How Disneyland’s Club 33 really got its name — it’s not what you think

• October 6, 2023

The official version of the Club 33 origin story has a new twist involving 33 corporate sponsors that helped build Disneyland thanks to a 300-page history of the Anaheim theme park that delves into the legend and lore of the exclusive private club in New Orleans Square.

A new history of Disneyland written by the Historic Resources Group for the 17,000-page DisneylandForward Environmental Impact Report offers new insights into the origins of the Club 33 name. The EIR was paid for by Disney and released by the city of Anaheim.

Disneyland’s official backstory always held that the Club 33 name came from the address of the VIP lounge in New Orleans Square: 33 Royal Street.

If you look closely, each of the businesses in New Orleans Square has a distinct address along Royal, Orleans and Front streets.

SEE ALSO: 10 things you don’t know about Disneyland’s sort-of-secret Club 33

Club 33’s former entrance used to be located between the Blue Bayou restaurant at 31 Royal Street and Le Bat en Rouge at 35 Royal Street. After a major remodel, the Club 33 entrance was relocated in 2014 to the Court of Angels. The new Club 33 entrance is now closer to Orleans Street beyond Eudora’s Chic Boutique that took over the former Le Bat en Rouge location.

Now it seems the addresses on Royal Street may have been arranged to accommodate the Club 33 name rather than the club adopting its name from its street location.

“The number ‘33’ came from the number of original sponsors of rides and attractions in the park,” according to the Historic Resources Group in the DisneylandForward EIR. “It was meant as a place where the sponsors could conduct business lunches.”

Walt Disney created Club 33 as an elegant, exclusive hangout for well-heeled VIPs. For decades, Club 33 was famously the only place that served alcohol in otherwise dry Disneyland.

“Members consisted mostly of Disneyland’s corporate partners and local Orange County businessmen,” according to the EIR.

SEE ALSO: Disneyland adds ‘sparkle and shine’ during Club 33 refurbishment

The private, fine-dining club on the second story of New Orleans Square shared a commercial kitchen with the Disney family apartment at 21 Royal Street just above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. Disney died in 1966 before the apartment was completed.

Disneyland’s 33 original corporate sponsors helped fund the construction of the Anaheim theme park in 1955 and the years that followed by attaching their company names to rides, attractions, shops and restaurants.

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Walt Disney initially had trouble persuading local and national companies to lease commercial space within his theme park — a novel and untried concept in the early 1950s. The unsuccessful fundraising pitches turned a corner and caught fire when a Disney advertising executive came up with the idea of sponsorships.

Chicago meatpacker Swift & Co. became the first Disneyland sponsor to sign on as the operator of the Market House on Main Street USA.

“That success opened the floodgates to 40 other sponsorships including Santa Fe Railroad Company, Bank of America, Richfield Oil, Upjohn and Carnation,” according to the EIR. “Sponsors built out their own shops with required exhibition space and their rental fees generated much needed income.”

Among the original 33 sponsors were Pepsi Cola (Golden Horseshoe), Coca-Cola (Refreshment Corner), Carnation (Carnation Cafe), Ken-L Ration (Disneyland Kennel Club), Chicken of the Sea (Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant), Frito-Lay (Casa de Fritos) and Aunt Jemima (Aunt Jemima Pancake House).

Many of the original 33 sponsors attached their names to Disneyland rides and attractions: Monsanto (Adventure Thru Inner Space), General Electric (Carousel of Progress), United Airlines (Enchanted Tiki Room), Bell Telephone (Circle-Vision 360), Goodyear Tire & Rubber (PeopleMover), Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (Disneyland Railroad), McDonnell Douglas (Rocket to the Moon) and Lincoln Savings & Loan (Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln).

Other sponsors among the original 33 included Bank of America, Eastman Kodak, Timex, Atlantic Richfield, Global Van Lines, Hallmark Card, Welch Grape Juice, Hills Bros. Coffee, Wurlitzer, Upjohn, C&H Sugar, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Sunsweet Growers and Sunkist Growers, according to the unofficial Disneyland Club 33 fan website.

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Disneyland bills Club 33 as exclusive, world class and shrouded in mystery. Club 33 was inspired by the VIP lounges Walt Disney experienced at the 1964 New York World’s Fair where It’s a Small World and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln first debuted. The private Disneyland club opened in May 1967, a few months after Disney’s death in December 1966.

