Sam Gennawey's Blog, page 29
December 8, 2011
Disney's Hollywood Studios Arrival Experience
I have always been fascinated by Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS). The idea for this park was hatched in 1985, and for the first time, a Disney theme park of limited scale was intentionally opened to the public. The park was intended to be a model of controlled growth in reaction to anticipated demand.
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December 7, 2011
Notable Walt Quotes
"A lot of people don't realize that we have some very serious problems here keeping this thing going and getting it started. I remember when we opened [Disneyland], if anybody recalls, we didn't have enough money to finish the landscaping and I had Bill Evans go out and put Latin tags on all the weeds."
December 6, 2011
Book Review: DISNEYLAND HOTEL 1954-1959:
DISNEYLAND HOTEL 1954-1959: The Little Motel in the Middle of the Orange Grove
Donald W. Ballard
136 pages
2011
$35.00
Many of you probably have a copy of Don Ballard's Disneyland Hotel: The Early Years, 1954-1988 in your collection. This is a great book and a demonstration of when you do something right you can be rewarded. You see, Don did such a wonderful job that he was flooded with new information. So much information that he penned a new book that focuses on the really early years and called it Disneyland Hotel 1954-1959: The Little Motel in the Middle of the Orange Grove. The author has provided us with the definitive history of this hotel during this time period. The book has been written. We historians need to find something else to work on.
We learn early on that the Disneyland Hotel was as revolutionary to the hospitality industry as Disneyland was on the amusement park industry. It started with hotel owner Jack Wrather who had a clear vision for his facility. In an Annual Report he said, "While some hotels didn't take children at all, some frowned on them and others accepted them with a grain of salt." He added, "For the first time in hotel history, the Disneyland Hotel would offer the whole family things to do and places to stay."
The original project description called for a 650-room "distinctive resort Hotel and Motor Hotel" with restaurants, shops, and recreational amenities. The budget was $10,000,000. The facility would be as unique as its eclectic neighbor across the street. Pereira & Luckman designed a hotel complex that fits within a distinctive, logical, rigid geometry. From on high, the hotel elements to fit nicely into an imaginary grid that is expressed by the space age girders.
Throughout the book there is an aerial of the entire property taken after major milestones have been completed. It is easy to witness the transformation of the orange grove into a first class resort hotel. Speaking of orange groves, they would be incorporated throughout the landscape design. Each garden patio room had an orange tree. Much of the adjacent groves were left intact.
The hotel was on the leading edge. The author notes, "Each guest room had a television set which was unique for hotels at that time." The rooms were designed to sleep four people so that kids could stay in the same room as their parents. The bathrooms were child friendly and "ideal for the small fry" with fixtures built lower then traditional hotels and electrical outlets located away from prying hands. Another example is was the infrared heat lamps in the ceiling, which eliminated the possibility of burns. Each room door featured a special high-tech "Yale" lock that prevented people from entering the room and acting like a do not disturb sign for the staff.
Not only was the Disneyland Hotel the first major hotel to be built in Orange County, it was the first major resort hotel to be built in Southern California since the early 1940s. Plus, the Disneyland Hotel was going to be a "year around resort" at a time when there were very few hotels claiming that title. In addition to Disneyland across the street, Wrather built convention and banquet facilities to attract local business.
The book does an excellent job of telling the life story of Jack Wrather. Not only did he own hotels but also he was a television producer, media mogul, and oil wildcatter. The man lead an interesting life worthy of a book and was cut from the same cloth as Walt Disney; a risk taker, visionary, family oriented, and one with the right stuff to overcome any obstacles.
One myth that is shattered by the book is the story of how Wrather got the contract to build the hotel. The popular story was that Walt had run out of money and begged Wrather to participate. Apparently Walt had many suitors but he chose his friend because he knew Wrather understood Disney's quality standards.
The book is loaded with photos and artfully laid out. At times, multiple pages of graphics will interrupt the narrative. Historic documents are present with key text elements extracted for the book content. I hope Don keeps his implied pledge at the end of the book that this will become a series because I want the complete history at this level of detail. This is an excellent book.
I received this book from the publisher at no charge for the purpose of this review.
December 5, 2011
December 1, 2011
Sam Gennawey Hosting a Conversation at the Walt Disney Family Museum
Mineral King: Walt's Lost Last Project
Speaker: Sam Gennawey with Ron Miller and David Price
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Program Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm
The Walt Disney Family Museum
104 Montgomery Street
The Presidio of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94129Sam Gennawey will host a conversation with Ron Miller and David Price to discuss the innovative year-round mountain resort that was one of Walt's last major projects. The program will give context and detail to a remarkable and imaginative destination resort project, and will explain the forces and opposition that led to its ultimate abandonment. It will also offer insight into Walt's vision at the height of his final career phase. The discussion will be illustrated by rare images, art, photos, archival documents, and film clips.
Happy Holiday's everyone! With any luck, your Thanksgivin...
Happy Holiday's everyone! With any luck, your Thanksgiving turkey was delicious and you successfully dodged the pepper spray on Black Friday. Here at Samland, we are thankful for having the best readers in the world. . . you really are! Today, I've got a grab bag of items for you. We'll take a look at a book about the Walt Disney Family Museum which contains an introduction by Diane Disney Miller. We'll also discuss why you might benefit from Touring Plans when in the parks, what the Disneyland Almanac is all about, and I make a personal plea about a favorite charity. And, hopefully, you'll stick through to the end for a link to my own book (which is just perfect as a stocking stuffer).
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November 30, 2011
Notable Walt Quotes
"Disneyland is like a piece of clay. If there is something I don't like, I'm not stuck with it. I can reshape and revamp."
