Disneyland Hotel Renovation- Starts Aug 09

[nemofinder22]

As of today the towers will now officially be know as
Fantasy(formally Magic, and originally Marina) also this tower is still under renovation on its upper 5 levels

Adventure(formally Dreams, originally Sierra) all the rooms are complete I believe its just the towers lobby under renovation now.

Frontier(formally Wonder and orginally the Bonita) this tower is complete rooms and lobby.

A look at the continuing work on the Fantasy Tower, as well as the Neverland pool as it gets transformed into the E-Ticket pool.

http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.com/DisneylandResort/06-12-11/i-fZWdWrJ/0/X3/IMG4918-X3.jpg

Photo by Dateline Disneyland smugmug.
http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.com/DisneylandResort/06-12-11/17515419_gwNM3C#1333290607_2XwCzsX

 

[TP2000]

Is it just me, or do the new names already make it a thousand times easier to remember which tower is which? I can still remember which one was the Bonita Tower and Marina Tower, and I can easily tell you which one is Fantasy, Adventure, or Frontier. I could even do this standing on my head.

But for the life of me I could never remember, and have already forgotten, which tower was Dreams or Magic or Wonder or Celebrate or Memories or whatever meaningless corporate-marketing names they called them. Seriously, was that just me? :lol:

Fantasy, Adventure and Frontier. I like it! And I already know which tower is which.

 

[nemofinder22]

I agree the new names are much eaiser to remember which is which, funny the old names(Wonder, Dreams and Magic) are also the names of the DCL fleet.

Not necessarily related to the current renovation of the Disneyland Hotel, but a major importance to its existence, Jack and Bonita Wrather will become Disney Legends at the upcoming D23 Expo! just more of that extra history/magic at DLR.

http://d23.disney.go.com/expo/articles/061611.BN.DisneyLegends.html

JACK AND BONITA WRATHER struck a deal with their friend Walt Disney in 1954 to build a luxury family hotel on property adjacent to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Ground was broken on March 18, 1955, and the hotel opened six and a half months later — 104 rooms in five two-story buildings at a starting room rate of $15. The Disneyland Hotel, originally conceived as simply lodging, presaged future developments in how Americans entertained themselves, pioneering, as Jack's son Chris wrote, "new forms of dining as entertainment, shopping as entertainment and the use of a waterfront setting" in an urban environment. The Disneyland Hotel has since played host to kings, queens, presidents, entertainment and sports legends and families from around the world.

 

[nemofinder22]

Disney Parks Blog has a look into the Adventureland suite today
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/06/adventureland-suite-at-the-disneyland-hotel/

They also posted links to previous stories featuring the rest of the suites

Fairy Tale Suite
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/11/fairy-tale-suite-at-the-disneyland-hotel/

The Big Thunder Suite
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...te-at-the-disneyland-hotel-big-thunder-suite/

Mickey Mouse Penthouse
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...-the-disneyland-hotel-mickey-mouse-penthouse/

Pirates of the Caribbean Suite
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...s-of-the-caribbean-suite-at-disneyland-hotel/




A closer look into what brought Trader Sams to life, with help from Kevin and Jody
http://miehana.blogspot.com/2011/06/trader-sams.html

 

[captainkidd]

Will all the standard rooms have the same look that we've seen in pics, or will they be themed to each tower?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Will all the standard rooms have the same look that we've seen in pics, or will they be themed to each tower?

I'm far from an expert but I think the standard rooms in all towers will have the modern-ish look with the special-effects headboards, etc. that we've seen pictured in other places. I think the themed suites above are special rooms in their own categories sort of like the themed rooms/suites WDW is adding to POR & the Contemporary (just on a grander scale at DLR, of course).

If you could choose one of those themed suites, which would be for you? The Mickey Mouse Penthouse is my dream. I would walk into that suite, lay down in the middle of the floor, and roll around sobbing like a baby. :lol: That'd be the ultimate!

 

[Nicole220]

If you could choose one of those themed suites, which would be for you? The Mickey Mouse Penthouse is my dream. I would walk into that suite, lay down in the middle of the floor, and roll around sobbing like a baby. :lol: That'd be the ultimate!

The Dream Suite! One day I will stay there... :lol:

I like the Adventureland one the most, I think. I want to take a bath in the Frontierland tub, and want to throw a party in the MM Penthouse.

