Howard Roland, Who Helped Bring Disney’s Contemporary and Polynesian Village Resorts to Life, Has Passed Away
Howard Roland, one of the driving forces behind the creation of Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villiage Resort, has passed away at the age of 88.
Roland got his start at The Walt Disney Company after personally writing a letter to Roy O. Disney after hearing about Disney’s Florida Project.
Photo: Orlando Sentinel
“Everything about the project was so interesting,” he recalled. “I addressed the letter to Roy because it was the only name in the company I had.”
Roland, a longtime Sheraton employee, expressed his interest in working for Disney to Roy. Eventually, he would be hired by John Curry, Walt Disney World’s first hotel executive.
Photo: D23
“He was a risk taker. … But when he was ready to move on, he was ready to move on,” said Lenore Roland, his wife of 63 years. “The reason he decided to leave Sheraton was, ironically, that was traveling so much for them. … After he signed on with Disney, he did nothing but fly everywhere.”
Building The Contemporary and Polynesian
After getting the Disney job, Roland moved his family from New England to California for executive training, and eventually to Orlando.
In Florida, Howard was assigned the unenviable job of bringing Disney’s Contemporary and Polynesian Village Resorts to life. Armed with detailed engineering plans from United States Steel and grand sketches from WED Enterprises, Roland set out to make the hotels a reality.
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
Roland was dedicated to getting the hotels up and running for the next two years. As the first hotel planning manager for Disney, he had no roadmap.
Along the way, Roland would hire hotel staff, monitor US Steel’s production of the hotel rooms, and even order everything needed to furnish the hotels.
Working With Disney Legends
As the construction of the resorts continued, Roland worked alongside legendary Imagineers John Hench and Mary Blair. The latter would create the iconic mural that still sits inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
“I always had respect for Mary and for John for letting her be creative in her own way and do her own thing,” Howard said.
Eventually, Disney would fire US Steel and construct Walt Disney World’s first resorts themselves. By the time the two hotels opened on October 1, 1971, Roland had moved into a new role in purchasing.
“He bought everything – the carpeting, the wallpaper, any kind of decorations that went into the hotels. There was a lot of purchasing involved and components that go into a hotel,” said Paul Mullee, who was charged with purchasing for the Magic Kingdom theme park while Roland was working on the hotels.
Photo: AP Photo/SDS
“Purchasing is very demanding. Schedules were so critical to get the materials in on time and make sure that the contractors had them to install. Kitchen equipment was a major item,” said Mullee.
A Lasting Legacy
By the time Roland retired from Disney, he was vice president of purchasing and construction contracts.
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
For his contributions in making Walt Disney World a reality, Roland was honored with a window on the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street USA. Above Casey’s Corner, a window advertises the Merchants Hotel and reads “Howard Roland furnishings.”
