Sunday, December 10, 2017

Walk Inside Shanghaî Disneyland Very Private Club 33 Thanks to Exclusive Pictures by Heather Concannon


As you may know Shanghaî Disneyland has a Club 33 with a restaurant and a balcony offering a great view from above on SDL parade or the fireworks of the evening show "Ignite the Magic". What you may NOT know is that it's impossible not only to have access if you're not a member of SDL Club 33 but also to shoot pictures inside. I know it because i've tried when i've visited Shanghaî Disneyland in August 2016 and, even if after introducing myself as Disney and more editor,  the Club 33 cast-members refused to let me go upstairs and became hysterical when i shot just one picture, that you'll see below.

All this to say that we must be very very VERY grateful to Heather Concannon as, thanks to Heather, who kindly authorized me to post them in this D&M article we have the first pictures ever of the inside of Shanghaî Disneyland Club 33! To thanks Heather for these great pictures, make sure to visit Heather Instagram page HERE, her Facebook page HERE and her Twitter page HERE.

So, here we go for the visit of Shanghaî Disneyland Club 33, shall we?


On the picture above Heather Concannon stands under the Club 33 archway which is located in a corner of Mickey Avenue, SDL Main Street: "You made a left and next to Shanghai's version of the Emporium they had a little doorway that said 33 above it" says Heather " You had to ring a doorbell to get in." The picture below showing the gorgeous art-deco ceiling light of SDL Club 33 reception on the ground floor is the only one that i could shot when i was at SDL last year.



Now, SDL Club 33 restaurant has a business casual dress code, so you can't get in wearing your park clothes and Heather and her family had to drop off their bags and change clothes before entering SDL Club 33 restaurant.  The picture below shows the atrium where Heather and her group waited to be seated.


Actually, Shanghai's Club 33 theme is inspired by Disney's 1940's "Fantasia." and the next picture shows the staircase as view from the first floor with stunning chandeliers and the sugar plum fairies from Fantasia Nutcracker Suite.


The room where they had dinner was Club 33 Garden View room,  a big circular room filled with round tables and a lovely floral centerpiece.



"I took a thousand photos of the centerpiece, because I thought it was beautiful," said Heather Concannon. According to Heather "The entire space felt classier than what you may be used to seeing inside a Disney park restaurant".


There is too more private, intimate rooms with curtains off to the sides, offering a more romantic setting, with always gorgeous artwork on each walls.


Heather Concannon and her group ate at a large round table in the room, large enough to seat 10 people.


The napkin holder matched perfectly with the design on the plates, which, just like the coasters on the table have the number 33 printed on them.



You may wonder how Heather and her family who are not members of SDL Club 33 succeeded to enter and had dinner. Well, actually they were in Shanghaî Disneyland with Adventures by Disney and apparently the tour include a dinner at the Club 33, which is good to know. Because of that they ordered off of a pre-selected menu with a five-course meal, and here is a picture of the menu, with a choice between a short rib or fish for the main entree. They were also given two glasses of red or white house wine with their meal.


The appetizer was a grapefruit sorbet with green apple wasabi granite and dill oil.



One of the main entrées was a slow-cooked Australian wagyu short rib with chili glaze, apple salad, and parsnip purée, and the picture below shows the short rib choice. According to Heather each part of the five-course meal was a small portion so you didn't get filled up too quickly.



After the dinner, the Club 33 balcony allowed them have a unique view of the park, with the Tron ride on the left, SDL Enchanted Story Book castle, and Gardens of Imagination carousel on the right, which, by the way, also has a "Fantasia" theme. "Once you walk through the restaurant, they have a firework-viewing area. That's what the balcony is for", said Heather.



"The view is worth it, especially because it's so crazy to watch the fireworks in front of the castle [in Disney World] these days," said Heather. "It was nice to be able to watch it and hear the music and experience it with just our group and two other couples."



You can also go home with some Club 33 souvenirs like one of the coasters with the 33 number on it but "They had a store where you could purchase a polo, a tie, a bag," says Heather. "I bought a pen, a notebook, and a mug because I figured I'm never doing this again in my life."



I can't thank enough Heather Concannon for these exclusive pictures of Shanghaî Disneyland Club 33, a place where most of us probably will never get in and, again, make sure to visit Heather Instagram page HERE, her Facebook page HERE and her Twitter page HERE.

Pictures: copyright Heather Concannon, Alain Littaye

1 comment:

JonsExpert said...

Thanks very much for this! Can't afford Adventures by Disney (which is stupidly expensive) and it's unlikely I'll get to know any members of this Club, so it's much appreciated.