The Original Disneyland Hotel: Magnolia & Embassy Rooms Open in 1961

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Magnolia & Embassy Rooms Open in 1961

November 28, 1961 - Embassy & Magnolia Rooms banquet halls officially opened above West Street shops and restaurants (included Orange County's first ballroom) (Magnolia replaced the original banquet hall above the Gourmet). Please scroll down for story and pictures.

Please visit my website http://www.magicalhotel.com for more photos and fun.

2 comments:

Viewliner Ltd. said...: Please don't think for one moment that what you blog is not appreciated or cared about. Most people just look and don't comment. The same happens with my blog. But you know they are looking and enjoying it.

The information that you provide on the web is the most important part of blogging.

And for the best part, you meet a few cool people. IT'S ALL GOOD!; February 15, 2009 7:11 AM
Magical Hotel said...: Thanks Richard for all your kind words as well as support to help my blog have a better appearance. I really enjoy your blog and look forward to your postings.; February 15, 2009 10:49 PM

Tracking Buildings on the Disneyland Hotel Property

Today's posting shows an elusive, very early feature at the Disneyland Hotel. Work was done on an existing building on the property to convert it into the Disneyland Hotel's very first restaurant. It was called the Little Gourmet Restaurant and is mentioned in the Hotel's first brochure after it opened. I am not sure how long the Little Gourmet remained open for business as the Gourmet Restaurant was opened some eight or so months later. There was mention of this building being used as a storage facility in its last years. It was demolished some time prior to or near March of 1959 as I have photos of freshly dug ground from this timeframe. I have yet to find an interior photograph or menu or for that matter any item from the Little Gourmet Restaurant.

L'Horizon Hotel in Palm Springs; A Wrather Hotel

The Charter House Hotel

Maybe the Disneyland Hotel was filled to capacity or maybe it was just too expensive, whatever the reason, many other lodging facilities both hotels and motels sprung up all around Disneyland. The Charter House was convenient for its location to Disneyland being right accross the street from it. Rooms here were typically $2-$3 a night cheaper than at the Disneyland Hotel and that was quite a bit of money back in 1962. The Monorial was in full operation by 1962 with its newest stop at the Disneyland Hotel and the Hotel experienced record attendance that year. Because of this, many folks probably enjoyed their vacation from the Charter House Hotel rather than the Disneyland Hotel. I want to also feature on this blog vintage pictures of other hotels and motels around Disneyland.

1980's at the Disneyland Hotel

More shots from the late 80's in and around the Disneyland Hotel. The 1980's was an era I think not properly covered in our book Disneyland Hotel The Early Years 1954-1988 simply because we didn't have much information from the 80's. Believe it or not, 1950's stuff was much easier to get than 1980's material. The Hotel was under severe budget cuts and they didn't print as many brochures or pamphlets. I plan on covering the 80's much more with the addendums soon out.

http://www.magicalhotel.com

1980's at the Disneyland Hotel

The 1980's were a period of tremendous changes for the Disneyland Hotel. The Hotel struggled to keep pace with people's needs and changing tastes, its owner passed away in 1984 with new management immediatley following and then renewed efforts by Disney to purchase the Hotel with their eventual purchase in 1989. With all of these distractions, the Hotel still managed to create new amenities like Seaports of the Pacific, new bars, restaurants and lounges, a new beach and various other activities for its guests. The Hotel was a tourist destination in and of itself.

Disneyland Hotel Amenities

1959 was possibly the biggest single year for growth at Disneyland with the addition of the Matterhorn, Submarine Voyage and Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System. In parallell, the Disneyland Hotel experienced its greatest single growth spurt from 1960 to 1962. The comparison shots below show the Hotel in 1960 with surounding areas still mostly walnut and orange orchards. The last two Garden Structures were added in 1960 and that would be the end of the originally designed and planned for two-story guest accomodation units at the Hotel. Early concept art depicts many more two-story structures planned, including in the area of the Marina and Bonita Towers however, those never came to be. From that point on, guest rooms would be housed in tower buildings, the first of which starting construction in June of 1961,opening in June of 1962. Earlier in 1961, the Hotel added several golfing facilities including a nine hole course, driving range and mini-golf facility. A heliport with service to and from LAX was also added which got people travelling from far away to Disneyland and the Hotel much faster than driving.