Club membership costs $25,000 to join with $10,000 annual dues, according to Eater. The waiting list numbers in the hundreds and it can take more than a decade to receive an invitation. Tom Hanks, Christina Aguilera and Elton John — who all have professional Disney connections — are reportedly among the celebrity club members, according to Eater.

​ Orange County Register 

Kings give Todd McLellan a 1-year contract extension

• October 6, 2023

One of Kings coach Todd McLellan’s favorite clichés is “moving the needle,” and late Thursday it was confirmed that he’d moved it enough to stick around at least a bit longer on Figueroa Street.

The Kings have finalized terms on a one-year contract extension with McLellan, a deal initially reported by Elliotte Friedman. He has guided the team since the 2019-20 season. Then, he signed a five-year deal to become head coach after holding the same position in Edmonton and San Jose, as well as previously winning the Stanley Cup as an assistant to Mike Babcock in Detroit.

McLellan’s contract now runs through the 2024-25 season, creating a parallel timeline for the agreements with McLellan, general manager Rob Blake and lead assistant coaches Trent Yawney and Jim Hiller. McLellan’s initial deal was believed to be worth $5 million annually, but no further details were clear regarding the extension.

With 575 NHL coaching victories, McLellan ranks 23rd in league history and fifth among active coaches in wins. His career points percentage trails that of the New York Rangers’ Peter Laviolette for the highest among their contemporaries by literally the slimmest of margins, .001%.

When McLellan assumed control of the Kings’ bench, the organization was in disrepair, with links to their two Stanley Cup crowns withering on the vine and the roots of the organization decaying beneath a slew of traded picks and a few failed prospects.

After a season punctuated by NHL award nominations, rock solid defense and a playoff berth in 2017-18, the Kings had finished dead last in the Pacific in 2018-19, which led them to seek out McLellan. In his first season, the team struggled but finished the campaign by reeling off seven consecutive wins, a streak that was halted only by the suspension of play amid the outset of the pandemic. Year 2 was also marred by not only COVID but also a lack of depth, a further selling off of assets and generally another shortened season to forget.

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Yet Blake made shrewd, selective investments in roster help and McLellan’s system began to flourish with more skating, skill and seasoning. In the past two campaigns, the Kings have qualified for the postseason, pushing the Edmonton Oilers to seven games despite being undermanned in 2022 and producing an exhilarating six-game series last season.

​ Orange County Register 

Southern California News Group Girls Athlete of the Week: Kayla Giddings, San Marino

• October 6, 2023

San Marino cross country runner Kayla Giddings is the Southern California News Group’s High School Girls Athlete of the Week for Sept. 25-Oct. 1 after she received 303 of the 577 votes (67.21%) at the deadline Thursday.

Rosary’s Katie Meneses (flag flootball) received 264 votes (45.75%) to finish in second place. Oaks Christian’s Sunny Wang finished (golf) third.

Congratulations to all of the candidates for this week’s honor.

To read more about Julia, click here.

The SCNG Athlete of the Week winners are announced online each Friday morning during the school year.

About the poll: The Southern California News Group includes the Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News, Press-Enterprise, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, Pasadena-Star News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, The Daily Breeze, San Bernardino Sun, Daily Bulletin and Redlands Daily Facts.

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​ Orange County Register 

Free Metro Express buses for Dodgers’ National League Division Series games

• October 6, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Metro announced that starting Saturday, it will provide free Dodger Stadium Express bus service for the 2023 National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers’ home games against the Diamondbacks are scheduled for Oct. 7, 9 and 14. Fans can ride Dodger Stadium Express to the game for free. Regular fares apply on all other connecting bus, rail, bikeshare and Metro Micro services.

Dodger Stadium Express buses will be available from both Los Angeles Union Station in downtown LA and from the South Bay Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena.

From Union Station, buses will pick up fans about every 10 minutes in front of the station west adjacent to Alameda Street near the taxi zone. During the playoffs, service from Union Station begins two hours prior to the start of the game through the end of the second inning.

Return service runs until 45 minutes after the final out or 20 minutes after post-game events. Passengers can use two stops at the ballpark — either behind center field or at the top deck.

From Harbor Gateway Transit Center, attendees can board buses located at Bay 9, with buses running every 30 minutes. Riders can board at any of the following stations: Slauson, Westchester, Harbor Freeway and Rosecrans.

