CENTRAL PLAZA

BACKSTORY: From 1955—1965, The Red Wagon Inn was the name of the restaurant at Central Plaza, originally sponsored by The Swifts Premium Meat Company in Kansas City (they also sponsored the Main Street Market House & Frontierland’s Chicken Plantation House). RWI also originally included an area with a VIP lounge, a wet bar, and bathroom for Walt’s special guests. This area became a hospitality center for Goodyear when they were a sponsor, then converted to offices, and finally destroyed in the 1999 rehab. Renamed “Plaza Inn” in 1965, it serves traditional American fare and is sponsored by the Columbian Coffee Growers. Designed by Walt Disney's wife, Lillian, it is decorated with turn-of-the-century furnishings and authentic mementos of the 1890s, including the stained glass ceiling, entrance hall, and foyer taken from the old St. James home in Los Angeles (1880). The Tencenniel celebration & press conference were held here in 1965. The menu originally offered a varied selection of food, featuring steaks & chops and Swift’s quality meats.

Red Wagon Inn poster
Original Poster

For Town Square photos, click here.

Most photos available for purchase as enlargements. Email your request. To view photos allow popups in your web browser & click thumbnails below.

Red Wagon Inn/Plaza Inn, 1950’s–1960’s

Red Wagon Inn December 1955
Red Wagon Inn, December 1955
Red Wagon Inn March 1956
Red Wagon Inn, March 1956
Central Plaza photo, March 1956
March 1956
Central Plaza September 1956
Sept. 1956
Plaza Inn, 1950s
Plaza Inn, Commercial slide, 1950’s
Red Wagon Inn and INA Carefree Corner November 1960
Red Wagon Inn and INA Carefree Corner, Nov. 1960
Red Wagon Inn September 1963
Red Wagon Inn, Sept. 1963
With the Little Pig outside of Red Wagon Inn, September 1964
w/Little Pig outside of Red Wagon Inn, Sept. 1964
With Big Bad Wolf outside of Red Wagon Inn, September 1964
w/Big Bad Wolf outside of Red Wagon Inn, Sept. 1964
Plaza Inn, August 28, 1965
Aug. 28, 1965
March 1968
Plaza Inn, March 1968
 
CoxPilot Remembers at Daveland
Employee Cafeteria: Keith Palmer (high school buddy) got me the job at the Cox Thimble Drome at Disneyland just after my high school graduation in 1959. The employee cafeteria was quite small and was the back side of the Red Wagon Inn. Same food and everything, but a little dark and cramped. Later, when the Inn was rebuilt into the Plaza Inn, the cafeteria quadrupled in size and was very bright and modern, and always full. The food was fantastic and priced at half of that charged out front. Walt really liked his people to eat.

Plaza Inn, 2000+

Plaza Inn, May 2006
May 2006
Plaza Inn, October 2006
Oct. 2006
Plaza Inn, December 2006
Plaza Inn, December 2006
Plaza Inn, 2006
Plaza Inn, 2006
Plaza Inn, 2006
Plaza Inn, 2006
Plaza Inn, 2006
Plaza Inn, 2006
Plaza Inn, 2006
Plaza Inn, 2006
Plaza Inn, December 2006
Plaza Inn, December 2006
Central Plaza, April 2007
Caramel Apple Pie at Plaza Inn, March 2007
Central Plaza, May 2007
May 2007
Central Plaza, May 2007
May 2007
Central Plaza, May 2007
May 2007
Plaza Inn, May 2007
May 2007
Alice at Plaza Inn, September 2007
Sept. 2007
Central Plaza, December 2007
Plaza Inn lightpost detail, Dec. 2007
Plaza Inn, May 2008
May 2008
   
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