Boy33's Fan Mail Monday..

With last Friday's tragic events in Japan, Boy33 and I decided to postpone the posting of the Fan Question Friday part of the interview, to show our respect for the lives lost, injured and affected by the earthquake and tsunami. We thought it'd be more appropriate to not focus on the mystery man  behind the green door, but more on something of much more importance. But now as we promised, I'm posting the second part of this now. I hope you understand my reasoning for delaying the post, and I hope you enjoy the post today. :) 

> Jake 

Alright Mr. 33, how’s your week been? I’m glad we’re getting to sit down again after having to end the last meeting a bit quick. Life gets crazy, right?

Definitely, now we can focus on all these fan questions you’ve collected up over the week! I hear you got some good ones. Great idea by the way. Great to get some interaction going. Fan Question Friday! Who knows… maybe I’ll do more. No promises!

For sure! I still have some other questions for you, before we jump in on the fan questions. Let’s start with the Carthay Theater. What do you think of the Carthay Circle Club? Do you think that Disney will go through with creating an exclusive "33"-like club inside the up and coming sister park?

Well, I don’t know, but I’m really excited about the possibilities, and honestly, I really do think it will happen. They’ve got more than enough people on the Club 33 wait list alone to fill it up. Fine dining inside DCA would be a nice complement to the park. Curious to see how they’d “entice” people though since secrecy/mystique and alcohol are two of 33’s biggest draws, which would be completely negated by both a PROMINENT location, and a park already flowing with booze. Like I said, I’m excited to see what Disney comes up with. Either way, you know I’ll send you pics from inside, Jake. ;)

What? No invite to dinner there? Waiter, check please! This interview’s over.

(He laughs)

Haha, we’ll work something out. It doesn’t even exist yet, Jake! Next question..

What do you think of Club 33 losing its original 'secrecy' due to the fan base and the internet?

Well, true, Club 33 HAS lost some of its “secrecy.” But only among the people who seek out the information. But Club 33 will always have a mystique. Walt built it. He shaped and created it. Unfortunately he never got to experience it but there are remnants of him there. You can feel it if you’re paying attention. You can just imagine him sipping coffee at a window table or stretching his legs on the balcony, watching people exit Pirates, his last attraction, with delight on both his and the guests’ faces. I feel it when I go. And no amount of pictures or trip reports can capture that. But it wasn’t built TO BE a secret. It was a secret because it was his. It was built out of the way because it WASN’T a Disneyland attraction itself. It was Walt’s. That’s why it’s not on the map. And really, in the grand scheme of the average day guest, so very few people even KNOW where it is or that it’s even THERE. So, to a degree it still is a mystery to many. Most. And I like that.

To the uberfans, nothing Disney does going forward can be a mystery or secret anymore. “Macro” and his telephoto xray superlens will take care of THAT, haha. And that’s not a bad thing, or a dig at him. He’s just one of the most known. And MintCrocodile. I follow the updates religiously just like you do. I love it. But, there will always be that unexplored hidden upper floor in New Orleans Square that even some of the most passionate Disney fans are dying to explore and see for themselves. And I love that too.

Wow, well said! I agree, the secrecy is definitely still there for the average day guest. I still have some friends ask me “What’s that?” when I bring it up from time to time.  

Let’s go old school here, (since we’re on the topic of restaurants… kind of…) when Disney(‘s) California Adventure opened, what was your favorite restaurant that is no longer there? Wolfgang Puck's Avalon Cove, Soap Opera Bistro, and for good measure, the places (Mali-bu-rito, Strips, Dips, and Chips) along Paradise Pier.

To be honest, I was never a fan of “Wolfgang Puck” in general, so I never ate at Avalon Cove. Nor did I eat at any of those others. Come on, I’m kind of picky let’s just be honest. There are a total of THREE places in Disneyland I can eat. But as far as Paradise Pier goes, I did enjoy Corn Dog Castle every now and then. Yum. 

Nice! I’ve always enjoyed a corn dog from there myself. Especially on a cold night with some coffee (even though it’s not Starbucks) Ok, that’s all the questions I’ve got, let’s move onto the fans questions…

Fan Questions!

Gina D. asks:
How does he like his steak prepared? Rare, med rare, med, or well done?

Medium Rare. #winning

Ryan V. asks:
What does he look like? Haha

I’m 56, salt and pepper gray hair. Thin. I usually wear a black mock turtleneck, and faded blue jeans with New Balance sneakers. Oh, wait, that’s Steve Jobs…

Ryan J. asks
Has a follower ever gotten him something when they found him?

