The Original Disneyland Hotel: May 2008

Friday, May 23, 2008

Kicking Myself

Want to hear something strange? I remember checking into the Disneyland Hotel (probably 1994-95) and getting a Garden Room in one of the original five structures. Of course, this was several years before I had the idea to write the book on the Disneyland Hotel. I was in the room for all of ten minutes when my wife called the front desk to request a new room because our room smelled badly like cigarette smoke. If I could only go back and cancel that request and savor the original room for a few nights (smell and all). If I had only known. At least I got to spend some time in one of the original structures at the Disneyland Hotel, dating back to October of 1955! I remember thinking how cool the room looked. Very 50's. Even better, when I turned the TV on during the brief stay, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was playing.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Rare Pictures of Rare Amenities Featured at the Disneyland Hotel

I want to now present some rarely seen and short-lived areas at the Disneyland Hotel. The next series will feature these items. Hope you like them.

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If you enjoy the history of the Disneyland Hotel, please check out my website and book: http://www.magicalhotel.com/

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Enhanced Disneyland Hotel Slides

Last week, I listed some scans of slides in which I have in my Hotel collection and asked if anyone out there was interested in enhancing them to get them back to what they may have looked like when first purchased. The slides have turned to a reddish hue with age. Blog and website reader Dan Cunningham responded by sharpening up the pictures (see below). First let me state, the pictures I posted were scanned in very low resolution so Dan had very little to work with to begin with. He actually stated he only spent a few minutes with the low res images. I think they clearly show how the slide looked when new. You can contact Dan Cunningham at dcunn74@gmail.com Illustration & Design 516.817.2970. Thanks Dan for taking the time to do this and send them out to me. I may try and scan these at really high resolution to see what can be done.

Mixed Bag

Today, I present a mixed-bag of Disneyland Hotel related photos. These range from the beginning of the original Disneyland Hotel in the 50's to the demolition in 1999. I had many people ask if the Monorail Station at the Hotel was just revamped and painted for its present location in Downtown Disney. These shots prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the original station was completely demolished and removed. It is in its exact location but was completely rebuilt in 1999/2000. As soon as I can remember who provided me with these pictures (of the demolition), I will credit them. Right now, I just don't remember. Hope you enjoy this assortment of items.

The Addition of the Fourth North Garden Structure 1959

1959 saw the addition of the fourth North Garden Structure on the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel. There were now 234 rooms and suites available at the Disneyland Hotel. As Disneyland grew (Monorail, Matterhorn, Submarines in 1959) so too did the Disneyland Hotel. Although I do not have the exact date of this addition, I do know the structure was built some time between November 1958 and June of 1959. I have a dated photograph showing the building open for business on July 4th, 1959. My guess would be construction started near the first couple of months of the year and was completed by June.

Inside The Southern California Travel brochure 1959

Overhead Shots

I absolutely love overhead shots of the Disneyland and Disneyland Hotel. These photos have dates on them but sometimes, it's fun figuring out what the year of the photograph is based on the details in the shot. These two overhead shots show just how much the town of Anaheim changed in just around 18 short years. The first picture shows late 1952 and is just about the time Walt Disney began scouting for locations for his most ambitious endeavor, Disneyland. What I wouldn't give to be along for the ride when Walt was searching.

Thanks to Ebay, I was able to get some really neat information on the Hotel's history which I will be posting very shortly.

The Plaza Building

In 1966, the Disneyland Hotel underwent a $5.5 million expansion. The Tower Building was expanded to almost twice as big and the Plaza Building was added to the Hotel. The Plaza featured specialty shops of artwork, clothing, toys, restaurants and office space for the Hotel. The building space was leased to clients to sell their wares. The shops changed names and owners over the years and the building did not survive the 1999 demolition. See the mid 80's brochures for the tenants at that time in the Plaza as well as the Hotel Mall. I remember shopping in these buildings and getting an ice-cream from the shop in the Plaza.

1976 Disneyland Hotel Convention Facilities

By 1976, the Disneyland Hotel's convention facilities were in full swing and could accomodate groups and functions of all sizes. This was just two years prior to the Hotel's addition of the third and final tower, the Bonita in 1978. The overhead drawing looks a bit funny and asymmetrical without the third tower. This was right around the time the Hotel began pushing Tower rooms over Garden Villa rooms. In fact, the Hotel would convert two South Garden structures into office buildings around the late 70's and a whole wing would be removed in the early 80's to make way for the Rose Garden and Gazebo in the North Garden area. Many large groups and companies such as GM, Bell Telephone, AMA, Boy Scouts and numerous others used the Hotel to hold their conventions.

