A Historical Look at the Disneyland HotelAn author's original article that spawned his interest
that led to a bookTuesday, August 28, 2005
by Don Ballard, contributing writer
Editor's note: While we were preparing our piece about Don Ballard's
new book (Disneyland Hotel: The Early Years, 1954 – 1988),
we learned that the book started off as an article that Don had planned
to submit for publication, but which never made it to press. We immediately
offered him the opportunity to publish his article here—and what
you see is pretty much what Don wrote over three years ago. [Go back
and read our review of his book here.]
During the spring of 1954, Walt Disney approached
the Texas oil wildcatter and television pioneer Jack Wrather concerning
the possibility of building accommodations for the many guests that Walt
hoped would flock to his innovative “theme park,” then under
construction in Anaheim, California. Since the “imagineering”
and building of Disneyland was taking nearly every penny that he had,
Walt approached Jack, hoping that his long-time friend would be willing
to take such a huge risk. Wrather was the producer of Lassie, The
Lone Ranger, and Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, popular 1950s television
programs. 
Disneyland Hotel: The Early Years, 1954 – 1988 is now available
in various places, including Amazon.com and Don's Web site.
Originally, Walt had approached Hilton executives and other well-known
hotel chains, hoping to convince them to finance the construction of a
first-class hotel next to Disneyland. However, the general consensus was
that such a venture was too risky. No one was certain that what was quickly
becoming known as “Disney's folly” would be successful. In 1954, Anaheim was a little-known community, largely consisting of
orange groves. The entire city had only seven small motels and hotels,
accommodating only a total of 87 guests. Wrather admitted at the time
that he was somewhat skeptical about building in such a small community
(of approximately 30,000), next to an experimental and yet unfinished
theme park. His doubts were further increased by the fact that the risky
venture had already been turned down by more than one major hotel chain. Wrather spent several days with Walt Disney, looking into the area's
potential for expansion. Legend has it that Walt had tears in his eyes
while describing his dream of Disneyland to Wrather. With a sense of adventure,
Wrather became convinced that the idea just might be a success. Also,
with Walt showing such emotion for and dedication to his project, how
could Wrather have resisted? One of the first discussions between the two friends was where the hotel
should be located. Wrather first talked of locating it near the entrance
to Disneyland. Walt said, “Jack, our guests aren't going to be thinking
about a hotel when they begin their visit to Disneyland. They'll start
looking for a room when they leave the park. The best place to build your
Hotel is near the Disneyland exit.” Wrather agreed with Walt's logic
and leased 60 acres of Disney-owned land on West Street directly across
from the Disneyland exit. There he built what was to become known as the
“Official Hotel of the Magic Kingdom." On March 18, 1955, Jack Wrather, Bonita Granville Wrather (his wife),
and Anaheim Mayor Charles Pearson, using a three-handled shovel, officiated
at the groundbreaking for the Disneyland Hotel. The Disneyland Hotel opened on October 5, 1955, nearly three months after
Disneyland's live televised grand opening on July 17, 1955. The first
guests registered at a hotel having only 104 guest rooms located in five
two-story complexes, built at the southeast corner of the leased property.
These were the South Garden rooms, later to be known as the Oriental Gardens.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Arnone of Inglewood, California were to be the first
guests at the newly opened hotel. The Disneyland Hotel was the first major resort to be built in Southern
California since the early 1940's. However, the number of available rooms
quickly proved to be insufficient for the unexpected demand, and 96 more
units of the same type were added the following year on the property's
northeast section. Built by Hodges and Vergrift Construction Company,
this new addition was called the North Garden rooms, later renamed the
Garden Villas. During the first year, room rates ranged from $9 for a standard room
to $22 for deluxe quarters. Rooms were advertised as accommodating four
people. For an additional adult, there was a $3 charge. At the same time that construction had begun on the additional garden
rooms at the northeastern corner of the property, construction was under
way on the Administration Building, which would house a lobby, restaurants,
shops, and meeting rooms. The Gourmet Restaurant was opened in a converted
ranch house on the property, redesigned by C. Tony Pereira. This converted
ranch house had been the original Disneyland administration building. The original hotel design, by the architectural firm of Pereira and Luckman,
called for 300 motel and hotel rooms, suites and garden apartments. Also
included were plans for three swimming pools, tennis courts, a golf course,
cocktail lounges, and four restaurants. The original blueprints designated
a total of 10 buildings in the South Garden or Oriental Garden section.