Sadly, no. But I’ve occasionally gotten people reservations at Club 33 for finding me. But nobody’s ever gotten ME anything. Not that I’d want that anyway. I just don’t want to be found, period. Hehe.

Ian R. asks
If he's in his mid-40s, why is his twitter "boy33?”

Maybe I just like to feel young. Maybe I just liked the ring of it better than the alternative, after all, I AM a “boy.” Or… am I even that?!? DUN DUN DUN!!!

Joel D. asks
If you could throw one item into Rivers of America, what would it be?

An ECV or a stroller. Loads of them.

Same here! *high fives*

Kevin H. asks

Ask him if he knows what brand of toilet paper disneyland buys? xD

I do not. But I do know that Club 33 has better TP than what the normal park restrooms get.

Corey C. asks

Ask if he is ThemeParkOne and HaroldTheSnowman. Oh and ask if he is really going to meet up with Holly.

You know, I honestly don’t know who @HaroldSnowman is. @ThemeParkOne and I do get drinks and roam the Parks every now and then. As for Holly, sounds like we may be getting together for drinks soon.

Twitter Questions! (note: if you wish to follow these fans, I've linked their twitter profiles as their usernames.)

BrerPeter asks:
How did he get his membership to the club?

Same way everyone else did, I suppose…waiting in line.

Ocswaynee asks:
When did he become a Club 33 member?

You know, I know of several of my followers who actually are members themselves and since there are SO FEW new members every year, and in the interest of protecting my identity, I’d really rather not say. It would just be way too easy otherwise. Sorry!

D_LandObsession asks:

Here's a question Im desperate to know the answer to. "Will you be taking D_LandObsession to club 33 for dinner soon?"

Haha. Magic 8 Ball says “Outlook not so good.” ;)

LoonAZ1 asks:

Burning question we all want to know... How does he afford "living at Club33"?

Oh I don’t really LIVE there. The rent is outrageous. I just visit a lot.

Markrh12asks:

One thing I've wanted to know is occupation. Seems he is at the parks a lot and I want to know his job.

I have a great professional job where I put my degrees to good use. :-X

Cbisson88 asks:

Just read the blog. Great interview so far I’m surprised only 3 people have found you. How do they approach you, boy33?

They just walk up and say “Are you boy33?” And I’ve gotta amend the “3.” It’s 4 now. But they’ve all been sworn to secrecy about my identity. ;) Well, and I guess you know who I am too, Jake, but you’re sworn to secrecy too, mister! Ha.

Haha you know your secret’s safe with me. I gotta help keep the green door shut!

Barricade itttt!!! Hahaha.

Butrphliasks:

How long has Boy33 been a member of Club 33?

See “When did he become a Club 33 member?” question above…

InfernoCreation asks:

I gots a question for boy33. How does he feel about all the Disney twitters popping up. Is it helping or hurting Disney?

Like, all the AudioAnimatronic twitters? @HaroldSnowman and @MurphyTracker are hilarious. The others seem to have faded away. The “project tracker” twitter accounts are a mixed bag. I think for the most part they help spread the word about what’s upcoming in the parks and help generate free hype for Disney. I take a tiny bit of an issue with MiceChat calling their twitter account “Disney” cuz I think when they’re retweeted it can be misleading. But overall, the “tracker” accounts are a useful community.

jacksparrowfan asks:

I love the little details all over Disneyland. Do you have a favorite?

Oooooh. I love the details. It’s what Disney does best. Like the stuff hanging above your head in the Pirates queue as you approach boarding. You don’t notice it but it helps trick your brain. Disney is ALL about the details that you don’t notice, but would miss if they weren’t there.

ROYAL1RICH asks:

Did boy33 go to the Disney school?

What is the Disney School? Like, where I got my degrees? I got my undergrad and grad degrees from a university NOT accredited by Mickey Mouse. ;)

Alright Mr. 33, that's all the questions the fans sent in to me to ask you. I really appreciate you taking time to chat with me, and answer not only my questions, but the fans questions as well!

No problem at all, I always enjoy chatting about Disney, and giving some fans a small peek inside my personal green door. 

Well I'm sure they loved getting that small glimpse. Maybe they'll get more in the future with another interview down the road. 

Maybe! We'll see. :)