 

[nemofinder22]

I'm far from an expert but I think the standard rooms in all towers will have the modern-ish look with the special-effects headboards, etc. that we've seen pictured in other places. I think the themed suites above are special rooms in their own categories sort of like the themed rooms/suites WDW is adding to POR & the Contemporary (just on a grander scale at DLR, of course).

If you could choose one of those themed suites, which would be for you? The Mickey Mouse Penthouse is my dream. I would walk into that suite, lay down in the middle of the floor, and roll around sobbing like a baby. :lol: That'd be the ultimate!

Correct! heres a look at all the standard rooms at the Disneyland Hotel.
http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/ent...yland-Hotel-to-Undergo-Significant-Renovation

Also heres a current look at the former Neverland Pool and the work still continuing on the Fantasy Tower.
http://www.disneygeek.com/updates/disneyland_image.php?update_dir=2011_06_24&page_id=33&num_image=3

 

[nemofinder22]

Theres a lot of news coming out of the DLR this past week and continuing with that.

The Disneyland Hotel was recently named a Four Diamond Rating by AAA
http://ocresort.ocregister.com/2011/08/18/disney-hotel-gets-four-diamond-rating-from-aaa/83691/

The Disneyland Hotel has received a 2012 Four Diamond rating from AAA, joining Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa with such a ranking.
Auto Club spokeswoman Elaine Beno said there were 10 hotels in Orange County – including the Grand Californian – and 70 hotels in Southern California that received a Four Diamond rating in 2011. There are four hotels in Orange County that received a Five Diamond rating in 201

Congrats to the Disneyland Hotel cast and crew for all their hard work, and congrats to DLR/TDA for having such a great cast and crew, as well as all there efforts in the middle of a major renovation.

On to the progress-

Work contines at the Disneyland Hotel-

http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.com/DisneylandResort/2011/08-13-11/i-7H8MXRL/0/O/IMG4801-O.jpg

Construction is starting in the lobby of the Fantasy Tower(check in tower as well as pictured above)

http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.com/DisneylandResort/2011/08-13-11/i-NxfZHXG/0/O/IMG4862-O.jpg

The current look of the check in desk

http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.com/DisneylandResort/2011/08-13-11/i-tnQnBJC/0/M/IMG4876-M.jpg

Above photos by Dateline Disneyland from this album
http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.c...1/08-13-11/18532406_3nGh2M#1431229287_vCwrqhS

Trees are slowly reappearing at the E-ticket pool

http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.com/DisneylandResort/2011/08-06-11/i-F39L6bQ/0/O/IMG3795-O.jpg

The above photo came from this album by Dateline Disneyland as well-
http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.c...1/08-06-11/18412320_8xf48j#1419612878_F39L6bQ

 

[Mrs Potts]

When we were there in February my husband and I were talking about the renovations and wondering if the proposed new tower would be DVC units. I was under the impression that GVC had been very successful and so we were both wondering if DVC would want to expand their California offerings. Seems like if they wree going to build another tower at the Disneyland Hotel it might be a good opportunity to make it DVC. Any thoughts on this?

 

[TP2000]

From this week's Dateline Disneyland...
http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.c...1/09-02-11/18844863_gKBsBJ#1460376040_XDRVhnz

Construction walls have now moved out in front of the Fantasy Tower, between the porte cochere and the convention center. About 20 new palm trees have been planted behind the walls, promising a very different look for this area.

I do wonder what the new entrance will look like? And the "theme" of the entry lobby?

On the opposite side of the Fantasy Tower, work continues on the restaurant/convention wing and the new "E Ticket Pool" area. I am surprised that they stripped this area down to the dirt, I was just sort of expecting a lighter retheme of the already existing area.

Similar work on the pool area continues over by the Adventure Tower, with some new trees arriving this week.

 

[Travelguy31]

New Lobby/Registration

Has Disney released any renderings of what the main lobby of the DLH will look like?

 

[KingdomofDreams]

Walls everywhere you look! But the transformation is going to be really nice. I'm kind of curious about the plan for the lobby too.

