Did You Know?

As Disneyland was constructed, Walt Disney wanted a place to stay and watch the activity. So, he had a special apartment constructed on the second floor of the Main Street Firehouse. Private, and hidden from the rest of Disneyland, it was the perfect place for Walt to do quiet work, or enjoy with his family.

The apartment is was very small, but was fully operational. It had a small bathroom, with a shower, along with a small kitchen unit. The furniture design was in a "Firehouse" look, with reds, and whites, decorating the room. The original decorator of the apartment was Emile Kuri, a set designer for many Disney films, and also the decorator of Main Street, itself.

Walt didn't allow any pictures of him or his family inside the apartment. Except one photograph, for National Geographic Magazine (seen below).

The apartment also featured a quiet patio. Lillian Disney often used this patio for her afternoon tea, or to entertain guests. The patio was also decorated accordingly. White wicker furniture covered the deck. The patio was very private, vines surrounded the wood patio, blocking any observers from the street.

When Walt Disney worked in the apartment, he would often work at a small wooden desk, near the far right window, facing Main Street below to keep an eye on his dream.

Much of the original furniture has been removed. Although, Disney designers have tried to remain faithful to it's original look. Now, a light is kept on near the window, as a tribute to his creation of Disneyland.  To see a map of the apartment click here.

In the early 1960s, as construction of New Orleans Square was proceeding, Walt Disney decided he needed a bigger entertaining facility for various VIPs that came to the Park. He already had an apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street, but it was too small to host extensive events. Walt decided to place the suite in New Orleans Square above Pirates of the Caribbean.  He used Emile Kuri again along with Dorothea Redmond, famous for her sets in "Gone With the Wind."  This apartment would be called "The Royal Suite"

Walt died before the apartment was finished and the suite was abandoned.  Even though he was not able to use this apartment it was not closed like his first apartment on Main Street.  This apartment was used by many businesses until it became the Disney Gallery in the 1980's. 

Art was on display here until 2007 when the Disney Gallery was moved to the Bank of Main Street to allow for the creation of the new "Disneyland Dream Suite." Imagineers converted the space into a two-bedroom, two-bath guest suite, using the original 1960s designs.

During the Year of a Million Dreams select guest had the opportunity to stay the night in the "Dream Suite."

 

One of the most distinctive characteristics of the Dream Suite is the private balcony, which overlooks the Rivers of America. From here guests have an unobstructed view of the nighttime spectacular "Fantasmic!"

If you're already over in New Orleans Square, take a listen next time you're near the train station. The telegraph that keeps clicking at the New Orleans Square railroad station is actually the first two sentances of Walt's Disneyland opening-day dedication speech ("To all who come to Disneyland, welcome. Here, age relives fond memories of the past, and here, youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.") It is not modern Morse Code but land line telegraphy as used by railroad telegraphers to communicate with train dispatchers and other telegraphers at other stations.

Inside the upper levels of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World, there is a suite that was intended to be an apartment for Walt Disney and his family when they were in Florida. After Walt died in 1971, the apartment was left unfinished. This space is not large, and can be compared to the size of a master bedroom and bathroom in an average house. The location of the suite can be identified from the outside by locating the stained glass windows with pictures in the center on the north and west sides of the castle, about 2/3 of the way up. The suite adjoins an exterior balcony on the east side. This balcony affords views to the north, east, and south. The balcony is only accessible through an emergency exit and is not a guest area. This balcony is how 'Tinker Bell' makes her ascent to the tower at the top of the Castle.

On June 7, 1996, it was announced by Disney that the suite would be completely decorated and upholstered as a 'royal bedchamber', which can sleep up to six people. It has become available as a prize during the Year of a Million Dreams celebration, and an overnight stay in the apartment was a prize randomly awarded to a guest at the four Walt Disney World theme parks and Downtown Disney.  Here are some pictures of this amazing suite.

Needless to say, Walt would be very happy with the outcome of his private apartments.