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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I got engaged at Disney World! Here's some magical tips to keep in mind
As a little girl, I always dreamed about what it would be like to be proposed to in front of Cinderella castle, and I know I'm not the only one. So here's a former Disney World photographer's guide on how to propose to your Disney princess or prince in the most magical place on Earth. For many Disney adults, Disney World, specifically Magic Kingdom, is the epitome of a fairytale come to life. So it's no wonder that so many, including myself, dreamed about what it would be like to have the love of their life propose to them at their favorite place on earth. As someone who used to be a Photopass photographer at the Magic Kingdom and, more recently, as someone who got engaged in the Magic Kingdom, I have all sorts of tricks and tips I WISHED I could've bestowed on all the poor unfortunate souls who could've made their proposals even better. But, fear not, while I may not be a magical fairy godmother, I wrote this guide to make sure your favorite Mouseketeer has the engagement of their dreams. While it's a wonderful surprise, your photographer shouldn't be the one you're surprising! Warn the photographer and let them know you're going to propose, or have someone in your party do so. This way, the photographer can mentally prepare for what's about to happen and plan out the poses and shots they want to take. Photographers can also make the moment even more magical by taking Magic Shots, which is a photo that is digitally-enhanced to include Disney characters, balloons or famous Disney snacks and more. Additionally, if the photographer has the time, they can take you to other locations in the park near their station. More Disney news: Disney World reveals start date for new Disney Starlight nighttime parade As a Miami native, I'm no stranger to the heat. However, something about Orlando's heat and humidity is significantly worse than anywhere in South Florida. We ended up having to leave the park right after he proposed because I wasn't feeling well, and the heat was getting to me despite the copious amounts of water I was drinking. To avoid any of these issues, I would suggest doing the following: Propose first thing in the morning when you get to the park. Take a break at the hotel when temperatures are at their highest and propose when you come back refreshed and ready. Sunsets at the parks are always gorgeous and look great in photos. Bring a change of clothing if your partner is the kind of person who likes to stay at the park from open to close. Finally, don't forget to pack the following: Sunscreen Sun protection, like baseball caps Portable fans Cooling towels Water bottles Photopass photographers are stationed all over the Walt Disney World Parks. Many are stationed in front of the castle, but you can find photographers in front of the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Belle's castle. For $99, guests can also sign up for a private, 20-minute session called Capture Your Moment, where photopass photographers will follow you around the park and conduct your own personal photoshoot. Sessions booked between May 26 and September 1 will receive a $20 discount, according to Disney World's website. Capture your moment can be booked at the following parks: Animal Kingdom EPCOT Hollywood Studios Magic Kingdom One of the brilliant things my fiancé did was that he didn't bring my actual ring to the parks! I'm a very clumsy person, and I lose almost anything, so I know I would've been petrified to carry around my actual ring. So, instead, my darling fiancé proposed to me with a $20 ring featuring a heart-shaped moonstone in the center, which he purchased on Amazon. It was the only ring I wore throughout the engagement, and I was so proud to show it off whenever I told a cast member we were engaged. Additionally, I was able to wander throughout the park and ride the attractions without worrying that I might lose my very expensive engagement ring. Personalize your engagement! A castle proposal isn't the end-all be-all of Disney proposals. Tailor your engagement to what your fiancée likes about Disney. You can propose just about anywhere! You can even propose during a hot air balloon ride at Disney Springs, but make sure to have a backup plan in case it's shut down. Be sure that this is the kind of proposal your partner wants! There are always people around the parks, and proposals, especially the ones that take place on Main Street U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom, which is the street that leads to the famous castle, tend to draw an audience. But, as long as you've done your homework and made sure this is what your partner wants, your Beloved is sure to adore the proposal no matter what. So here's to you and your future happily ever after! Good luck! Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Getting engaged at Disney? My story and how to plan the perfect proposal
Perth Now
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Tiffany Haddish has strict financial criteria for potential boyfriends
Tiffany Haddish wants to date a successful business owner. The 45-year-old actress - who was married to William Stewart from 2008 until 2013 and dated rapper Common from 2020 until 2021 - is currently single but has strict financial criteria she wants from a new partner, including a good credit score, an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and their own staff within their company. She told 'Extra': 'There are people that want to be special in my life, but they don't meet the qualifications. 'The qualifications for someone to be that special guy is the credit score has to be over 675 because… I'm a firm believer that credit score shows a lot about a person, and if a bank wouldn't be willing to give you a loan for a home, why would I be willing to let you be in my body?' 'You got to have an EIN number, okay? And he has to have employees… If you don't know what an EIN number is, that just means you're an employee.' On Saturday (17.05.25), Tiffany co-hosted her third Annual Adult prom with Jo Koy to raise money for the She Ready Foundation, which supports young people in foster care, and the 'Girls Trip' star admitted it is a cause that is particularly important to her because of her own upbringing. She said: 'It's a great cause we're raising money for these foster youth to help them get the education they need, the housing, the life skills they need.' 'I grew up in a foster care system, and I wish there was somebody like me that could have been supported and guided me or at least given me some of the skills that I needed. I had to learn the hard way.' Meanwhile, Tiffany recently admitted she got thrown out of ballet class for swearing. She told Us Weekly magazine: 'I auditioned for a ballet-style dance film and I did not get hired. But I also got kicked out of ballet class." Asked why she was thrown out, she admitted: 'For cussing. That s*** hurts!' But Tiffany still enjoys watching ballet. She said: 'I go to ballet. I go to the recital just to, like, smite the teacher." And the 'Haunted Mansion' star enjoys other dance classes, even if she isn't "good" at it. She said: 'I do it at home alone all the time. I'm not good at it. "I take barre classes. That's my jam!'