Original Garden Structures at the Dineyland Hotel

The lease was signed on January 21st, 1955 between Walt Disney, Jack & Mazie Wrather and Helen Alvarez to develop, build and operate the Disneyland Hotel. The press quickly announced the plans in several major newspapers. The Hotel opened on October 5th, 1955 with only seven rooms and an eight used as the registration lobby. The new Administration Building, shops and restaurants opened about six months later along with other guest accomodation structures. Move ahead a little under 44 years later, the original buildings of the Hotel were cleared to make way for Downtown Disney and a host of new shops and restaurants. In just a few short weeks, the original Disneyland Hotel ceased to be. Gone were the original rooms of Jack's little motel in the orange groves. Gone were countless happy memories of these buildings shared by families from all over the world who enjoyed the Hotel. Hopefully, these pictures will help many to relive their memories of the original Disneyland Hotel.

Fashion Shows at the Disneyland Hotel

From the time it opened in mid-1956, the Round-the-World Lounge featured fashion shows every Thursday afternoon at noon. I don't have an exact year these fashion shows ended. This was a great way in which the shops at the Disneyland Hotel could advertise their products. The models wore clothing, bathing attire, jewelry, handbags, shoes and other items for sale within the grounds. Many clothing ads were also shot on the beautiful grounds using the pool or the other buildings at the Hotel as backdrops. Boy have fashions changed since these shots!

Rare view inside the Presidential Suite at the Disneyland Hotel

Not many people have seen nor stayed in the Presidential Suite at the Disneyland Hotel. These shots give a rare inside look inside this room in what most working class families could only dream about ever staying in. Starting at near $80 a night in the 1960's, rates soared to over $500 a night in the late 80's. At 1250 square feet, this was bigger than my first house! President Nixon used this room during his stay at the Hotel in the 1968 Presidential campaign run. It frequently hosted top named celebrities and corporate executives or even friends and family to the Wrather family. The suite opened in 1962 with the completion of the first Tower Building, later the Sierra Tower. I don't know what they are calling the building now days.

Fake Sign at the Disneyland Hotel

This postcard depicts a fake Disneyland Hotel sign on it most likely drawn in to add advertisement value to the postcard. The sign actaually faces away from West Street which the Hotel was on and would not help to advertise the Hotel at all from the front of the facilities. The actual sign was further south and at the entrance to the Hotel on West Street. It also faced the Disneyland parking lot so exiting guests would clearly see the Disneyland Hotel entrance. I am not sure how rare this postcard is as I don't have an exact copy without the drawn in sign. I have many other postcards and pictures from this similar view, none of which have this sign drawn in on them. This postcard dates from 1956-1958 but was sold for many years at the park and the Hotel.

Early Playground at the Disneyland Hotel

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If you enjoy the history of the Disneyland Hotel, please check out my website and book: http://www.magicalhotel.com/

If pressed, I would date these photographs to 1957 or 1958. They depict the first playground facilities at the Disneyland Hotel and offered another fun activity for the kids who were guests at the Hotel. The area in which they were located would later become the southwest corner of the first Tower Building (later Sierra Tower) on the grounds. See the overhead drawing for the playground's location on the grounds of the Hotel. These pictures depict a typical 1950's playground with swings, a slide, hang bars, a Jungle Jim and lots of sand. Not unlike many other playgrounds sprouting up all over America as the baby boomer generation was being born. The playground was changed and moved over the years and I will present other pictures from later years in a future post. Early playground pictures like these are very hard to find. I want to thank Molly Wrather-Dolle for sharing these pictures with me. Molly is of course, Jack Wrather's daughter. Jack and Helen Alvarez were the original owners of the Disneyland Hotel along with Jack's mother Mazie.

Early Convention Facilities at the Disneyland Hotel

Even at the design phase with the architects, Jack Wrather stressed the need of group meeting and convention facilities for the Disneyland Hotel. Jack felt that this would attract whole families to the Park and the Hotel. While dad was at his conference during the day, mom and the kids were enjoying themselves at Disneyland Park. With the convenient Disneyland Hotel Tram, families could unite at lunch for a delicious meal and to discuss the days events. There were varied groups (as the pictured brochures attest) holding their conventions at the Disneyland Hotel. Disneyland even used the facilities for their get-togethers and award ceremonies. The facilities featured all the latest in modern amenities: projectors, audio jacks, multiple electrical outlets and all rooms were air-conditioned. The rooms could be sub-divided to accomodate from 10-1000 people depending on the need. In a future post, I will discuss the Embassy Room and Magnolia Ballroom which were later convention iterations at the Disneyland Hotel