Disney-loving couple spends buckets of money to get back into elite club
A membership to Club 33 costs about $31,500 annually
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An Arizona couple obsessed with Disneyland in California lost their lawsuit against the mega theme park's members-only Club 33.
An Orange County civil court ruled against Scott and Diana Anderson, of Gilbert, after they sued Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in 2021 after Scott was kicked out of Club 33 in 2017 for being publicly intoxicated, which he has vehemently denied.
Scott told The Los Angeles Times that he and his wife are "dead set" that the outcome of their case is "wrong," and they "will fight this to the death." They plan to file an appeal.
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"My retirement is set back five years," he told the outlet. "I’m paying through the nose. Every day, I’m seeing another bill, and I’m about to keel over."
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A Disney-loving couple lost their lawsuit against the California theme park after they were booted from an exclusive club in 2017. (Mario Tama)
Diana is ready to take more drastic action.
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"I’ll sell a kidney," she told The Times. "I don’t care."
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Club 33 membership at Disneyland in California now costs about $31,500 annually. (Tim Rue/Corbis)
Their attorney argued in court that Scott had two to three drinks on the evening of Sept. 3, 2017, when Club 33 ousted him. The somewhat secretive club offers fine dining at the Club 33 restaurant at Disneyland or within different park attractions, plus souvenirs and other tailored experiences for members.
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"They have not established that Mr. Anderson was intoxicated," their attorney, Sean Macias, said during arguments in court, according to The Times.
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Disneyland's private Club 33 is a luxurious dining experience within the Magic Kingdom and patrons often bring home keepsakes as reminders of their visit. (Tim Rue/Corbis)
He added that Scott's behavior that evening — which included slurred speech and swaying — was due to a vestibular migraine, and authorities never conducted a Breathalyzer or blood test on Scott that night.
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The year prior, Diana had been temporarily suspended from Club 33 for use of foul language, The Times reported.
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People walk next to Mickey Mouse along Main Street in front of the Sleeping Beauty cast at the Disneyland theme park on April 11, 2023, in Anaheim, California. (Gary Hershorn)
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Meanwhile, Disney attorney Jonathan Phillips argued that the Andersons "did not want to pay the consequences of failing to follow the rules," and Scott "cost his wife of 40 years her lifetime dream of having access to Club 33."
The Andersons were spending nearly $125,000 on Disneyland trips every year, between their $31,500 Club 33 membership, travel expenses, hotels, passes and so on. The lawsuit cost them approximately $400,000.