Hotel & More, 1960
I never got to stay at the Disneyland Hotel back in its heyday - not sure I'd do it now. $$$! In any case, I wasn't around in 1960 when this photo was taken. I love the mid-century modernist architecture, with its clean lines and use of steel, concrete and glass. Those beams with hexagonal piercings remind me of erector sets. Gramps (to our right) is pretty excited by it all and wants to take a few photos before heading into the coffee shop for a milk shake. 
Well, the Matterhorn has only been open for about a year, but you can see that it is receiving a bit of work over there on the left. You can just see the 3-car red Monorail through the trees. To our right is some sort of service building, with the brightly-colored wall hiding some Canal Boats. The candy-striped pole in the extreme foreground is one that you would have seen at the Fantasyland Station.
9 comments:
Make mine a double chocolate malted!
I miss that version of the DL Hotel. They should have left it and the hotel monorail station alone! Those beams always reminded me of erector sets too.
"A fun place" these pics say to me. Add a touch of that "you are there-ness" and I'm smiling. :)
Perhaps they are painting - didn't the snowline change from the blockier original to a softer, lower line about this time?
I want Gramps hat!
I want the Monorail Cafe back. I should have stolen a menu when I had the chance.
Is it my eye or just the way film was done at the time; the Matterhorn has a "gray-ness/harder" look and feel than it does now? Looks like they have perfected a softer more natural look and feel.
My mind sees the original gray submarines and the Matterhorn having a more realistic attempt and after years there is a more 'fantasy' look being attempted.(?) Maybe its just me.
Thufer, I think you might be right... it does look very dark and gray in this photo, and I think that today has is a softer warmer appearance.
the hotel from this era always looks to me like it wasnt finished, like they meant to put some sort of trellis up on those metal beams
yes, i also noted the very stark gray color. its pretty much brown these days, at least on the pics i took in 2005. i think it looks much more like a real mountain now ;)
the Monorail Cafe sounds like a good place to lunch....i dont know if ive ever seen a picture of it
i just found a website with some gorgeous photos....BRING IT BACK! i love the 50s diners. ;)
Nice post Major, thanks for these pics of the DH of my youth.
I never stayed at the DH either. On the last visit, the changes were so dramatic that I decided I don't want to stay here now, even if I can afford it, which we couldn't back then.
Too bad I cant stay at the Magic Lamp anymore either.
Have to settle for HoJo, I guess, all the other little motels of my youth seem to be gone.
JG
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