Willie Inc.

After the refurbishment of the rooms at Port Orleans – Riverside, guests can find tons of little details that tie into the story of the resort and the larger Disney story. From the number sequence 2292, which is a tribute to the date that Dixie Landings (the resort’s original name) opened, February 2, 1992, to the mention of Arcadian Company, there is so much story to uncover and so little time to do it before you fall asleep! Of course, this simple logo on the side of the crate/fold out Murphy bed, is my favorite.

I don’t imagine it takes too much to puzzle this historical nod, does it? All the components of the symbol scream Steamboat Willie. The short, which is known as Mickey Mouse’s first wide distribution (we can talk about Plane Crazy another day), featured the three-whistle steamboat seen here. The name of the short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, can be seen in the company name of Willie Inc. Even the date on which Steamboat Willie was released, November 18, 1928, can be found in the Willie Inc.’s establishment date of 1928.

Call me a sentimentalist, but a subtle nod to Steamboat Willie will always cause me to smirk and think about Disney’s bygone days!