Did Michael Jackson stay at any Disney resorts?

[amycishere]

I am just curious because I know how much he loved Disney.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

I don't know about on-site but I know he used to stay at one of the DTD hotels. The Royal Plaza or something?

 

[crazy4wdw]

I am just curious because I know how much he loved Disney.

There were rumors that he often booked the entire 14th floor (the floor with all of the suites) at the Contemporary for some of his visits.

 

[Ali]

He did stay at the Royal Plaza often - once when I was a teenager in the mid 80s and my mom scrimped and saved for us to take a trip to Disney we stayed at the Royal Plaza when they were staying there, by they I mean the jackson brothers and Michael.. I stalked the room and finally the housekeeper took pity on me and let me in one day while she was cleaning. We also shook hands with all of the guys when they would be boarding their bus.

I was amazed at the quality of his suite... He was nice then, too.

But I had heard he preferred the contemporary for later visits

 

[MamaQuack]

Maybe we can get back to celebrity sightings - know there are lots of threads on those. Like when that freak Mariah Carey was at our hotel, YC. She had a mini skirt on and enough hair and make up for 3 people and she was absolutely and totally charming and sweet and adorable to my young son. She might have appeared one way but she was so down to earth and so sweet. Oh, or the time we were on a cruise with Patrick Swayze and he was chain smoking and rail thin and pasty white - lots of fellow cruisers thought he must be Gay and have AIDS. What bs! He was kind, kind, kind and polite and everyone who encountered him just could not believe how a big time star was so nice and so down to earth. My point is, why do people judge people by how they look or how they think someone else lives? This is a Disney board. I am sure most of us have opions or observations about many public people but until we experience first hand how they behave and how it directly relates to these DIS boards then let's get back to the magic.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Short sweet to the point - the topic of the thread is clear.

Off topic posts will be handled accordingly. Answer the OP's question or stay out of the thread pls.

Thank you.

Knox

 

[mckinley]

In 1990 we saw him getting off of a disney bus DTD hotel area.

 

[copperbrick]

This is such an interesting thread.

I just returned from our vacation, and I thought a lot about Michael while there.

I was born in Gary, Indiana in the 1950's, and I have a minor involvement with Michael -- not personally, but though a close connection who swapped gigs with him when the J-5 played the Gary blues joints in the late 60's and early 70's.

Oh my gosh, Michael was so little and adorable then. He had to cope with so VERY much, and he never had a childhood . . . not really.

No wonder he loved Peter Pan so much.

Anyway, I was remembering when there was a Michael Jackson attraction at Disney . . . and I wondered about how he felt when he was awarded the opportunity to be an attraction . . . and I was wondering how he felt when it was pulled from the park . . . and if he stayed at the Disney hotels, how he felt about the accomodations, the whole thing . . . and how he felt about the cast members . . everything. I would bet it meant the "world" to him to be there.

I especially thought about Michael when riding Peter Pan at MK.

Michael was an interesting individual -- some of him was great, but some of him was questionable (and his dad was, and probably still is, a trip and a half). Michael remains facinating nonetheless -- a soul that that is perplexing yet sweet -- very interesting.

Bless him, may he rest in peace. I am eagerly looking forward to knowing more about where he stayed, etc. Thanks for this post!

 

[Feralpeg]

Michael rented a home in Isleworth for some of his visits. Isleworth is a very high priced gated community about ten minutes from WDW property.

 

[Disney Fool]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember around the time of the Captain EO attraction, that there was a Michael Jackson suite at the Contemporary.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I didn't know big stars like Jackson took the bus?

 

[blessedby3]

I didn't know big stars like Jackson took the bus?

thats what I was thinking!

 

[wendylovesdisney]

I didn't know big stars like Jackson took the bus?

I am assuming that if it was all of the brothers, plus handlers, Disney prob. provided a bus for them to get back and forth.

 

[amycishere]

This is such an interesting thread.

I just returned from our vacation, and I thought a lot about Michael while there.

I was born in Gary, Indiana in the 1950's, and I have a minor involvement with Michael -- not personally, but though a close connection who swapped gigs with him when the J-5 played the Gary blues joints in the late 60's and early 70's.

Oh my gosh, Michael was so little and adorable then. He had to cope with so VERY much, and he never had a childhood . . . not really.