However, only five buildings were actually built. The opening of the Administration Building (which would later become
the Travelport), and the “official” grand opening for the hotel
was on August 25, 1956. It was a star-studded grand opening celebration
that resembled a Hollywood movie premiere. Celebrities in attendance included
Walt Disney, Art Linkletter, William Bendix, Alan Ladd, Sue Caroll, Yvonne
DeCarlo, and Jeanne Crain. Also in attendance were as many as three hundred
enthusiasts, observing the ribbon-cutting and taking a grand tour of the
facilities. By 1956, there were 204 guest rooms and suites at the Disneyland Hotel.
As an added attraction, each garden patio had its own orange tree, a reminder
of what the original property had been only a few short years earlier.
This had been a part of the original plans when the grounds were being
cleared to build the hotel. An additional amenity at this time was the
Coral Club which included a huge 45-foot by 75-foot completely tiled and
heated swimming pool, wading pools for children of all ages, fountains,
sandlots, and a cabana area. The pools were surrounded by lounge furniture
for guests' relaxation and so that they might acquire a Southern California
tan. One-day laundry and dry cleaning services were available, and a physician
and nurse were on call. An 18-hole putting greens and shuffleboard courts
were also early inclusions at the Disneyland Hotel. Guests were able to register for a hotel room from their car or they
could go into the lobby for a more traditional method of registration.
There were parking spaces for 1000 cars, and parking was free. Also, limo
and bus service was provided. Richfield Oil (also the Disneyland sponsor
of Autopia) offered full automotive care. Even in the 1950s, every room
was equipped with a television set and air conditioning. During these early years, the attendance at Disneyland was beyond the
most optimistic expectations. Even Walt had to be amazed by the overwhelming
success of his dream. As a result, the City Council of Anaheim began reviewing
plans for other motels and restaurants. Disneyland had proven all the
skeptics to be wrong, and Disneyland was destined to bring major changes
to what once had been a sleepy, orange grove community. From the beginning, the Disneyland Hotel was one of the outstanding showplaces
of Orange County. Celebrities such as Jack Benny, James Stewart, Henry
Fonda, Billy Graham, and Cary Grant were often spotted at the hotel. These
and other celebrities enjoyed bringing their families for a stay at the
hotel and for a trip to Walt's park. Also attracted were business people,
coming for luncheons, meetings, and conventions. The Disneyland Hotel
quickly had become the place to see and the place to be seen. Room rates in 1957 were advertised from $10 to $19. SuitesÊwent for between
$22 and $25. The hotel's brochures boasted of an assortment of shops,
air conditioned rooms, television in every room, pools of all sizes, restaurant
and cocktail facilities. Also touted was tram service to Disneyland every
five minutes, transportation via a Disneyland station wagon, playgrounds,
childcare facilities, barber and beauty shops. Doctor, nurse and even
dental facilities were available on the grounds. The brochures further
emphasized a private sundeck or patio for every room. Best of all, the
Disneyland Hotel was billed as the only hotel right at the Magic Kingdom
of Disneyland. Also in the late 1950s, the concept of “seasonal”
and “non-seasonal” rates first appeared. Typically, it would
cost a dollar or two more for a room during the holidays and summer months
(late May through mid September). By 1959, over 25 hotels and motels had crowded around Disneyland to take
advantage of the Park's spectacular drawing power. By 1960, Anaheim had
established itself as Orange County's largest city, with a population
in excess of 100,000. People were traveling from all areas of the world
to visit the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Indeed, Anaheim had
magically grown from a quiet, small agricultural community into a mecca
of tourism, and the boom had only begun. As Walt had promised on opening
day, the park continued adding attractions (the Monorail, the Submarine
Voyage, and the Matterhorn all opening in 1959); and the hotel continued
to grow, having more than 300 rooms by 1960. A 13,000-square foot convention
center was also added at that time. Rates for rooms 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 press conference held in 1960, Jack Wrather and Walt Disney announced
plans for the extension of the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System to link
the park to the hotel. Walt had long envisioned a rapid transit system
for major U.S. cities, and this addition to the Monorail would provide
a working model. Dick Nunis, who worked his way up from a summer job in
1955 to become the president of Disneyland in 1980, stated that Walt saw
the Monorail as more than just an attraction; Walt saw it as aÊworkable
transportation system. He wanted to demonstrate its potential as urban
rapid transit, and so he envisioned the monorail's extension to the hotel. The park's monorail was closed for construction on April 10, 1961. Disneyland
also had to closed Autopia to facilitate the installation of new pylons
through its grounds. The original 8/10th-of-a-mile track would be extended
by 12,300 feet, making it nearly a two-and-a-half mile round-trip journey
between the park to the hotel. The cost of the extension was $1.9 million
($500,000 more than the original cost of the Monorail when it was installed
at Disneyland less than two years earlier). The construction required
more than 118,000 hours of labor, 10,760 tons of sand, 66,700 bags of
cement and 702 tons of steel. New style Mark II trains were introduced
for the extended Monorail including a new gold colored train. The Monorail,
with its extension to the Disneyland Hotel, reopened on June 1, 1961. Other major expansions were planned for the hotel in the early 1960s.