By 1962, the Disneyland Hotel now had over 450 rooms, complete convention facilities, several restaurants, full shopping facilities, an Olympic size pool and its own exclusive transportation to Disneyland via the Monorail. These were exciting times for both Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel.

August 1970 Family Photographs

Today's entry features personal family photographs from Annette Brown (taken by her family) when she was just 6 years old at the Disneyland Hotel in August of 1970. She wrote and told me she only remembered one tower building (Sierra Tower) when she visited in the summer of '69, one year earlier, which was when construction of the Marina Tower had just begun. These 1970 photos were taken just six months after the Marina Tower and Marina had opened. Construction was still in progress on the Cove area in the southwest section of the property. Thanks very much Annette for sharing these treasures with all the blog readers.

An excerpt from our book The Disneyland Hotel: The Early Years 1954-1988 http://www.magicalhotel.com

The Cove (later called Papeete Beach) was a swimming pool that appeared to be a tropical lagoon with a beach of white sand (imported crystal silica), lined with palm trees. This 3,800 square foot pool was built on two levels. A rock formation in the center was both a waterfall and a slide from the upper to the lower level. Anthony, the world's largest pool builder constructed the pool. Next to the Cove was a tropical tidal pool. The Tidal Pool was a wading and splashing area for the younger set. The area had timing machines that created tides on cue. To achieve realistic rock formations for the pool, noted sculptor Greg La Chapelle spent months searching the California coastline from Laguna Beach to Santa Barbara to find interesting and unusual rock formations, many encrusted with ancient sea creatures. He would apply a plaster cast to an interesting formation and later reproduce the cast in concrete at the Hotel.

Early 60's Monorail Yellow

$Early 60\$
Monorail Yellow leaving the Disneyland Hotel station. I guess the guy in the second car didn't hear the message to keep your arms and legs inside. I used to love looking out my Garden Room at the Monorail going by. The distinctive sound of the Monorail horn was strangely not an annoyance. We would come back mid-day and take a relaxing break in our air-conditioned room or maybe head over to the Monorail Cafe for a burger and shake. This was probably the only place in the world I didn't mind to shop. Of course the Olympic Size pool was also very nice to cool off in. The Hotel was so fun in its original configuration and I sure do miss it. This photo is part of Bill Cotter's collection and I thank him for allowing me to use it.

Conference Rooms Late 1960's at the Disneyland Hotel

More very rare pictures of the conference room facilities from 1968-1969 at the Disneyland Hotel. I am hoping that one or more of these bring back some memories of a conference or company meeting and that person can let us know where the room was. The picture with the pool outside of it is a real mystery to me. Sometimes I study some of the many pictures I have of the Disneyland hotel and I learn something I never knew before. I see little buildings that were added or taken away and I wonder what exactly those were. Parking lots suddenly materialize or trees disappear. The Hotel was in a constant state of change.

1961 Disneyland Hotel Mini-Golf Scorecard

I am often asked, what are some of the most valuable items in my Disneyland Hotel collection. The 1961 Golf Scorecard pictured below would have to rank right up there. This is valuable for several reasons: 1). It is the first issued golf scorecard 2). It has copyright 1961 and was only used about six months 3). Perhaps the rarest aspect.....it has no scores written inside from playing the course. It was not written in. There are some like this one that have a 1962 copyright date but 1961's are very hard to find. In 1963, the scorecard was colored (as well as the actual mini-golf course). You can see a copy earlier in this blog of a 1964 version of the scorecard.

Original Pictures from Bill Cotter

Today I am adding original pictures from the files of Bill Cotter. Thanks Bill for allowing me to share these. If you get a chance to bid on Bill's pictures on disk on Ebay, I would highly recommend that you do so. His shots often show areas of Disneyland and the Hotel not often seen by the masses. They bring back so many wonderful memories and they are all in beautiful living color. I love Bill's book "The Wonderful World of Disney Television" which I refer to often when finding shows on television. If you love the old "Wonderful World" Sunday night shows, this book will sure bring back some great memories.

