Monday, March 13, 2017

The Disney Inn - Ephemera

The Golf Resort opened at Walt Disney World in 1973 and was located between two prime golf courses--the Palm and the Magnolia. Unfortunately, it was relatively short lived. As Major Pepperidge points out in his Gorilla's Don't Blog...
It wasn't thought of as a "Disney" hotel by the public. It was off the monorail line so it didn't enjoy the same occupancy rate and success as the Contemporary or Polynesian. Because of that, Disney changed the theme to "Snow White" and renamed the hotel "The Disney Inn".
The retheming took place in 1986, and the resort logo was updated to an illustration of Sleepy holding a candlestick. This new imagery would be used on all of the usual promotional items.


Promotional Photo (costumed cast members gathered around the resort sign)

Publicity Photo copyright Disney.

Resort Ad

Image via Mouse Obsessions.

Door Hanger




Matchbooks (via the Thank You for Smoking post over at Parkeology)




Package of 50 matchbooks sold at an Official Disneyana Convention in the 1990s.

Matchbook case via ruthrules.
.

Cast member lunch card for the Garden Gallery. After six validations, cast members would receive a free lunch. Center crease for easy folding. Measures approximately 4" x 3.5" (unfolded). Dates from 1989.

Cards generously donated by the François Monferran Collection.


Bright ideas don't always work out. The Disney Inn was even shorter-lived than the Golf Resort. In 1994, eight years after Snow White first tried to make a go of it, the name was change once again. This time it became the Shades of Green. The resort was sold to the United States Department of Defense for use by military personnel and their families. It finally found a purpose.

During its run, the Sleepy logo was employed for use on a number of other items. Upcoming Disney Inn posts include:

1 comment: