Disneyland and The Queen Mary

This November 1971 image from the Disneyland Hotel initially looks like some kind of mod sculpture. Nope. I learned that it was one of the propellers from the Queen Mary, a luxury ocean liner that was part of the Cunard portfolio. Its maiden voyage was on May 27, 1936 and then it was “retired” from the sea as an active liner when it became permanently docked in the harbor at Long Beach, California on December 9, 1967. Don Ballard is definitely the expert on Disneyland Hotel history. I edited this info from his The Disneyland Hotel The Early Years Facebook Group to explain how the ship’s propeller ended up on Disney property:

February 1971, the propeller from the Queen Mary is installed at the Disneyland Hotel as part of Water World. Disney obtained the license to “operate” The Queen Mary from the City of Long Beach when they bought Wrather Corporation in 1988. The deal also included the Disneyland Hotel.



Group member Dan Fendel added this info:

I once talked to a former LB City Councilman about the deal they got the Queen through—Cunard was offered MUCH bigger pricetags for her, but they all involved scrapping her and they prefered her preserved. However, to turn her into a hotel and tourist attraction meant lots of work, and under the laws of the time (and maybe still) it meant that as long as she could make steam and move under her own power, the MARITIME unions for things like construction, electrical, plumbing, etc. etc. had jurisdiction (at about 3-4 times the cost of land-based equivalents) SO...they had to GUT her technical spaces, leaving only one of the four engine rooms to act as a display for the tour. THAT meant pulling a LOT of metal out of her and they decided the big stack shafts would be the way in/out for the cranes so the plan was to remove the stacks and set them on the pier for replacement later. What happened was unexpected—as they were released from the guy wires holding them and the bolts, the huge sections of stack were craned to the pier...where they DISINTEGRATED into piles of crumbled metal! Metallurgists were called in and found that over the decades of painting the OUTside and the degrading of the metal INSide all that was left was rust and many coats of lead PAINT. SO the stacks you see now are all new fabrications made to imitate the originals at that time, and of course, the areas that were the other engine rooms were turned into the Jacques Cousteau museum back then.

I snapped this photo of the Queen Mary back in August 2020:



And this one from June 2009, the only time I stepped aboard the fabled ship:



See more Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.

Disneyland Hotel Miniature Golf, 1971

This November 1971 shot was taken from the Disneyland Hotel. So many things to see here! Below, you can see the Midcentury Modern Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, with Tomorrowland in the foreground. I see the Rocket Jets, I see the Carousel of Progress…yes, Romper Room at it's very best (IFKYK).



In this detailed view, you can see the Matterhorn Christmas star, still twinkling away.



Here, you see the sign for the Golf Course and Mini Golf Course. What?!? Yes…at one time you could play golf at Disneyland.



Below is a shot I took back in May 2004; same view, but way different sights! Downtown Disney and mature trees have almost made this image unrecognizable compared to the 1971 shot.





The August 1961 Disneylander Newsletter featured this info about the miniature golf course:

The most interesting miniature 18 hole course is practically a replica of Disneyland itself. It will be completely lighted for night play and many feel it will be so popular with Disneylanders as well as Hotel guests and residents of the Disneyland area that it will be the wee small hours of the morning before it closes for the night. Each hole on the miniature course will remind players of one of Disneyland's many features. As an example, the first tee is a replica of the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad Station at the Main Entrance to the Park, while the third tee has a miniature of the Fantasyland castle, draw bridge, courtyard parapet and rock island. The fifth tee represents the Matterhorn ticket office and the hole will feature raceways to three separate greens and will include two metal tubes for crossing the bobsled waterways. The seventh, eighth and ninth holes will remind players of the Rocket to the Moon, the Submarine Voyage and the Richfield Autopia respectively while the eleventh will consist of rock work, benches, and simulated cacti. The Frontierland area is easily recognized in the next three holes with a reproduction of the Frontierland Fort entrance, Indian Village and the Grist Mill on Tom Sawyer's Island. The popular Story Book Land adventure is reproduced on the fifteenth hole with a replica of Monstro the Whale while Peter Pan and the adventures of the Darling children will be seen and enjoyed on the next hole. The eighteenth and final hole will feature a water fountain showing Mickey Mouse himself, holding a golf club, which will make a fitting finale to a delightful experience for anyone who cares to play a game of miniature golf, the Disneyland Hotel way. The Disney art director on the miniature course has been Yale Gracey and Al Applegate [Engineering] has acted as the coordinator of construction. Other Disneyland experts who have supervised the construction include Andy Anderson [Carpentry], Larry Smith [Paint Department] and Bud Washo [Staff Shop]. Their advice is that even Disneylanders who have never had a golf club in their hands should be sure to try a game as soon as possible.



The above and below images were supplied by Daveland reader Ross; a score card and a view from the Park map showing the location of the golf course, driving range, and miniature golf course.