Kaleidoscope Magazine Spring 1980

AS DOCUMENTED EARLIER, THE DISNEYLAND HOTEL HAD SEVERAL MAGAZINES OVER THE COURSE OF ITS HISTORY. THIS ONE, KALEIDOSCOPE RAN FROM THE LATE 70'S TO THE EARLY 80'S. THIS PARTICULAR ONE FEATURED A THREE-PART STORY ON THE HISTORY OF THE DISNEYLAND HOTEL AT THAT TIME CELEBRATING ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY AND WAS ALSO A GREAT INSPIRATION FOR OUR BOOK “DISNEYLAND HOTEL THE EARLY YEARS 1954-1988” HTTP://WWW.MAGICALHOTEL.COM. THE PICTURES BELOW ARE ALL FROM THE FIRST PART OF THE HOTEL STORY TITLED “THE WILDCATTING YEARS.”

Check-In Magazines

The Disneyland Hotel had an internal publication called Check-In which was published between 1965 and 1974. This magazine was a free gift upon registration at the Disneyland Hotel and featured news and updates from the ever evolving Disneyland Hotel as well as Disneyland plus surrounding area attractions. These were an invaluable source of information for the book on the Hotel and many human interest stories contained within were used to detail the Hotel's rich history. I believe I have the second biggest collection of these (over 50 issues) with only the Disney Archives having more. The 1965 first edition was a great inspiration for me to compile and document the history of the Disneyland Hotel. It is what sparked my interest to begin with on the subject. I won't rest until I have obtained every issue.

Room Updates Mid 1965

The Disneyland Hotel Check-In Magazine (1965-1974) was the free publication given to registering Hotel guests at check-in time. These magazines are an invaluable source of information from the Hotel's rich history. You can always find interesting tidbits of information contained within them about some detail going on at the Disneyland Hotel. This particular issue details a complete room refurbishment to the original Garden Rooms where over $400,000 will be spent. I was fortunate to have access to Disney's collection of Check-In magazines at the studio archives. They have almost every issue published and I believe I have the second most complete collection. Many articles were used as human nature stories in our book Disneyland Hotel: The Early Years 1954-1988 http://www.magicalhotel.com. I will do a feature on these Check-In magazines shortly.

Late in the tenure of the Wrather ownership

After Jack Wrather passed away in late 1984, the Wrather family restructured and attempted to keep the company afloat. It was also at this time that Michael Eisner took over as CEO at Disney and made it a priority to bring the Disneyland Hotel into Disney ownership. Chris Wrather took over as CEO and Bonita Wrather became Chairman of the Board at Wrather Corporation. Disney began to pressure the Wrather's to sell which they eventually did in 1989. This brochure is one of the last while the Hotel was still a Wrather property. It was used in 1987 and 1988.

Magnolia & Embassy Rooms

On the second floor above the Gourmet was located a banquet area that could serve parties ranging from twenty-five to five-hundred. On October 28, 1956, Disneyland Cast Members would hold their Halloween Masquerade Ball in the banquet room. Within a few years, this area had been expanded and could be divided into four different meeting rooms. By the early 1960's, it had become known as the Magnolia Room.

Built above the Hotel's shops near the main entrance on West Street, a 13,000 square foot convention and exhibition center was added. The convention hall became Orange County's first ballroom, the Embassy Room. [The original banquet hall (just to the south of the Embassy Room) would be redesigned and named the Magnolia Room.] It was able to accommodate more than 1,400 guests in a theatre seating formation and 1,200 guests for a banquet. Its "official" opening took place on November 28, 1961.

1955 Disneyland Hotel Opening

The plans called for the Disneyland Hotel to be opened as close to the opening of Disneyland (mid-July 1955) as possible. As these articles indicate, due to labor strikes and the massive headcount needed to build Disneyland, the project was delayed until early October. Even then, it opened with only seven rooms with an eighth used as the registration office. This very early facility had almost no amenities either. An old ranch house on the property was converted to the first restaurant on the grounds and was called the Little Gourmet. It wasn't until mid 1956 that the Hotel was able to offer the many restaurants, shops and facilities to its guests and become a full-service facility.

