The Short Life of Disneyland’s Elite Men’s only Spa

Before Disneyland became the squeaky-clean, family-first empire we know today, it quietly hosted a retreat that would raise more than a few eyebrows now: a private, members-only spa just for men.

Tucked inside the Disneyland Hotel in the 1970s was the Oak Room, an elite wing where membership was limited to men. By day, it offered access to a dining room, gym, and health spa. Women were only permitted in the evenings as guests for live music and dancing. Details about how men joined or what it cost have mostly been lost to time, but one thing is clear. This was exclusivity with a capital E.

According to hotel historian Don Ballard, the Oak Room attracted some serious star power, including foreign royalty, sitting presidents like Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, and entertainment legends such as Louis Armstrong and Hoagy Carmichael. At one point, Armstrong reportedly even played a surprise performance with Benny Goodman.

Spaces like this weren’t unusual for the era. Gentlemen’s clubs were designed to give men a home away from home, complete with hot meals, lounges, private rooms, and plenty of privacy. But as civil rights movements, women’s liberation, and gay liberation reshaped society in the 1970s, the idea of elite, male-only spaces quickly fell out of favor.

The Oak Room managed to ride that cultural wave right up until it crashed. The club stayed men-only through the ’70s before closing in the 1980s to make room for more inclusive offerings as Disney leaned harder into its family-friendly brand.

What actually went on behind those closed doors? We’ll never know for sure. But given the secrecy, the luxury, and the all-male guest list, it’s not hard to imagine that more than a little queer history may have quietly unfolded there.

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