What Disneyland History Should Be Preserved at the Disneyland Hotel?

[PragmaticIdealist]

In a few other threads, I mentioned my idea to find a home for now-defunct parts of Disneyland at the Disneyland Hotel. So, which culturally-significant, but now dated elements deserve to be exhibited, represented, or otherwise preserved at the 1955 establishment?

My list includes:

The Sleeping Beauty Castle diorama
The Flying Saucers
The Clock of the World
The Carousel of Progress
The Unisphere from the 1964-65 New York World's Fair
The "Primeval World" diorama
Adventures thru Inner Space
The space man
An early-model monorail train with the stainless-steel sides
The Monorail Cafe
Cactii from the Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland
The Mary Blair mural formerly in Tomorrowland
The Tower of the Four Winds
An original Autopia car
A Skyway gondola
The "Grand Canyon" diorama
Historical broadcasts of the "Disneyland" television series, as well as other Disneyland-related programs
Skull Rock
"America Sings"
Videopolis
Totally Minnie, The World According to Goofy, and other productions of the Entertainment Dept.
"Captain EO"
World-Premiere Circle-Vision 360
The Disneyland Tencennial
Party Gras/"35 Years of Magic" celebration
The "40 Years of Adventure" celebration
The Golden Anniversary Celebration of 2005
More photographs and other artifacts pertaining to guests of historical significance
More ephemera
Influences of Disneyland on the outside world
And, the Googie-style "Disneyland" marquee

[Radiobarry]

Pragmatic - your list is extremely thorough...and I'm not sure if "ephemera" covers any of this...

How about...
A tepee from the old Indian Village
The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Maybe signs and other artifacts from famous sponsors like...Aunt Jemima's Pancake House...Hills Brothers Coffee House...Upjohn Pharmacy, Elgin Clock shop, etc...
The Mickey, Donald and Goofy costumes from "America On Parade"...
The 25th and 30-year celebrations
The Tahitian Terrace
Geez, how big can we make this place?
Thanks....

[PragmaticIdealist]

Oh, I forgot the all-important silk-screen attraction posters. I also would like to see a rooftop restaurant or cocktail lounge restored to the hotel and overlooking Downtown Disney.

http://www.magicalhotel.com/

Geez, how big can we make this place?
Thanks....

Hopefully, the essence of many of these experiences can be distilled and reformulated into something brand new.

The Tahitian Terrace is especially interesting since Polynesian motifs were popular variations of the Googie style, and many people still miss that restaurant and its floor show.

Perhaps these elements can be grouped together according to the decade from which each of them originated. Mid-Century stylizations of the Realms of Disneyland might also provide motifs to connect the various pieces.

Entirely new contexts for these show elements are another possibility. For example, the anthropomorphic cactii I mentioned do not necessarily belong to the Old West; they might just as well relate directly to the mid-Century Googie style, itself. The Space Age elements of Tomorrowland and the 1964-65 World's Fair certainly do.

One of the other advantages of having the Disneyland Hotel embrace its datedness is that the style is uniquely Californian, so it relates very well to Disney's California Adventure and the other two hotels.

[Radiobarry]

Oh, I forgot the all-important silk-screen attraction posters.


Hopefully, the essence of many of these experiences can be distilled and reformulated into something brand new.

The Tahitian Terrace is especially interesting since Polynesian motifs were popular variations of the Googie style, and many people still miss that restaurant and its floor show.

Perhaps these elements can be grouped together according to the decade from which each of them originated. Mid-Century stylizations of the Realms of Disneyland might also provide motifs to connect the various pieces.

Do you envision a king of Yesterland, like the website a place to go to see at least a piece of everything that once existed at Disneyland but doesn't any more?
And without derailing the thread, can you give me - or point me to - a thumbnail of what "Googie Style" means?
BTW...I assume the DLH sign that just passed on would be included also...

[PragmaticIdealist]

Do you envision a king of Yesterland, like the website a place to go to see at least a piece of everything that once existed at Disneyland but doesn't any more?
And without derailing the thread, can you give me - or point me to - a thumbnail of what "Googie Style" means?
BTW...I assume the DLH sign that just passed on would be included also...

Actually, I just recently found a great Web-site (http://www.spaceagecity.com/googie/) that I shared in this thread: http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16393.

I haven't really spent that much time looking at the Yesterland Web-site, but, the Disneyland Hotel may provide an ideal context to present elements of Disneyland that have become dated or have otherwise been lost due to expansion.

While Disneyland attempts to present a timeless vision, some parts of The Magic Kingdom have certainly outlived their fashionability over the years. And others, such as the parades and other events, have been planned for evanescence. There is cultural and historical significance to much of this material, though, so a need for preservation does exist.

