Disneyland Hotel
During the bounce of 1954, Walt Disney approached the Texas oil wildcatter and television beat Jack Wrather apropos the achievability of architecture apartment for the abounding guests that Walt hoped would army to his beat "theme park," again beneath architecture in Anaheim, California. Back the "imagineering" and architecture of Disneyland was demography about every penny that he had, Walt approached Jack, acquisitive that his adept acquaintance would be all-around to booty such a huge risk. Wrather was the ambassador of Lassie, The Abandoned Ranger, and Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, accepted 1950s television programs.
Originally, Walt had approached Hilton admiral and added acclaimed auberge chains, acquisitive to argue them to accounts the architecture of a capital auberge abutting to Disneyland. However, the accepted accord was that such a chance was too risky. No one was assertive that what was bound acceptable accepted as "Disney's folly" would be successful.
In 1954, Anaheim was a abstruse community, abundantly consisting of orange groves. The absolute burghal had abandoned seven baby motels and hotels, all-around abandoned a absolute of 87 guests. Wrather accepted at the time that he was somewhat agnostic about architecture in such a baby association (of about 30,000), abutting to an alpha and yet amateurish affair park. His doubts were added added by the actuality that the chancy chance had already been angry bottomward by added than one above auberge chain.
Wrather spent several canicule with Walt Disney, attractive into the area's abeyant for expansion. Fable has it that Walt had tears in his eyes while anecdotic his dream of Disneyland to Wrather. With a faculty of adventure, Wrather became assertive that the abstraction aloof ability be a success. Also, with Walt assuming such affect for and adherence to his project, how could Wrather accept resisted?
One of the aboriginal discussions amid the two accompany was breadth the auberge should be located. Wrather aboriginal talked of analysis it abreast the admission to Disneyland. Walt said, "Jack, our guests aren't activity to be cerebration about a auberge back they activate their appointment to Disneyland. They'll alpha attractive for a allowance back they leave the park. The best abode to body your auberge is abreast the Disneyland exit." Wrather agreed with Walt's argumentation and busy 60 acreage of Disney-owned acreage on West Artery anon above from the Disneyland exit. There he congenital what was to become accepted as the "Official auberge of the Abracadabra Kingdom."
On Advance 18, 1955, Jack Wrather, Bonita Granville Wrather (his wife), and Anaheim Ambassador Charles Pearson, application a three-handled shovel, officiated at the groundbreaking for the Disneyland Hotel.
The Disneyland auberge opened on October 5, 1955, about three months afterwards Disneyland's alive televised admirable aperture on July 17, 1955. The aboriginal guests registered at a auberge accepting abandoned 104 bedfellow apartment amid in bristles two-story complexes, congenital at the southeast bend of the busy property. These were the South Garden rooms, afterwards to be accepted as the Oriental Gardens. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Arnone of Inglewood, California were to be the aboriginal guests at the anew opened hotel.
The Disneyland auberge was the aboriginal above resort to be congenital in Southern California back the aboriginal 1940's. However, the cardinal of accessible apartment bound accepted to be bereft for the abrupt demand, and 96 added units of the aforementioned blazon were added the afterward year on the property's northeast section. Congenital by Hodges and Vergrift Architecture Company, this new accession was alleged the Arctic Garden rooms, afterwards renamed the Garden Villas.
During the aboriginal year, allowance ante ranged from $9 for a accepted allowance to $22 for choice quarters. Apartment were advertised as all-around four people. For an added adult, there was a $3 charge.
At the aforementioned time that architecture had amorphous on the added garden apartment at the northeastern bend of the property, architecture was beneath way on the Administering Building, which would abode a lobby, restaurants, shops, and affair rooms. The Gourmet Restaurant was opened in a adapted agronomical abode on the property, redesigned by C. Chic Pereira. This adapted agronomical abode had been the aboriginal Disneyland administering building.
The aboriginal auberge design, by the architectural close of Pereira and Luckman, alleged for 300 cabin and auberge rooms, suites and garden apartments. Additionally included were affairs for three pond pools, tennis courts, a golf course, cocktail lounges, and four restaurants. The aboriginal blueprints appointed a absolute of 10 barrio in the South Garden or Oriental Garden section. However, abandoned bristles barrio were absolutely built.
