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.

A Detour to the Pool

Taking a detour from my trip report, today's post features a vintage 1950's photo of the Disneyland Hotel Pool.

Zooming in, you can see the signage for the Coral Club, an additional amenity at the hotel which included a huge 45'x 75' completely tiled and heated swimming pool, wading pools for children of all ages, fountains, sandlots, and a cabana area. The pools were surrounded by lounge furniture for guests’ relaxation and so that they might acquire a Southern California tan. One-day laundry and dry cleaning services were available, and a physician and nurse were on call. An 18-hole putting green and shuffleboard courts were also early inclusions at the Disneyland Hotel Coral Club.



No attendant on duty; doesn't look like we'll get any swimming accomplished today.



Today, it is hard to recognize the Hotel that is located on the same piece of property. Sleek, sexy, and full of modern amenities, the Disneyland Hotel recently underwent a massive transformation.



As the sun sets, the Hotel becomes even more magical looking.



The Fantasy Tower, which also serves as the Hotel's entrance:



See more vintage & current Disneyland Hotel photos on my Disneyland Hotel web page.

February 1959 Reunion

Some sellers will offer complete sets of vintage slide sets; some offer them in dribbles and drabs, breaking up sets and selling each slide individually. There are pros and cons to each method, which could make for an entire post in itself (just not today's post!). Some of today's posted slides from February 1959 have been shown here previously, and the new images for today will finally be reunited with their long-lost companions.

First up is a shot that was (most likely) all about The Monsanto House of the Future, but fortunately also captured some of the Matterhorn construction.



Nine shots later, the photographer captured this view of a pre-Monorail connected Disneyland Hotel.



Skipping ahead two (maybe those will appear in my hands at some future date!), this delightful lady is dressed to the nines for this portrait along the banks of the Rivers of America.



Back to the Disneyland Hotel for a shot of the pool and the rules for the Coral Club:



No need to put your glasses on; let me zoom-in for you:



Another exterior shot of the hotel itself; present day, you'd find yourself standing in Downtown Disney.



Before the Plaza Inn came to be, the Red Wagon Inn satisfied the appetites of hungry guests.





Last one in my collection from February 1959 is this previously posted shot of the Frontier Gun Shop, which has now been absorbed into the Golden Horseshoe.





See more vintage and current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

The Coral Club at The Disneyland Hotel

It is difficult to believe that the Disneyland Hotel pictured in this vintage publicity shot gave way to what is on the same location today. No towers...no bling...just a family-friendly place to stay with great service and...well, how about I let the publicity blurb take it from here?

Disneyland Hotel, the Official Hotel of Disneyland Park, numbers the Coral Swim Club among its many outstanding attractions. Designed and priced for family fun, the Disneyland Hotel features private patio or sun deck for each room, free TV, parking at your door and modern spacious guest rooms designed to accommodate 1 - 4 persons each.

I'm not sure of the year of this particular photo, but judging by the swimsuits and poolside apparel, I would guess late 50's/early 60's.



Frequent Daveland contributor Cox Pilot shared his memories about the Coral Club at the Disneyland Hotel some time ago:

An additional amenity at this time was the Coral Club which included a huge 45'x 75' completely tiled and heated swimming pool, wading pools for children of all ages, fountains, sandlots, and a cabana area. The pools were surrounded by lounge furniture for guests’ relaxation and so that they might acquire a Southern California tan. One-day laundry and dry cleaning services were available, and a physician and nurse were on call. An 18-hole putting green and shuffleboard courts were also early inclusions at the Disneyland Hotel Coral Club.



Shuffleboard? Do people today even know what that is?



From Wikipedia:

Shuffleboard, more precisely deck shuffleboard, and also known as shuffle-board, shovelboard, shovel-board and shove-board [archaic], is a game in which players use broom-shaped paddles to push weighted pucks, sending them gliding down a narrow and elongated court, with the purpose of having them come to rest within a marked scoring area.

An activity that doesn't require a TV or computer screen...outstanding!

See more vintage and current Disneyland Hotel photos on my Disneyland Hotel photo web pages.

2000th Post!

I can hardly believe I've done 2000 posts, and yet that's exactly what Blogger's numbers are telling me. In honor of my 2000th post, I am calling on Dr. Ann McGregor to fire up the Time Tunnel so that I can travel back in time to create the perfect Disneyland vacation, using the best photos in my collection. Ann - are you ready?



Ann has the coordinates set to 1959, as I prepare to begin my journey. With the smoke, lights, and booming of thunder, I enter the tunnel...



Swirling through the ages, I am bathed in radium (according to Irwin Allen) so that Ann can continue to get a "fix" on me with her fancy computer consoles.



And I land...right where I want to be. Checked into the Disneyland Hotel.



I think I'll ask this bellhop to help me with my luggage once he's done helping this nice lady in the scarf. Time travel can sure wear a guy out.



While waiting for the bellhop, I decide to check out the Coral Club. For those of you who don't know what the Coral Club was, it was an additional amenity which included a huge 45'x 75' completely tiled and heated swimming pool, wading pools for children of all ages, fountains, sandlots, and a cabana area. The pools were surrounded by lounge furniture for guests’ relaxation. One-day laundry and dry cleaning services were available, and a physician and nurse were on call. An 18-hole putting green and shuffleboard courts were also early inclusions at the Disneyland Hotel Coral Club.



This is obviously where all the Real Housewives of Orange County (circa 1959) relax.



BTW: Don Ballard's new book about the Disneyland Hotel and its heyday is now available at his website: http://www.magicalhotel.com. Or...if you're in the Orange County area, it's also available at the Disneyland Hotel in the Small World Sundries Shop.

OK - enough time at the Disneyland Hotel. I'm ready to take the tram into the park. Sure...I could take the Monorail, but I want to go through the front gates and experience Disneyland the way it was meant to be experienced. No fast passes or shortcuts for me! Hey - I think scarf lady is stalking me.



Stay tuned for more of my 2000th Post Time Traveling Extravaganza! NEXT UP: Entrance & Disneyland Train Station.

See more vintage & current Disneyland on my Disneyland website.

November 1959: In Living Color, Pt. 8

This concludes your journey to November 1959 @ Disneyland. As a courtesy, Daveland will take you back to the Disneyland Hotel, where Scarf-gal is posing next to the succulents. Be sure to check out the classic cars in the parking lot in shot #2!



Even then, the landscaping at the hotel sure was beautiful:



Anybody familiar with the Coral Club?





Scarf-gal is all packed and ready to go home. Thanks for taking the time to visit the park with her; she sure appreciated it!



Come back tomorrow for some other special images in anticipation of my 1000th Post! See more Disneyland Hotel photos at my website.