What's your opinion on the pool with the monorails? I have mixed feelings about it. With Tangaroa Terrace and Trader Sam's bringing more of the Tiki/Adventureland theming to that area, I've wondered why they didn't carry that through to include the pool using a Jungle Cruise look with lush tropical vegetation, waterfalls, and a small lazy river with a few elements of the ride subtly introduced.

 

[TP2000]

Has Disney released any renderings of what the main lobby of the DLH will look like?

Nope.

From the simple lines of the paint job and symetrical palm trees being planted, it looks like they are going for a Mid-Century Modern look to match the original design.

As a reminder, this same area where the walls and new palm trees are used to be a mish-mash of themes and designs. It had some large overgrown trees planted alongside the lobby entrance in a massive landscaped area, with a big Mickey statue plopped on the sidewalk. And then Marketing would come through every year or so and slap the latest cheesy marketing banners on some aluminum poles stuck in the sidewalk. Then at some point they put decorative planters along the sidewalk that didn't match anything really.


Disneyland Hotel - Mickey and Marina Tower by darthservo, on Flickr

And in the 1990's they hung contemporary-whimsy chandeliers from the circular skylights in the porte cochere roof, and slapped faux painted columns over the original modern columns and did 1990's contemporary Mickey tilework. After 9/11 they punched some bright-white security bollards into the floor near the curb. The entry signange was dark blue, the trashcans were a dark olive green, and the CM bellman/doorman costumes were a bright teal. None of it matched. While they always kept it clean and neat, when you stopped for 5 seconds and took it all in the entire Disneyland Hotel porte cochere entrance area was really quite a design disaster several decades in the making.

They've torn out all of the big, old trees in that area, and are doing something major behind the walls with those new palm trees. Let's hope they really get back to basics and use the great Mid-Century Modern bones this entrance complex still has. They could really make this crisp and elegant looking if they use the original design intent.

With a little luck, it'll be 1962 again.

 

[Communicore]

Does this cool hotel still have any remnants of the 50's?

 

[Travelguy31]

DL Hotel

I am staying here in February and I'm very excited to see all of these updates! I've been to WDW countless times, but only once to DL and this is my first time staying on DLR property.

 

[TP2000]

Does this cool hotel still have any remnants of the 50's?

The 50's? No. Every piece of the hotel left from the 1950's was removed over a decade ago. The oldest part of the existing Disneyland Hotel is from 1961, and that would be the northern end of the current Adventure Tower. It began its life in 1961 as the tallest building in Orange County (at the time), and was then expanded by doubling its size with a southern addition in 1966.

Here's what it looked like to start with in the early 1960's. That's Jack and Bonita Wrather and their children. Jack Wrather owned the Wrather Corporation; the firm that actually owned and operated the hotel from 1955 until Disney bought them out in 1988. Walt let Jack Wrather use the Disneyland logo and some Disney materials at the hotel because Walt knew he'd need a hotel near his Disneyland, but Disney wasn't in the hotel business in the 1950's.

Jack Wrather's Disneyland Hotel, 1960's

Here's that same hotel tower today, with the 1966 addition included. The glass elevator was sadly removed in the major refurbishment of 2010.

 

[Communicore]

The 50's? No. Every piece of the hotel left from the 1950's was removed over a decade ago. The oldest part of the existing Disneyland Hotel is from 1961, and that would be the northern end of the current Adventure Tower. It began its life in 1961 as the tallest building in Orange County (at the time), and was then expanded by doubling its size with a southern addition in 1966.

Here's what it looked like to start with in the early 1960's. That's Jack and Bonita Wrather and their children. Jack Wrather owned the Wrather Corporation; the firm that actually owned and operated the hotel from 1955 until Disney bought them out in 1988. Walt let Jack Wrather use the Disneyland logo and some Disney materials at the hotel because Walt knew he'd need a hotel near his Disneyland, but Disney wasn't in the hotel business in the 1950's.

Jack Wrather's Disneyland Hotel, 1960's

Here's that same hotel tower today, with the 1966 addition included. The glass elevator was sadly removed in the major refurbishment of 2010.

Thanks for this info! I didn't realize that they tore down the 50's buildings and it looks very different now from when I last visited!!

 

[TP2000]

I went for a walk around the Resort today on a gorgeous late summer afternoon, and I took some very amateur pictures of the work going on outside and inside the Fantasy Tower at the Disneyland Hotel. The Fantasy Tower is the last tower to begin refurbishment, and it also serves as the porte cochere, the main lobby, and the central guest services complex for the Disneyland Hotel property.

