Queen Mary When Disney purchased the Wrather Corporation to acquire the Disneyland Hotel in 1988, it also obtained Wrather’s lease to operate the Queen Mary in Long Beach, along with the adjacent Spruce Goose dome and small village of shops. For several years, Disney tried to enhance the guest’s experience at the monumental ocean liner, offering special entertainment, such as a lengthy and elaborate “Voyage to 1939” celebration, and upgrading the restaurants and shops. The Spruce Goose dome, where Howard Hughes gigantic wooden airplane was displayed, also hosted exhibits and a stage was built for regular shows. But, Disney was never able to help the Queen Mary turn a profit, so when the DisneySea project in Long Beach fell through, the lease was not renewed. The City of Long Beach took over the lease for the ship and the Spruce Goose was moved to an aviation museum in Oregon.