Service from the transit center begins two hours prior to the start of the game and ends 45 minutes after games are over or 20 minutes after a post-game event.

Both express services will utilize a dedicated bus lane on Sunset Boulevard, where game day traffic congestion is the heaviest. Metro has partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation for traffic mitigation support that will help expedite trips to and from games.

The Harbor Gateway uses the ExpressLanes on the 110 Freeway to speed up trips to the stadium.

Metro encourages customers to use its transit systems and services that connect to Union Station, including Metro Rail, Metrolink, Amtrak and city bus operators. The Harbor Gateway Transit Center is served by several Metro bus lines, the J (Silver) Line and Torrance Transit.

Funding for the Dodger Stadium Express is provided under a grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee and from Metro’s operations budget. The committee awards funding within the South Coast Air Basin from a portion of the state vehicle registration fee for projects that bring clean air by reducing traffic in the L.A. area.

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​ Orange County Register 

Homebuyers hit the brakes, ‘smothering’ the mortgage marketplace

• October 6, 2023

Homebuyers have taken a timeout as rising interest rates smother the housing market.

On Thursday, Oct. 5, Freddie Mac pegged the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.49%, according to its weekly lender survey. The last time the rate was this high was December 2000.

A day later, the Bureau of Labor Statistics stunned with its September employment report. The U.S. added a booming 336,000 jobs — 69,000 more jobs than the 12-month moving average.

Also see: Mortgage rates hit 23-year high as Fed plays ‘Grinch’

Forget a one-quarter point rate hike by the Federal Reserve before the end of the year. This new jobs information certainly puts us squarely at a one-half-point increase. The prime rate, I believe, will hit 9% before 2023 is done. Mortage rates for a 30-year fixed loan are going to top 8%.

Assuming a 7.49% interest rate, a 30-year fixed mortgage today on a $600,000 mortgage nets the homebuyer a $4,191 payment. Compare that to the all-time low Freddie rate of 2.65% in January 2021 and a payment of $2,418.

More from Lazerson: Is relief in sight for priced-out homebuyers? Don’t hold your breath

Mortgage borrowing costs for well-qualified borrowers have increased 73% in a little more than two and one-half years.

And this mortgage rate ascent has absolutely smothered the mortgage business.

“Mortgage applications grounded to a halt, dropping to the lowest level since 1996,” said Joel Kan, vice president and deputy chief economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association. “The purchase market slowed to the lowest level of activity since 1995, as the rapid rise in rates pushed an increasing number of potential homebuyers out of the market.”

Also see: Yield surge helps Fed on inflation but puts housing, lending at risk

I checked in with some of my industry peers to get their takes.

“The interest rate climb has directly affected the borrowing power of buyers, pricing many of them out of the market or searching for less expensive properties,” said Al Hensling, president, United American Mortgage. “Many who were just on the cusp of affordability are finding themselves reevaluating their options of purchasing at this time.”

“The challenge in Southern California, an area already experiencing a lack of housing for sale, is the fact that many would-be sellers are reluctant to give up their sub-4% mortgages to make a move further impacting buyers’ ability to find homes for sale,” Hensling said.

Latest market news: Rising mortgage rates squeeze Southern California homebuyers, depress sales

What about borrowers who can’t qualify for a good, albeit currently expensive, Freddie or Fannie conventional mortgage?

The exotic mortgage space, also known as non-prime or non-qualified mortgage, is where there is still a pulse of business volume.

“It’s not the rate. It’s can you get the deal done?” said Dean Ayres, senior vice president at Foundation Mortgage. “We’re seeing a lot of deals that were denied elsewhere for one reason or another with a ton of appraisal transfers.”

Ayres says his team learns ahead of time what the issues are. “Why did they deny it? What is the problem?”

Full disclosure: My mortgage company does business with Ayres. Foundation Mortgage offers non-qualified mortgages only.

And there’s something else brewing. Wholesale mortgage rates (those sourced by mortgage brokers) are shooting up at an astounding pace. Offering a borrower a zero-point loan is very expensive — to the tune of 8% on a 30-year fixed for a well-qualified borrower. (My advice: Don’t spend your money now on points because rates will likely be lower in a year, and you can refinance.)

For marginally qualified borrowers it’s nearly impossible to provide a zero-point loan due to the pricing adds.

