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Although not an official "land" of the park, the Disneland Hotel is very much a part of Disneyland. Walt Disney licensed out the Disneyland name to his friend Jack Wrather, who built and owned the hotel; Wrather's company was also the producer of the "Lone Ranger" television show during the 1950's. Walt Disney extended the Monorail tracks to include a stop at the hotel in 1961. Two places at the Disneyland Hotel are named after Jack Wrather's wife, Bonita Granville Wrather - the Bonita Tower and Granville's Steak House restaurant. Disney bought the Wrather Company's assets, including the Disneyland Hotel, the Queen Mary ship and the Spruce Goose, Howard Hughes's famous airplane; the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose were later sold. This acquisition made the hotel into a full Disney Hotel, and it received an expansive renovation, converting it to a Fantasia theme. Opportunities abound for guests besides just visiting the park. The Disneyland Hotel's marina offers boats available for rent, and a beach offers guests a place to swim. One of the favorite features of the hotel is the Fantasy Waters show, consisting of fountains and lights "dancing" in time to music. Hotel Guests who want to ride the Monorail may purchase a Monorail ticket to ride to the park and back without disembarking the train. Guests may also ride the Monorail into Tomorrowland without going through the Main Street entrance. Several shops are available for guests to purchase items without going into the park. The lobbies of the different towers are decorated in concept art used to create Disneyland and all of its attractions. The hotel also has several meeting rooms which are decorated with this concept art; for instance, one room features paintings used for the 1967 renovation of Tomorrowland. One hallway features pictures of Walt Disney in his park, and another has pictures of some of the celebrities who have visited Disneyland. In 1996, Disney also purchased the Pan Pacific Hotel, neighbor to the Disneyland Hotel, and renamed it the Disneyland Pacific Hotel. The purchase of this property was part of the eventual creation of the Disneyland Resort, a vacation destination featuring Disneyland Park, the new Disney's California Adventure park, a nightclub district called Downtown Disney, and the Grand Californian hotel. The Disneyland Pacific hotel was renamed the Paradise Pier Hotel, since it is near that area of the new park.  |