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Insider Info on Disneyland Club 33

Q: How long is the Club 33 waitlist?

Unknown, and probably unknowable. Multi-year and even decade-long waits are widely reported, but Disney has never confirmed a figure, and the move to a referral-based process makes older waitlist estimates unreliable.

💡 Key Takeaways

Disneyland’s Club 33 is an ultra-exclusive, members-only club hidden inside New Orleans Square, originally envisioned by Walt Disney.
Membership is invitation-only. Disney no longer accepts open applications, and current members typically have to refer you before you’re considered.
Club 33 perks include top-tier annual passes for the member’s household, roughly 50 single-day guest tickets a year, private VIP tours, Lightning Lane access, and exclusive merchandise.
The cost is steep and tiered. Reported initiation fees run from about $25,000 to $50,000 depending on membership type, with annual dues from roughly $10,000 to $30,000 — and Disney has never published official figures.
You can’t buy your way in, but you can get closer. Independent travel agents get access to Disney’s agent rate programs, training, and industry perks that put insider Disney experiences within reach.

Club 33 is the most exclusive experience at Disneyland: a members-only world of private dining, VIP perks, and hidden rooms tucked behind an unmarked door. Membership is invitation-only and costs more than most cars, which is exactly why the mystique has never faded.

Since it opened in 1955, Disneyland has captivated the imagination of everyone who walks down Main Street. You’d think that after millions of guests and seventy years, every corner of the park would have been mapped, photographed, and posted online. But go through the right door in New Orleans Square and you’ll step into one of the most private clubs in the world: Disneyland Club 33.

Admission is famously hard to come by. The good news is that the details are not, and the perks, the price tag, and the process have all shifted in recent years. So put on your Sunday best, and let’s take a look at what actually goes on behind the green door at 33 Royal Street.

Did you know that Boardwalk Travel Agency is one of the top 10 worldwide Disney travel agencies? Find out what makes us the best host agency for travel agents!

What is Disneyland Club 33?

Club 33 is a members-only VIP experience hidden inside Disneyland. At Disneyland, the only entrance is in New Orleans Square, directly above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction — and the address, 33 Royal Street, is where the club gets its name. Disneyland opened to the public in 1955, but Club 33 didn’t welcome its first members until 1967, several months after Walt Disney’s death.

According to legend, Walt Disney was enamored with the idea of a VIP club for celebrities and high-end business owners to enjoy Disneyland without being mobbed by tourists and guests. The concept came to him after the 1964 World’s Fair, where he saw other similar VIP clubs and lounges. Executives at General Electric wanted a private lounge in exchange for helping build the Carousel of Progress. At first, they thought of putting the club inside the carousel, but Disney convinced them to put it in the newly constructed New Orleans Square.

The first real insider’s glimpse of the interior of Club 33 came in 2011, when the Disney Parks Blog gave a virtual tour of the space, complete with photos. However, the images shared in that behind-the-scenes feature would become obsolete as the park planned a major renovation of the club to keep up with modern times.

That said, the photos of the original Club 33 were pretty impressive, with an ornate French-style Victorian elevator taking guests to the awe-inspiring lounge and dining area. The decor and architecture were crafted to match the rest of the New Orleans Square vibe, complete with hand-drawn images of the real French Quarter and original works by Disney artists. The club even had movie props, like a table from Mary Poppins and a telephone booth from the film The Happiest Millionaire.

After the renovation in 2014, photos of the updated Disneyland Club 33 have been hard to come by. According to rumors, members who take and share unauthorized images risk losing their spot on the esteemed list. However, if you scour the corners of the internet, you can find small glimpses into the opulence and grandeur of the place.

The club is still split into sections, including Le Salon Nouveau Lounge (complete with a cocktail bar) and Le Grand Salon Dining Room. The entire club has heightened its connection to its roots within 19th Century New Orleans, complete with antique decorations, color schemes, and more. Every corner of the club has been meticulously crafted to create a memorable experience for all its guests.

