Happy Friday, dear readers! I’ve been recovering this week from, 1.) a five-day work-and-play trip to sunny San Diego and 2.) a gnarly bout of illness that I picked up at some point during the trip. Despite some lingering mild symptoms, I’m pleased to say that I’m back at it and ready to roll! Let’s dive in.
When I learned just a few short months ago that I’d be going to San Diego for a conference, I immediately thought of one place I wanted to visit while I was there - the Victorian-era beach resort, Hotel del Coronado.
Located across San Diego Bay on Coronado Island, this historic hotel is a rare and sparkling example of the quintessential wooden seaside retreat that carved a place within American architectural style and history beginning in the late 19th century. After a year of construction at the hands of roughly 2,000 Chinese immigrants from San Francisco, Hotel del Coronado opened to the public on February 19th, 1888. To this day, it is the second-largest wooden structure in the United States.
Over the next four decades, the beachside resort would serve as a picturesque playground for Hollywood stars, politicians, and even a royal or two. Unsurprisingly, it was the spot to be for a beverage that definitely did not contain any trace of alcohol during the Prohibition years, and it was a welcome refuge for passengers onboard a large gambling ship known for its “drinks, dice, and dolls” that shipwrecked near its shore in 1937. During World War II, the hotel housed pilots who were stationed at the nearby North Island Naval Air Station and even built victory gardens around the resort grounds to contribute to domestic wartime efforts.
My oh my, the things those walls have seen and heard over the years…
Since 1960, Hotel del Coronado has undergone numerous, very expensive efforts to upgrade, retrofit, and preserve the historic charm that continues to lure guests and visitors to its doorstep. At the time of publishing this post, the resort is currently undergoing the final portion of its - checks notes - $550 million makeover that began a few years ago. Yea, it ain’t cheap to be this pretty.
But at this point, I’m sure you’re wondering, “Okay, and? What does this have to do with Disney?” Oh, we’re getting there.
Fast forward a couple decades and two Disney theme parks later, Michael Eisner and Frank Wells are fresh into their new corporate leadership roles at Walt Disney Productions. After taking a good look at the company’s assets, they both found Walt Disney World to be highly underdeveloped, especially in regard to the number of on-property hotel rooms available to guests.
This assessment kickstarted a cataclysmic shift in the planning and operations of the Florida property. Eisner and Wells didn’t just want to attract guests to Disney World but they wanted to keep them there for longer and, hopefully, welcome them back for another trip in the near future.
Two ways to hit those marks? Build a third theme park and offer guests a comfy bed at a themed resort that keeps them nestled right in the middle of the magic. Bingo.
On June 28th, 1988, Disney’s Grand Floridian Beach Resort opened its doors to guests for the first time. Seeking to replicate the splendor of Victorian hotels that adorned Florida’s east and west coasts, Imagineers visited the Belleview-Biltmore Hotel (Belleair, Florida), the Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island, Michigan), and - can you guess? - Hotel del Coronado for design inspiration.
Different features were borrowed from each resort, but the influence of Hotel del Coronado on the Grand Floridian’s exterior is easiest to spot. The colors are a near perfect match and the late-Victorian architectural elements - ornate towers, broad verandahs, exposed gable trusses, and band-sawed gingerbread accents - would make one believe that they’re sister hotels.
Over the years, the Grand Floridian has assumed the role of the most opulent and luxurious resort on Disney property. With white sand beaches, solid dining options, easy access to the Monorail, and views of the Magic Kingdom, it’s easy to understand why guests love and, to Eisner’s delight, return to it year after year.
She’s a charmer, and we have Hotel del Coronado to partially thank for that.
(Record scratch). Alright, I’ve got to be honest. Other than the sprinkling of Mary Poppins theming, the talented pianist parked in the lobby, and the scrumptious afternoon tea that used to be offered but for some reason hasn’t returned (I’m not bitter), the Grand Floridian has never really appealed to me.
I know, I know - kind of weird to say after all that, but it’s pricey, it feels a lil’ stuffy sometimes, and the walls are said to be paper thin. There’s a solid list of at least six Disney resorts I’d rather stay at before I paid for one night under that terracotta-colored roof.
However, I think last week’s visit to Hotel del Coronado gave me a slightly greater appreciation for crown jewel of the Seven Seas Lagoon. Any future visit to the Grand Floridian would make it hard to not think of the storied history and blissful memories that I have from the historic seaside resort, and how its very existence inspired the Grand’s. Like I explained in this post, it’s the context that matters. It deepens the experience, and adds yet another layer to that juicy onion of Disney history we love so much. And for that, I think I’ll book a room one day.
That’s - say it with me, folks! - magic, noted.
See ya real soon,
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