|
|||
Scan from a Vacationland brochure, from the collection of Don Ballard |
|||
 |
|||
|
Recreational vehicle parks aren’t always in the best location. Consider the run-down campgrounds next to train tracks at a distant edge of town. Prepare to be delighted by Disneyland Hotel’s Vacationland Recreational Vehicle Park. It’s possibly the best located RV park in the world. Well, there is a train track nearby too—but it’s the track of the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, and the occasional train whistle just adds to the campground’s charm. That goes for the steamboat whistle from the Mark Twain sternwheeler too. |
|||
Scan from Disneyland Hotel Check-in Magazine, May-June 1970, from the collection of Don Ballard Pre-opening rendering of Vacationland |
|||
|
The deluxe recreational vehicle park, covering ten beautifully landscaped acres, is part of the amazing Disneyland Hotel complex. There are 280 spaces, accommodating all sorts of RVs—travel trailers, motor homes, pick-up campers, and tent trailers—with full hookups. Vacationland is the largest RV park in Orange County. The top-notch family resort was designed by Walters & Son, recreation park specialists of Newport Beach, California. |
|||
Vacationland postcard from the collection of Don Ballard Vacationland from West Street |
|||
Photo from the collection of Don Ballard Game and billiard room |
|||
|
Vacationland is more than just a place to park your RV. Vacationland includes a large recreation hall with special television-viewing area, a billiard room, a card playing area and lounge; a heated and filtered swimming pool; children’s playground; sanitation stations with showers, restrooms and dressing rooms, and a large laundry room with coin-operated washers and dryers. |
|||
Scan from a Vacationland brochure, from the collection of Don Ballard Shopping at the Vacationland convenience store |
|||
Photo by Steve Lovejoy, from the collection of Don Ballard Vacationland pool |
|||
|
Vacationland is its own self-contained resort. At night, you can even enjoy Disneyland’s Fantasy in the Sky fireworks without leaving. But you really should take the short walk to the Disneyland Hotel. On your walk over, you’ll pass the hotel’s “Minnie-a-ture” golf course, featuring Disney characters, and its 50-position golf driving range. At the hotel, you’ll find five restaurants, 28 shops, a 3.5-acre marina with a picturesque wharf area, and even a fishing pond. Don’t miss the Dancing Waters presentation every evening after dark.
|
|||
Photo by Werner Weiss, 1974 KOA Kampground in the distance |
|||
|
There’s another RV park next door. It’s a Kampgrounds of America (KOA) location. But it’s not part of the hotel. And you have to walk past Vacationland to get anywhere you’d want to go. |
|||
Photo by Werner Weiss, 1974 Fun Bus stop at Vacationland |
|||
|
There’s an easy way to get from Vacationland to area attractions. It’s called the Fun Bus, and it connects Anaheim hotels and campgrounds to the top attractions of Anaheim and Buena Park:
But you don’t need the Fun Bus for Disneyland. Just walk to the Disneyland Hotel’s Disneyland-Alweg Monorail station. Take the “highway in the sky” to Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom. What other campground is part of a complex with monorail service? There are two other ways to get to the park. You can take the hotel’s free tram. Or walk to the park entrance along the edge of the parking lot. Vacationland really is in the center of Southern California fun. Just look at the map in the brochure… |
|||
Scan from a Vacationland brochure, from the collection of Don Ballard “in the center of Southern California fun!” |
|||
|
With a car, you can go places beyond the Fun Bus routes. The beaches of Orange County are just a half hour away. And you’re within easy driving distance of Marineland of the Pacific, Lion Country Safari, historic missions, Hollywood, and, according to a Vacationland press release, “the big-city pleasures of Los Angeles.” While we’re looking at brochures, let’s look at some more pictures in a Vacationland brochure… |
|||
Scan from a Vacationland brochure, from the collection of Don Ballard From the cover of a Vacationland brochure |
|||
Scan from a Vacationland brochure, from the collection of Don Ballard The inside of a Vacationland brochure |
|||
|
So how much does it cost to stay at such a wonderful RV park? Here’s the 1970 pricing: Advance reservations are made on a three-night minimum and a $10 deposit, refundable on 24-hour notice. Regular rates of $4.50 per vehicle per night prevail from September 8 through May 29 with the Christmas and Easter seasons excepted. Vacation rates of $7.50 are in effect from May 30 through September 7, and during the two-week period before and after Easter and Christmas. All major oil credit cards are accepted by Vacationland, plus Diner’s, American Express, BankAmericard and Master Charge. Recreational vehicle travel clubs will be given special consideration. Sounds great! Now you just need a 1970 Winnebago. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Vacationland Recreational Vehicle Park opened June 15, 1970, on the northeast corner of the Disneyland Hotel property. The Disneyland Hotel was owned by Wrather Corporation, the hotel and entertainment company run by master showman Jack Wrather. He set up a new subsidiary for the RV park: Wrather Vacationland, Inc. |
