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ANAHEIM, Calif. – January 29, 2008 – For the first time in
history, lucky guests will have the chance to spend an unforgettable
night inside Disneyland Park during the Year of a Million Dreams, most
nights starting January 31, 2008, as part of the 2008 Disney Dreams
Giveaway.
A guest will be escorted on the same day awarded into the most
extraordinary accommodations at Disneyland Resort: the Disneyland Dream
Suite, an in-park apartment with special-effects surprises and vintage
design elements in each room.
The overnight stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite will be a highlight
among the more than a million "dream come true" experiences awarded
through random process to eligible Disneyland Resort guests and mail-in
participants in the 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway. Mail-in winners of
prizes that require use on day awarded, such as the Disneyland Dream
Suite, will receive a prize of comparable value.
Disney Imagineers have devoted months of hard work toward remodeling the
suite of rooms above New Orleans Square in the Park, conceived by Walt
Disney as a private apartment for his family and closest friends. The
rooms, which most recently housed The Disney Gallery, have been restored
to Disney’s original vision of deluxe living quarters. Vintage design
illustrations, created under Disney’s personal direction, were recovered
and used as inspiration for the look, furnishings and other décor
elements in the Suite. Special design touches have been incorporated to
evoke memories of Disney’s diverse interests and the rich heritage of
Disneyland.
The guests chosen through a random process to enjoy a "dream stay" in
the Disneyland Dream Suite will be following in the footsteps of Walt
Disney. His dedication to the constant growth and development of
Disneyland Park resulted in frequent overnight stays in a small private
apartment which remains today above the Fire House on Main Street,
U.S.A. In the 1960s, as plans were developed for the New Orleans Square
area, Disney brought in illustrator and designer Dorothea Redmond (Gone
with the Wind) and set decorator Emile Kuri (Mary Poppins, It’s a
Wonderful Life) to help him create a larger, more lavish apartment where
he could entertain friends, family, VIP guests and dignitaries.
Unfortunately, Disney passed away before the Suite was completed. Over
the years, the rooms were used as offices and to entertain visiting
business associates until, in 1987, the space became The Disney Gallery,
a unique venue displaying artwork originally created during the
development of various Disney movies and theme park attractions. Only
now, 40 years later, is Disney’s dream being fulfilled. The rooms have
been returned to their original intended purpose and, as Disney wished,
the Disneyland Dream Suite will be occupied by overnight guests.
"Our plan has been to use the renderings that Walt worked on with
Dorothea Redmond and to replicate those as exactly as we can," said Walt
Disney Imagineering Art Director Kim Irvine. "Her illustrations were
very specific, with a color and style for each room. "But to make it
special for the guests, we want it to be more than just a beautiful
suite. We want it to be filled with things that might have inspired Walt
as he dreamed of Disneyland."
Located above Pirates of the Caribbean in the New Orleans Square section
of Disneyland Park, the 2,600-square-foot Disneyland Dream Suite
includes a living room, open-air patio, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
In addition to that night’s lodging in the Disneyland Dream Suite, each
selected 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway winner of the Disneyland Dream
Suite will also be celebrated as the Honorary Grand Marshal in that
day’s Disneyland parade. The winner and their guests will enjoy dinner,
late-night snacks and beverages, and the dazzling view overlooking New
Orleans Square and the Rivers of America, where a private balcony
provides an ideal vantage point on nights when fireworks or the
"Fantasmic!" spectacular are presented.
Guests may enter the Dream Suite by climbing the grand staircase outside
the entrance to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. An elevator
will be available to accommodate guests with disabilities. Through the
doorway at the top of the stairs is the Living Room, designed in a
French Provincial style reflecting the New Orleans Square setting.
Unusual decorative items like a full-size carousel horse, a mechanical
songbird and original wall paintings of European castles will conjure up
memories of Walt Disney and the inspirations that went into creating the
magical world of Disneyland.
The Suite features not one, but two Master Bedrooms. In one, the spirit
of early 20th century innovation and the American frontier are summoned
with an earthy color scheme, leather furniture, a cast-iron stove, an
electric train and vintage mechanical toys. The other Master Bedroom is
on the side of the residence nearest Adventureland, and its lush décor
and atmosphere evoke the exotic flavor of jungle adventure stories as
told in the Victorian era.
The Bayou-themed Patio, central to the Disneyland Dream Suite and open
to the sky above, is filled with tropical vegetation, furnished with
comfortable chaises and illuminated by Chinese lanterns. Using a type of
Disney magic familiar to guests on Pirates of the Caribbean, the Patio
is also visited by fireflies.
As guests settle in for a stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite, they’ll
discover special effects surprises in each room. It could be a special
tune in a striking clock, a sunset or a starscape that appears when the
lights go down, subtle audio enhancements, or something totally
unexpected.
The Disneyland Dream Suite will be the supreme addition to the catalog
of "dreams come true" at the Disneyland Resort during the 2008 Disney
Dreams Giveaway as the Disney Dream Squad delivers dreams, large and
small, to eligible guests selected through a random process. For
information on how to enter by mail without visiting the parks, please
see below.
The 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway is part of the Year of a Million Dreams
at Disney Parks. At Disneyland Park, the popular immersive entertainment
experiences will continue to thrill guests at Disney Princess Fantasy
Faire, Jedi Training Academy and Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. And
at Disney’s California Adventure Park, guests young and old will be
dancing to the beat of the new High School Musical 2: School’s Out!
street show, inspired by the megahit Disney Channel original movie. For
information on new attractions, the Year of a Million Dreams celebration
and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866)
60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.