How to Join Club 33

Here’s the honest answer: Disney has made it hard on purpose. Club 33 is intended to be a very exclusive experience.

For years, hopeful members mailed a letter of interest to Club 33 Member Services and waited. That era is over. Club 33 is now an invitation-only club, and in recent years Disney added a referral component to the process, meaning an existing member generally needs to put your name forward before you’ll be considered at all. There is no public application form, no online waitlist to join, and no price you can simply pay to skip the line.

If you do get to the consideration stage, expect an actual vetting process. Applicants report being interviewed about their careers, their hobbies, what other private clubs they belong to, and why they want in. Disney is choosing people who will fit comfortably alongside the existing membership, which is a very different filter from “can afford it.”

Wait times are the murkiest part of the whole picture. Reports of multi-year and even decade-long waits circulate constantly, but Disney has never confirmed a number, and the shift to referrals makes the old waitlist outdated. Anyone quoting you an exact wait is guessing.

Three things worth knowing:

Each club is separate. Membership at Disneyland does not automatically hand you the equivalent experience at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, or Shanghai Disneyland. Reports differ on how much cross-access members get at sister lounges, and the terms appear to have changed more than once — so treat any blanket claim with caution.
Corporate memberships do exist. Businesses can hold memberships and designate a limited number of associate executives, which is how a meaningful share of Club 33 access actually gets used. Memberships are transferable within the company, and departing executives return their cards.
You can visit as a guest. A current member can bring you or make a reservation on your behalf. Realistically, this is how the overwhelming majority of non-members see the inside of Club 33.

How Much Does Club 33 Membership Cost?

Disney has never published Club 33 pricing, and members are discouraged from discussing it. What’s publicly known comes from member reports, industry coverage, and — most usefully — a lawsuit filed by former members whose membership was revoked, which put a specific annual dues figure into the court record.

With that caveat firmly in place, here’s the range that’s consistently reported:

Disneyland (Club 33)

Initial fee: ~$25,000 – $50,000 (one-time fee to join, depends on membership tier
Annual dues: ~$10,000 – $30,000

Walt Disney World (four lounges)

Initial fee: ~$33,000
Annual dues: ~$15,000 – $16,000

Corporate Memberships

Initial fee: Higher, structured separately
Annual dues: Higher, plus associate member dues

The wide spread on initial fees is because of the tier structure. Club 33 offers different levels of membership (individual, family, and corporate) with different guest allowances and privileges. A single-member tier and a full family tier are not the same product, which is why quoted figures vary so widely.

There is an ongoing lawsuit by former members that has disclosed annual dues of $31,500. They also described total annual Disney spending near $125,000 once travel and hotels were included.

Dues don’t cover food and drink. Meals, wine, cocktails, special events, and private parties inside the club are all billed on top of the annual fee, and the menus are priced accordingly.

These figures do move. Reported fees have climbed steadily over the past decade. Anything you read (including this page!) should be treated as an estimate rather than a quote.

Perks and Benefits of Being a Club 33 Member

With dues in the five figures, the perks need to be substantial…and they are. Access to the lounge and dining room is the headline, but the membership package extends well past the green door. Here’s what members consistently report receiving:

Top-tier annual passes for the household. Members receive annual passes (at Disneyland these are Magic Keys) for themselves and their immediate family, generally at or near the highest tier. For scale, Disneyland’s 2026 Magic Key lineup runs $599 for the Southern California resident-only Imagine Key, $999 for the Explore Key, $1,474 for the Believe Key, and $1,899 for the top-tier Inspire Key. A household’s worth of Inspire-level passes accounts for a serious share of the annual dues before a single other perk is counted.
Roughly 50 single-day guest tickets per year. This is the perk that quietly makes a Club 33 membership social currency. Members report a yearly allotment of around 50 single-day admissions to bring friends and family into the park. At Walt Disney World these are reported as Park Hopper tickets.
Five private VIP tours annually. Disney’s VIP tour service, the guided, behind-the-scenes, skip-the-line treatment that runs well into four figures per outing for regular guests, is included as an annual allotment. This is one of the highest-dollar perks in the package.
Lightning Lane access. Disney retired the FastPass system years ago and now charges guests for Lightning Lane. Club 33 members report receiving Lightning Lane access as part of the membership, which removes the single biggest daily friction point in a Disney park visit.
Exclusive Club 33 merchandise. There’s a members-only merchandise line that never appears in the park’s gift shops. It’s the subtle version of a status symbol: if you know, you know.
Reservation priority and concierge-style service. Beyond the club itself, members describe a level of help with dining reservations, event access, and park logistics that isn’t available through any public channel.
Access to the lounge and dining room itself. Le Salon Nouveau, with its cocktail bar, and Le Grand Salon dining room remain the core of the experience — a genuinely quiet, adult, unhurried place to sit down in the middle of one of the busiest theme parks on earth.