Helicopter Tragedies

In 1968 alone, the Disneyland/LAX helicopter service suffered two of the worst civilian chopper crashes in U.S. history. In May, a helicopter carrying 23 people lucky enough to leave the park alive disintegrated in mid-air and crashed near Paramount. There were no survivors. Less than three months later, a Disneyland-bound chopper crashed on a Compton playground, killing all 21 would-be "guests" and crew on board.The type of helicopter involved in both crashes was the Sikorsky S-61, operated by Los Angeles Airways, which had regular passenger service between Los Angeles International Airport and the Disneyland/Anaheim heliport.

The first crash occurred on May 22, 1968, when N303Y was en route from Disneyland to LAX. At about 550 PM, Flight 841 was flying at about 2,000 feet near Paramount when a distress message was received from the helicopter "L.A., we're crashing, help us!" All 20 passengers and the crew of 3 were killed. It was later determined that a mechanical failure in the main rotor hub allowed extreme lead-lag excursions of the rotor blades, one of which became detached from the swashplate and struck the helicopter's fuselage as it was descending through about 600 feet. This caused the other four rotor blades to go out of control, and in short order all five blades broke and the rear fuselage and tail rotor pylon separated from the aircraft.

The second crash, on August 14, 1968, involved N300Y, operating as Flight 417 from LAX to Anaheim. This time, the helicopter was flying at about 1,500 feet around 1035 AM when one of the main rotor head spindles failed and the attached rotor blade separated completely. The resulting imbalance sent the helicopter out of control and it crashed in Leuders Park, killing all 18 passengers and 3 crew. The spindle failure was caused by metal fatigue.

Various Amenities and Restaurants from the late 60's and late 80's

Tonight, I am adding a variety of shots with no central theme, only to show the many amenities the Disneyland Hotel provided its guests. I have many more new (old) shots to add in the next few days (I've been busy on Ebay). I've also been able to answer some questions I had on the layout of the original Disneyland Hotel. Please tell your friends about this blog as well as my website http://www.magicalhotel.com

Thanks for having a look. Drop me a line and let me know what you would like to see on this blog and if I have it, I'll post it.

The End of an Era

These 1999 photographs document the last days of the original Disneyland Hotel dating back to October 5th, 1955 when the Hotel first opened for business. I would like to credit Intercot West for these amazing shots that detail certainly a sad time for purists and history buffs of the original Disneyland Hotel. I'll say it again, I think it would have been no trouble at all for Disney to have left one original building standing as an historical site in remembrance of the beginnings of this wonderful facility. Especially considering there is only a grass field where these structures once stood. They could have decorated using 50's furniture and motif. They could have placed pictures on the walls depicting milestones from the Hotel's history. They could have used scale models showing the growth of the Disneyland Hotel. I know of many folks who would have loved to have seen this. I did hear that the original structures were in pretty bad shape though. Some retrofitting and they would have been fine. Now I hear they are talking about bringing down the Towers and building a brand-new Disneyland Hotel. The oldest building on the grounds now dates back to 1962 and what was the Sierra Tower.

Official Grand Opening, Disneyland Hotel August 25th, 1956

Although the Disneyland Hotel opened for business on October 5th, 1955, the "official" grand opening took place in late August of 1956. This was after the Hotel's shops and restaurants were opened and three additional graden structures were added to the grounds. The Hotel now had over 200 rooms, a full slate of shops and restaurants, an Olympic-Size swimming pool and tram service to and from Disneyland Park. The Hotel was near or at capacity nearly every night and was regularly turning away guests due to lack of rooms. This grand opening was a star studded affair and featured some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Walt Disney also attended the festivities himself. Pictures of Helen Alvarez on the grounds are extremely hard to find. She did not regularly show up at the Hotel and in fact, began to feud with the Wrather's almost from the day the Disneyland Hotel opened for business. The partnership (after many litigations) dissolved in early 1958. Souvenirs that have Wrather-Alvarez Hotels stamped on them are certainly the rarest and most valuable of collectible items from the Hotel's past.

