According to Disney, Club 33 is simply named after its address at 33 Royal Street in New Orleans Square at Disneyland.[2] However, several others believe that there are other explanations behind the name. Some speculates that the name refers to 33 institutional patrons at Disneyland in 1966-1967 when the club was being built and opened.[3]
Others speculate that the name is a reference to the 33rd degree of Freemasonry. While there is no concrete evidence to support that Walt Disney was himself a Freemason, there is proof that he was at least a member of DeMolay International, a fraternal organization that is essentially Freemasonry for youth. There is also some supporting evidence of masonic roots found in the Disney theme parks themselves, such as this prop crate located in Disney World's Magic Kingdom with the inscription "H. Abiff's Working Tools," a likely reference to Hiram Abiff, who "is the foundational (character) of Freemasonry's ritualistic drama of the third, or Master's Degree."[4]
Additionally, 1933 is the year in which the United States repealed the prohibition of alcohol. Prior to the 2019 opening of Oga's Cantina in Disneyland's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Club 33 was the only location within Disneyland Park to offer alcoholic beverages.[1]