The Grand Californian Grand Opening,

The Grand Californian Grand Opening
Page 1 of 15

by Rebekah and Doobie Moseley
February 13, 2001
Coverage of the Grand Opening of Disney's Grand California Hotel including a complete video of the opening, interviews and many pictures from around the hotel including the Presidential Suite.

On February 6, 2001 Disney's Grand California Hotel was officially dedicated in a ceremony held in front of the hotel. On hand where Tony Bruno, General Manager of the hotel, Peter Dominick, architect, Cynthia Harriss, President of the Disneyland Resort and Sharon Davis, the first lady of California. Accompanying the ceremony was a symphony playing California-themed tunes.

In the pages that follow you'll find many pictures and a transcript from the ceremony and many other pictures from around the hotel including one of the Presidential Suites. At the end of this article you'll find a short interview with hotel architect Peter Dominick.

Videos
There are also five videos available that together show the entire ceremony. All videos are in RealVideo format. All videos are available in low bandwidth (modem) and high bandwidth (DSL, cable, LAN) formats. The low bandwidth videos are 192 X 144. The high bandwidth videos are 320 X 240. The videos are also linked at the appropriate places within the article. A free version of the RealVideo player is available at www.real.com.

Ceremony - Page 1

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Orchestral versions of hit tunes about California such as "California Dreaming" and "Hotel California" filled the air.
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RealVideo: Tony Bruno, General Manager. 2 minutes, 33 seconds. (Low bandwidth • High bandwidth)

Following is a transcript of the ceremony:

Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome the General Manager of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, Tony Bruno.

Tony Bruno: Good morning. Welcome everyone. It’s truly a privilege to serve as general manager of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel which bears the distinction of being the very first hotel ever built by Disney inside a Disney theme park. Just as Disney’s California Adventure is a tribute to the Golden State, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, as its name suggests, is a tribute to California art in architecture, the arts and crafts movement of the early 1900s. I’d like to take a moment to thank our good friends at Walt Disney Imagineering who once again have captured the magic of Disney by creating a wonderful work of art that is stunning, enchanting and distinctly Californian.

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Tony Bruno, the General Manager of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel
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Tony Bruno: Just as the handmade fireplaces inside the cozy California craftsman bungalows of yesteryear symbolize the ultimate home, we want you to feel that Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is your home away from home. Our hotel has so many outstanding amenities that it would take all morning to list them all. From the inviting stone hearth to the wine country inspired restaurant Napa Rose to the relaxing pools and the exciting atmosphere of Storyteller’s Café. And whether you are staying with us for business or pleasure we stand ready and waiting to provide with you the most peaceful, private retreat or the most accommodating state of the art business and meeting facilities.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel is a luxury hotel lovingly designed by an outstanding architect. I'd like to invite him to the podium at this time. Throughout his outstanding 30-year career he has garnered a reputation of designing excellence for projects that range from large residences to historic renovations. A recipient of numerous design awards he actually began his career as a parking lot attendant here at Disneyland. Please welcome the Principal Designer with Urban Design Group, Peter Dominick.

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Tony Bruno welcomes Principal Designer, Peter Dominick.
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