Tokyo Weekender
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
The Best Theme Parks in Japan
Most people have come across theme parks like Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan through social media. But did you know that Japan actually boasts a diverse landscape of world-class theme parks, many of which fly under the radar? From enchanting realms of beloved animated characters to gravity-defying thrill rides and immersive historical experiences, Japan's theme parks offer unforgettable adventures for every type of visitor. Here are just 10 of the country's best theme parks and their key attractions. List of Contents: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea Universal Studios Japan Fuji-Q Highland Ghibli Park Sanrio Puroland Adventure World Huis Ten Bosch Yomiuriland Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura Nagashima Spa Land Related Posts Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea As the most globally-known theme park in Japan, Tokyo Disney Resort needs no introduction. Tokyo Disneyland is modeled after the original Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida, featuring familiar characters and timeless attractions across seven themed lands. It is perhaps the more family-friendly park of the two, with many fun rides that are perfect for kids. Key Attractions in Tokyo Disneyland Beauty and the Beast area (Fantasyland): Exclusive to Tokyo Disneyland, featuring the Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast ride. Space Mountain (Tomorrowland): An indoor roller coaster in the dark. *temporarily closed for renovations, scheduled to reopen in 2027. Haunted Mansion (Fantasyland): A classic spooky ride through a haunted estate. Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland): A boat ride through scenes with animatronic pirates. Splash Mountain (Critter Country): A thrilling log flume ride through the world of Br'er Rabbit and friends, culminating in a steep plunge down Chickapin Hill into the briar patch. Tokyo DisneySea is unique to Japan, and as its name suggests, revolves around a nautical theme. With seven 'ports of call' offering distinct atmospheres and thrilling water-based rides, the park is ideal for groups of friends and couples. Key Attractions in Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs: A new area featuring attractions related to Frozen , Tangled and Peter Pan . Journey to the Center of the Earth (Mysterious Island): A thrilling high-speed ride through a volcanic landscape. Tower of Terror (American Waterfront): A suspenseful drop tower ride with a mysterious backstory. Mermaid Lagoon: an enchanting underwater realm inspired by The Little Mermaid . The area has kid-friendly rides like Blowfish Balloon Race and Scuttle's Scooters. Soaring – Fantastic Flight (Mediterranean Harbor): A breathtaking simulated flight experience over world landmarks. Universal Studios Japan (Osaka Prefecture) The first Universal Studios park outside the United States, Universal Studios Japan (often referred to as USJ, or uniba for short by locals) brings beloved rides like Jurassic Park and Jaws to life. One of its most popular areas is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where visitors can immerse themselves in stunning recreations of Hogsmeade Village and Hogwarts Castle. The park also features Super Nintendo World, where you can meet Mario and Luigi and ride a real-life Mario Kart. A Donkey Kong-themed area was recently added, expanding the Nintendo World section. Key Attractions in Universal Studios Japan The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: A highly immersive land featuring Hogsmeade Village and the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. Super Nintendo World: An interactive area where guests can immerse themselves in the world of Super Mario, featuring Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge and Yoshi's Adventure. Jurassic Park – The Ride: A thrilling boat ride through a dinosaur-inhabited jungle culminating in a large drop. Hollywood Dream – The Ride: A classic roller coaster with music playback options, allowing guests to choose their ride soundtrack. Fuji-Q Highland (Yamanshi Prefecture) Situated in the foothills of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture, Fuji-Q Highland is renowned for its collection of record-breaking, adrenaline-pumping roller coasters and anime-themed attractions. This amusement park boasts some of the world's steepest, fastest and longest rides, drawing thrill-seekers from across the globe. Beyond the high-octane experiences, Fuji-Q Highland also offers gentler attractions and stunning panoramic views of the iconic Mount Fuji, creating a unique blend of extreme thrills and scenic beauty. Key Attractions in Fuji-Q Highland Fujiyama: One of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world, offering incredible views of Mount Fuji. Do-Dodonpa: A launch coaster