History of The Suite
In the early 1960s as construction of New Orleans Square was proceeding, Walt Disney decided he needed a bigger entertaining facility for various VIPs that came to the park. He already had an apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street, U.S.A., but it was too small to host elaborate events. Walt decided to place the suite in New Orleans Square, set back from the hustle and bustle of the park.
Disney brought in set designer Dorothea Redmond, famous for creating the sets in Gone with the Wind, to help him with the apartment layout. To furnish and decorate the area, he left his wife Lilly and Walt Disney Studio set decorator Emile Kuri to collaborate as they had on other projects (Club 33, the Firehouse Apartment, etc.). The project was christened The Royal Suite, inspired by its location off New Orleans Square's Royal Street.
After Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, many projects at Walt Disney Productions were put on hold or abandoned. At the request of his brother Roy, who felt the family would not enjoy The Royal Suite with Walt gone, the project was quietly set aside. It was fairly close to completion at the time of Disney's death, including infrastructure and plumbing.
From July 11, 1987, to August 7, 2007, the space housed the Disney Gallery.
Read more about this topic: Disneyland Dream Suite
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