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 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

The Original Lobby and Registration Desk at the Disneyland Hotel

When the Disneyland Hotel first opened in October, 1955, they were using a guest room to register guests. In mid 1956, the Administration Building opened and with it, a sparkling new registration desk. This was of course, provided you did not want to register from your automobile which was an option initially at the Hotel. There are many photographs of exterior features and services throughought the years at the Disneyland Hotel but, interior shots like these are very rare indeed. I only wish I had these pictures before I published the book on the Hotel http://www.magicalhotel.com. These priceless interior shots were provided to me by Molly Wrather-Dolle, oldest daughter of original Disneyland Hotel owner Jack Wrather. It was a much simpler time in America's history. Parking was free, meals were $1.25 complete and rooms at the Disneyland Hotel started at only $9 a night! The Disneyland Hotel was a piece of 50's Americana where many familes shared some wonderful times in their lives. I sure do miss the magic of the original Disneyland Hotel.

1957 Disneyland Hotel Brochure

This is one of my favorite Disneyland Hotel brochures. It was the first brochure to use an actual picture from the Hotel on its cover as well as inside the brochure. Some of the most rare Disneyland Hotel collectibles are ones that list Wrather-Alvarez Hotels, Inc. on them. Originally, there were actually three owners of the Hotel: Jack Wrather, Mazie Wrather (Jack's mom) and Helen Alvarez. I will go into more detail on Helen Alvarez in a future posting. The Wrather-Alvarez partnership also included radio stations and other major holdings. The partnership disolved in early 1958. If you see Wrather-Alvarez on an item, you know it is from the very early days of the Disneyland Hotel.

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The Monorail Cafe

Another sorely missed and beloved sight from the Disneyland Hotel's history is the Monorail Cafe. Originally, this restaurant was known as the Coffee Shop from 1956 until 1986. Bonita Granville-Wrather changed the name and re-themed the restaurant just two years before Disney negotiated the acquisition of the Disneyland Hotel. A favorite spot for just about everybody, the Monorail Cafe featured sandwiches, burgers, salads, chicken and the best milkshakes in town. I know my family absolutely loved this restaurant and greatly miss it. It was a great place to relax and get a mid-day meal after having walked for miles at the Park. The waitresses were friendly, the prices were reasonable and the decor was priceless. The walls featured vintage Monorail pictures of Walt Disney and his vision of the transportation for the future. Next to the mini-golf course, I get more requests for Monorail Cafe pictures and stories than anything else. Just an idea.....why not open a new Monoprail Cafe Restaurant in Downtown Disney?

Disneyland Hotel Expansion

Not surprisingly, as Disneyland grew, so too did the Disneyland Hotel. With new features, shows, attractions and additions to Disneyland, attendance also grew creating demand for lodging for guests. Disneyland added three new major attractions for 1959: the Monorail (which would soon play a huge part in the Disneyland Hotel's plans), the Matterhorn and the Submarine Ride. These were all opened in the Summer of 1959. The Disneyland Hotel would add two new North Garden Structures to help accomodate the guests expected for the 1959 Summer season . This would be the largest configuration of rooms in the traditional two-story Garden Structures makeup of the Hotel. The Hotel now had over 300 rooms and suites. Major changes loomed over the horizon for the Hotel. These pictures represent the last that would be seen of the motor-hotel/motel format as originally planned by Jack Wrather and Walt Disney in 1955. Soon, Jack Wrather would begin looking up and Walt Disney would utilize his mass-transportation plan he had envisoned with the Monorail.

Interesting notes on these pictures. If you look in the 1959 shots, there is freshly ground dirt at the spot of the original "Littel Gourmet" restaurant. This was the quickly converted ranch-house (original to the Hotel property) that was used as the original dining facility on the property until the actual "Gourmet" was opened in mid-1956. It had been used mainly as a storage facility after the "Gourmet" was opened. This area is directly below the Richfield Service Station in the lower right of the close-up pictures. In the 1960 picture, this area has been freshly paved and lined for additional Hotel parking.

In the 1959 close-up picture, there are cars parked where two new North Garden structures would soon be added. When writing the book http://www.magicalhotel.com/ there was somewhat of a mystery as to just when these last two structures were built and opened for business. This June 1960 overhead shot clearly shows the last two structures open for business with cars parked directly in front of them. In several early Hotel publications, it was printed that 1961 was the opening of the last two Garden structures.

