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dlandnut
02-14-2005, 08:57 AM
I got to thinking about all the windows located above all the shops along main street, and also in New Orleans Square. I'm aware that Walt's first apartment was located above the fire station at the end of Main Street, and I've also visited the art gallery/fantasmic buffet above NOS. Is anyone aware, what do they do with the other space? Is it all storage, or do other Disney dignitaries have living quarters/private spaces in the area? I think about Walt and his being able to "live" there, so to speak. Has anyone else had that privilege? :)

bradk
02-14-2005, 09:06 AM
along main street, in most cases, there are no second and third floors per se. they're even smaller than an actual floor would be because they use forced perspective, like the castle does, to make them appear taller than they actually are.

i believe they're mostly catwalks to faciliate traveling around and used by security

the disney gallery was meant to be an apartment as well initially (moreso than the one that exists above the firehouse), not to mention conveniently next to Club 33, but Walt died prior to both its completions. the gallery actually served as an office until it became the gallery in 87.

Opus1guy
02-14-2005, 08:34 PM
actually served as an office until it became the gallery in 87.

Actually the 21 Royal Street Apartment was completed just as depicted in Dorthea Redmond's beautiful watercolors for Walt's apartment that are on display in the Disney Gallery today (in the little hall by The Red Room). Though Walt didn't live to see it completed, the Apartment was completely furnished in period antique furniture and it was occupied for many, many years by INA (Insurance Companies of North America) who sponsored Carefree Corner on Main Street (where Kodak is today). INA used it as a Super VIP Suite for their very special guests. INA vip guests would dine in the main dining room served by Club 33 next door via a direct door into the Club's kitchen. Many a lucky INA guest even overnighted it in luxury in one of 21 Royal's bedrooms. Elizabeth Taylor was one such lucky guest back then and fell so in love with one of the pieces of furniture in the Suite, that INA arranged for Disneyland to sell it to her!

The INA 21 Royal Apartments were managed and hosted by an absolutely charming and talented lady by the name of Donna Rochelle. This lady knew her P's and Q's and could easily have been an Ambassador for the State Department! Get her and Disneyland Tour Guide/Ambassador department head Cecily Rigdon at the same table with you, and you had darn well better have known which fork to use!! ;)

INA was in there for quite a long time. Don't recall exactly when they moved out. But shortly after they did, the Tokyo Disneyland Pre-Opening Operations Team was looking for office space and guess what was available? So they moved out most of the furnishings and TDL and Disneyland International moved in there for a few years. That's the "office space" folks often refer to.

Soon TDL/DI needed bigger digs, so they leased office space in the sister tower at the Hyatt down on Chapman (tower 2 there was all office space at that time...Hyatt later took that second tower over and converted it to hotel rooms).

So once again the Apartment sat empty and a bit worse-for-wear from being used as an TDL Operations office. And finally the concept of The Disney Gallery was put forth, co-headed by Imagineering art expert Van Romans. There was a brief tug-of-war between Disneyland and Club 33 over the space, as the Club wanted to use that space as was originally intended after Walt's death (expansion of the Club), but Disneyland went with the mixed-usage public retail/museum/attraction concept of The Disney Gallery.

Shortiemetoo
02-14-2005, 08:49 PM
Fascinating...thank you for all the great history!!

bradk
02-14-2005, 10:19 PM
wow, now there's a slight detail that seems to be glossed over by everything i've ever read. sorry for that, and yes, thanks for filling in the the gaping holes i tend to leave behind me :)

Opus1guy
02-14-2005, 10:52 PM
I'll tell you about a little treat. Hope it's still there:

Next time you're in The Disney Gallery, ask one of the Cast Members to show you "The Book." Some Cast may not even know it's back there in one of the cabinets or drawers behind the Cash Counter/Bar, so you may have to ask more than one Cast Member before you find one that knows what you're inquiring about. It's really just a small notebook with lots of clippings related to the Gallery tossed in it. But one of them is an old Disneyland Line front page article from the 1970's that has a photo of Donna standing in front of the beautiful Living Room marble fireplace (which is still there just as back then). In that photo you can see some of the lovely furniture that was in place when it was used as a true apartment by INA. It's one of the only photos that was ever published (even if just internally) of the INA 21 Royal Apartment.

;)