They included a new golf complex featuring an 18-hole, par-three course,
a 50-tee driving range, and a miniature golf course with the individual
holes named after Disneyland attractions. One of the course favorites
was hole #5, which featured a mini replica of the Matterhorn Mountain.
Also added at this time was a helicopter landing pad, linking Los Angeles
International Airport with Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel. The new
facility provided an efficient transportation link for both business people
and tourists. Soon, LAA Airways was operating an average of 12 flights
per day to and from the airport in its 28-passenger, turbo-jet copter
liners. In 1961, the Wrather Corporation went public, offering 350,000 shares
of common stock. President and Chairman of the Board Jack Wrather and
the Wrather Corporation had grown to include four major divisions: Television
and motion pictures, the Disneyland Hotel, the Muzak Corporation (the
often satirized elevator music), and Stephen's Marine, Inc. The company
also was involved in management services for various other marine based
businesses. The Anaheim skyline was also about to undergo a major change in 1961
when the concept of “building up” replaced the concept of “building
out.” At the Disneyland Hotel, an 11-story, high-rise tower was built.
This added 150 new guest rooms to the hotel complex. At that time, it
was the county's tallest building and the nation's tallest building constructed
utilizing the post-tension, lift-slab method. Another exciting innovation
was an external, glass elevator, one of only a handful constructed at
the time in this country. Its designer, architect Kurt Weber, recalled
that the glass elevator offered a dramatic view of the growing community
of Anaheim. It also took guests to the Top of the Park Lounge, which featured
breathtaking views of Disneyland. The Lounge offered alcoholic beverages
and nightly entertainment in a decidedly blues motif. Constructed for
the less adventurous was the Monorail Lounge which was located next to
the Monorail station on the second floor level. Ground had been broken
for the new tower building in October of 1961. The project was completed
less than a year later in September of 1962. At that time, two additional
Garden structures were also added to the hotel. In 1962, rates ranged from $17 for a room with a twin bed to $53 for
two deluxe and medium adjoining rooms during vacation and holiday seasons,
$10 to $47 during off-season. There were new rates for the tower building.
A twin-bedded room was priced from $24 vacation rate up to $35 for a room
with two double beds. Off-season, tower rooms were priced from $20 to
$26. Orange County celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1964. At a press conference
held at the Disneyland Hotel, the announcement was made that Major League
Baseball was coming to Anaheim. The Angels would continue to play in Los
Angeles at Dodger Stadium until their new Anaheim stadium was constructed
in approximately two years. During their first year in Anaheim, the Angels
would lead the American League in attendance, attracting over one million
fans. By 1964, during vacation and holiday season, room rates were $17 for
a single room, $53 for an adjoining deluxe room with a medium room, and
$30 for a deluxe room alone. Winter rates were advertised from $10 for
a single small room to $49 for an adjoining deluxe with medium room. The
Tower rooms were priced from $24 to $35 during peak-season and $20 to
$28 during off- season. Peak-season now was being defined as from June
1 to September 15, December 11 to January 3, and April 9 to April 24. Both the Disneyland Hotel and Disneyland celebrating their “Tencennials,”
10-years of successful operations, in 1965. The hotel announced plans
for the Tower Annex, an expansion to the existing tower, which would now
give the hotel 616 guest rooms. An additional six conference rooms (bringing
the total to 28) would be added to the complex. These conference rooms
would be designed to hold from 15 people to two thousand people. A new shopping plaza building was also constructed on the hotel grounds.