A note on the fine print: because Disney doesn’t publish membership terms, the exact allotments attached to each tier aren’t public. Blackout dates, guest ticket restrictions, and pass tiers all appear to vary by membership level and have changed over time. The list above reflects what members and Disney press coverage have described consistently, not a published benefits schedule.

Club 33 Locations Beyond Disneyland

Disneyland’s Club 33 is the original and still the most prestigious, but it isn’t the only one.

Next door at Disney California Adventure, the 1901 Lounge sits beside Carthay Circle and serves a similar private-lounge function on that side of the esplanade.

Walt Disney World added four Club 33 lounges between 2018 and 2020, one per park, each themed to its surroundings:

Captain’s Quarters: Magic Kingdom, at the entrance to Adventureland. Nautically themed with tributes to the long-departed Adventurers Club, and a patio with one of the better Cinderella Castle views in the park.
Constellation Club: EPCOT, above the American Adventure pavilion in World Showcase. Previously the Disney Visa cardholder lounge, now dark wood and modern touches, with views over the lagoon and the nightly fireworks.
Spotlight Lounge: Hollywood Studios, on the second floor above the Hollywood Brown Derby, reached by an unmarked elevator. Mid-century decor and an old-Hollywood theme.
Harambe House: Animal Kingdom, in the Africa area. The exterior is visible to everyone; the sign reads “Harambe House” with “thelathini na tatu” beneath it, which is Swahili for thirty-three.

One important distinction: the Walt Disney World locations are lounges with à la carte menus and shareable plates, not full multi-course restaurants. The formal, long-form dining experience is specific to Disneyland.

Internationally, Tokyo Disneyland’s Club 33 sits on the second floor of World Bazaar with views over Cinderella Castle and the parade route, and Shanghai Disneyland has a Fantasia-themed location near Disneytown. There is no Club 33 at Disneyland Paris.

Club 33 members also get occasional perks for special holidays and events, including Disneyland Halloween.

The Version of Disney Insider Access You Can Easily Get

So what’s the truth about Club 33? It’s pretty tough to get in. It’s invitation-only, referral-gated, and extremely pricey.

But strip Club 33 down to what people actually want from it, and the list is pretty reasonable. Insider access. Being on the other side of the velvet rope. Knowing things other guests don’t. Going to Disney often enough that it stops feeling like a once-a-decade event.

That version is very available, and it doesn’t require a $30,000 check. It simply requires becoming an independent travel agent.

Working as an independent Disney-focused agent through a host agency gives you:

Access to Disney’s agent programs. Disney and other suppliers maintain travel agent rate programs covering resort stays and park admission, along with agent education and certification paths. Availability, eligibility, and terms are set by each supplier and change over time — but these are real channels that simply aren’t open to the general public.
FAM trips. Familiarization trips (“FAM trips”) exist so agents can experience a property or destination firsthand and sell it credibly. It’s the closest legitimate analog to “behind the scenes” access there is in this industry. The trips often include very exclusive VIP experiences with key Disney personnel.
A reason to go, and go often. When you book Disney trips for clients, staying current isn’t indulgence, it’s professional development. Your own trips start earning commission instead of just costing money.
The people who know things. This is the part that most closely mirrors what Club 33 members actually value. Boardwalk’s private community is full of agents who have walked every corner of every park, know which resort request actually gets honored, and will tell you in a Facebook thread at 11pm.

