MousePlanet columnist and Mouse Tales author David Koenig answers reader mail in this week’s mailbag. The first letter is in response to David’s April 28, 2010 article, “Lot of Anger.”
John H. writes:
Regarding the problems Disneyland cast members are experiencing over with parking, I’ve seen the same sort of things many times, especially when I was in the Navy. The top bosses always have reserved parking places right next to where they work, so “parking” doesn’t really register as a problem for them. They never have to think about it. For the average worker, though, it can be a big issue as they wage a daily battle with finding parking spaces and then getting to their job. I’ve long thought that the solution is to eliminate preferential parking for top executives. Make them go through the same grind as everyone else, and parking problems would be addressed. In the case of Disneyland, executives listened to guests’ complaints because that directly impacts the bottom-line. Hopefully those same executives will realize that cast member morale also impacts the bottom-line (especially so at Disney, which attracts so much loyalty because of cast member attitudes), and that problems which prevent cast members from even getting to work on time hurt efficiency and output as well as morale.
That’s a great solution, but for some reason I’m skeptical that managers could submit to even one day of trading in their personalized spots in their Team Disney Anaheim office-side parking structure.
The remaining letters this week are in response to David’s piece about the latest renovations of the Disneyland Hotel in his June 17, 2010 article, “Wave Good-bye.“
David S. writes:
I remember the first few shows of Dancing Waters when it was installed in the Disneyland Hotel. My father was one of the heads of security for the Hotel at the time and one of the operators for Dancing Waters had grown up across the street from us. I watched my first show from behind the operator’s console and got a tour behind the scenes.
Your article reminded me of that time. Thank you.
I would have loved to have heard some of your neighbor’s adventures operating the Dancing Waters, by hand, over the years.
Patrick writes:
I wanted to thank you for the interesting post concerning the Disneyland Hotel. Ever since I stayed there for the first time in 1994 at the age of 11 (my first Disneyland trip in a decade at the time), it’s always been a special part of the resort for me. like you, I’ve watched it evolve over the years. The marina and its peddle boats giving way to the Neverland pool. The loss of the original hotel (I mainly mourn the Monorail Cafe), and so forth. I even remember the old water feature under a sitting area in the Marina tower that’s now the Fantasia store.
The Disneyland Hotel sort of worked its way into my young mind as a very classy establishment, and I’d grown rather attached to it. Even despite all the removals, enough was still there to remind me of this. And of course, there’s the memories. Though it’s unfortunate that even more of the classic hotel is being removed, and reading your article, I’m beginning to wonder just how much of “my” Disneyland Hotel will be recognizable once the construction walls come down. I suppose as long as she holds the elegance and grandeur I originally appreciated her for, I can’t entirely complain. Still, it’s always a bit sobering to realise just how much has become mere memory.
I never knew how old the Fantasy Waters instillation was. I remember watching the show in 1994, and being appalled at its condition in 2001 when I next stayed (I don’t get to stay there often sadly). It was quite overgrown and I was always hoping they’d do something with it. At least they’d been keeping it clean. I’d been trying for so many years that I don’t really feel too sorry to see it finally put out of its misery. Though knowing more of its legacy makes it a bit harder.
The last time I stayed there (2008), I even gave it a bit of a proper send-off. I’d found a video of the show online, and in the middle of the night, I went down from my room, propped my laptop up on it, and played it, as kooky as it sounds. I must say, it was an awesome feeling knowing full well that this music was probably being heard in that area for the first time in years. Shame I’ll not get another chance to do so (particularly with friends along).
Though really, my biggest issue with the new plans are the removal of the waterfalls. I didn’t even know they had a name until your article. While I’ve always liked them, it was during my last trip when i stayed in the Bonita tower that i really came to appreciate them. With the tower pushed back as far as it is, one really feels removed from the bustle and energy of the rest of the resort. The sound and color of the falls accentuate this. I’ve known in my discussions of Fantasy waters how they’ve been wanting to remove them for some time. So it’s no shock. What makes me really upset by their removal though is that they’re not being traded up. The new pool doesn’t even require the space. So we get a plain lawn in exchange for one of the most enchanting areas of the entire resort. I just can’t help but be deeply upset by that.
Just look at the rest of the project. Hook’s Pointe, a restaurant I’ve enjoyed, is being exchanged for a new dining spot. While I love Hook’s, I can’t argue much on this. The Crystal Shop and arcade are nice, but I can’t speak much for them either. So I’m sure extending the pool there isn’t too big a deal. The new theming sounds good, though I’m a touch iffy on the slide, and think a better themed option might be better.
