Disney’s Club 33: Exclusive Geekery

Christy
Wednesday
1:15 pm

I quite often defend my geek passion as the equivalent of sports fanatics.  I like conventions, comics, movies and such for the same reasons people are fanatical about sports.  Not only am I interested in the subject matter but I love the camaraderie of being surrounded by others that share my similar interests.  This comparison was most clearly illustrated at DragonCon a few years back.  There was a pivotal college football game scheduled in Atlanta the same weekend as DragonCon.  While there was some hostility from the geeks when the football fans got a hold of the DragonCon hotel rates and booked out the rooms in record time, I think it was mostly fear.  DragonCon is a safe haven for geeks.  Everyone in attendance has one thing in common, the love of some sort of geekery, and therefore there’s an interesting sense of community amongst strangers.  Now when that safe haven is invaded by the geekworld’s supervillian, the jock, all hell breaks loose.  Mostly, I just witnessed as neither side understood the other, even through the haze of similarities.  Both sides invested in the weekend by traveling to Atlanta, paying for food and accommodations. And while the geeks were dressed in costumes of their favorite fandoms, the jocks were dressed from head to toe in their favorite team’s apparel.

I now think I can add pin toting, mouse ear wearing Disney fanatics into equal comparison with geeks and sports fans.  Not only do Disney fans have a few meccas, they also haven exclusive club.  Yep, I’m talking about Club 33.    Did you know that Club 33 currently has a 14 waiting list and is no longer accepting names?  Basically you’re on the list waiting for an existing member to die.  Seriously!  And that’s with the initiation fee for an individual running $10,450 with yearly fees of $3,275.  All these fees basically give you the right to make a reservation for a meal you will have to pay for.  Granted there are  few perks.  Cool talking chandeliers and bragging right.  Club 33 is also the only place in Disneyland where you can purchase and consume alcohol.  Dinner for 4 without alcohol and tips is about $275.  Okay, I’ll admit that I’m writing this like I don’t understand the appeal.  I do.  I’m a card carrying Annual Passholder and have been for the last 7 years.  I’d love to dine at Club 33, but not if I have to pay the fees.  For those prices I could buy a Michael Turner original art and track down the fool at purchased John Cassaday’s Astonishing X-men’s #8 page 18 before I could, and go on a shopping spree at Comic-Con.

What can I say, I'm a Cyclops girl. Always have been. This is the page where Wolverine says, "Now and then, Summers…I remember why you are in charge."