Monday, June 22, 2009

Other Hotels

Tonight I have added some great pictures from the Charter House Hotel circa 1962. I want to also display some of the other local area facilities to show the competition the Disneyland Hotel faced and just in case you may have stayed in one of these other facilities. A common theme in mail I get is, for most folks, the Disneyland Hotel was just too expensive when they visited Disneyland. I'll try and display some other great spots. Hope these also bring back some great memories.

http://www.magicalhotel.com

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Need Your Help! Please Respond.

To everybody who reads this blog.

I am creating addendums to my book Disneyland Hotel The Early Years 1954-1988 http://www.magicalhotel.com. These addendums will feature news and events that did not make it into the book that will hopefully fill in some of the gaps in the Disneyland Hotel story and provide many new images depicting the Hotel's rich history. I have accumulated a large amount of ephemera, photos, documents, brochures and such since the book came out and did not want to really create an updated new version of the book. I did this mainly to help those interested in the history of the Hotel with regard to the cost of an updated book. The addendums will be priced right and folks can buy whichever issues they are interested in.

I have two distinct ideas in mind as to what each issue will contain.

First idea is to write them chronologically starting with the idea to build the Disneyland Hotel and all activities up to the first opening (announcement, groundbreaking, pre-opening brochures, delays, overhead shots) on October 5th, 1955. Next issue would start on the first opening day and go until the end of 1956......and so on.

Second idea is to create addendums with a mixed bag of stories, pictures and events from the Hotel's history with no central dates or themes....sort of like the E Ticket magazine.

Each issue will contain 20-24 pages (maybe more) and I hope to put out 4-6 issues each year. Again, these will feature new information and photos from the Hotel's past that were not in the book. I may duplicate some photos to help with stories or enhance the before and after affect.

Please let me know which version you would prefer to see....either respond to this blog or send me an email donballard@comcast.net. My apologies to those who have already reserved first issues, I am working hard to get these out right away.

Thanks very much!

Donald W. Ballard

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Back From Vacation

Just got back from a wonderful (outside of the rain) vacation aboard the Disney Magic on a cruise in the Caribbean. I will resume posting right away. I am taking requests on what you would like to see.

Our website is http://www.magicalhotel.com/