with rapid acceleration that was formerly known as Dodonpa. Eejanaika: A '4th dimension' roller coaster with seats that flip riders head over heels. Takabisha: A steep drop roller coaster. Thomas Land: A dedicated area for younger children based on the Thomas & Friends series. Ghibli Park (Aichi Prefecture) Ghibli Park, located in Aichi Prefecture, is a very popular theme park that brings the enchanting worlds of Studio Ghibli films to life. Unlike traditional amusement parks, Ghibli Park focuses on immersive experiences, allowing visitors to step into iconic scenes from movies such as My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle . The park is divided into several distinct areas, including Ghibli's Grand Warehouse, Hill of Youth, Dondoko Forest, Mononoke Village and the Valley of Witches, each offering their own charm and attractions without typical thrill rides. Instead, the focus is on exploration, nostalgia and the beauty of nature intertwined with beloved animated worlds. How To Get Ghibli Park Tickets: Everything You Need To Know Key Attractions at Ghibli Park Becoming Characters (Ghibli's Grand Warehouse): Step into famous scenes from Ghibli films like Spirited Away for memorable photos. Cat Bus Room (Ghibli's Grand Warehouse): A large Cat Bus from My Neighbor Totoro that kids can play on. Satsuki and Mei's House (Dondoko Forest): A life-sized replica of the iconic house from My Neighbor Totoro you can explore. The Cat Bureau (Hill of Youth): A charming, miniature-filled building from The Cat Returns where you can peek into the cat world. Tatara-ba (Mononoke Village): A hands-on center inspired by Princess Mononoke 's Irontown, where you can try grilling Gohei-mochi. Sanrio Puroland (Tokyo Prefecture) Sanrio Puroland, located in the Tokyo metropolitan area, is a vibrant and whimsical indoor theme park entirely dedicated to the beloved Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty, My Melody and Pompompurin. This colorful, family-friendly destination offers a variety of gentle rides and enchanting live shows featuring the Sanrio friends. There are also character meet-and-greets, as well as themed restaurants and shops. Sanrio Puroland provides a delightful experience regardless of the weather, immersing visitors in a world of cuteness and Sanrio magic. Key Attractions in Sanrio Puroland Sanrio Character Boat Ride: A gentle boat ride through the world of Sanrio, where you can see many beloved characters preparing for Hello Kitty's party. My Melody & Kuromi~ Mymeroad Drive: An interactive ride in a car where you can take photos with My Melody and Kuromi. Character Greeting Residence: An area where you can meet and take photos with various characters. Cinnamoroll Dream Theater: A captivating theater performance featuring Cinnamoroll in a dreamlike world. Gudetama the Movie: An attraction where you can get up close with the popular lazy egg character, Gudetama. Adventure World (Wakayama Prefecture) Adventure World in Wakayama Prefecture is a theme park that combines the excitement of an amusement park with the wonders of a zoo and an aquarium. Visitors can ride thrilling roller coasters and enjoy various attractions, then encounter a diverse range of animals, including lions. The park is great for families and children of all ages, offering an entertaining and educational experience. Please note that Adventure World recently announced that its four giant pandas will be returned to China at the end of June 2025, making the two giant pandas of Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens the last ones remaining in Japan. Key Attractions in Adventure World Safari World (Drive-Through and Walking Areas): Embark on a safari adventure where you can see various wild animals such as lions, tigers, giraffes and elephants. Roller Coasters: For thrill-seekers, Adventure World offers exciting roller coasters and other amusement park rides to get your adrenaline pumping. Animal Feeding Experiences: The park often provides opportunities to feed certain animals, offering a more interactive and memorable encounter. Penguin Kingdom: Observe a variety of penguin species in their specially designed habitat, mimicking their natural environments. Huis Ten Bosch (Nagasaki Prefecture) Huis Ten Bosch is a unique and expansive theme park that meticulously recreates a Dutch town. Visitors can enjoy a canal walk, admire replicas of Dutch architecture and stroll through vibrant tulip fields, depending on the season. The park offers a variety of attractions, from thrilling rides and interactive museums to captivating light shows and seasonal events, providing a distinctly European experience within Japan. Recently, the park announced that a new Miffy area will open in June 2025, falling on the 70th anniversary of the character's creation by Dick Bruna. Key Attractions in Huis Ten Bosch Kingdom of Lights: An impressive illumination event held year-round, featuring