It was described as having glass walls and graceful grillwork, gleaming
in a lush garden setting. It was further described as resembling a necklace
on green velvet,Êcontaining the beautiful and unusual in a score of smart,
avant-garde specialty shops. Here one could buy aromatic tobaccos from
Turkey, candles from Mexico, leathers from London, toys from the U.S.,
Germany and Japan, and here one could select from fashions inspired in
Paris, Rome and Carnaby Street. The Plaza also featured a beauty shop,
a travel agency, and a dental facility. Both the Tower Annex and the Plaza
Shopping Center cost $5.5 million as part of the Hotel Expansion Program.
At Disneyland, “it's a small world” was added after its successful
run at the New York World's Fair. Rates in 1966 for what was billed as wintertime ranged from $15 for a
queen-sized bed up to $30 for a deluxe room. During vacation times, the
rates were $20 and $35 for the same rooms. The Tower now had a North and
South designation, with the South side being the more expensive. The North
side rates were priced from $20 for a queen-sized bed up to $28 for two
double beds. The South side went for $22 to $30 for the same bed types. By 1966, Orange County had become the tourist hub of America, producing
tourist income greater than any other U.S. county. Anaheim now had 125
hotels and motels and a population of over 150,000. Sadly on December
15, 1966, Walt Disney, one of the most influential men in Anaheim's history,
passed away. Walt had been a lifelong smoker and had developed lung cancer.
It was reported that Jack and Bonita Wrather were devastated upon hearing
news of Walt's passing. Half of the two pioneers of tourism in Southern
California was now gone. These two had plotted a course in the 1950s for
the future of tourism and conventions in Orange County, thereby forever
changing Anaheim's destiny. Jack Wrather would also succumb to cancer
in 1984. Shortly after Walt's death, the Walt Disney Company began numerous attempts
to purchase control of the hotel. Finally in 1988, 33 years after the
original groundbreaking, the Disneyland Hotel would become a portion of
the empire that Walt had founded. In just a little over 11 years, the Disneyland Hotel had grown from 104
guest rooms and a smattering of amenities into a major tourist facility
with 616 guest rooms, ample dining and shopping facilities, a full golf
complex, and a full range of convention and meeting facilities. The hotel
also helped introduce a futuristic mode of rapid transit in the form of
the Monorail, and the hotel was instrumental in changing the previous
agricultural economy of Anaheim into the major tourist destination that
it is today. What appeared to be a questionable area for development in
the early fifties turned into one of the most dynamic areas in the country.
A large portion of this change and growth had been stimulated by a man
with a mouse and a Texas oil wildcatter. Sources: Kaleidoscope: The In-Room Magazine of Disneyland Hotel and Inn at
the Park: Spring 1980, summer 1980, and fall 1980. Disneyland Holiday Magazine: various issues from 1957 and 1958. Disneyland Vacationland Magazine: various issues from 1958 to
1966. Disneyland Line: Vol. 22, No. 40, October 5, 1990. The Disneyland Hotel Employee's Handbook, 1989. Disneyland Hotel advertising brochures: 1955, 1957, 1960, 1962, and 1966. Disneyland Guidebooks: 1955 to 1965. Disneyland Hotel Postcards: 1955 to 1964. The Handbook of Texas Online: The Jack Wrather obituary. Dreams to Reality by Bret Colson and Geoff Black. A brief history
of modern day Anaheim, 1997. Disneylander: The magazine for Disneyland employees, various issues
from 1959 to 1961. Check In Magazine: Various editions from 1965 to 1967. All sources came from my personal collection of Disneyland Hotel items
with the exception of the Jack Wrather obituary and the book Dreams to
Reality. The wonderful Kaleidoscope magazines and several articles from
Holiday and Vacationland magazines came from other collectors. All photos
also came from my personal collection except where noted. I requested
access to the Disney Archives for research purposed but was denied access.
Go out and buy Don's book. It will provide you with endless hours of
interesting reading, recollecting of happy memories, and enough facts
about the hotel that you can share and boast with all your friends and
neighbors (as if they don't already think you are a Disneyland fan). In the meantime, if you can't wait for the book to arrive, Don has a
Web site, called MagicalHotel.com (link).
You can view sample pages, as well as look at some really nifty collectible
items from the hotel. The book is also available for direct purchase with free shipping. Do you have some special memories from your stays at the Disneyland Hotel?
Send us a message!
Thoughts, questions, or comments? Contact Lani here.
She will also be happy to forward your queries to Don.
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Disneyland Hotel: The Early Years, 1954 – 1988 (ISBN 0-9768779-01-0, 136 pages) by Donald W. Ballard is published July 7, 2005 by Ape Pen Publishing of Riverside, California. Retail price: $47.50 Purchase from Amazon here. 
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