Really, my only civet is grass instead of the falls. It just doesn’t make sense thematically, and seems like them ripping out a good chunk of the hotel’s charm for the convenience of it. You’ve already mentioned the pluses to this in terms of safety and whatnot, so there’s no need to reiterate. It does make sense fiscally and operationally, but some of the truly great parts of the resort are the places that are just there to be enjoyed. The really sad thing is that Disney stated in the press release that they even knew how great the area was, but apparently don’t care.
Sorry for the really long post, but it has been weighing on my mind for some time. I even just came from a forum discussion on it. I knew they’d try to get rid of them one day. I just don’t like the circumstances of it. I even created a small facebook page as a contribution to try to get them to rethink it, though I know it’s already moving forward. I just know I’ll feel worse if I just let it slide without expressing my thoughts on it though. Thankfully, I’ll be going on a short trip in a few days, so I’ll get to enjoy the area one last time, even if it isn’t in peak condition. It’ll be better than when I go at the end of August and probably see it already mid-filled.
Thanks for the article, again. The Disneyland Hotel tends to get ignored a lot, especially since the Grand Californian came along and stole its thunder a bit.
Saturday’s going to be an interesting day.
I agree that Horseshoe Falls will be the biggest loss. It’s frustrating, because — as you point out — new plans could easily be designed around them. More importantly, they could have renamed the Wonder/Bonita Tower “Adventure” (instead of “Frontier”), and tie the falls into Adventureland. But their inevitable execution does not surprise me. Just saddens me.
Jay writes:
Great article on the changes at Disneyland Hotel. Sadly, I, too, will miss Aqua Gardens. It has been ages since I have worked at the Hotel, but I have some fond memories of those old attractions. Now if they can stop changing the names of the three towers every couple of years.
I’m going to be bummed to see the last of the old Disneyland Hotel’s amusements ripped out, but after that walk-through I could see why, and curious about the improvements.
Don Ballard writes:
What would be nice would be an area dedicated to the Disneyland Hotel’s past and rich history. Maybe even go so far as constructing an original Garden Villa wing which could house nostalgic guests and be home to a museum of artifacts, pictures and ephemera from the history of the Disneyland Hotel. Unfortunately, I don’t think this will ever happen but sure would be nice!
Ironic story…
Years ago, my wife and I checked-in to the Disneyland Hotel and mind you, this was long before I considered writing a book on the Disneyland Hotel. We were told that we had a room in the Oriental Garden section of the Hotel and proceeded to our room. When we walked in, we both noticed the strong smell of cigarette smoke and immediately asked for another room. This was in one of the original five structures at the Hotel and I did not at that time understand the historical significance of that particular room. I was never in another of the original rooms again in my life. I spent approximately 15 minutes in this room while we were waiting for them to get us another room. I still remember the room although vaguely. I do remember 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was on the TV and that is one of my favorite Disney movies. If I could only go back in time, I would have remained in that room, put up with the smell and I would have photographed every inch of it.
I have the first section of the rewrite of the book just about finished. With all the new photographs, stories, text and other items I have acquired or received since the book came out in 2005, I can almost triple the size of the original book. I am doing the rewrites in magazine type format or may just offer them in e-versions only……. depending on budget. As you must know by now, publishing is expensive. My book is such a niche book with a real limited audience. It was also hard getting word out that it even existed. I still have people writing saying they just found out about it.
I offered to share my collection with Disney and help to design and create a section at the Hotel detailing its history. To date, they are not interested in this idea but that may change.
Great to hear from you! I, too, would pay to stay in a Garden Villa of old, but fear we are in the minority. Plus, where would they find the old naugahyde chairs?
Funny how most of the time we don’t realize we’re creating memories and have the opportunity to preserve little slices of history until, in fact, they are history. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Disneyland Hotel 5.0; keep those great Disneyland Hotel books coming!
Sean J. writes:
I wanted to thank you for your lovely obituary to the much overlooked attraction, and I truly mean attraction, of the Disneyland Hotel. My family used it as the foundation of our Disney experience, starting back in 1976. To me, it always signaled the beginning of the Disneyland trip. When I passed the doors of the lobby and viewed the expansive lake with the paddle boats – or dared the slippery paths and splash of the falls – or played in the wooden Middle Earth of the arcade – or argued with my brother before checkout eating lunch at the Monorail cafe – it was as much Disneyland to me as the Tiki Room or Adventures Thru Innerspace (this thought seems to piss off some younger Disney fandom, but it is true, and not just to me). Those were the memories of a child relished with parents and siblings.
