Disneyland Hotel (California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Disneyland Hotel |
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The Hotel seen from the Frontier Tower
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| Location | Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California, United States |
| Category |   |
| Opened | October 5, 1955 |
| Theme | Various, with elements of Classic Disneyland laced throughout |
| Rooms | 990 |
| Suites | Adventureland, Big Thunder, Mickey Mouse Penthouse, Pirates of the Caribbean, Fairy Tale |
| Operator | Disney Parks, Experiences and Products |
The Disneyland Hotel is a famous hotel located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned by the Walt Disney Company. This hotel first opened its doors on October 5, 1955. It was originally a "motor inn" (a hotel for people traveling by car).
A man named Jack Wrather owned and ran the hotel at first. He had a special agreement with Walt Disney. This hotel was the very first one to officially use the Disney name. Over the years, the hotel grew and was updated many times. Disney bought the hotel in 1988. In 1999, the hotel became a bit smaller. This was part of a big plan to make the Disneyland Resort even bigger.
Contents
How the Hotel Started
Building a Dream Hotel
In the mid-1950s, when Disneyland was being built, it was in a quiet area. Walt Disney wanted a hotel where visitors could stay. Disneyland was quite a drive from big cities in Southern California. Walt Disney didn't have enough money to build a hotel himself. He had spent a lot building the theme park.
He asked his friend Art Linkletter if he wanted to build the hotel. Linkletter said no. Walt also talked to big hotel chains like Hilton. But they didn't know where Anaheim was, so they also said no.
Then, Walt Disney made a deal with Jack Wrather. Jack Wrather was a rich oil businessman who also made movies. He already owned hotels in other places. Jack Wrather and his business partner, Maria Helen Alvarez, agreed to own and run the Disneyland Hotel. It would be right across the street from Disneyland.
Jack Wrather's Ownership: 1955 to 1988
The first Disneyland Hotel was designed by famous architects. It opened on October 5, 1955. This was almost three months after Disneyland opened. The hotel had about 100 rooms at first. These rooms were in five two-story buildings. A room cost $15 a night. Shops, restaurants, and fun activities were added in 1956. The hotel even had a doctor, dentist, and hair salon!
On August 25, 1956, the hotel had its "official" grand opening. Many Hollywood stars came to the party. The hotel quickly grew. By 1960, it had over 300 rooms and suites. It was one of the first hotels in the area to let four people stay in one room.
In 1958, Jack Wrather became the only owner of the hotel. Over the years, the hotel added three tall guest room towers. These were called Sierra (1962), Marina (1970), and Bonita (1978). The Bonita tower was named after Jack Wrather's wife. This tower had a large waterfall and caves you could walk through. Nearby was an area called Seaports of the Pacific. It had unique shops and restaurants.
In 1982, an Off-Road Raceway opened. Guests could rent small remote-control cars to race. In 1985, the Queen's Berth attraction opened. Here, guests could control miniature boats. One boat was a small copy of the Queen Mary ship.
Guests used to take a tram to get from the hotel to Disneyland Park. In 1961, the Disneyland Monorail was extended. A Monorail station opened right at the hotel. This made it easy for guests to travel to the park. Over the years, more fun areas and a convention center were added. In 1970, a special park for RVs (recreational vehicles) called Vacationland opened. It had its own pool.
Disney Buys the Hotel
In 1984, Michael Eisner became the head of Walt Disney Productions. He wanted Disney to own the Disneyland Hotel. Jack Wrather did not want to sell it. Jack Wrather passed away two months after Eisner started at Disney. In 1988, after Jack Wrather's wife, Bonita Granville, passed away, Disney bought the entire Wrather company.
The Wrather company also owned the rights to TV shows like The Lone Ranger and Lassie. It also managed the RMS Queen Mary ship and the Spruce Goose airplane attraction. Disney kept the hotel but later sold the other things it bought from the Wrather company.
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Big Changes: 1999 to 2001
In early 1997, Vacationland (the RV park) was closed. Then, in 1999, a large part of the hotel was taken down. This was to make room for Downtown Disney and new parking areas. These changes were part of a big plan to expand the Disneyland Resort. Many of the original hotel buildings from 1955 were removed.
The only buildings left in these areas were the convention center and a parking garage. New fun areas were built between the three remaining towers. These replaced the ones that were removed. The streets around the hotel were changed. The tram service from the hotel to the park stopped. The Monorail became the only way to get from the hotel to the park without walking.
Many of the restaurants and fun things that were at the hotel before 1999 were not replaced. However, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel opened in 2001. This new hotel helped make up for the lost rooms.
The Disneyland Hotel Today
Today, none of the first hotel buildings from 1955 are still standing. Only a few parts of the original hotel, like parking areas, remain. These are outside the area where the three main towers are now. Some old signs and items from the shops and restaurants that were taken down are on display. You can see them in the hotel's employee cafeteria.
Places like ESPN Zone, Rainforest Cafe, and AMC Theatres are now in Downtown Disney. They use much of the space where the old hotel used to be. Inside the hotel, you can see Mickey Mouse designs everywhere. In 2007, the three towers were given new names. The Marina Tower became the Magic Tower. The Sierra Tower became the Dreams Tower. The Bonita Tower became the Wonder Tower.
Other buildings at the hotel have restaurants, shops, and places for meetings. The hotel also has a pretty garden and a gazebo. These are often used for Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons.
A new Downtown Disney Monorail Station was built. It is in the same spot as the old one. This Monorail takes guests to Tomorrowland inside Disneyland Park.
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The Disneyland Hotel started a big update in 2009. The Dreams Tower was the first to be redone. The updates included new windows, wallpaper, and decorations. The Dreams Tower was finished in 2010 and became the Adventure Tower. The Wonder Tower became the Frontier Tower in 2011. Finally, the Magic Tower became the Fantasy Tower in 2012.
The Never Land Pool area was also redesigned. This was finished in 2012. It now has new private cabanas and two fun water slides. The slides look like the old Monorail trains! A new four-foot deep pool was also built in this area.