The aperture of the Administering Architecture (which would afterwards become the Travelport), and the "official" admirable aperture for the auberge was on Baronial 25, 1956. It was a star-studded admirable aperture ceremony that resembled a Hollywood cine premiere. Celebrities in appearance included Walt Disney, Art Linkletter, William Bendix, Alan Ladd, Sue Caroll, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Jeanne Crain. Additionally in appearance were as abounding as three hundred enthusiasts, celebratory the ribbon-cutting and demography a admirable bout of the facilities.
By 1956, there were 204 bedfellow apartment and suites at the Disneyland Hotel. As an added attraction, ceremony garden patio had its own orange tree, a admonition of what the aboriginal acreage had been abandoned a few abbreviate years earlier. This had been a allotment of the aboriginal affairs back the breadth were actuality austere to body the hotel. An added advantage at this time was the Apricot Club which included a huge 45-foot by 75-foot absolutely tiled and acrimonious pond pool, wading pools for accouchement of all ages, fountains, sandlots, and a cabana area. The pools were amidst by lounge appliance for guests' alleviation and so that they ability admission a Southern California tan. One-day laundry and dry charwoman casework were available, and a physician and assistant were on call. An 18-hole putting greens and shuffleboard courts were additionally aboriginal inclusions at the Disneyland Hotel.
Guests were able to annals for a auberge allowance from their car or they could go into the antechamber for a added acceptable adjustment of registration. There were parking spaces for 1000 cars, and parking was free. Also, limo and bus account was provided. Richfield Oil (also the Disneyland sponsor of Autopia) offered abounding automotive care. Alike in the 1950s, every allowance was able with a television set and air conditioning.
During these aboriginal years, the appearance at Disneyland was above the best optimistic expectations. Alike Walt had to be afraid by the cutting success of his dream. As a result, the Burghal Lath of Anaheim began reviewing affairs for added motels and restaurants. Disneyland had accurate all the skeptics to be wrong, and Disneyland was destined to accompany above changes to what already had been a sleepy, orange bracken community.
From the beginning, the Disneyland auberge was one of the outstanding showplaces of Orange County. Celebrities such as Jack Benny, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Baton Graham, and Cary Admission were generally spotted at the hotel. These and added celebrities enjoyed bringing their families for a break at the auberge and for a cruise to Walt's park. Additionally admiring were business people, advancing for luncheons, meetings, and conventions. The Disneyland auberge bound had become the abode to see and the abode to be seen.
Room ante in 1957 were advertised from $10 to $19. SuitesÊwent for amid $22 and $25. The hotel's brochures boasted of an array of shops, air conditioned rooms, television in every room, pools of all sizes, restaurant and cocktail facilities. Additionally accustomed was tram account to Disneyland every bristles minutes, busline via a Disneyland base wagon, playgrounds, childcare facilities, beautician and adorableness shops. Doctor, assistant and alike dental accessories were accessible on the grounds. The brochures added emphasized a clandestine sundeck or patio for every room. Best of all, the Disneyland auberge was billed as the abandoned auberge appropriate at the Abracadabra Commonwealth of Disneyland. Additionally in the backward 1950s, the abstraction of "seasonal" and "non-seasonal" ante aboriginal appeared. Typically, it would amount a dollar or two added for a allowance during the holidays and summer months (late May through mid September).
By 1959, over 25 hotels and motels had awash about Disneyland to booty advantage of the Park's amazing cartoon power. By 1960, Anaheim had accustomed itself as Orange County's better city, with a citizenry in balance of 100,000. Bodies were traveling from all areas of the apple to appointment the "Happiest Abode on Earth." Indeed, Anaheim had magically developed from a quiet, baby agronomical association into a mecca of tourism, and the bang had abandoned begun. As Walt had promised on aperture day, the esplanade connected abacus attractions (the Monorail, the Abysmal Voyage, and the Matterhorn all aperture in 1959); and the auberge connected to grow, accepting added than 300 apartment by 1960. A 13,000-square bottom assemblage centermost was additionally added at that time.
Rates for apartment in 1960 ranged from $10 to $26 a night during the off-season and from $16 to $29 in season, the holidays and the summer months.
At a columnist appointment captivated in 1960, Jack Wrather and Walt Disney appear affairs for the addendum of the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail Arrangement to articulation the esplanade to the hotel. Walt had continued envisioned a accelerated alteration arrangement for above U.S. cities, and this accession to the Monorail would accommodate a alive model. Dick Nunis, who formed his way up from a summer job in 1955 to become the admiral of Disneyland in 1980, declared that Walt saw the Monorail as added than aloof an attraction; Walt saw it as aÊworkable busline system. He capital to authenticate its abeyant as burghal accelerated transit, and so he envisioned the monorail's addendum to the hotel.
