Tuesday, September 04, 2012

1901



The Crown Jewel of the DCA renovation is its new iconic centerpiece, The Carthay Circle Restaurant. Using the architecture and design of the original Carthay Circle Theater that once existed in Hollywood, this restaurant tastes as good as it looks. Discretely located off to the side of Carthay is 1901, a private club/lounge that members can enjoy whenever they are in the park.



Named after Walt's birth year, it is full of touches to remind you that Walt was the man behind the parks and that his team of animators helped him achieve all of his goals. Sitting at the bar, you can sit in Director-style chairs with Walt, Lillian, Edna, and Roy's names on them.



Adrian, the bartender, keeps guests entertained with the gift of gab and his ability to turn a cylinder of ice into a sphere.



Presto, change-o...



And voilĂ !



The interior was created with a vintage feel in mind, as if the animators were here back in the day relaxing after a hard day at the studio.



The Moroccan-style arched doorways are just one of the examples of the lavish details that abound throughout 1901.



Every 10 minutes or so, an animated shadow of Walt appears at the end of this hallway.





"Animated" photos magically come to life, too:



The book used for the 1938 Dutch version opening credits was on display:



Even the bathroom was photo-worthy!



Especially this little tile head detail:



If you ever get the opportunity to see 1901, make sure you don't let it slip by!

See more DCA 1901 photos on my 1901 web pages.

7 comments:

  1. BEAUTIFUL!!! Hey, I heard that they were having trouble selling memberships for 1901 and that they decided to let Club 33 members use it. Do you know if that is true?

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  2. Not sure Connie; but I can tell you it was fairly empty the night I was there.

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  3. Neat restaurant! I wonder why Adrian the bartender has what looks like little perfume atomizers nearby. Does he spritz the drinks with some magic ingredient? Also, that book for the Dutch version of Snow White is super cool, how many other similar books exist, I wonder.

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  4. This looks wonderful -- I hope I get a chance to see it in person some day. So many great details!

    From that particular angle, Walt's silhouette looks very George Washington-ish!

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  5. Excellent detail shots Dave. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Wonderful photos. I'm so excited to check out this fine restaurant and lounge the next time I get down to Anaheim. I once worked in the Carthay Circle shop at the Disney Studios in Florida, so the Carthay has always had a sweet spot in my heart - so nice to see the idea of the theatre used as a restaurant. Thanks again.

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  7. Anonymous5:10 PM

    Does anyone know Adrian’s insta?

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