It Could Be Heaven, It Could Be Hell
Country Cuisine Confidential, Part 4: Brazil
At Disney, All That Glows Does Not Explode
George Roush Lets His Hair Down at Rapunzel Event
Doing Things at Disney in the Dark
Disneyland Hotel: It Is Programmed to Receive
Anyone interested in the Disneyland Hotel must check in to Don Ballard's MagicalHotel, a blog devoted to that hotel's history during the so-called Wrather Years.
Wrather, as in Jack Wrather, made a fortune in the oil business, went on to produce TV shows like Lassie, and in 1955 built the Disneyland Hotel for Walt Disney because Walt had run out of money building the theme park. When Walt made enough new money to buy the hotel, Wrather refused to sell. Disney had to wait until 1988, several years after Wrather's death, to finally acquire ownership.
I find these stories fascinating and so does Don Ballard, whose most recent post deals with Wrather's construction of the Bonita Tower, the third tower in the complex, named after Mrs. Wrather, movie actress Bonita Granville. Ballard has vintage photographs, including a reproduction of the rate card from 1978, newspaper articles, and a letter from Jack Wrather to his shareholders describing the 'beautiful new high rise' and how it would benefit their stake in the company.
In addition to writing a Disneyland Hotel blog, Ballard also wrote the definitive book on the subject entitled Disneyland Hotel: The Early Years - 1954-1988. Read the reviews on Amazon, then buy it directly from the author - who will sell it to you for much less than Amazon's marketplace sellers and might even autograph your copy if you ask.
Ballard's blog has over 200 posts (and counting). Who knew there was so much to say about the Disneyland Hotel? As with another famous California hotel, it seems - if you're Don Ballard - you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.