No wonder he loved Peter Pan so much.

Anyway, I was remembering when there was a Michael Jackson attraction at Disney . . . and I wondered about how he felt when he was awarded the opportunity to be an attraction . . . and I was wondering how he felt when it was pulled from the park . . . and if he stayed at the Disney hotels, how he felt about the accomodations, the whole thing . . . and how he felt about the cast members . . everything. I would bet it meant the "world" to him to be there.

I especially thought about Michael when riding Peter Pan at MK.

Michael was an interesting individual -- some of him was great, but some of him was questionable (and his dad was, and probably still is, a trip and a half). Michael remains facinating nonetheless -- a soul that that is perplexing yet sweet -- very interesting.

Bless him, may he rest in peace. I am eagerly looking forward to knowing more about where he stayed, etc. Thanks for this post!

You are very welcome. Thanks to you and all the rest for their positive thoughts.

I am just surprised and thrilled to hear that he stayed at the Contemporary. That is my absolute favorite resort and I'm staying there for my upcoming 25th birthday trip in about a week. Now, I won't be staying on the Sweet Floor but I just love the Contemporary so much!

I also heard on these boards about a month before his death he visited the parks with his children and it was rumored he stayed at AKL.

 

[MissionMouse]

Michael Jackson had a custom suite at the Royal Plaza that he frequently stayed at a lot during the 1980's. Back in the 80's I also recall seeing some photographs of him lodging in multiple suites at the CR...also noting 1980 was the year he was a celebrated guest at DisneyWorld.

 

[em6668]

I am not sure about him having visited the parks recently. For at least the past 5 years Michael Jackson was banned from all Disney Parks. I had thought that this was a rumor until I had it confirmed by a manager of WDW security. He created such a stir when he went and while dealing with the alleged molestation charges I guess Disney did not feel comfortable having him on property. Apparently he tried to go to DL at least once and was removed from the parks minutes after he arrived.

 

[amycishere]

I am not sure about him having visited the parks recently. For at least the past 5 years Michael Jackson was banned from all Disney Parks. I had thought that this was a rumor until I had it confirmed by a manager of WDW security. He created such a stir when he went and while dealing with the alleged molestation charges I guess Disney did not feel comfortable having him on property. Apparently he tried to go to DL at least once and was removed from the parks minutes after he arrived.

Actually, here is a video of him in the parks as recent as 2002.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElTFXtP9mws&feature=related
And Euro Disney in 2006.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpm7K0fPX4U

 

[Feralpeg]

I am not sure about him having visited the parks recently. For at least the past 5 years Michael Jackson was banned from all Disney Parks. I had thought that this was a rumor until I had it confirmed by a manager of WDW security. He created such a stir when he went and while dealing with the alleged molestation charges I guess Disney did not feel comfortable having him on property. Apparently he tried to go to DL at least once and was removed from the parks minutes after he arrived.

Sorry, but that isn't true. He visited WDW a couple of times since I moved to the area in 2004. He stayed in a home not far from where I lived.

 

[TommorrowsChild]

I don't know about on-site but I know he used to stay at one of the DTD hotels. The Royal Plaza or something?

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT ROYAL PLAZA - PAGE 3
LOCAL
One Might Wonder: Is Room A Suite Deal?
By Bob Morris of The Sentinel Staff, December 17, 1993
Suite jinx?: In case you're wondering, no, the Michael Jackson Suite no longer exists at the Hotel Royal Plaza.The Lake Buena Vista hotel unveiled the suite back in 1985, when Jackson was regularly slipping in and out of Disney World, wearing disguises to avoid his fans. Jackson worked with a designer to decorate the two-bedroom, 16th floor suite at the Royal Plaza and donated memorabilia for the walls. And when he wasn't staying there, fans could rent the digs for upwards of $750 a night.

 

[nkereina]

I don't want to get off topic (saw the mod's warning!) but if you are an MJ fan, OP, you should check out the suite he stayed in at the Atlantis in the Bahamas! It's called the bridge suite now, but at the time, it was called the Michael Jackson suite. It's $25,000 a night, connects the two towers of the Atlantis, and has 10 rooms and 12' ceilings. Also includes butler/cook services. We found this out when we took a tour of Atlantis when we did a Disney cruise.