I found some neat surprises that must have just gone up within the last few days. Let's start on the outside, shall we?

The Porte Cochere and lobby entrance is heavy into construction mode now, and they are working on the west half first.


DLH September 2011 026 by TP1985, on Flickr

Luckily, at the lobby entrance the first of those faux columns they installed in the 1990's has been removed. Let's hope they go for a sleeker new column design that matches the mid-century modern look of the bones this hotel still has. And those 90's chandeliers have to go!


DLH September 2011 020 by TP1985, on Flickr

On the side of the Fantasy Tower, facing Downtown Disney, new hotel signs have gone up that are very good copies of the original signage that use to adorn each tower. This tower is still undergoing exterior refurbishment and painting.


DLH September 2011 041 by TP1985, on Flickr

One of these signs also has appeared on the north facing end of the Adventure Tower as well. It's great to see this original Disneyland Hotel logo show up on these high-rise towers again!


DLH September 2011 030 by TP1985, on Flickr

Meanwhile, down on the ground, the area around the Adventure Tower and Fantasy Tower is a very busy intersection. All hotel foot traffic has to pass by here since the interior courtyard and pool area is basically cut off from the rest of the hotel. When I was there this afternoon there were a bunch of hotel guests wandering through, an army of bellhops rushing back and forth with luggage carts, and a Quincenera party of local teenagers on their way to a hotel ballroom for good measure.


DLH September 2011 034 by TP1985, on Flickr

In a smart move, they are staffing hotel CM's at this intersection to help point hotel guests and lost tourists in the right direction. Those teal green uniforms have been around for about 10 years. I have to believe they'll be changing soon to match the new look of the hotel. Maybe something more blue and more retro?


DLH September 2011 040 by TP1985, on Flickr

 

[TP2000]

Inside the Fantasy Tower, near the Convention Center wing of this facility, the first of the new interiors has appeared. It's a sleek look, rather modern, and it replaces the combination Edwardian/Contemporary wood trim and baroque wallpaper and furnishings the hotel has had since its last light refurbishment around the year 2000.

This particular elevator lobby of the Fantasy Tower is a good place to start, since it shows the older look on the right elevators, with the sleeker and more modern look on the left elevator. The new wood is a glossy honey blonde, with steel trim and smoked glass above (that's reflecting back the old wallpaper still on the wall across from it).

DLH September 2011 002 by TP1985, on Flickr

One thing I hope remains in an updated form is the trash cans that have the classic Disneyland "D" logo on them. That D emblem has been around since the 1950's both inside the park and here at the hotel. I love it! This is an area that still has the older carpet and wallpaper and trim.

DLH September 2011 006 by TP1985, on Flickr

So now here's some Current Vs. Yesteryear pictures.

This is the brand new exterior wall of the main gift shop in the Fantasy Tower, facing the elevator lobby. It's been redone in a very unusual stone treatment that has a rippled effect. It was like something you would see in Tomorrowland, or the recently refurbished Contemporary Resort in WDW.


DLH September 2011 003 by TP1985, on Flickr

But this same basic location used to be a sunken cocktail lounge when this tower first opened in 1970. From the fabulous display of old hotel photos near Goofy's Kitchen, I found this picture from 1970 of the basic location of the current glossy wall and gift shop. These two look like extras from the party scene of The Towering Inferno! :lol:


DLH September 2011 015 by TP1985, on Flickr

Nearby, is the northern wall of the same gift shop, and a corridor that will eventually lead towards the main reception lobby again. It uses the same dark blue stone material on some of this wall.

DLH September 2011 013 by TP1985, on Flickr

And here's what this same location looked like when the tower opened in 1970, looking towards the check-in desk (that is still on the other side of this construction wall above).

DLH September 2011 014 by TP1985, on Flickr

They obviously have a lot of work to do left, and there's still new furniture and artwork and accesories that haven't shown up in the areas that are barely just done with major work. But I think by next spring this major, MAJOR refurbishment of the Disneyland Hotel should be completed. I am really liking the look of the new stuff, and the overall design is really coming together. I imagine when its all done and all the details are in place and all the walls have come down it's going to look really quite stunning!