Disneyland Hotel, November 1980
Not long ago, I shared some photos (scanned by Sue B.) taken by Lou Perry (Sue's father) back in 1980 as he explored the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel. Well, this is PART DEUX! As before, my familiarity with the hotel is minimal, so anything you can add would be greatly appreciated.
First up, an artificial beach area. White-sugar sand (shipped in from some tropical atoll?), and a fearsome tiki carving, along with some thatched umbrellas to complete the beachy aura. I've seen other hotels with fake beaches that border on a pool, and assume that's what is going on here as well.
The sun is mostly down at this point, so we won't be needing one of those classic pool loungers. But if you do use one, put down a towel first, or you'll have striped indentations. Unless you enjoy that?
A monsoon has washed a sailboat way up beyond the tide line, along with a surfboard. Lettering on the sailboat says "Beach Boutique" for some reason. Was it an advertisement for a nearby shop? Hopefully you could buy plush Disney characters there, you can't have too many.
Here's one last look at the beach. Being November, it must have been too cold for a swimming pool, even if you just wanted to sit nearby and enjoy a drink with a little paper umbrella in it. Some teenagers must have knocked over that umbrella, and they probably said a bad word when they did it, too.
THANK YOU, Lou and Sue!
4 comments:
Major-
You certainly have to give Jack Wrather a lot of credit for working in a number of themes at the original Disneyland Hotel, and this area was no exception.
Thanks to Lou and Sue and The Major.
While the sandy white beach was available for guest use its main purpose was for convention themed parties …..you could have Hawaiian luaus, Pirate themes … 50’s beach party …etc. there was a grassy area that separated this beach area that was used for western bbq and other themed convention parties. The cost for these themed parties must have been a fortune … Disneyland provided much of the entertainment …. I’m sure at a premium cost. I have a convention party planning kit from the Disneyland hotel and each section is removable with a list of available entertainment , decor , theming and props … within diagrams of where these parties are set up on the hotel property…. But no prices are listed ….
The Sandy beach and ship wreck remained until the Neverland pool had gone in ( now too since removed)
The tiki is pretty scantily clad. He's wearing some sort of waist belt, which doesn't cover very much. Then again, he probably doesn't have very much to cover. In the background, it looks like sailing ship masts and rigging. For a second I thought it might be the Columbia, but it's way too close to the hotel for that. Then, being the astute genius that I am, I figured out that they are the high tension power lines that we often see around the Park.
Major, that's not a tipped-over umbrella (although, if it was, I'm sure it would've been caused by teenagers, like you said). No, it's a trained two-toes sloth; Sammy the Sloth. And he's raking the footprints, and other imperfections, out of the sand. It takes him a looooong time to complete the job.
Mike, "But no prices are listed". Like the old saying goes, "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."
As usual, Lou's photos have really nice exposure, clarity, and good composition. Thanks, Lou. And thank you, Sue and Major.
I remember that beach with the sailboat well. Was on convention with my pop twice in 1981...great time to be 12-13. There were two great Arcades with the latest video games...
Thank you Major!
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