Welcome to the Hotel California!
Good morning, Disney fans! Yesterday I went to see former Eagles’ band member Don Felder in concert. He was fantastic, and he closed the show with the iconic song, Hotel California. It was epic, the guitar solo was amazing and I may have lost my voice singing along.
For this reason, I’m a delayed in finishing this week’s edition of Magic in the Mail. It will be sent out sometime tomorrow.
In the meantime, I put together a quick trivia article. I hope you enjoy it and stay tuned tomorrow for Sunday’s Magic in the Mail.
Walt and Lillian’s Personal Hideaway
Did you know Walt Disney had a personal apartment located inside of the Disneyland Park in California?
Added in the 1950s while Disneyland was under construction and Lady and the Tramp (1955) was in production, Walt’s apartment served as a convenient spot from which Disney could keep tabs on the park's progress. On occasion, Walt would leave his apartment at night to walk the park. By locating the apartment directly inside the park, Disney could reduce his time spent commuting and more efficiently tend to his many projects.
The night before Disneyland’s grand opening on July 17, 1955, Walt finally climbed into bed at 2:00 am. “I decided to get some rest, so I got in bed in the little room above the ———————,” he told his colleagues on opening day. “Everybody kept waking me up, so I got up and locked the door. When I got up this morning, I couldn’t get the darn door unlocked. I had to yell for help!”
The apartment is no longer used by the Disney family, but guests can book tours of Walt’s apartment for an additional cost.
The apartment is a modest 500 square feet, and Academy Award® winning set decorator Emile Kuri was tasked with decorating and furnishing Walt’s apartment. Walt had a theme in mind for his apartment: the Victorian era.
“Mother and Dad loved the Victorian period—it was the period they grew up in—but our home was not of that style,” Diane Disney Miller later recalled. “This was their little Victorian masterpiece.” Diane Disney Miller
Kuri decorated the apartment with items he had managed to hunt down, as well as pieces from Walt and Lillian’s own collection.
“When Dad would travel, they’d go into little antique shops, and that’s where he acquired some of his miniature collection and bric-a-brac; little china teacups and things,” explained Diane. “Mother collected cranberry glass, and cranberry is the color that dominates this apartment. It was this little microcosm of the Victorian world in cranberry red—it was gorgeous.” Diane Disney Miller
Did you figure out the answer? Famously, the lamp in Walt’s apartment is left on each night to signify Walt’s memory is still alive and well in the park. Since Disney's death, the Victorian lamp has been kept turned on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, save for a few occasions. It's a reminder to visitors that Disney's spirit is kept alive long after his passing.
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Stay optimistic and see you real soon!
Sincerely,
Harper