The park's monorail was bankrupt for architecture on April 10, 1961. Disneyland additionally had to bankrupt Autopia to facilitate the accession of new pylons through its grounds. The aboriginal 8/10th-of-a-mile clue would be continued by 12,300 feet, authoritative it about a two-and-a-half mile round-trip adventure amid the esplanade to the hotel. The amount of the addendum was $1.9 actor ($500,000 added than the aboriginal amount of the Monorail back it was installed at Disneyland beneath than two years earlier). The architecture appropriate added than 118,000 hours of labor, 10,760 accoutrements of sand, 66,700 accoutrements of adhesive and 702 accoutrements of steel. New appearance Mark II trains were alien for the continued Monorail including a new gold black train. The Monorail, with its addendum to the Disneyland Hotel, reopened on June 1, 1961.
Other above expansions were planned for the auberge in the aboriginal 1960s. They included a new golf circuitous featuring an 18-hole, par-three course, a 50-tee active range, and a miniature golf advance with the abandoned holes called afterwards Disneyland attractions. One of the advance favorites was aperture #5, which featured a mini replica of the Matterhorn Mountain. Additionally added at this time was a helicopter landing pad, bond Los Angeles All-embracing Airport with Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel. The new ability provided an able busline articulation for both business bodies and tourists. Soon, LAA Airways was operating an boilerplate of 12 flights per day to and from the airport in its 28-passenger, turbo-jet copter liners.
In 1961, the Wrather Association went public, alms 350,000 shares of accepted stock. Admiral and Administrator of the Lath Jack Wrather and the Wrather Association had developed to accommodate four above divisions: Television and motion pictures, the Disneyland Hotel, the Muzak Association (the generally satirized elevator music), and Stephen's Marine, Inc. The aggregation additionally was circuitous in administration casework for assorted added abyssal based businesses.
The Anaheim skyline was additionally about to abide a above change in 1961 back the abstraction of "building up" replaced the abstraction of "building out." At the Disneyland Hotel, an 11-story, high-rise belfry was built. This added 150 new bedfellow apartment to the auberge complex. At that time, it was the county's tallest architecture and the nation's tallest architecture complete utilizing the post-tension, lift-slab method. Addition agitative addition was an external, bottle elevator, one of abandoned a scattering complete at the time in this country. Its designer, artist Kurt Weber, recalled that the bottle elevator offered a affecting appearance of the growing association of Anaheim. It additionally took guests to the Top of the Esplanade Lounge, which featured amazing angle of Disneyland. The Lounge offered alcoholic beverages and nightly ball in a absolutely dejection motif. Complete for the beneath adventuresome was the Monorail Lounge which was amid abutting to the Monorail base on the added attic level. Arena had been burst for the new belfry architecture in October of 1961. The activity was completed beneath than a year afterwards in September of 1962. At that time, two added Garden structures were additionally added to the hotel.
In 1962, ante ranged from $17 for a allowance with a accompanying bed to $53 for two choice and average abutting apartment during vacation and ceremony seasons, $10 to $47 during off-season. There were new ante for the belfry building. A twin-bedded allowance was priced from $24 vacation amount up to $35 for a allowance with two bifold beds. Off-season, belfry apartment were priced from $20 to $26.
Orange Canton acclaimed its 75th ceremony in 1964. At a columnist appointment captivated at the Disneyland Hotel, the advertisement was fabricated that Above Alliance Baseball was advancing to Anaheim. The Angels would abide to comedy in Los Angeles at Dodger Amphitheater until their new Anaheim amphitheater was complete in about two years. During their aboriginal year in Anaheim, the Angels would advance the American Alliance in attendance, alluring over one actor fans.
By 1964, during vacation and ceremony season, allowance ante were $17 for a distinct room, $53 for an abutting choice allowance with a average room, and $30 for a choice allowance alone. Winter ante were advertised from $10 for a distinct baby allowance to $49 for an abutting choice with average room. The Belfry apartment were priced from $24 to $35 during peak-season and $20 to $28 during off- season. Peak-season now was actuality authentic as from June 1 to September 15, December 11 to January 3, and April 9 to April 24.
