Insider Secrets of Club 33 Revealed!

Ever since I visited Club 33 in February 2010 and wrote about it, it has been one of my most popular posts here on Red Carpet Closet and it has been my top viewed video on YouTube.  Well, the day has come and Disney has revealed some insider secrets about membership because they are opening the waiting list for the first time in a decade.  The Orange County Register divulged the details today and I am here to give you all of the highlights:

1.  When: Beginning Friday, May 4, 2012, Disney is sending official invitations to the first 100 people on the 800-person waiting list.  These names have been on the list for 10 years since that was the last time Disney had an open waiting list.

2.  Membership Costs:  Individual initiation costs are $25,000 with a yearly membership of $10,000. This is a huge increase in yearly membership which stood at $3,600 for years.  You can be grandfathered into the old price, but it will exclude all of the new perks. Corporate memberships involve a $40,000 initiation fee and a yearly membership of $10,000.  Affiliate members will pay a $5,000 yearly fee.

3.  New Perks:  This part is rather exciting!  There will be a new lounge called 1901 in California Adventure for members and it was named after Uncle Walt's birth year.  It is located at the bottom of the Carthay Circle Theatre, but it is solely for drinks and small bites versus a full service meal over at Club 33.  Valet parking, exclusive sneak peeks at new attractions, and VIP itinerary planning are also a part of the membership now.  In addition to all of these new perks, an individual member is now given 4 annual passes to both Florida and California parks plus 50 day passes for guests.  Corporate members will receive 100 days passes.

4.  The List:  Well, if you are currently on the list, all 800 of you aren't getting in as invites are only going to the top 100 for now.  The good news is that the list is open!  Get on and join the wait.  Hey, you never know when you will get to be at the top and invited to drink a cocktail in that secret location in Disneyland.  Here is the email address for the Club 33 waiting list:   club33interest@disneyland.com

What do you think of the new perks for Club 33 membership?  Let me know on Twitter, Facebook, or Google Plus.

Check out my original Club 33 article from February 2010.

D23 Expo: Exhibit Photos

For those of you who saw my post on Sunday, it included all of the Disney Studio film slate through 2014. Now, it's time to get to the really fun stuff, photos of the D23 Expo floor and the Disney Archives exhibit.  I have so many photos, so I am just going to dump the highlights here and give you some information in the captions.  I would love to hear your thoughts and comments about D23 and if you will be attending the Expo in 2013!

 Some of my favorite artwork at the Expo.  Teacups by Dave Lefner.

 Snow White's nemesis.

 Love this contemporary photo of Minnie Mouse.

 Johnny Depp's Jack Spade wardrobe from Pirates of the Caribbean.

 I'm not a Lost fan, but I know millions of you are.  Here's your token Lost photo.  

 Uncle Walt's limo!  Okay, I think this is really cool, but doesn't it kind of look like a hearse?

 D23 had an auction on Saturday night and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum were on the auction block.

While I am not a cruise type of gal, I loved this Disney Cruise Line set piece.

 My fabulous partner in crime at D23, Amy, and I hanging in Cars Land.

 You can be Cinderella at any age! 

 For the original Tron fans, Bruce Boxleitner.

 My hot date--so hot that they had to place a sign, "Please Do Not Touch".

 It's a horrible photo, but yep, I did wear a Disney Princess crown at D23 Expo and no one batted an eye.

 The coolest aspect of D23 was the Disney Archives exhibit.

 The original Mouseketeer and Uncle Walt's favorite, Annette! 

 Back then, it was normal for kids to have a gun and bullets on their belt.  Cubby was a tiny little guy.

 Alice in Wonderland costumes. 

 One of my favorite images of D23, a set piece from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?  This movie will eternally remind me of my pal, Jamie.

 The beautiful artwork from the closing sequence of Sleeping Beauty. 

 This is another one of my favorite photos, the wardrobe from Tron. 

 The original Mickey Mouse watch from the 1930's when it only cost $2.95. 

Okay, raise your hand, who had this phone in the 80's?  

Disney Dreams

I love that I look really tiny under the big Fantasia hat.

I'm sharing this photo with you because this image represents making dreams come true to me.  I don't ever think the 10-year-old me would ever think that I would be standing on the Disney studio lot in Burbank not once, but twice in a month's time. Sure, it was just for a screening, but it represents everything to the little me from the suburbs of Boston.  I have always loved anything Disney:  Disney World, Disneyland, Club 33 and I'm off to the D23 Expo in Anaheim this weekend.  It was Walt's animated creation, Jiminy Cricket,  that told me "When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true." (Wait, I'm taking advice from a cricket??!!) After dealing with a lousy end to 2010, 2011 has been a reminder to rediscover my dreams.  Little by little, that is happening and I'm truly grateful for it.



What are you doing to make your dreams come true?



Lyrics:



When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do

Fate is kind
She brings to those to love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

A Great Day in Hollywood

 With Daniel Yelsky during the press junket of A Little Help.  The movie opens July 22.  Go support this film, my incredible host reel editor, Joe Gressis, produced and edited the film. 

I feel like I am having one of those weeks in Hollywood that reminds you why you moved to LA in the first place.  Outside of the perennial sunshine, it's about the work.  The passion that drives you, the jumping out of bed in the morning because you know your job brings you happiness, and most importantly, it's so much fun that you forget it is actually work.  I've had one of those weeks.  My job this week "requires" me to watch 4 films, interview 5 actors, 2 writer/directors, and attend one callback.  It's exactly the week I dreamed of when I moved to LA back in 2000.  Life is pretty good.

 On the Disney lot after a press screening of Winnie the Pooh.  I'm a complete Disney dork, so any opportunity to be photographed with Walt and Mickey is okay by me.

 It's hard to see in this photo, but Walt is holding hands with Minnie.  I decided Minnie wanted to hold hands with me too.  

Holding up the place with the Seven Dwarfs.  If you are wondering whether to catch Winnie the Pooh this weekend, I'd say it's a good alternative if you are not a Harry Potter fan. Who doesn't love Pooh?  There are also incredible original songs by Bobby Lopez and his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez.  That couple's talent is limitless.  If you are trying to remember who Bobby is, think back to my Tonys red carpet interviews. Yep, that's him.