Exotic mortgages can be north of a 10% interest rate. Yikes!

Nothing good is going to happen for homebuyers in the near term unless you trip on a distressed home seller.

With higher rates ahead, prices should flatten. I expect a hard recession next year.

Freddie Mac rate news

The 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.49%, 18 basis points higher than last week. The 15-year fixed rate averaged 6.78%, 6 basis points higher than last week.

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a 6% mortgage application decrease compared to last week.

Bottom line: Assuming a borrower gets the average 30-year fixed rate on a conforming $726,200 loan, last year’s payment was $406 less than this week’s payment of $5,073.

What I see: Locally, well-qualified borrowers can get the following fixed-rate mortgages with one point: A 30-year FHA at 7%, a 15-year conventional at 6.75%, a 30-year conventional at 7.25%, a 15-year conventional high balance at 7.5% ($726,201 to $1,089,300), a 30-year high balance conventional at 7.625% and a jumbo 30-year fixed at 7.75%.

Note: The 30-year FHA conforming loan is limited to loans of $644,000 in the Inland Empire and $726,200 in LA and Orange counties.

Eye catcher loan program of the week: A 30-year adjustable, interest-only and fixed for the first five years, rate at 7.5% with 1 point cost.

Jeff Lazerson is a mortgage broker. He can be reached at 949-334-2424 or [email protected].

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​ Orange County Register 

Huntington Beach council majority signals won’t move fast toward cannabis sales

• October 6, 2023

The City Council tapped the brakes on Huntington Beach moving toward cannabis sales.

The council’s majority has rejected a $325,000 grant from the state’s Department of Cannabis Control, which would have funded expenses related to implementing a cannabis retailer licensing program. The 3-to-4 decision signals that councilmembers aren’t giving the idea blanket support.

The council’s rejection comes months after Huntington Beach voters approved taxing possible future revenue from cannabis sales.

Councilmembers Gracey Van Der Mark and Casey McKeon both said they want Huntington Beach residents to vote if they want cannabis sales in the city before taking any further steps for implementation. The council also voted to dissolve a cannabis ad-hoc committee.

“I feel we are just slowly, nose under the tent, trying to chip away at this,” McKeon said. “If we want to ask the voters if we should allow cannabis sales, let’s do that.”

Last November, Huntington Beach voters approved Measure O, which would allow the city to tax cannabis businesses if they ever became permitted. Measure O estimated the city could make between $300,000 and $600,000 a year in tax revenue to fund municipal services. It was approved with 54% of the vote.

Councilmember Dan Kalmick, who supported accepting the grant, said Huntington Beach is well down the path toward investigating if cannabis sales should be allowed and the tax revenue could shore up the city’s budget.

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About 53% of Huntington Beach voters in 2016 voted for Proposition 64, which legalized marijuana use in the state. Huntington Beach has gone so far as to create a draft ordinance last year, which would allow up to 10 retail cannabis stores in the city.

Few Orange County cities allow cannabis sales currently. Costa Mesa, Stanton and Santa Ana allow retail cannabis storefronts in their cities. Twenty-eight other cities in the county and unincorporated areas ban all cannabis business types.

​ Orange County Register 

Doors to CSUF arts events now open to all Titans

• October 6, 2023

Beginning Oct. 1, Cal State Fullerton students have complimentary access to all performances and exhibitions available through the College of the Arts. From theater and dance productions to music performances and visual arts exhibitions, Titans will be able to experience and enjoy all that CSUF Arts has to offer for free.

This unique opportunity has been made available to the student population through a collaborative effort between the College of the Arts and the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The partnership will not only provide increased access to the arts for students, but the effort aligns with the university’s larger goal of building community across campus.

“The impetus was to create a sense of belonging for our students here at Cal State Fullerton,” said Arnold Holland, Dean of the College of the Arts. “We have historically been a commuter campus, but if you’ve been on campus in the last few years, certainly since the pandemic, you’ll see that we’ve tried very hard to make the campus a more welcoming environment for students just to be.”

Additionally, Holland acknowledged that faculty members oftentimes will ask students to attend an arts production or performance, and this opportunity will allow students to do so without the burden of having to pay for the experience.

“It didn’t feel like that was a good use of a student’s time to pay to have to see a performance for a class without necessarily the ability to enjoy the performance,” Holland said. “We want things to be more accessible for students, for sure, but we also want it to be a more welcoming and belonging environment.”

