Candy Cane Inn
From Kitsch to Classic
By Timothy Moore
Judging by the elegant Spanish-mission architecture , the quaint charm of the ding-ding-dinging park trolley , the stately pool grounds with cozy gas fireplaces , and the well-appointed rooms featuring orchid artwork and dark-stained faux hardwood floors , you ’ d never peg Candy Cane Inn as a garish roadside motel with bright neon lights . But when this spot — previously called Candy Cane Motel — opened in 1957 as one of the original motels around Disneyland Resort , that ’ s exactly what you would have found .
While other 1950s mainstays of Harbor Boulevard , including the Fantasy Motel ( now the Castle Inn & Suites ) did not survive America ’ s shift from kitschy motels to luxurious hotels , Candy Cane Inn has managed to stick around . Butting up against Disney California Adventure — you can see the back side of Radiator Springs from the pool — this reinvented spot offers affordable lodging to out-of-towners , with a little more opulence and a little less Santa Claus than the decades prior .
AN OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS
Appropriately , Candy Cane Inn opened on Dec . 25 , 1957 , two and a half years after Disneyland first opened its gates . Instantly recognizable by its crossed candy cane neon sign , the motel became a Disneyland-area
An artsy copy of the Anaheim Bulletin article , inside the room . PHOTO BY TIMOTHY MOORE
The more modern look of Candy Cane Inn . PHOTO BY TIMOTHY MOORE
classic — the irrefutable sign to families driving down Harbor Boulevard that they were minutes away from the Happiest Place on Earth .
In 1988 , however , motel owner Ralph Kazarian removed the sign and led a multi-month redesign of the entire resort . Rebranded as Candy Cane Inn , the updated motel emphasized affordable luxury mere steps from Disneyland ’ s entrance . Out with the candy canes ; in with the plush bedding and recessed lights .
“ I have to feel sad the sign is coming down ,” Kazarian said in an interview with the Anaheim Bulletin in ’ 88 , a copy of which hangs in the bathroom of each motel room . “ I hate to see it go after so long , but you ’ ve got to keep up with the times … We want to improve the area — it ’ s becoming a skid row . We want other motels to see what we ’ re doing and follow suit .”
Now decorated with a more understated deep teal-and-goldenrod color palette and a bright-pink orchid motif , Candy Cane Inn still pays homage to its peppermint past . When you enter the lobby , you ’ ll find jars of small candy canes at the reception counter . Similarly , when you sign the paperwork to start your stay , you won ’ t brandish a basic blue Bic ballpoint ; nay , you ’ ll sign with a whimsical candy cane pen . The nearby gift shop ( more like a doorless broom closet off the main lobby ) sells various sundries and Candy Cane Inn merch — and has a tiny Christmas tree year-round . And if you board the shuttle ( an old-fashioned trolley that takes you back to simpler times well before you set foot on Main Street ), you might find the driver has set out a jar of candy canes for a quick snack before or after your park day .