See more Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.

Vintage Disneyland, Circa November 1971

Welcome to November 1971 at Disneyland…or at least according to the date stamps on these images from different batches vintage slides! First up is the Disneyland Hotel. In the detailed view, you can see what appears to be the Lido Fashions shop and the sign at right for the Disneyland Hotel Coral Pool.



Below is an image of the Marina, which debuted in 1970.



I have no idea what that submarine/tank thing was for. Anyone?



Because I’m nosey, I had to peer into the rooms.



Inside the Park, the Snow White waterfall is working just fine.



You can just see the tip of Dopey’s fishing pole:



The waterfall is also working at the Matterhorn:



Attraction lines are apparently nothing new at Disneyland:



Another image of the Matterhorn:



Zooming in you can see two rock climbers:



Over at the Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship Restaurant (formerly known as Chicken of the Sea):



Captain Hook has had a bad day.



A closeup of the sign:



This image of the Main Street Train Station tips me off that this slide at least is most likely not from November, but was probably shot in July, due to the patriotic bunting on the lamppost.



Final one for today shows the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse; not a view you often see.



See more vintage Disneyland photos at my main website.

Breakfast at the Coffee Shop

A recent 1965 batch of slides yielded this shot of the Disneyland Hotel. In an example of not-so-great planning, the sign had to read “Hotel Disneyland” because of the location of the elevator. Oops. This sign debuted in 1963 but was corrected in 1966 when the building was widened. The below March 1964 shot gives a nice panoramic view of the hotel from the parking lot:



…and the signs for the Coffee Shop (at left) and the Restaurant by Gourmet on the right.



The 1965 batch of slides had this shot of a family enjoying breakfast at the Coffee Shop.



Let’s see what they had: eggs sunny side up, one order of pancakes, and two scrambled breakfasts. A good start to the day!



This detail shows a sign pronouncing the Top of the Park, the lounge you could reach via the same poorly-planned elevator from the first two shots.



See more Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.

In Your Easter Bonnet: Disneyland Hotel Cheesecake

While this vintage shot may seem like a stretch for Easter, those hats on the models sure look like Easter bonnets to me! These lovely young ladies are posing in front of the Disneyland Hotel, circa…? Below is a shot of the hotel from 1956. Amazing how a little detail like the distinctive metal work can set off bells in someone’s brain (mine) and standout as a feature of vintage Disneyland. I really need to get a life…



The transparencies were undated, so I have no idea when they were shot, but…back to my vintage Disneyland obsessed brain, I recall that on Main Street tucked in a corner (aka Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner), guests could buy swimwear at Cole of California.



This shot of the display window sure looks like it matches the style of attire in the cheesecake shot! If it was a publicity shot for Cole of California, that would narrow the timeframe to between 1956-1957 when the store was in operation at the Park.



A second image from the shoot for your enjoyment:



If you celebrate Easter, I hope you have a joyous celebration today!

See more Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.

Unpaving "Paradise"

I’m not sure that I would call DCA “Paradise,” but for the purposes of a catchy title…let’s do it! The Disney Corporation did a reverse Joni Mitchell in 2001; what was once the main parking lot was now Disney California Adventure. Here’s how that space looked October 1972. Imagine being able to drive your car this close to the gate!



Another 1972 image shows the road leading into Disneyland.



In the background is the Disneyland Hotel. Somebody better pick up the traffic cones; looks like one of the guests failed the driving test.



Another image of the parking lot from December 1967:



Oops; there’s a lawsuit waiting to happen. J.B. Allen & Co.: please hurry!



Last one is from May 1968. Look at that sea of vintage cars!



See more vintage and contemporary Disneyland entrance photos at my main website.

Disneyland Hotel Monorail, July 1963

I’m a sucker for those alternate angles. Yes, I have photos of the Monorail as well as the station located at the Disneyland Hotel, but this particular angle...nope. Didn’t have it. For what a jaunt it is now to get to the Disneyland Hotel at its present location, it’s hard to believe it was ever so close. This image taken from the parking lot shows a cast member assisting guests into the Monorail:

It also appears that the major airlines had offices at the hotel, too. Makes sense! Apparently American had the preferential treatment with a location in the lobby.

See more Disneyland Monorail photos at my main website.

A Dip in the Disneyland Hotel Pool

As we get closer to summer and temperatures continue to rise, a dip in the pool sounds mighty good. How about the one at the Disneyland Hotel? This February 1959 image shows some suits standing at the edge of it, ignoring the beauty of the blue waters. What are those pink and aqua curtains?

At the entry area to the pool, you would have seen this sign for the Coral Club, which explains those exclusive little curtained cabanas in the previous shot:

10am to 6pm? There goes my early morning swim.

See more Disneyland Hotel photos at my main website.