Some of the other threads relevant to this topic include the following:

http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15808

http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16182

[Radiobarry]

Very cool...thank you!!!

[Disney Wrassler]

Before I offer my suggestion I had an idea. You see people in other threads have stated that Adventure Thru Inner Space should return to its home in Disneyland that Star Tours is currently in and Star Tour should be moved into DCA's Hollywood Backlot.

I don't think any ride should move and I don't think Adventure Thru Inner Space should return to Disneyland.

I think Adventure Thru Inner Space should be placed in "A Bugs Land" of DCA to help the park in distress out. I would think it would make perfect sense since you are suppost to seem small in that themed area. And just place the original ride in there somewhere.

But I would want some Country Bears resevered someplace on Disneyland property. Some of the former Disneyland AA's that may still be in storage should be scattered and hidden throughout both DCA and Disneyland.

[oldhotelguy]

Lots of people have asked me if I am upset that they removed the Disneyland Hotel sign atop the Marina Tower building. Not half as upset as when they tore down the Garden Villa rooms, the pool and the rest of the original hotel. That sign was put up in late 1969 early 1970 so it does not date back to the beginning. The Oriental Gardens did date back to the beginning which to me, was hard to see go. In fact, they were the first structures built on the property. I always thought Disney could have left one building up (out of the origianl 5) for historical sake. Check out my site www.magicalhotel.com for some fun stuff on the history of the Disneyland Hotel

[PragmaticIdealist]

Lots of people have asked me if I am upset that they removed the Disneyland Hotel sign atop the Marina Tower building. Not half as upset as when they tore down the Garden Villa rooms, the pool and the rest of the original hotel. That sign was put up in late 1969 early 1970 so it does not date back to the beginning. The Oriental Gardens did date back to the beginning which to me, was hard to see go. In fact, they were the first structures built on the property. I always thought Disney could have left one building up (out of the origianl 5) for historical sake. Check out my site www.magicalhotel.com for some fun stuff on the history of the Disneyland Hotel

Hi, "oldhotelguy". I performed a Google search earlier this morning, and your site was among the topmost of the results. So, I made mention of the U.R.L. because magicalhotel.com is quite interesting and worthwhile.

I don't think people in The Walt Disney Company feel an attachment to the hotel even though there is a tremendous amount of potential there that can really only be realized if as much of the original property as possible is preserved.

[oldhotelguy]

Thanks for the mention of my site. Shortly, I will be adding many more pictures and stories to the site. I have over 5,000 images from the Hotel's history. The favorite requests are overhead shots and the mini-golf course. I get more people asking me about that course and I hope to put up some pictures of it real soon. Any other requests from readers?

[Disney Wrassler]

Thanks for the mention of my site. Shortly, I will be adding many more pictures and stories to the site. I have over 5,000 images from the Hotel's history. The favorite requests are overhead shots and the mini-golf course. I get more people asking me about that course and I hope to put up some pictures of it real soon. Any other requests from readers?

Do you have anything from the Country Bears? I am now officially a die-hard fan of theirs.

[Disney Wrassler]

Oh wait, I just looked at the site and no Country Bears

[MickeyMania]

I don't mind the hotel taking on the theme of Disney history since it has been around a long time, but what's up with the wishes to see old buildings preserved? I guess I'm the only one who kind of scrunches up his nose when I see that the hotel looks like it did when my Dad took me there. My only regret about all the old buildings being torn down was the loss of the Monorail Cafe and subsequently on-property food at reasonable prices.

[lazyboy97O]

I think Disney over looks a lot of its history. With the advent of the internet I think its almost high time the company really comes forward with a lot of stuff. Could anybody imagine a Disney theme park museum? Place it in Glandale and just fill warehouses with Disney park stuff. The entire thing could be themed around the history of WDI. But don't just include attractiosn that were built, show cancelled projects and maybe just some random Blue Sky ideas. Who, at least here, wouldn't pay top dollar to get a sneak peak at some pieces of the Western River Expedition models? Maybe a Disney's America or WestCOT model?

The whole thing could be sold as a special Disney theme park history package. A couple of days at historic Disneyland and the Disneyland Resort, a guided tour of Disneyland and/or Disneyland Resort, a couple of nights at the Disneyland hotel (maybe some specially done up rooms for those willing?), and then early one morning bus people up to Glendale for a tour and some free time at the museum.

Of course the same could then be done for a Studios museum in Burbank. All of this could be done in Anaheim, but actually going at least very near the real place just seems cooler. And you can always do field locations specifically regarding each resort with some exhibits making tours.

[pineapplewhipaddict]

I guess I'm a simpleton, but...

As long as the old marquee was gathered up again and preserved for all to see, I'd be happy.