The College of the Arts serves more than 2,600 Titan students across 61 areas of concentration and is currently undergoing a $65 million visual arts modernization project that will run to the fall of 2024.

The project includes the building of new spaces as well as the renovation of existing areas. Nearly 122,000 square feet of space is under construction and will feature new classrooms, offices, digital arts computer labs and an atrium space.

The effort also includes the 15,000-square-foot Nicholas and Lee Begovich Gallery, an outward-facing building design that will bring all of the College of the Arts’ gallery spaces under one roof and provide greater visibility to both the campus and the community.

“Our visual arts department, our performing arts department and the TSU (Titan Student Union) are really right in the hub of student activity on campus,” Holland said. “We want students to be able to walk by and see what’s happening inside the College of the Arts. We want everybody to know that this is no longer what somebody once described to me as, ‘the best-kept secret for arts and culture in Orange County.’ We don’t want to be a secret anymore, not to our students and not to our community.”

Students interested in attending any of the College of the Arts events can obtain one complimentary ticket per performance by preregistering through the ticketing system website or by visiting the campus box office with their student ID.

A variety of performances and exhibitions are scheduled for this fall, including a stage production by the CSUF Department of Theatre and Dance of “A Chorus Line” from Nov. 9 – Dec. 2 at the Little Theatre, as well as “Fullerton Pops!” on Nov. 4 at Meng Concert Hall, the first pops concert of its kind for the CSUF School of Music on campus.

Holland sees this opportunity as an ongoing partnership between the College of the Arts and the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and he is looking forward to seeing the impact to the Titan community as increased access to the arts will allow students to explore, collaborate and connect.

“In any given year, the College of Arts brings in tens of thousands of people from the community to see our plays, our performances and our exhibitions,” Holland said. “I’m hoping to see that number double with the inclusion of all of our students, regardless of their major here at Cal State Fullerton. This is not just for 2023 or 2024. I’m hoping this is the way forward for Cal State Fullerton for the College of the Arts.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Dale Velzy Surf Classic and Luau turns 35 at Doheny State Beach

• October 6, 2023

The 35th annual Dale Velzy Surf Classic and Luau will hit Doheny State Beach this Saturday, Oct. 7. The fundraising event pays homage to one of surfing’s early-era icons.

The gathering will kickoff at 7:30 a.m. at the “Boneyards” surf break on the north end of the beach with a surf contest featuring about 80 participants.

“We’re really looking forward to it, it should be a great year,” said R.J. Harvey, president of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, which organizes the event.

One of the most popular draws is the tandem surfers who take to the water and flip and do tricks while riding the waves on the same board.

One of the biggest draws of the Velzy Surf Classic competition in Dana Point are the tandem surfers. This year’s event, now in its 35th year, will be held on Oct. 7, 2023. (File photo by Kevin Sullivan, The Orange County Register)

New this year will be a heat with the nonprofit Surf & Turf, which helps kids with disabilities get on boards at Doheny State Beach, while also providing horseback riding therapy in nearby San Juan Capistrano.

“It spreads the stoke of surfing, to see the stoke in their eyes,” Harvey said.

Weather should be summer-like for the event, hitting 80 degrees at the coast. Waves look promising, too, Harvey said.

The event is important to keep Velzy’s legacy going, Harvey said, because the board shaper who died in 2005 was a “super inspiring” persona who wasn’t just a surfer, but was also a hot rodder and cowboy who lived an eccentric lifestyle.

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Velzy is credited with having the first shop selling surfboards – a plaque marking that honor was recently approved in Manhattan Beach for outside the former shop. Later in his shaping career he worked in Dana Point and San Clemente. Velzy was inducted into the first San Clemente Boardbuilders Hall of Fame last month. 

Dale Velzy helped popularize surfing along the California coast and a plaque is being proposed for where he got his start in Manhattan Beach, said to be the first surfboard shop. (AP Photo/The Orange County Register, Chas Metivier)

“It’s important because there’s were so many interesting facets of his life,” Harvey said. “He wasn’t just a surfer or shaper, he did so many interesting things.”

Tickets to the luau, which starts at 3 p.m. will include dance performances, music and dinner, are $30. More info: dlsa.club/velzy-surf-classic/ 

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​ Orange County Register