Lesser-Known Facts about DVC Resorts

When you vacation at one of the luxurious Disney Vacation Club resorts, you’re there to have a good time. Still, you should realize you’re also becoming a part of history. Several DVC properties have fascinating tidbits you may not even know. So, here are some lesser-known facts about DVC resorts. 

The Beatles Broke up at the Polynesian

I realize those words sound like a Mad Lib, but the statement is absolutely true. During the final days of The Beatles, arguably the most popular band of all time, everyone knew it was over. 

A frustrated John Lennon holed up in his room on vacation and prepared for the next phase of his life. From his perspective, The Beatles had basically broken up in 1969, five years before then. He’d famously told his representation, “I want a divorce.”

However, the members of the Fab Four couldn’t move on until they’d signed the paperwork. Lennon and his bandmate, Paul McCartney, had long ago stopped seeing eye to eye about the band’s direction and the nature of celebrity. So, the fatigued Lennon grew a bit camera-shy.

By this point, all four members were unconscionably wealthy, as one would expect from the most famous band of the 1960s. A world explorer, Lennon vacationed often, which caused him to miss a vital date. The Beatles were to meet at the Plaza Hotel in New York in 1974 to sign the divorce papers. 

This appearance should have been easy for Lennon, who lived down the street from the hotel. That’s part of the reason why the rest of the band chose it, as they were having trouble finding Lennon. He no-showed anyway.

Lennon relayed the message that “The stars aren’t right” as a defense for his lack of professionalism. His livid bandmates expended some of their resources to track down the musician. He was spending Christmas and New Year’s in Florida. 

Lawyers tracked him down at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. They proceeded to badger him into signing the paperwork to end The Beatles. So, if you’re ever near Room #1601 at the Polynesian, that’s the place where the Beatles died on Dec. 29, 1974. With the 50th anniversary approaching, this story is likely gain renewed attention soon.

Nixon’s “I’m Not a Crook” Speech Was Held at the Contemporary 

Since this is an election year, we’re all tired of politics. So, I’ll try to be as neutral as possible in relaying the facts here. 

Once upon a time, the 37th President of the United States screwed up. Richard Nixon, who would later become a head in a jar on Futurama, found himself in an untenable political position. 

Due to his involvement in the Watergate Scandal, Nixon found himself on the defensive. He would eventually resign from office, a historically significant speech you can watch here:

Before this happened, Nixon participated in another, somehow even more memorable Q&A interview session. In an era long before memes, the President uttered the words, “I’m not a crook.” Here’s the 37-second soundbite in its entirety:

Nixon gave this speech on November 17th, 1973. The reception to this speech placed him on the defensive until his resignation on August 8th, 1974. 

There’s a real chance that you’ve sat in this same room and never even realized it. Friends, that’s the Ballroom of the Americas at Disney’s Contemporary Resort! Disney holds events and photo ops there all the time. If you’ve a longtime member, odds are very good that you’ve been there, but you had no idea of the conference room’s historical significance, did you?

Disney Didn’t Own Its Namesake Resort until 1988

When Disneyland opened on July 17th, 1955, it was missing its signature resort. And the explanation regarding why is rather convoluted. The gist is simple, though. Walt Disney never owned that resort.

While building his dream theme park, Uncle Walt infamously ran out of money. In fact, if you’ve never heard the story, one of the co-owners of Disneyland was ABC! Walt Disney sold ABC one-third of Disneyland for $500,000 and the co-signing of a loan for another $4.5 million. Without that money, Imagineers would have lacked the money to complete Disneyland. 

At the time, Uncle Walt also recognized an ancillary business opportunity. If Disney built a hotel right by the theme park, guests would never have a reason to leave the area. So, Disney would keep tourists’ entire vacation budgets. It was a brilliant plan that Disney has employed for 70 years now.

However, there was a problem. With Disney lacking the funds to build its own theme park, it definitely couldn’t afford to build the accompanying hotel. So, Walt Disney spoke with countless wealthy investors, expecting to entice one to become his business partner.

Meet the Non-Disney Who Owned Disneyland Hotel

To Uncle Walt’s shock, none of his rich friends liked the idea. They secretly believed that Disneyland would fail and were unwilling to risk their money on the venture. A desperate Disney reached out to an acquaintance he barely knew, an oil baron named Jack Wrather.

This investor had recently used some of his wealth to fund a few Hollywood movies, and everyone in the industry new Walt Disney. When Wrather heard the idea of the companion hotel, he quickly invested and loved the result. While the project started too late to open at the same time at the park, it only missed by a few weeks. Press articles from the era remain, and they suggest a solid working relationship between Disney and Wrather.

However, once Disneyland proved profitable, Uncle Walt wanted to purchase his namesake hotel. To his surprise, Wrather refused. From the oil baron’s perspective, he had stuck his neck out when nobody else would, and he should profit from the decision. 

So, the Wrather family owned the Disneyland Hotel until 1988! Yes, despite its name, this property wasn’t a Disney venture until 33 years after its grand opening. If you’re interested, MiceChat has posted a quick YouTube video that includes footage of Wrather and his wife, actress Bonita Glanville, during the opening day ceremonies. 

If you’ve ever watched the Yesterland video, you’re acutely aware that the Disneyland Hotel of today bears little resemblance to the one from that era. Still, when you stay here, you’re embracing a vital part of Disney history. Without the Disneyland Hotel, Disney Vacation Club wouldn’t have been possible.