Unhappiest News for 12/31/99 Planners

Speaking of crowded hotels, if you had your heart set on ushering in the year 2000 at the Disneyland Hotel, you’d better have a reservation.

The 1,136-room hotel is booked solid except for a few blocks of rooms the company is holding open to accommodate large groups and companies. Those holding reservations were required to book a minimum three-night stay, and the prices have yet to be determined. Even that hasn’t deterred hundreds of would-be merrymakers, says Disneyland spokesman Tom Brocato.

“We’re sold out for individual bookings,” Brocato said. “We’ve had a tremendous number of calls.”

Folks hoping to bunk at the neighboring Disneyland Pacific Hotel on Dec. 31, 1999 are out of luck as well. Brocato said management there likewise is holding out big blocks of remaining rooms for group business. Depending on what’s sold this year, the Pacific may start taking individual bookings again--but not until sometime in 1998.

Brocato said Disneyland’s millennium celebration is still in the planning stages, but guests can be assured of one thing: “It’s going to be quite a party,” he said. “A big event.”

Still, Disney plans to infuse the celebration with some serious reflection on family values. “We really want to promote . . . education and family,” Disneyland President Paul Pressler said. “There is a [bigger] message that we are crafting.”

Marla Dickerson covers tourism for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5670 and at marla.dickerson@latimes.com