Inside 1901 Lounge in Carthay Circle Theater in Disney's California Adventure

Happy New Year! 

Last month, I got the opportunity to walk around the exclusive 1901 Lounge located in the Carthay Circle Theater in Disney's California Adventure. I've got some pictures to share.

1901 is a lounge in Disney's California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort that is open exclusively to Club 33 members and their guests. Pictured above is the relatively small, inconspicuous sign marking the entrance at the Carthay Circle Theater. 

It is a nice place to relax in the park, order a drink from the bar, and/or order food from the Carthay Circle Restaurant next door. The lounge was named for the year of Walt Disney's birth and designed to feel like a 1930s hang out where the animators would have spent some time relaxing. All of the walls are decorated with photos, drawings, and memorabilia. The space is filled with cozy seating areas.

This large picture of Walt sits on the wall behind the desk when you first walk in.

I like this picture of Walt with a bunch of vintage Mickey dolls.

This is a photo of Walt with a certificate and Academy Award for creating Mickey Mouse.

It looks like Walt was working on his signature.

One of my favorite things about the lounge are these oversized director's chairs at the bar. These are for Walt's brother Roy and his wife Edna.

Here are Walt's and his wife Lillian's chairs on the other side of the bar.

The display case shown above had photos and artifacts from Pinocchio. From what I understand, they change the display every so often.

This a big, comfy leather chair in one of the seating areas.

Another seating area with leather chairs and a photo of Walt.

Throughout the parks, there are even details in the ceilings. 1901 is no exception with beautiful wallpaper and light fixtures. 

There are a couple of Tiffany lamps around the space. That window is one that I've walked by so many times before and wondered what was behind it.

This little corner has more photos and memorabilia. The one in the center on the left is a picture of Walt as a baby and above that are his parents.

I liked these shelves, especially the the Mickey and Minnie and the Time magazine with Walt on the cover.

There I am in 1901! I really enjoyed being able to take a tour of the lounge. It was a surprise I won't forget. 

I love these chairs. One day, I hope I will get a chance to go back and sit there to order a drink.

Pizza at Napa Rose

So, in my last post I mentioned that I would share what I had for dinner on my last visit to Disneyland. That night, I chose to dine at the Napa Rose Lounge. Napa Rose is an upscale restaurant located in Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. The kitchen is run by award-winning  chef Andrew Sutton. The Napa Valley themed restaurant has won many awards of its own since opening in 2002. It is one of the few fine-dining restaurants in the area. There is a lounge that consists of a bar and large seating area. It is a little more casual and you can still order from the full menu (and I must mention that they are only open for dinner from 5 to 10pm). One of the great things about this place is that I could walk in wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and running shoes. After all, it is just steps away from California Adventure. Most people do dress up to dine there, but they don't discourage the many guests (like me) that stroll in to relax from a day at the parks.

I took a seat at the bar and decided to order a glass of Pinot Noir for $13. Not bad. As you might expect, they have quite a few wines to choose from as well as cocktails. I had heard about a seasonal pizza that they were offering, which is the main reason why I went there. On the menu it is actually called a pizzetta (small pizza). There is also a Signature Pizzetta that is always on the menu. I'll have to try that one sometime too. Currently, the pizzetta of the season is being changed on the weekly basis (I apologize that this one I will tell you about is no longer available). During my visit, the pizza was topped with pesto, New York steak, aged provolone cheese, baby heirloom tomatoes, basil, and corn. It was REALLY good and pretty to look at with such colorful ingredients. This small pizza is big enough to share or, in my case, to take leftovers home for lunch the next day. It was worth every bit of its $15. 

I can't wait to see what the next seasonal pizzetta will be. 

Have you been to Napa Rose? Or would you try it?