Rare Unused 1960’s Disneyland Hotel Red Monorail Matchbook

Here’s a nice Disneyland hotel matchbook from the late 1960’s with the famous red Disneyland monorail. This was the official hotel of Disneyland and these hotel matchbooks were the only ones that had the monorail on them.

The red Monreal pictured on the matchbook was known as the Mark 1, it was introduced in 1961 along with a yellow version a few years later, and they both ran until 1969 until replaced with more updated versions.

The front of this Matchbook with the red Monorail on it and reads “There’s Only One Disneyland”. On the back is a view of the lake at the Disneyland Hotel and on the spine of the matchbook it reads “Anaheim California “.

This matchbook is unused and is in good condition with no stray marks, bends or rusted staples. It will be a nice addition to your collection, or as a momento of the happiest place on earth.

History of the Disneyland Hotel and Monorail

Opened on October 5, 1955, as a motor inn owned and operated by Jack Wrather under an agreement with Walt Disney, the hotel was the first to officially bear the Disney name. Under Wrather's ownership, the hotel underwent several expansions and renovations over the years before being acquired by Disney in 1988. The hotel was downsized to its present capacity in 1999 as part of the Disneyland Resort expansion.

The original Monorail was a round trip ride with no stops. In 1961, the track was expanded to connect to a station at the Disneyland Hotel, making it an actual transportation system. The original Hotel station was torn down in 1999 and a new station, now called the Downtown Disney Station, was built in the same place.

The Disneyland Monorail made history by being the first operating monorail system in the United States. Its debut, June 14, 1959, was so monumental, the guest speaker at its opening ceremony was none other than Vice President Richard Nixon. Nixon joined Walt in giving a speech, as well as cutting a ribbon, to commence its first day of service.

On June 14, 1959, the first Alweg version of the monorail opened. Known as the Mark I, it was initially created as a sightseeing attraction and was located in Tomorrowland.

More About The Monorail

The Mark I design consisted of two different trains, one red and one blue, each complete with three of their own cars. In 1961, the monorail’s track was lengthened, and a second platform was added at the Disneyland Hotel.

This made room for the induction of the Mark II monorail, which boasted four cars and a new yellow train. It also marked the monorail’s identity as a legitimate transportation system, being that there were now two stations to travel to and fro.