That would seem to be enough for the twinkling lifespan of an individual, but I’ve also piled up memories with my very own children, compounded with my parents who became grand – walking the falls, looking at the fish, eating at the Monorail Cafe, staying at the bungalows below the Monorail. Even more, as an adult, I gained a further appreciation for the Hotel; the Cactus Bar, drunken escapades past the “closed” signs of the waterfall late at night. But my favorite – the Lost Boy bar. Even if I wasn’t staying at the Disneyland Hotel (which was more often than not in recent years) I would make that midnight trek (after kids were safely in bed with the wife) and spend an hour or two “unwinding.”
One vivid moment- a sudden torrential rainstorm that lasted a few minutes as I sat under the short awning. Everyone was quiet as it roared, fascinated at the miniature Jungle Cruise boat thrashing in the Perfect Storm. The bartender (I can’t remember her name), who seemed like a motherly Donna Reed, her manner demanded that you ask politely for the next drink, but she would suddenly smile and affirm your humanity.
You mentioned the drained water show. Just a few years back, we attempted a family reunion at Disneyland. We had a nice suite at the Disneyland Hotel, and the balcony overlooked the faded water show pavilion. One day while sitting on the balcony with my father and brother, we began talking about the old water show – suddenly, the water show began, in the middle of the day, without sound. It was fascinating and ghostly. While the new changes seem exciting, I still haven’t recovered from the loss of the paddle boats, the Cactus Bar, and the wonderful bungalows (with ancient wooden fence patios that creaked open to a few paces to the Monorail platform). Any further changes are simply the tenth layer of paint on a petrified tree stump. It kills me about the waterfalls…
Which brings me to the painful chore of trying to convey the amplitude of emotion that the Disneyland Hotel is, or was, to that expansive, acres not feet, east coast Disney World fan. Sure you have 82 lake side hotels built a decade after Walt passed away. Enjoy them. They look like they are – just swell. But for us small folk out on the West Coast, at a trashy little place where Walt Disney actually had an apartment, actually had a physical hand in the creation of a new art form, where he personally walked and lived in a tiny apartment above the original Main Street (note to Ridley Pearson – what the corporate hell?- you moved Disney’s ghost to Florida?)- we have emotional attachments to this little crappy hotel and its dumb water show which you may be too young or sadly jaded by your expansive landscapes to comprehend the historical and emotional impact it has had.
So thanks, Mr. Koenig. I’ve enjoyed your books and articles. And I appreciate that you understand.
With your heartfelt letter, I understand even more.
An anonymous reader writes:
I had a nice time in the pre-Peter Pan era of the Disneyland Hotel and reading your article today reminded me of this. I also came to think that the quality of the “show” wasn’t really at Disney levels. Though the ideas and elegance may have been unique and charming, the depth wasn’t there. Worse, it seems that maintenance wasn’t there, a death knell to anything in the themed entertainment world.
Do you think the new pool and environs are going to be a hit with the general audience, the Hannah Montana fans and the like? Or is the concept too specific to history and trivia that only us Disney enthusiasts are aware of?
I agree, I’m also not a big fan of the Never Land stuff. Plastic + fiberglass rarely = charming, especially when it’s primarily an excuse to tie in to the latest princess fad. I’m looking forward to strolling thru the next gallery of sights at the Disneyland hotel, hopefully at the same great price as before.
I think nostalgia is a wonderful theme, and the changes will be popular so long as they’re entertaining, exotic and enchanting. The Never Land overlay wasn’t much more than plastic and paint. If the new water slides are just lousy water slides with monorails painted on them, they’ll be plastering something else over them in another 10 years. On the other hand, they’ll be loved if they’re great water slides that incorporate their theme into the adventure, such as giving sliders different lighting effects as they zip past the windows.
For the 1998 redo of Tomorrowland, Mission to Mars was originally supposed to be replaced by a “Yesterland” themed restaurant, filled with old attraction vehicles and other elements from long ago. To save money, some of the old vehicles were used instead to decorate the otherwise-bare Rocket Rods queue and the pizza restaurant just got some old attraction posters. For nostalgia to work as a theme, it can’t just elicit an “Oh, look, I remember that.” It must be immersive; guests must be able to see, hear, feel, RELIVE it.