In exactly one year from this June 1960 photograph, the Hotel would undergo major changes. See previous postings on 1961.

My thanks to Chris Jepsen from the Orange County Archives for these photographs.

1961 Continued

Today, I am closing out on the Monorail (bottom two photos) for now and featuring the new golf facilities other than the mini-golf course previously covered. I am also throwing in a picture of the new helicopter service started in 1961. I am not sure how long the nine hole golf course lasted. I know that the Marina occupied this space starting in 1969 but I do not have an exact closing date for the course. The Helicopter service was marred by two horrific crashes involving multiple fatalities to passengers and people on the ground.

1961 Monorail Addition

The extension of the Monorail linking the Disneyland Hotel to the Park was arguably the most exciting amenity ever added to the Disneyland Hotel. It was Walt Disney's dream to provide a working solution to mass transit and traffic congestion. The Disneyland Alweg Monorail was that answer to this dream. There is perhaps no more recognizable symbol to being near the Magic Kingdom than seeing the sleek Monorail cars gliding overhead. I think only the first sight of Matterhorn mountain rivals this. The announcement came in December of 1960 that Disneyland, in conjunction with the Disneyland Hotel would extend the Monorail to include a stop at the Disneyland Hotel. Now, Hotel guest would have a direct link to gain entrance into the Park. No more waiting in long lines at the Main Gate. Topping all if this of course was, the actual ride aboard the transportation medium of the future, the Monorail. What was especially fun was, riding in the front car with the actual Monorail Pilot. Great news! The new Monorails scheduled to be added this year are designed like the earlier Monorail cars with that 50's flair. I can't wait to see them in service.

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1960 and 1961 Disneyland Hotel Monorail Addition

In December of 1960, Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel announced the $1.9 million extension of the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail. The Hotel would cover $600,000 of this cost. The new addition would link the amusement park to the Disneyland Hotel expanding the attraction from just under a mile in length to nearly two and one-half miles. Walt Disney would now have a working model of his transportation of the future. This addition to the blog focuses on the initial announcement of the addition as handled by the Hotel and the press. The Monorail story needs several sections to do it justice.

March 18th, 1955

In honor of yesterday's date, I am deviating from the 1961 posts for a day. Fifty-three years ago yesterday, ground was broken for the Disneyland Hotel. Jack Wrather, Bonita Granville and Anaheim Mayor Charles Pearson, using a specially made, three-handled shovel, dug the first spade of dirt on the grounds for the new, $10,000 Disneyland Hotel. The Hotel was slated to open at the same time as Disneyland in mid-July. Due to labor and union strikes, the Hotel would not open until October 5th, 1955. I have some other great items on the groundbreaking and will upload them shortly. What is interesting is, the official opening of the Hotel wasn't until August, 1956. I'll cover that subject on a future post.

Disneyland Hotel Mini Golf Course

One of the most beloved attractions at the Disneyland Hotel was the Mini Golf Course located on the northeast section of the property accross Cerritos. This amenity was added in the summer of 1961 and quickly became a guest as well as Anaheim local favorite spot. The holes were themed after an attraction inside the Magic Kingdom and were actually designed and built by Disney artists. When the course first opened, none of the themed holes statues or figures were painted. They were all white in color with no detail. The Hotel took the suggestion of guests and had them painted. I think I get more requests for pictures of the Mini Golf Course than any other amenity from the Disneyland Hotel.

Disneyland Hotel 1961

1961 was a year of tremendous changes and additions to the Disneyland Hotel. The Monorail was linked from inside the Park to the Disneyland Hotel. New golf facilities were added on the Hotel grounds. Two new Garden Structures had been added in late 1960 and the Hotel would be as big as it got with no Tower buildings present. The Disneylander was published by the Disneyland Recreation Club and distributed to employess of the Hotel and Disneyland. It kept track of new additions and happenings at the Park and the Hotel. Here are two examples from 1961 showing notable Hotel expansions. The 1961 brochure shown also touts the new additions to the Disneyland Hotel. More to come on the details of the 1961-62 additions.

The Original Disneyland Hotel

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Magnolia & Embassy Rooms Open in 1961

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