Overheads From The 60's

Overhead shots of the Disneyland area are certainly some of my favorite pictures to see. It's always fun to date pictures by what is present (or what is not) in the photographs. Certain features can be identified in these pictures which immediately tell you from what year the photo was taken. Today, I am posting some shots from the 60's which feature various areas around Disneyland Park. Hope you enjoy them.

Anaheim Convention Center is going up. What year is it?

Wilbur Clark's is just finished and Disneyland is in the upper right.

Is that Melodyland in the lower right?

Look at those open fields around Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel!

Here is a great shot of the Disneyland Hotel and all its amenities. The heliport, golf facilities and the first Tower Building can be seen. Can you guess the year?

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Friday Fun Pics

The following low resolution pictures (sorry about the low res) are from a contact sheet that was included in a late 80's, early 90's Disneyland Hotel brochure packet.

The Beach at the Disneyland Hotel

Mickey's Workout



Hooke's Point

The Lost Bar

Pavilion

Wine Celler

Marina Ballroom

Hotel Lobby

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Brochure Deviations: 1961 Brochure & 1961 Hotel Information

Many new, major expansions were added to the Hotel in 1961.

At a press conference in December of 1960, Jack Wrather and Walt Disney announced plans for the extension of the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System to link the Park to the Hotel. This addition to the monorail would provide Walt with a working model.

In 1961, the Hotel comprised 16-percent of the Wrather Corporation's gross annual income. Based upon the strength of the Disneyland Hotel's operations, plans were already underway to expand all areas: rooms, restaurants, convention facilities, and recreation/entertainment. Two new Garden Room structures were added in the Northeast section of the property. The Hotel now had eleven guest accommodation structures (six in the Northeast section and five in the southern section of the property).

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. More details will follow in this blog.

1961 Disneyland Hotel front cover

1961 Disneyland Hotel brochure backs

Yet even more major changes were on the horizon at the Disneyland Hotel in 1961. Soon, the Hotel would expand up rather than out. More to come..........

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Brochure Deviations: 1957 1958

Here are brochures from 1957 and 1958 with their differnces. The front covers are identical but inside and back covers had differences.

1957 cover and inside

1958 cover and inside. Note the differences, mainly due to other services or features being offered.

Can you spot the differences in the backs of these brochures?

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Brochure Deviations: 1980's & Seaports of the Pacific

In continuing with the brochure deviation theme, I am presenting the 1980's brochures and their deviations which featured the Seaports of the Pacific addition to the Disneyland Hotel. First, some text on Seaports of the Pacific introduced in 1980 at the Disneyland Hotel.

For the summer season of 1980, the 25th Anniversary of the Disneyland Hotel, the Seaports of the Pacific shopping area was added to the marina. Under construction since February, it replaced what had been the artisans market. Ed Ettinger, the project's supervisor, explained, "What we've developed is a living theater consisting of those special environments associated with exotic ports of trade in the Pacific Basin." Side by side were an Indonesian pagoda blue tile roof, an Australian weathered tin roof, a Polynesian bamboo roof, and a Latin American red mission-tile roof...a wide variety of colors and textures. Staffed by authentic personnel, the Seaports was a mingling of accents and cultures. In the International Bazaar were to be found an arts and crafts market and shops of imports from the South Seas. Mimes, magicians, and strolling musicians entertained at this international bazaar. Sausalito Sue, a rustic cocktail barge, floated close by on the marina. Entered by means of a wooden ramp, it offered drinks and snacks.

And now the Seaports brochure and its many deviations.

There were two covers to this brochure ranging from 1983 to 1987

The 1983, 1984 & 1986 brochure back covers

The 1985 back cover mentions the Hotel's 30th anniversary

The 1987 back cover

This page remained unchanged and intact in all brochures from 1983 to 1987

1983-1985 map section of the brochure

The 1986 & 1987 map section

1983-1985 interior brochure

1986 & 1987 interior brochure

1983-1985 interior brochure

1986 & 1987 interior brochure

While the brochures shared many similar pictures and text, there were also numerous differences. So when you think you may already have a brochure in your collection, make sure to double check that they are not different versions that just look alike to the casual eye. Happy collecting!

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Friday Fun Pics

Just adding some fun pics which were taken from brochures.

Do you remember a time like this? I do and it was in the Monorail Cafe after a wondrous day at Disneyland!

The Olympic Size Pool. I broght my son in this pool when he was nine months old.

Hope you liked these pictures.

Brochure Deviations: 1970 Brochure

In collecting Disneyland Hotel items, you may think you already have something when in reality, there were many deviations in the Hotel paper items. Case in point today is a Disneyland Hotel brochure from the 1970's.

At first glance, the covers look the same. If you carefully look, you will see the script is different at the top and the picture has several differences. The pictures were taken very close together and use the same models but, there are differences. Can you spot at least three?

The back cover also has differences. Same picture but, differnt wording.

This had to be 1976 or later and I suspect it was 1976 to announce Tennisland adjacent to the Disneyland Hotel.

This one had to be later than the previous because they started using this type of Disneyland Hotel script in the later 70's. The previous three shots all came from the center of the brochure which was used at the Disneyland Hotel from 1970 to the later 70's.

So when buying Disneyland Hotel items, don't assume you already have something until you really check it out. There are also brochures (which I will detail upcoming) with very subtle changes in them. I can't even be certain I have all the variations but I do have a very large Disneyland Hotel collection.......just ask my wife!

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I am also in the process of making two DVD's available both showing rare footage of Disneyland and The Disneyland Hotel in 1957 and 1958. Stay tuned for further notice.

 Update: Addendum one to our book is finally at the printer.

Jolly Roger Inn 1967

Here is a nice brochure and rate sheet from the Jolly Roger Inn circa 1967.

Front and back cover

We have stayed at this facility and really enjoyed it. It was clean and comfortable and the food was very good. It was a bit of a walk to Disneyland but they did have a shuttle bus. We also liked that it was close to some eating establishments just accross the street.

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Peter Pan Motor Lodge 1957

I have also collected many items from surounding area hotels and motels and not just items from the Disneyland Hotel. Today, I am posting items from the Peter Pan Motor Lodge from 1957. The address is 2029 Harbor Boulevard but based on the map in the brochure, this establishment was located in the spot that the Jolly Roger Inn is at today. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. I am also thinking that there is still a Peter Pan Motel today however it is located on Harbor accross the street and up a short distance (towards Interstate 5) from the old location. I will post some Jolly Roger pictures shortly. If anyone knows otherwise on any of this, please share. In the mean time, hope you enjoy these pictures of the Peter Pan Motor Lodge.

Based on this map, it looks like this establishment is on the corner of Katella and Harbor, where the Jolly Roger is at today.

The rates were not that different than what the Disneyland Hotel charged.

Peter Pan Postcard

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Disneyland Hotel: Don Ballard Wants to Check You In

Disneyland Hotel: Don Ballard Wants to Check You In

Bonita Tower part 2

Mid 80's overhead showing all three towers at the Disneyland Hotel. The unique solar power units are visible on the roof of the Bonita Tower.

Late 70's convention brochure listing the new Bonita Tower conference rooms as well as other amenities.