The hotel is right across West Street from the Yesterland parking lot.

There’s so much to do at Yesterland. You should come back tomorrow to see it all. Spend the night at the Yesterland Hotel. It’s right across the street from the Yesterland parking lot, surrounded by orange groves. The hotel is a collection of two-story buildings with the luxury and comfort of a first-class hotel and the convenience of a motor lodge.

You can park your car for free. Then leave your car at the hotel when you visit the park. (You can have your car serviced at the Richfield service station that’s right on the hotel premises.)

Climb aboard the hotel tram for a trip to the hotel.

Enjoy convenient, free hotel tram service all day. The hotel tram leaves from its own stop at the park. Don’t accidentally go to the parking lot tram stop, because that tram doesn’t go to the hotel.

The route between the park and the hotel is not particularly scenic—unless you enjoy looking at an asphalt parking lot. But it’s a quick ride.

The hotel tram takes you right to the lobby.

The tram stop at the hotel is right at the stylish lobby. From there, it’s a short walk to the Gourmet restaurant, the Coffee Shop, and the Round-the-World Lounge.

Shops are just steps from the tram.

When booking your stay at the Yesterland Hotel, just keep in mind that the park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays most of the year.

A packed tram on its way to the park

The tram isn’t the only way to go from the hotel to the park. You could walk—but you’ll be doing plenty of walking at the park. You could drive from the hotel to the park’s huge parking lot—but that’s inconvenient; you might still end up waiting for a tram.

Tram and private VIP station wagon

There’s a fourth way. If the hotel considers you to be a VIP, let a hotel chauffeur take you right to the park gate in a VIP station wagon.

Actress Shirley Temple on the tram

Even if you are a VIP—such as famous actress Shirley Temple—you may still prefer to take the tram.

Send a postcard with the tram on it.

Yesterland Park has plenty of rides. For guests visiting the park from the Yesterland Hotel, the tram is likely to be the first and last ride of each day.

Here’s a sneaky trick if you want to save some money. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, park your car there when you visit the park. Hotel parking is free. Then take the free tram. You’ll save the 25-cent parking fee that the park charges.

Of course, the Yesterland Hotel is really the Disneyland Hotel—or, more accurately, the original Disneyland Hotel. The present-day Disneyland Hotel—with its three towers, Convention Center, and “E” Ticket Pool—is just west of the original Disneyland Hotel. The original Disneyland Hotel was torn down to make room for Downtown Disney, surface parking, and landscaping.

The Disneyland Hotel on the 1958 Disneyland souvenir map

The tram was prominently featured on Disneyland souvenir maps. Being able to use the tram was a significant benefit of staying at the Disneyland Hotel, but it wasn’t the only benefit. The hotel offered numerous shops, several restaurants and lounges, a putting green, and even a heated, Olympic-sized swimming pool.

The Disneyland Hotel before the monorail extension

The Disneyland Hotel after the monorail extension

Until June 1961, the only ways to go between the Disneyland Hotel and Disneyland Park were to take the tram, or to walk across the parking lot, or to drive your own car, or—if you were a VIP—to be driven in one of the hotel’s VIP station wagons.

Disneyland Hotel tram stop before monorail service (1960 photo)

Disneyland Hotel tram stop after monorail service (1961 photo)

Then the Disneyland Alweg Monorail arrived. The monorail station was adjacent to the lobby. Tram service was still available, but the cool way to go to Disneyland was to take the monorail. Although all other guests entered Disneyland at Main Street Station, Disneyland Hotel guests who arrived by monorail train entered the park in the back corner of Tomorrowland. And that’s still how it is today.

Only today the monorail station is no longer in the Disneyland Hotel. It’s in the Downtown Disney shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. And it doesn’t look at all like the original Disneyland Hotel Monorail Station. Guests have wondered why the station was moved to a less convenient location. In reality, the station didn’t move. The hotel “shrunk” when the original sections were demolished, leaving the station a surprising distance from the nearest Disneyland Hotel building. The old lobby and Monorail Lounge are gone; a Rainforest Cafe is now in that location.

Monorail and tram in 1969

The Disneyland Hotel no longer has its own tram. If you stay at the Disneyland Hotel and you really want to ride a tram to the main gate of Disneyland Park (“for old times’ sake”), you can walk along surface parking lots to the tram stop at the huge Mickey & Friends parking structure. But if you’re going to walk that far, you’d be better off taking a pleasant walk through Downtown Disney, right to the main gate. It’s about the same distance.

The Disneyland Hotel no longer offers ungated free parking. And parking for Disneyland Park is now far more than the 25 cent fee in this article.

Disneyland Hotel 1954-1959: The Little Motel in the Middle of the Orange Grove

Anyone who is interested in the rich history of the Disneyland Hotel should consider Don Ballard’s 2011 book, Disneyland Hotel 1954-1959: The Little Motel in the Middle of the Orange Grove, with more rare photos and new research about the early years of the Disneyland Hotel.

For more about this book, including ordering information—or just to enjoy historic photos of the Disneyland Hotel online—visit www.Magicalhotel.com.

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© 2006-2021 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks

Updated April 2, 2021

Photo of tram loading area at Disneyland: from the collection of Don Ballard.
Aerial photo: 1960, from the collection of Don Ballard.
Photo of Disneyland Hotel tram: by Charles R. Lympany, courtesy of Chris Taylor.
Photo of tram with one passenger: 1956, from the collection of Don Ballard.
Photo of Disneyland Hotel shops with tram: from the collection of Don Ballard.
Photo of before monorail: 1960, from the collection of Don Ballard.
Photo of with tram and VIP car: from the collection of Don Ballard.
Photo of Shirley Temple siting on a tram: from the collection of Don Ballard.
“Greetings from the Disneyland Hotel” postcard: circa 1957, from the collection of Don Ballard.
Photo of Disneyland souvenir map detail: 1958 copyright Disney.
Photo of Disneyland Hotel sign before monorail: from the collection of Don Ballard.
Photo of Disneyland Hotel sign after monorail: publicity image © Disney.
Photo of tram before monorail was added: 1960 by Roger J. Runck, courtesy of Robin Runck.
Photo of tram after monorail was added: 1961 by Roger J. Runck, courtesy of Robin Runck.
Photo of Monorail Yellow: 1969, from the collection of Don Ballard.
Book cover courtesy of Don Ballard.
 
Note: Photos form the collection of Don Ballard are from various sources, including the Wrather family and/or the Wrather Archives at Loyola Marymount University, courtesy of Chris Wrather and the family of Jack Wrather. Some images originally copyright Wrather Corporation, which was acquired by The Walt Disney Company.