|||
Photo from the collection of Don Ballard Disneyland Hotel owner Jack Wrather’s custom “land cruiser” RV |
|||
|
So why did Jack Wrather add an RV park to his hotel, after almost 15 years without one? “The Wrather family loved almost anything outdoorsy and with the entire family together,”explains Disneyland Hotel historian Don Ballard. “The idea for Vacationland came about when they were traveling in their ‘land cruiser,’ which was their custom-made RV. They usually camped out as a family at least several times a year. Jack thought it would be a good idea, as well as attract customers to Disneyland, to build and operate a facility to accommodate campers and RVs with a full-featured RV park. Many people write to me telling me they wished Vacationland still existed.” The Walt Disney Company acquired Wrather Corporation in 1988 to obtain ownership of the Disneyland Hotel. Vacationland became Disney’s Vacationland. A new sign included the Disney logo. Disney didn’t promote their RV park actively. Possibly, Vacationland had a loyal following and a limited capacity, so it didn’t need much promotion. Also, Vacationland attracted long-term tenants, limiting short-term spaces. In 1996, across the street at Disneyland, the attention was on the Main Street Electrical Parade. Disneyland announced that the beloved parade would “glow away forever” that year. Far fewer people caught the announcement that Disney’s Vacationland and its neighbor, the KOA Kampground, would also not survive into 1997. An article in the Los Angeles Times (“Trailer Parks in Disneyland’s Shadow to Close” by Greg Hernandez, October 15, 1996) described how the long-term tenants were reacting to the closure of the two RV parks: Both trailer parks—designed for tourists visiting Disneyland, but which for many have become permanent homes—will close Dec. 31. They will be replaced by a multilevel parking structure and parking lot that are part of Walt Disney Co.’s proposal to build a second theme park in the parking lot of Disneyland. In recent months, several of the trailer park families have packed up their rigs and moved to other parks. But many of those who remain say they aren’t sure where they will go. Those who choose to remain until closing day will not have to pay their final month’s rent. Combined, the parks can accommodate more than 500 trailers and 74 tents. Renting a space at KOA costs $365 to $395 a month, depending on the size of the trailer. At Disney’s park, monthly rent starts at $480. The article focused on Barry and Brandy Brown, who had lived in their 25-foot-long trailer at Vacationland since 1981: Despite the uncertainty of their future, the Browns and other residents still waxed sentimental about their lives inside a trailer park. The Browns said they will miss all the friendly European tourists who have camped at the park for weeks or months at a time. The Browns befriended many of the Europeans, who would sometimes give them gift baskets before leaving the park. There were also “snowbird” tenants who lived at the park between September and May in order to take advantage of the warm climate. “I never would have had the chance to meet so many interesting people,” Brandy Brown said. “During the Olympics in 1984, it seemed like the entire world was here all at the same time. That was a particularly fascinating time for us.” Brown said she is having a hard time accepting that it is all coming to an end. “I’m going to be clinging to the gate on the last day,” she said sadly. “We’re going to lose our little world.” When 1996 ended on December 31, so did Disney’s Vacationland. |
|||
Photo by Bill Attwood, 2017 Commemorative poster |
|||
|
Yesterland reader Bill Attwood fondly remembers staying at Disney’s Vacationland in October 1996, which included watching the Main Street Electrical Parade on his son’s second birthday. During the final months of Vacationland, guests received an unexpected gift—a poster commemorating the RV park. The framed poster has been in the Attwood living room ever since. |
|||
Photo by Allen Huffman, 2009 Parking structure, where Vacationland used to be |
|||
|
The Mickey & Friends parking structure is located on the site of Vacationland. Disneyland Drive was formerly West Street, with some realignment. Unlike the Main Street Electrical Parade, Vacationland is not coming back. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Thank you to Don Ballard for the historical images of Vacationland and his assistance with this article. |
|||
|
|||
|
Don Ballard is the author of two books about the history of the Disneyland Hotel:
To see rare historical photos of the Disneyland Hotel and to learn more about these books (including how to buy), visit www.MagicalHotel.com. |
|||
|
|
Click here to post comments at MiceChat about this article.
© 2017 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated February 10, 2017. Except as otherwise noted, historical photos and brochure scans courtesy of the Wrather family and/or the Wrather Archives at Loyola Marymount University, courtesy of Chris Wrather and the family of Jack Wrather, with thanks to Don Ballard; some images originally copyright Wrather Corporation, which was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 1988. |
||