dazzling light displays and projection mapping that has won international awards. Flower Road: Stroll through picturesque landscapes featuring seasonal flowers such as tulips and roses, often set against the backdrop of windmills and Dutch architecture. Canal Cruises: Enjoy a relaxing boat ride along the park's canals, reminiscent of Amsterdam, offering unique perspectives of the Dutch-style townscape. Sky Carousel: Japan's first three-story carousel, offering a nostalgic and beautifully illuminated ride. It is especially enchanting at night. Miffy Celebration: An area dedicated to the popular Dutch character Miffy, with themed attractions and merchandise. Yomiuriland (Tokyo) Yomiuriland, located in the western suburbs of Tokyo, is a versatile amusement park offering a wide array of attractions for all ages. Beyond thrilling roller coasters and classic amusement park rides, Yomiuriland distinguishes itself with seasonal highlights that include stunning cherry blossom displays in spring, expansive pools in the summer and breathtaking illuminations during the winter months. This makes it a destination that can be enjoyed year-round, offering not just thrills but also beautiful scenery and family-friendly entertainment. Key Attractions in Yomiuriland Bandit: A thrilling, high-speed roller coaster that races through the forest, offering exciting drops and turns. Giant Sky River: A flume ride that sends you splashing down from a great height, perfect for cooling off on a warm day. Space Factory: An indoor roller coaster experience with special effects and immersive environments. Jewellumination: A spectacular illumination event featuring millions of colorful LED lights designed by a world-renowned lighting designer, creating breathtaking nighttime scenery. It usually takes place in winter. Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura (Tochigi Prefecture) Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura is a captivating historical theme park that transports visitors back to the Edo period of Japan. This meticulously recreated village features authentic architecture, costumed villagers engaging in daily life, as well as a variety of traditional crafts, performances and interactive experiences. Guests can wander through samurai residences, merchant shops and ninja houses, while also witnessing thrilling ninja shows and Oiran processions. It's a truly immersive journey into Japan's feudal past. Key Attractions in Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura Ninja Show: Witness the exhilarating skills and stealth of ninjas during action-packed performances. Oiran Show: Experience the captivating beauty and artistry of the traditional Oiran procession and performance. Samurai Residence: Step inside the homes of samurai to learn about their lives and the social structure of the Edo period. Traditional Craft Workshops: Engage in hands-on activities and discover the artistry of Japanese crafts such as pottery and woodblock printing. Ninja Trick Maze: Test your problem-solving skills and agility while navigating the hidden passages and surprises of a ninja maze. Nagashima Spa Land (Mie Prefecture) Nagashima Spa Land, located in Kuwana, a city near Nagoya, is a large-scale amusement park boasting an impressive collection of thrilling roller coasters, including some of the tallest and longest in the world. Beyond the high-speed rides, the resort also features a vast water park (Joyful Waterpark), a hot spring complex (Yuami no Shima) and an outlet shopping mall, making it a comprehensive entertainment destination. Whether seeking adrenaline-pumping thrills on record-breaking coasters or a relaxing soak in natural hot springs, Nagashima Spa Land offers a diverse range of attractions for visitors of all ages and interests. Key Attractions in Nagashima Spa Land Hakugei: A thrilling hybrid (wood and steel) roller coaster known for its intense drops and inversions. Steel Dragon 2000: A massive steel giga coaster that previously held the record for the world's longest roller coaster, providing a long and fast-paced ride with significant height. Acrobat: Japan's first flying coaster, where riders lie down to experience the sensation of soaring through the air with intense twists and turns. Arashi: A 4D spin coaster where the seats rotate freely, creating unpredictable and disorienting movements throughout the ride. Jumbo Seawater Pool: One of the world's largest water parks, featuring a wide variety of pools, massive water slides and wave pools for all ages. It is only open in the summer months. Related Posts A Chiikawa Park Is Coming to Tokyo in 2025 10 Old, New and Upcoming Theme Parks Across Japan 5 Best Day Trips from Tokyo by Train
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
He worked with Walt Disney to shape Disneyland. Now at 93, boy, does he have stories
