Oh, to be a celebrity visiting a Disney Park!
It’s hard not to feel special when visiting the Disney Parks, especially at the Disneyland Resort. With that said, having a celebrity status can enhance the experience. Sometimes, celebs even get special access to places that are generally off-limits for the common folk! We previously looked at secret places in Disney World that celebrities like to visit and now we’re turning our attention toward Disneyland!
For this one, we’re going to go over seven secret places that celebrities like to visit at the Disneyland Resort. If you’re getting a little FOMO, don’t worry! These places can also be experienced by anyone who can secure a reservation or get a special VIP Tour.
Walt’s Apartment
As Walt Disney’s first-ever theme park, it’s understandable that he wanted to be on hand during its construction. Nestled above the Town Square Fire Station on Main Street, U.S.A., you can still see his apartment there to this day.
This iconic piece of Disneyland history is a hotspot for celebrities to visit, but it’s also accessible to those who do the 90-minute Walt’s Main Street Story Tour! As a note, this tour currently costs $160 per person ages 3 and up on top of park admission.
Matterhorn Basketball Court
The Matterhorn may be majestic and intimidating on the outside, but inside, it holds one of the quirkiest additions to any Disney Park!
The upper third of the mountain houses storage space and a small basketball court! While not full regulation size, this court was still equipped with a hoop and full backboard and was a blast for Cast Members who would use it as a break space. There is now a breakroom at the base of the mountain, but the court still remains.
Tomorrowland Utilidors
Admittedly, utilidors are much more of a thing at Magic Kingdom, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist at Disneyland!
Utilidors are underground tunnels that allow Cast Members and other personnel to navigate the Parks without the hustle and bustle of crowds. At Magic Kingdom, for example, these utilidors can help big-time celebrities go from A to B without all the fanfare. At Disneyland, this underground system is limited to Tomorrowland and, as legend has it, Walt wanted a utilidor system built because he was bothered by the sight of a cowboy walking through Tomorrowland on the way to Frontierland. Gotta preserve the magic!
Club 33
The famous Club 33 is an expensive membership that is more attainable for celebrities. The restaurant and lounge itself is hidden away in New Orleans Square above Pirates of the Caribbean and is considered one of, if not the best, dining experiences in all of the Disneyland Resort.
Meant to be an exclusive spot that entertains VIP guests, Club 33 is not easy to visit if you’re not a celebrity looking to escape the crowds or have a boatload of cash. Membership costs $35,000 initially and then $15,000 annually, and there’s also a waitlist that you first have to clear…whew.
Can’t afford a membership but still want to visit? Make friends with a Club 33 member who can secure reservations or work for a company that has a corporate Club 33 membership!
1901 Lounge
Club 33 also extends into Disney California Adventure! The 1901 Lounge near Carthay Circle was named after Walt’s birth year and is another tough-to-experience Club 33 location.
Incredibly exclusive, the 1901 Lounge is overseen by Executive Chef Andrew Sutton and holds a strict dress code. You also have to be a Club 33 member just for the chance to book a reservation, which explains why celebrities are much more likely to visit.
21 Royal
Once again, we find another restaurant on the list of Disneyland places celebrities like to visit!
Located in the heart of Disneyland, 21 Royal is an exclusive dining experience above Royal Street above Pirates of the Caribbean. The experience has guests meet at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa where they receive a VIP escort. Once at the restaurant, they are served signature cocktails by professional butlers in the salon and then everyone is invited out to the patio for a casual reception. You then get to explore the different rooms.
For dinner, “a fascinating tale unfolds told through fine food and drink, making for a unique and truly magical fine dining experience.” Dessert is then served on the private balcony, where you and your guests are treated to a view of the Rivers of America and, on several nights, nighttime entertainment.
It’s not cheap though if you’re not a celebrity. 21 Royal can accommodate up to 12 guests and an experience costs $18,000.
Disneyland Backstage
We already talked about utilidors but let’s get into the backstage of Disneyland!
While utilidors aren’t super present at Disneyland, backstage areas certainly are! These areas are typically off-limits to guests, but certain VIP tours can get access. They can also be used by guests who have media clearance during certain events or when Disneyland needs to control the flow of traffic.
Cast Members heavily use these paths to get from A to B and these walkways often have old posters and some theming. We visit Disneyland every week and we’ve actually used backstage walkways quite a bit as just regular parkgoers!
And there you have it! We are constantly at the Disney Parks, so continue to follow us for fun tidbits, updates, tips, reviews, and more!
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Have you experienced any of these secret Disneyland locations? Let us know in the comments!