The difference between this and Club 33 is that nobody has to refer you.

Our membership is a single one-time fee that covers everything — one-on-one onboarding, the full training library, ongoing mentorship, supplier access, FAM trip eligibility, and the private agent community. No monthly dues, no annual renewal, no waiting for someone to sponsor you.

You’ll also work from wherever you like on whatever schedule you set, and you’ll be able to book across the whole supplier landscape rather than a single brand: Disney, Universal, cruise lines, resorts, and everything else.

If you’re ready to turn your Disney obsession into something that pays you back, join Boardwalk Travel Agency today!

What Boardwalk Agents Say

“I am a new travel advisory and have loved being a part of the Boardwalk team. They are so supportive and responsive. They have so many resources that it is hard to ever feel like you’re alone, because you’re not! I only do advising part time so I love that I can be as involved as I want. There is no pressure. I love Boardwalk!”
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– Chelsea V.
“Working as a travel agent with Boardwalk Travel Agency has been an amazing experience. From the beginning, I felt supported and welcomed by a team that genuinely wants to see its agents succeed. The training and resources provided made it easy to learn the industry, and there is always someone available to answer questions and offer guidance. One of the things I appreciate most is the flexibility. I can work at my own pace while helping clients create memorable vacations and travel experiences. It’s rewarding to turn a passion for travel into an opportunity to earn income while helping others make lasting memories.”
– Emilee S.

Disneyland Club 33 FAQ

Can you visit Club 33 without being a member?
Yes, but only as a member’s guest. A current member has to either invite you or make the reservation on your behalf. There is no way to buy a one-time visit, no public booking channel, and no waitlist for non-members.

How much does Club 33 cost?
Disney doesn’t publish pricing. Reported initiation fees run from roughly $25,000 to $50,000 depending on membership tier, with annual dues between about $10,000 and $30,000 at Disneyland. A lawsuit by former members disclosed annual dues of $31,500 in their case. Walt Disney World is reported at around $33,000 to join with roughly $15,000 in annual dues.

Can you apply to join Club 33?
Not through any public process. Club 33 is invitation-only, and Disney has added a member referral requirement in recent years. The old advice about mailing a letter of interest to Member Services no longer reflects how membership works.

How long is the Club 33 waitlist?
This is unknown, and probably unknowable. Multi-year and even decade-long waits are widely reported, but Disney has never confirmed a figure, and the move to a referral-based process makes older waitlist estimates unreliable.

Is there a dress code at Club 33?
Yes. Business casual is the general standard, with dinner service dressier than lunch. Dark, undamaged denim is generally acceptable when paired with a nice top and closed-toe shoes; ripped or distressed denim is not.

Are kids allowed at Club 33?
Yes. Children are welcome in both the lounge and the dining room. The lunch menu tends to suit younger kids better, mostly because dinner is a long multi-course affair.

Does Club 33 membership include park admission?
Members report receiving annual passes for themselves and their immediate family, plus a yearly allotment of around 50 single-day guest tickets. Exact pass tiers and any blackout dates appear to vary by membership level and aren’t publicly documented.

Do travel agents get access to Club 33?
No. Club 33 membership is entirely separate from travel industry credentials, and no host agency can provide access to it. Travel agents do get access to supplier rate programs, agent education, and FAM trips, which are the legitimate insider channels in this industry.

How much do Disney travel agents earn?
Earnings are commission-based and depend on how much you book. Boardwalk agents earn commission on trips they book for themselves, their friends, and their family.

How much does it cost to become a Boardwalk agent?
Boardwalk charges a single one-time membership fee that covers onboarding, training, mentorship, supplier access, FAM trip eligibility, and the private agent community. There are no monthly or annual dues. See our membership page for current pricing and to join. You can also read more about how much does it cost to become a travel agent.

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