Of all the events we have attended, this one remains our favorite (the Haunted Mansion Holiday event follows very close behind it). For starters, it’s always a thrill to check into the Grand California Hotel and quickly make your way downstairs for the merchandise viewing and pickup. While I won’t go into all the specifics of the limited merchandise that was offered (you can see pictures of the merchandise on fourth floor in the Hotel Gallery), it’s always a blast to see guests wipe away their dribble as they fervently tear into their merchandise.

Prior to arriving at the event, Event Services requested we all wear 1930’s attire for the evening of April 22. And let me tell you… people weren’t shy. Some guests came dressed in smoking jackets from the 1930’s era, some wore black suits with top hats, while others were observed to be dressed in zoot suit attire. Little did we know what was in store for us that evening. As we all gathered in the wing of the Grand California Hotel, an old fashioned bus with accompanying bell hops arrived to whisk us away to our destination: “The opening of the The Hollywood Tower Hotel.” Unfortunately, the bus had a little mechanical trouble on the way (we broke down on Harbor Blvd to be exact), but we were eventually rescued by Disney castmembers and soon transported through DCA’s backstage to the Hotel. Upon exiting the bus, we were greeted by celebrities and news reporters of the era. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks were made available to all as we mingled outside the Hotel. The purple/blue lighting on the Hotel that night enhanced the Hotel’s architecture—while the whole Tower attraction area was mysteriously draped in fog. An eerie mood was now set, and soon we were called into the Hotel for our dinner.

Elegantly dressed dinner tables were set up in front of each of the service elevators. To our surprise, each guest found a limited edition ceramic-tile art piece (depicting an image of the Tower) at their seat. What followed was a four course meal to die for. Our wine glasses were (thankfully) rarely empty, and a small band went from table to table providing musical entertainment. It was great seeing the food and drink presented to us throughout the evening via the opening/closing of the service elevator doors. After dinner was finished, we began to wonder how we would be exiting the Hotel. Not to worry. Directly in front of our tables was a maintenance service elevator. Huh? Right after dinner? Well, most people must have had “iron constitutions” because many of us rode the attraction multiple times without ‘losing’ one of our three courses.

Imagineer and Tower senior show producer Cory Sewelson

As we made our way out of the hotel, a live band (complete with bandstand) played “big band era swing music.”  Our desert (the 4th course) was served to us in an outdoor table setting. I can’t even begin to describe the artistry surrounding this desert. A tower-shaped desert made of chocolate with additional desert fixings on the side. Needless to say, no one returned to their hotel that night hungry.

The next day, our group was joined by other guests who opted for alternative packages. As a group, we began our day having lunch at the Golden Vine Winery, followed by a meet & greet opportunity with Event artists at the Disneyland Hotel. In the evening, we returned to the Hollywood backlot area of the Hotel to enjoy more food, more drink, games and entertainment. Upon conclusion of the event, I only thought of one thing that would have made the event even more special than it already was----spending the night in the Hotel itself. Come to think of it, maybe I should call ahead now and make a room reservation for the next Tower event.
 

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