Was it worth it? Let’s just say it was pretty magical…
When we entered the double doors in the French Quarter, the staff immediately greeted us and asked if it was our first time. We answered with a chorus of excited “yes!” and they gave a friendly welcome. They then walked us over to the foyer to wait for our reservation. We were awed by the grand staircase and the extremely well decorations for Christmas. We admired the fountains, ceilings, and architecture and started taking pictures by the tree!
When it was our turn, they led up up the stairs while giving a brief history of where everything came from and why. When we got up the stairs, we were greeted with a sparkly mosaic “33” right before entering another set of double doors. We walked inside and waited a tad while we looked around their small lobby. To the left was the hallway for the members only bar and straight ahead was the dining room for guest which we were led to. They sat us down by the window and opened the patio for us to explore.
The dining room kind of looks like grandma’s house with matching silverware and place settings. When we felt ready to settle down at our table, we were presented with a 5 course menu which we chose each course from.
They started us off with an amuse bouche, complements of the chef which was some kind of seafood puree that was light and silky!
Then my first course, the sauteed snow crab claws, came and looked and smelled as delicious as ever. All I had to do was pull the pinchers open and the chunk of succulent meat would just fall out. The garlic butter sauce made it really rich and heavenly!
Next was the french onion soup and green oak salad which I split. The onion soup was flavorful and I loved that it came with a chunk of melted cheese on top. The salad was good, but I wasn’t too impressed by it. I didn’t want to stuff myself with so much carb before my main meal but I couldn’t help sneaking a couple of bites. It also came with a blooming onion bread which was so warm, soft and fluffy!
My third course was a huge diver scallop which was so rich and buttery. It was perfectly seared on the outside and pure velvet on the inside. My spoon easily sliced right through it and with every bite, it melted in my mouth!
After the scallops, they gave us a small fruity palate cleanser.
By the time my main course came, I was already pretty full! However, that didn’t stop my chunk of slow braised beef short rib from coming out! Presentation wise, it wasn’t the prettiest, but it was tender and moist. It had a zinfandel jus which dressed it, but I thought it could be more flavorful.
Right before dessert came, our waitress presented us with a gift bag from Club 33 which included a pair of Club 33 Mickey ears!! We were SO excited and couldn’t wait to try them on. We also got a small box of candy with a truffle, jelly candy and chocolate.
Dessert came which I got the “Winter pear” hand pie. It was warm, fruity, and delicious. I finished every bite! With our dessert, they also gave us complimentary rum drinks that just completed the whole meal!
After the meal, we went to the bathroom (which we’re not allowed to take pictures of), but trust me, you have to check out. Then went to look at some gifts to bring back and some of the pictures and props that were around the entrance and hallway.
After the 4 hours of enjoying ourselves, we still weren’t ready to leave but wanted to make it just in time for the fireworks so we said our goodbyes and headed downstairs where we took a final picture on the stairway with our new Mickey ears on. Then we headed back out into the crowds of Disneyland, relaxed and ready for the fireworks!
I’ll answer you again. Was it worth it? Hell yeah! It was pricey for sure, but it was definitely an unforgettable experience. From the moment we walked in, we escaped the crowds and were treated like queens. The staff was extremely nice from helping take our pictures, chatting with us and sharing the history. The food and ambience was fabulous. It wasn’t so upscale that it was stuffy, but enough to know that it’s a special place. It was a once in a lifetime experience (unless I somehow score another invite!), but worth for someone like me who enjoys good food, Disney, and experiences!
