New Orleans Square in Disneyland Park offers food, shopping, and entertainment, including popular attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. It also features an exclusive members-only club, Club 33, with a long waiting list and high fees. The area was not part of the park on opening day and was the first new land added in 1966. Visitors can enjoy Louisiana-style food and live jazz in the square.
New Orleans Square in Anaheim Disneyland Park is a blend of food, shopping and mystery set along the rivers of America. Whether it’s battling pirates or hunting ghosts, chances are you’ll find entertainment in this area. The New Orleans section has a few secrets, however, that only the most exclusive guests are likely to see.
Unlike Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland and Frontierland, New Orleans Square was not part of Disneyland on opening day. The rides in this area of the park weren’t even conceived of until new innovations were made in Walt Disney’s research of animatronic technology. In 1966, just before Pirates of the Caribbean opened, the area became the first new land to be added to the park since its inception 11 years earlier.
Two of Disneyland’s most popular attractions live in the New Orleans themed area: Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted House. The pirate-themed water ride was the last planned ride in Walt Disney’s lifetime, although it was not completed until several months after Disney’s death. The ride pioneered animatronic technology that gave birth to dozens of pirates, animals, and villagers. The pilots board a boat at a dock located in a Louisiana bayou, in front of a restaurant. Passing the swampy delta, the boats descend into deep caverns filled with treasure, curses, and many scurvy plugs.
The inspiration for the Haunted Mansion is often attributed to Walt Disney’s experiences in World War I. Popular legend suggests that he built the beautiful villa to give wandering spirits a home. The exterior of the house is a well-maintained facade, leading visitors to a mysterious lift that takes you to the main racing area. After boarding a personal “buggy of doom,” guests are whisked past a variety of spooky scenes, including a dinner party, a haunted attic, and an all-out ghost party in the graveyard. Since 2001, the mansion has been given a festive overlay every year, using characters from The Nightmare before Christmas.
New Orleans Square has a reputation for hearty Louisiana-style food. Long lines stretch from the Royal Street Veranda, where spicy gumbo is sold in French bread bowls. Since 2007, a table-service restaurant named Café Orleans has been serving guests Montecristo sandwiches and Creole specialties. Diners can make reservations early in the day for lunch or dinner at Blue Bayou, an atmospheric venue within the Pirates of the Caribbean run. But what some call the best food in all of Disneyland isn’t available to the public, hidden behind a mysterious door labeled “33.”
Club 33 is an exclusive members-only club tucked away on the streets of New Orleans Square. It was designed by Walt Disney as a gathering place for super-VIPs and corporate meetings. Currently, there is a five-year waiting list to receive club membership, along with a US$10,000 (USD) membership fee and annual dues of several thousand dollars. Unsurprisingly, members get free park admission, but food at the Club 33 restaurant isn’t included. Personalized service and gourmet food are the norm at the club, although many question whether the exorbitant fees are really worth it.
New Orleans Square is an essential part of Disneyland and often crowded due to the famous attractions. If you want to avoid the queues, make Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted House your first stops of the day. Even if you’ve done the rides, the area is worth a stop for lunch or a stop to listen to the live jazz that often fills the square.
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