple of degrees too far. haha.

dban3
08-01-2011, 11:59 AM
Due to people not behaving properly, it really has tighened up. Most people I know with a membership (and I now know quite a few), none will put someone in the club without either personally knowing them, going with them, or having someone close to them vouch for them. Getting the tickets, but not showing up for the meal costs the club member a pretty penny. Any damage done, costs the member. Show up not properly attired, the club member gets a warning on their record. The list goes on. So, most Club members really watch who they put in the club.

I see..... interesting. I can see some of these friend of a friend situations leading people twice removed from the Club 33 member running up a steep bar bill simply because they can causing problems and embarrassment for the member. My friend has brought back many pictures from his visits to Club 33 both with his member friends and when he and his wife went alone as guests of the members. Even though Club 33 does serve alcohol and is grand to be sure, many members dine with their families. Mickey even shows up once in awhile. In fact from the pictures he has shown me, it looked like their were more children eating meals with their families in Club 33 than in the Blue Bayou.

Malcon10t
08-01-2011, 12:49 PM
Mickey even shows up once in awhile.
And be forewarned, they let dogs in too...

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Malcon10t/IMG_0822.jpg

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Malcon10t/IMG_0810.jpg

And plenty of families do dine there, though I would not say as many as Blue Bayou.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Malcon10t/IMG_0741.jpg

But, people should realize before they bring kids, this is a long (2.5-3 hours), adult meal. I have nieces and nephews that have no problem with this (as pictured above) and I have nephews that have a problem with even Plaza Inn...

Teddi
08-01-2011, 02:49 PM
Actually, you're right cstephens, it's not a guaranteed thing. It's based on "availability" but if you do get to do it, it's included.

simicpa
09-23-2011, 01:04 PM
Yes, membership cards issued. Up to August 2011, white card with "bronze" colored writing and the Club 33 logo on the left side. Just changed to a card with a photo of the front door on the front and "Club 33" at the bottom... or so I hear.

Malcon10t
09-23-2011, 02:33 PM
Yes, membership cards issued. Up to August 2011, white card with "bronze" colored writing and the Club 33 logo on the left side. Just changed to a card with a photo of the front door on the front and "Club 33" at the bottom... or so I hear.

The white and bronze cards were much more elegant than the new green door card. I hear there is a minor uprising over the new card.

currence
09-23-2011, 03:19 PM
Aw, I'm holding out hope - it worked out that way for my dad's cousin recently. Alas, friend-of-a-friend-of-dad's-cousin's-friend is a couple of degrees too far. haha.

My first trip to the club was ages ago (before many members started tightening their standards) but I managed to go with my friend and his step-sibling's family (whom I had never met before or seen since). One of the step-siblings taught tennis to the wife of someone whose firm had a corporate membership. So even remote connections can sometimes happen. I don't now recall and I am not sure I ever knew the company that owned the membership.

More recently, I heard of plans to take the grandchild, child, and parents with their (the parents) friends, who has a close connection to a member. So that is three or more degrees of separation from the member.

Let people know that you are interested. You never know when someone might know someone with a connection.

StarTourist
09-23-2011, 06:58 PM
But, people should realize before they bring kids, this is a long (2.5-3 hours), adult meal. I have nieces and nephews that have no problem with this (as pictured above) and I have nephews that have a problem with even Plaza Inn...

What about brunch? Would brunch still take two or three hours, or is that only for lunch and dinner?

currence
09-23-2011, 08:00 PM
It can take that long still. Sunday Brunch usually has Mickey & Pluto stop by, so even with kids that would add time to the meal (although they would likely enjoy the one-on-one attention they receive). The amount of time a meal takes typically depends on how many people are in the group and how quickly people eat. Brunch is self-serve starters with plated entrees. I assume they would be good at getting the entrees to the table pretty quickly after the last person is done with their starters so the more people in a group or the slower they eat the longer it will take. If everyone was rushing, you could probably be done in one to one and one-half hours (especially if everyone skipped dessert).

When we were at WDW, we went to dinner at Victoria & Alberts. Our server was mocking (in a polite and dignified way of course) those people who eat there before La Nouba/Fireworks Cruise/etc because then the meal is rushed. Even if rushed means that they "only" have two hours. If you are paying that much for food why would you want to rush to finish it? For me, at a nice restaurant, the ability to relax and enjoy is part of the fun.

Malcon10t
09-23-2011, 08:10 PM
What about brunch? Would brunch still take two or three hours, or is that only for lunch and dinner?We've had several brunches that have taken 3 hours. Our last one (with the girls pictured above) was 3 hours. We probably had 20 mins with Mickey and Pluto. As far as "brunch" vs. lunch.... It is the same thing. Sunday's early seatings are called "Brunch", but offer the same food choices as weekday lunches and are at the same times (starting at 11am.) Difference? Price is $10 more, you get a "complementary" glass of champange or sparkling cider, and you get Mickey and Pluto.

trypticon
09-23-2011, 08:56 PM
I am so envious of the people who are able to get into that place and experience the food. I'm also excited about the announcement at D23 that Disney is looking for ways to get more members or people into the club. I'll be a member, myself, someday.

Well, I know my post doesn't add anything to the topic, it's kind of like thinking aloud, but instead, thinking atype, proceeded by thnking apresspost.