New Orleans Square
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| New Orleans Square | |
| Disneyland | |
| Attraction type | Themed Land |
| Theme | 19th Century New Orleans |
| Opening date | July 24, 1966 |
| Replaced | Holidayland |
New Orleans Square is a themed land exclusively at Disneyland, and is not at any other Disney park; however, a similarly themed area can be found within Tokyo Disneyland's Adventureland. It is based on 19th century New Orleans. The land was opened to the public on July 24, 1966, and despite its age, it is still very popular with Disneyland guests. When it was designed, New Orleans Square was meant to be just that - a perfect square - although nowadays it is not exactly clear where New Orleans Square borders with Frontierland.
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[edit] Layout
This area contains two of the most popular Disneyland attractions: Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Haunted Mansion is an innovative haunted house experience, while Pirates of the Caribbean takes park guests on a boat ride through extensive pirate adventure scenes. The exterior of the Haunted Mansion was actually constructed in 1962, but Imagineers took several years to develop the attraction. The completed ride opened on August 9, 1969.
New Orleans Square is also home to a private club and restaurant, Club 33, located above the "Blue Bayou Restaurant" around the corner from the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean. Not open to the general public and rarely mentioned in any of the park's promotional material, Club 33's membership costs around $7,500-$10,000 per year with a waiting list several years long. The entrance to the club is a plain blue door, marked only with an address plaque bearing the number "33", immediately to the right of the Blue Bayou. It is the only place in Disneyland where alcoholic beverages are served.
Morse code can be heard from the telegraph at the train station in New Orleans Square. The transmission is the first two sentences from Walt Disney's opening day speech on July 17, 1955. "To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future."
[edit] Attractions
New Orleans Square in itself is an attraction with the French Quarter-styled buildings. It also features live jazz music on the street. Guests have been enjoying The Side Street Strutters weekly performances of traditional New Orleans jazz since 1985. Teddy Buckner and His Jazz All-Stars were regulars in the '80's. Teddy was often mistaken for Louis Armstrong and even played him once in film. His famous band was busy entertaining the generals and VIP's in WW2.
In 2006, the French Market restaurant featured the Jambalaya Jazz Band, including a live singer "Queenie". Though not related to any Disney production, she also performs outside the Disney Gallery several times a day. The Bootleggers pirate band also performs nearby.
- The Haunted Mansion - opened August 9, 1969
- Pirates of the Caribbean - opened March 18, 1967
- The Disneyland Railroad Frontierland Station rests on New Orleans Square property.
[edit] Dining and shopping
- The Blue Bayou restaurant overlooks part of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. It features cajun-style food in a fine dining atmosphere.
- Cafe Orleans
- French Market
- Mint Julep Bar (Non-Alcoholic)
- Royal Street Veranda
- Club 33 is an ultra-exclusive members-only dining facility for Disney executives and VIPs weaving around the second story of New Orleans Square. It is the only place where liquor is served in the park.
The idea for Club 33 originated years earlier from a private room Walt Disney maintained at the Red Wagon Inn (now the Plaza Inn) for VIPs. The entrance to Club 33 is located directly to the west of the Blue Bayou entrance. The door is simply marked with a stained-glass "33" above it. To enter, guests press a small, black button which summons an attendant.
The restaurant is actually located in the second floor of the structure. Many of its windows are adorned as balconies, easily seen from the walkways below.
The waiting list for Club 33 is typically long and membership is in the thousands of dollars to join.
[edit] Trivia
- Walt Disney made then-mayor of the real New Orleans, Victor H. Schiro, the mayor of New Orleans Square.
- Before New Orleans Square was built, Holidayland stood in its place.
- In Early January New Orleans Square was an added land into the online multiplayer game VMK
- Kimberly Williamson Butler, a minor candidate in the New Orleans mayoral election, 2006, garnered national attention with her election website's depiction of the candidate in New Orleans Square rather than the real New Orleans. At the top of her webpage was a photoshopped photograph of Butler standing in what may appear to some to be the French Quarter. However the curve of the street and the distinct trash cans of Disneyland reveal the actual location to those familiar with both locations. The photo also had the sign for the Blue Bayou Restaurant airbrushed out. The mistake was reported on many Disney fan sites [1], blogs, and cable news outlets. According to the Associated Press, the unauthorized use of the Disney image has been referred to Disney's legal department.[2] On April 18, the obvious Disneyland trash can had been removed from the image; on April 19, the entire photo was gone, replaced by what appears to be an image of campaign literature.
| The themed lands of a Magic Kingdom-style park: |
| Main Street, U.S.A. | Fantasyland | Tomorrowland | Frontierland | Adventureland |
| New Orleans Square | Liberty Square | Mickey's Toontown | Critter Country |
