How do you create something so coveted that people would sell a kidney to get their hands on it?
You hide it in plain sight.
That’s what Disney’s pulled off with their mysterious, ultra-exclusive Club 33.
The year is 1964, The New York World’s Fair is in full swing and some 50M visitors are in attendance.
A MASSIVE moment for the United States to flex its tech muscles, with the new Ford Mustang showcased, IBM’s computers on display at ‘The IBM Show’, and Walt Disney’s Imagineers building 4 attractions using their newly developed audio-animatronics.
Opening his first theme park in California less than a decade before, Walt Disney took The New York World’s Fair as an opportunity to learn.
A once in a lifetime spectacle that had people from all over the world wanting to travel to it.
Walt was thinking to himself can this feeling, this aura, be translated to his theme park in California YEAR ROUND?
Could he have people wanting to come explore the magic of his theme parks in the same way people didn’t want to miss out on the World’s Fair?
YES.
And that gave birth to “The Happiest Place on Earth” which sees 50,000 visitors each day.
But we’re not here to talk about the 50,000 visitors Disneyland sees each day, we’re here to talk about the 10 or 15 visitors Disneyland DOESN’T SEE each day yet are responsible for keeping the park thriving.
You’ve heard of Disney adults, but you haven’t heard of Club 33, and once you do you’ll realize that there are LEVELS to Disney adulthood, and you don’t even come close to the top.
Club 33 is the hyper exclusive dining and social experience within Disneyland.
With an initiation fee of $50,000, a yearly membership fee of $15,000, and a 15 year waitlist to join, Club 33 is more exclusive than the top social clubs in the world, yet it sits right above Jill and Jeff eating their funnel cake after getting off of Space Mountain.
**Wild side note, a couple was kicked out of Club 33 and spent 7 years trying to regain entry into the club. The wife was also quoted saying “she’d sell a kidney” to get back into the club.**
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Investors, sponsors, and A-list celebrities looking to become the star in the next Disney blockbuster, Club 33 was Disney’s opportunity to build relationships with the world’s most powerful individuals.
Like all of the world’s most exclusive groups, Club 33 was built purely on word of mouth. The only information on Disney’s website you can find about Club 33 is this…
“As membership opportunities are evaluated, Club 33 may contact you for further information.”
“MAY” contact you, ahhh the suspense.
Oh and the entire club is hidden in plain sight.
The steps up to the club are right in the middle of the theme park.
There is no obvious branding, evident symbols, or even a clue as to where Club 33 may be, just look at the entrance here LOL.
Now, Club 33 comes back to what building a sustainable business in 2024 is all about. It’s not about the “how many”, but instead it’s about the “who”. Who is attending your virtual events? Who is subscribing to your email list? Who is booking demos?
Are they decision makers? Are they known in the industry?
Disney has the masses in a stranglehold with all of their content catered to families, attainable luxury pricing in theme parks, and all encompassing ICP.
But Club 33 gives them the ability to capture a segment of the market that their products inherently wouldn’t attract, and see massive amounts of ROI while building an exclusive revenue stream and elevating the brand image in the process.
How can you weave in a VIP offer to your clients? How can you give an elevated level of service to a subset of consumers willing to pay a premium for it? Is it VIP lounges at your conferences? Is it early access to new features?
Is it flying your biggest brand partners or influencers out to your headquarters for an event?
Take a page out of Disney’s book, build your own Club 33.
