Disneyland's Grand Dame to Get a Facelift

Exhausted after spending a day at the "Happiest Place on Earth," real sleeping beauties have been bunking down at the Disneyland Hotel since 1955. While it's not exactly a Tower of Terror, the storied hotel is getting a bit dated. Disney recently announced that it would be giving the Disneyland Hotel a major overhaul of its interior and exterior aesthetics as well as its creaking and groaning electrical, plumbing, and other infrastructure systems. Work is scheduled to begin this August and be completed in 2012, and the hotel will stay open during the facelift.

Walt Disney's friend, Jack Wrather, originally built and operated the Disneyland Hotel. (It is now owned by the Disney company.) It used to be located across the street and a few blocks away from the park, and the Disneyland Monorail connected the two starting in 1961. The Disneyland Hotel now anchors one end of the massive Disneyland Resort, which includes two other hotels, Disney's California Adventure, and the Downtown Disney dining/shopping/entertainment complex.

The Disneyland Hotel was a hotspot for Hollywood celebrities as well as park guests and still has echoes of its classic SoCal vibe. Here's hoping that the Imagineers retain some of the authentic nostalgia and retro charm as they remake the renowned hotel.

• Disneyland Resort Overview
• Putting the Disney into Disney's California Adventure- Learn about the 5-year, $1.1 billion expansion and makeover of Disney's California Adventure.

Photo: The Disneyland Monorail makes its way to the Disneyland Hotel in this vintage photo from the early 1960s. Disney. Used with permission.