Disneyland Hotel, January 1962
I never had the pleasure of staying at the old Disneyland Hotel, but I sure wish I had! These photos are from January 1962, definitely the "off season"; and these appear to be taken just as the sun was going down.
The landscaping still looks pretty good, but just imagine how much more lush it will appear when the days grow longer and the temperature warms up! The guy in the blue sweater is checking out the scenery, while a sparrow takes a sip of water at the bottom edge of the picture.
It must have been pretty chilly, nobody is willing to brave that inviting looking pool! All of the folding chairs are empty too. I guess the cabanas were there for changing or something (couldn't you just do that in your hotel room?)... 
Well, there are a few brave souls, anyway! Once you're in the heated pool, you get used to it, and it feels fine. Getting out isn't so fun though. This would be a great place to take a break from standing in line and braving the crowds at the park (which presumably closed fairly early in January)... the kids could burn off some excess steam, everyone would go and eat dinner, and then get some solid shuteye before heading back in to Disneyland the next day.
4 comments:
Photo 3 is looking south towards the Coral Club, you can see the giant power lines in the haze. The pool was apparently Olympic sized.
Photo 2 is looking north towards the semi circle of cabanas, if you turned to your left you would see the first tower, and the monorail would have been stopping on the other side of the building on the right since the previous summer.
Photo 1 the sign says to keep off the grass, but the rocks are fair game.
We're roughly where the AMC cinemas are today.
wow thanks for the guide Mid Century Modern! :)
I *think* the changing cabanas were in line with the modesty expectations of the time. It was considered unseemly to walk through a hotel in a bathrobe, let alone swimming attire.
rare photos, for me anyway. and i didnt know that there was an "old" Disneyland Hotel....
see, this is what i get for being kept on the east coast as a child!
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