Both the Disneyland auberge and Disneyland adulatory their "Tencennials," 10-years of acknowledged operations, in 1965. The auberge appear affairs for the Belfry Annex, an amplification to the absolute tower, which would now accord the auberge 616 bedfellow rooms. An added six appointment apartment (bringing the absolute to 28) would be added to the complex. These appointment apartment would be advised to authority from 15 bodies to two thousand people.
A new arcade capital architecture was additionally complete on the auberge grounds. It was declared as accepting bottle walls and adroit grillwork, aflame in a abundant garden setting. It was added declared as akin a chaplet on blooming velvet,Êcontaining the admirable and abnormal in a account of smart, beat specialty shops. Actuality one could buy ambrosial tobaccos from Turkey, candles from Mexico, leathers from London, toys from the U.S., Germany and Japan, and actuality one could baddest from fashions aggressive in Paris, Rome and Carnaby Street. The Capital additionally featured a adorableness shop, a biking agency, and a dental facility. Both the Belfry Addendum and the Capital Arcade Centermost amount $5.5 actor as allotment of the auberge Amplification Program. At Disneyland, "it's a baby world" was added afterwards its acknowledged run at the New York World's Fair.
Rates in 1966 for what was billed as algidity ranged from $15 for a queen-sized bed up to $30 for a choice room. During vacation times, the ante were $20 and $35 for the aforementioned rooms. The Belfry now had a Arctic and South designation, with the South ancillary actuality the added expensive. The Arctic ancillary ante were priced from $20 for a queen-sized bed up to $28 for two bifold beds. The South ancillary went for $22 to $30 for the aforementioned bed types.
By 1966, Orange Canton had become the day-tripper hub of America, bearing day-tripper assets greater than any added U.S. county. Anaheim now had 125 hotels and motels and a citizenry of over 150,000. Acutely on December 15, 1966, Walt Disney, one of the best affecting men in Anaheim's history, anesthetized away. Walt had been a constant smoker and had developed lung cancer. It was appear that Jack and Bonita Wrather were devastated aloft audition account of Walt's passing. Bisected of the two antecedents of tourism in Southern California was now gone. These two had advised a advance in the 1950s for the approaching of tourism and conventions in Orange County, thereby always alteration Anaheim's destiny. Jack Wrather would additionally accede to blight in 1984.
Shortly afterwards Walt's death, the Walt Disney Aggregation began abundant attempts to acquirement ascendancy of the hotel. Assuredly in 1988, 33 years afterwards the aboriginal groundbreaking, the Disneyland auberge would become a allocation of the authority that Walt had founded.
In aloof a little over 11 years, the Disneyland auberge had developed from 104 bedfellow apartment and a scattering of amenities into a above day-tripper ability with 616 bedfellow rooms, abounding dining and arcade facilities, a abounding golf complex, and a abounding ambit of assemblage and affair facilities. The auberge additionally helped acquaint a affected approach of accelerated alteration in the anatomy of the Monorail, and the auberge was active in alteration the antecedent agronomical abridgement of Anaheim into the above day-tripper destination that it is today. What appeared to be a ambiguous breadth for development in the aboriginal fifties angry into one of the best activating areas in the country. A ample allocation of this change and advance had been angry by a man with a abrasion and a Texas oil wildcatter.
Sources:
Kaleidoscope: The In-Room Annual of Disneyland auberge and Inn at the Park: Bounce 1980, summer 1980, and abatement 1980.
Disneyland Ceremony Magazine: assorted issues from 1957 and 1958.
Disneyland Vacationland Magazine: assorted issues from 1958 to 1966.
Disneyland Line: Vol. 22, No. 40, October 5, 1990.
The Disneyland auberge Employee's Handbook, 1989.
Disneyland auberge announcement brochures: 1955, 1957, 1960, 1962, and 1966.
Disneyland Guidebooks: 1955 to 1965.
Disneyland auberge Postcards: 1955 to 1964.
The Handbook of Texas Online: The Jack Wrather obituary.
Dreams to Absoluteness by Bret Colson and Geoff Black. A abrupt history of avant-garde day Anaheim, 1997.
Disneylander: The annual for Disneyland employees, assorted issues from 1959 to 1961.
Check In Magazine: Assorted editions from 1965 to 1967.
All sources came from my claimed accumulating of Disneyland auberge items with the barring of the Jack Wrather obituary and the book Dreams to Reality. The admirable Kaleidoscope magazines and several accessories from Ceremony and Vacationland magazines came from added collectors. All photos additionally came from my claimed accumulating except breadth noted. I requested admission to the Disney Athenaeum for analysis advised but was denied access.
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