Last week, a Demolition Permit was issued for Carousel Inn and Suites in Anaheim. The hotel is located directly across the street from the Disneyland Resort at 1530 S. Harbor Boulevard, as seen on the map below. Now that the permit has been issued, we expect demolition to begin very soon.
The Carousel Inn was purchased by The Walt Disney Co. in March 2015. At the time, it was called a “strategic purchase” by Disneyland spokesperson Suzi Brown, and she also said that the hotel would continue to operate with the current management. However, that didn’t last for long. The Carousel’s last day of operation was October 18, 2016.
Although the location of the property is directly across the street from the bus loops at the Disneyland Resort, the property itself is very narrow and long, and is flanked on the north by the Camelot Inn & Suites and to the south by the Tropicana Inn & Suites. Whether or not the demolition indicates movement on the long-rumored rail system between the ARTIC train station, the Disneyland Resort, and the Anaheim Convention Center remains to be seen. Disney may need to acquire more properties adjacent to the Carousel plot to be able to construct anything significant.
A brief history of the hotel was provided on its website after it closed.
“The Carousel Inn & Suites, which opened just two years after Disneyland welcomed its first guests, boasts an interesting evolution as one of the longest-tenured residents of the Anaheim Resort area. The Inn drew its name, theme and architectural inspiration from the King Arthur Carrousel, one of the original Opening Day attractions at Disneyland in 1955, inspired by Walt Disney’s visits to Griffith Park where his daughters would ride the merry-go-round. One of the iconic horses from the King Arthur Carrousel stands proudly at the Carousel Inn & Suites. Over the years, The Carousel Inn’s prized location has provided its guests a sweeping view of Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park with uninterrupted views of Disneyland Resort’s brilliant firework spectaculars.
“The Carousel has seen several iterations through multiple owners throughout its history, with dramatic changes to its style and façade (should include more about the changes to the architecture, theming, etc). In 1987, the Wincome Group purchased the property, revamping it from a motel into a boutique hotel. This took place at the same time Disneyland Resort expanded from a one-park, one-hotel property, marking the beginning of the Anaheim Resort area as the world-renowned destination that it is today.”