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The happiest place on earth is not just about a 75-minute wait for Space Mountain and $12 turkey legs. There's also the super-duper exclusive Club 33 which allows no more than 500 members, and getting yourself on the wait list requires a recommendation from current members.
Once you're off the wait list (which could take years), initiation fees range from $25,000 to $100,000, with annual dues costing anywhere from $13,000 to $30,000.
Those with a platinum or higher membership have access to two bars -- Club 1901 and Le Salon Nouveau, where an ounce of Balvenie 50-year-old scotch costs $2500.
The Club's existence is no secret. In fact, several members have anonymously spoken to different sites about the facilities, perks and even the odd rumor surrounding Club 33 and its founder, Walt Disney.
Disney designed the club as a retreat for investors away from the crowds, however he passed away just five months before the grand opening. Some believe that the club is named after the year in which prohibition ended, while others have heard that it's named after Disney's reported Masonic ties.
I asked a few friends about their experience as guests inside Club 33. And since they'd like to be invited back, they shall remain nameless.
"Club 33 gives people who love Disney, and people who like fine dining, a totally unique experience that is so exclusive, some people don't even know it's there," they told me via text.
"From the moment you step into the Court of Angels [the club's entrance below], you really feel like you’re in another place, Certainly not a theme park. It almost feels like sacred space."
"It's a dining experience like no other," my other fried added. "The fact it's hidden inside one of the country's most popular theme parks takes the exclusivity to another level.
"Finding the discrete entrance to the restaurant, ringing the bell and getting buzzed in is an exercise in pure joy. You enter a quaint lobby and speak to a friendly cast member and browse their specialty merchandise; anticipation for your meal building. You know it's going to be delicious and you know it's going to be special."
If there's one thing Disney's good at it, it's making one's experience special.
"From the lobby, the beautiful Court of Angels awaits you. Hot chocolate served when it's chilly, flavored water when it's warm. A cast member descends the staircase to invite you up to the restaurant for your meal."
