Disney fandom can drive individuals to extreme lengths, including legal battles and personal sacrifices, in their pursuit of exclusive experiences like Club 33, reflecting both the financial investment and emotional dedication of devoted fans. Scott and Diana Anderson, a couple described as “Disney Adults,” spent nearly $125,000 a year on their near-constant trips to Disneyland. They've spent roughly three times that in a failed bid to regain their membership to Disney's exclusive Club 33. As the Los Angeles Times reports, the Andersons spent more than a decade on the waiting list for the private club, finally joining in 2012 and forking over annual dues of $31,500. The Arizona couple, both 60, traveled to the theme park as many as 80 times a year, but the fairy tale screeched to a halt on Sept. 3, 2017, when Scott was accused of being drunk near the entrance of California Adventure.
Their Club 33 membership was yanked—its membership rules explicitly note public intoxication isn't allowed—and they've been fighting ever since to get it back. That fight hit a wall on Tuesday, when an Orange County jury found Disney didn't improperly revoke their membership. Per testimony from the civil trial, security guards say Scott had a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, was slurring his words, and struggled to stand on the night in question. Attorney Sean Macias says Scott had at most three drinks, including red wine—which Macias claims triggered a vestibular migraine and caused the symptoms in question.
Macias alleged there was also a lack of evidence: no surveillance video or Breathalyzer or blood tests. The couple wanted to claim they were being retaliated against for complaining about a fellow club member's behavior—the Daily Breeze reported at the time that Scott had emailed management to complain about a Club 33 member who he said verbally attacked a terminally ill fellow member, but the judge didn't allow them to present that as evidence. “My wife and I are both dead set that this is an absolute wrong, and we will fight this to the death,” said Scott, who plans to appeal. Diana said much the same. “I'll sell a kidney [to pay for the fight]. I don't care.”
The $125,000 Disney Habit
As members of Disney’s exclusive Club 33, Scott and Diana Anderson visited the two Anaheim theme parks 60 to 80 times a year. The private club, with its wood-paneled trophy room and other amenities, was the center of their social life. They brought friends, acquaintances and business associates. As a couple, they went on the Haunted Mansion ride nearly 1,000 times. The club’s yearly dues were $31,500, and with travel and hotel expenses, the Arizona couple were spending close to $125,000 annually to get their Disney fix. All of it came to an end in 2017, when Disney revoked their membership in the club after an allegation that Scott Anderson was drunk in public. Diana Anderson, a hard-core Disney aficionado since childhood, called it “a stab in the heart.”
The Fight for Reinstatement
The Andersons, both 60, have spent the years since then — and hundreds of thousands of dollars — trying to get back into Club 33. On Tuesday, an Orange County jury rejected their claim that Disney ousted them improperly. It had taken the Andersons more than a decade to gain membership in Club 33, which includes access to exclusive lounges, dining, VIP tours and special events. They finally made it off the waiting list in 2012. “They finally became part of this special place,” their attorney, Sean Macias, told jurors in the civil trial. “That was their spot. That was their happy place, their home.”
The Alleged Incident
At about 9:50 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2017, security guards found Scott Anderson near the entrance of California Adventure displaying signs of what they took to be intoxication, including slurred speech and trouble standing, according to trial testimony. “His breath smelled of alcohol quite a lot,” one of the guards said in court. The club swiftly ousted them. Macias said Scott Anderson had two to three drinks and that Disney did an incomplete and slipshod investigation, with no Breathalyzer or blood tests and no videos of Anderson’s behavior that night. “They have not established that Mr. Anderson was intoxicated,” Macias said. Instead, he argued, Anderson’s symptoms were the result of a vestibular migraine, which can be triggered by red wine — among the drinks Anderson consumed that day. In effect, Macias argued, Disney was punishing Anderson for a medical condition.
Disney’s Defense
Jonathan E. Phillips, an attorney representing Disney, said Club 33 membership guidelines forbid public intoxication. “They did not want to pay the consequences of failing to follow the rules,” Phillips told jurors, adding that Scott’s conduct “cost his wife of 40 years her lifetime dream of having access to Club 33.” The security guards, who no longer work for Disney, were more credible than the Andersons, Phillips said — “What possible reason did the security guards have to lie to you?”
The Verdict and Aftermath
The jury ultimately sided with Disney, finding no evidence that the company had improperly revoked the Andersons’ membership. Scott said the lawsuit has cost him about $400,000. “My retirement is set back five years,” he said. “I’m paying through the nose. Every day, I’m seeing another bill, and I’m about to keel over.” He said he will appeal. His wife said she wants to keep fighting. “I’ll sell a kidney,” Diana said. “I don’t care.”
The Price of Disney Fandom
The Anderson’s legal battle, and their willingness to spend a fortune in the pursuit of a coveted Disney experience, underscores the deep devotion of some Disney fans. This case reflects the lengths some fans will go to for their passion, and the potentially costly consequences that come with a life-long dedication to the “Happiest Place on Earth.”
The Future of the Andersons’ Disney Dream
It remains to be seen what will happen next for the Andersons. Whether their appeal is successful or not, their story serves as a reminder of the power of fandom, and the potential for that devotion to turn into a costly pursuit.