Bob Gurr has often joked that if it's at Disneyland and it moves, he likely had a hand in its design. Gurr first started working for Disney in late 1954, just months before Disneyland would open in July 1955, and is one of the figures instrumental in the look, feel and tone of the park. Gurr was the pivotal designer behind the Autopia cars, the Disneyland Monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and the tomb-like ride vehicles — the "doom buggies" — of the Haunted Mansion. But there's one of his designs that's often overlooked by fans, and it holds a special place in Gurr's heart: a little red vintage fire engine that can regularly be spotted on Main Street, U.S.A., Disneyland's introductory land. The Los Angeles-born Gurr had as a teenager been asked to drive a fire engine in a Temple City parade. Serendipitously, that car was owned by Disney master animator Ward Kimball, whom Gurr had met via a car enthusiast society, the Horseless Carriage Club. "So I'm 18 or 19, and driving a fire engine," Gurr says. "I want one and I'll never have the money for one. It was a bug." But one day in 1958 Gurr would get his fire engine. "Walt," says Gurr, referring of course to company founder Walt Disney, "came to my office, and he had a quiet moment, which he did a lot. I said, 'Walt, we don't have a fire engine on Main Street.' And he said, 'No, Bobby, we don't.' About 20 minutes later, the accounting department calls, and the lady says, 'Bob, write this number down. This is the charging number for the fire engine project.' And I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to get a fire engine!'" Today, Gurr has become one of the more public-facing advocates for vintage Disney tales. He hosts a monthly bus tour, Bob Gurr's Waltland, which visits integral Disney sites around L.A. It often sells out in minutes, as fans know that Gurr, 93 and still fiery, is a wealth of Walt-era stories about the creation of Disneyland and Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive arm of the company devoted to theme park experiences. He shares them with fans regularly at Disneyland, as well as on his YouTube production "The Bob Gurr Show." This Saturday, a documentary on his career, "Bob Gurr: Living by Design," will premiere at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, the neighborhood in which Gurr grew up. He does all this, he says, because it's fun to talk about his work — he says in the film's trailer that he's done "250 basic jobs." But he also views it as something of a mission. "Walt was Walt," says Gurr, who's prone to talk in exaggerated tones with excitable gestures. "As time goes on, people think he's a company or a brand. I come across people who didn't know he was a person." And, he adds, few remain who worked with Walt personally. On a recent morning at his Tujunga home, Gurr was getting a little wistful. Sitting in a living room overflowing with tchotchkes — some of them incredibly valuable to Disney fans, such as artist-proof models of Gurr's original monorail designs that casually sit on a coffee table — Gurr draped one of his legs over the arm of a chair and talked about why his fire engine is so meaningful. It's that small, early 20th century open-air vehicle that became one of Walt's favorites. "The last photograph of Walt in his park, what was it?" Gurr asks, referring to a Renie Bardeau picture of Disney behind the wheel in the carriage of a car in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. "Sitting there in the fire engine with his buddy Mickey Mouse. That was the last photo in Disneyland before he was gone. So that little fire engine has had a circle of life." In many ways, so has he. Gurr's life has been one of constant activity. Born in 1932 and raised just a short walk from Glendale's Grand Central Airport, now part of the Disney campus, Gurr grew up airplane- and car-obsessed, eventually attending ArtCenter to study vehicle design. His first major post-ArtCenter gig was in Detroit, working briefly for the Ford Motor Co. On his coffee table sits a gleaming metallic hood ornament, a winged pointed figure that looks like a mock spaceship that Gurr hoped would grace a new Lincoln. It was rejected, but he holds it proudly today as one of his first professional designs. "The company did not like it, but I loved it and stole it and took it home," he says. Missing the West Coast, however, Gurr returned to L.A. Though the Disney company wasn't on his radar, Gurr says he was close with Ub Iwerks and his family, having gone to school with one of Ub's sons. Iwerks was instrumental in the development of Mickey Mouse and often a close collaborator and business partner with Walt Disney. "I knew he worked at Disney," Gurr says, "but he never told me what he did." Gurr was asked to take a look at what would become Autopia and offer his design ideas. He was hired. "Bob was quickly identified as one of the can-do people," says Tom Morris, a former Imagineer turned author-historian on the division. "The ones who said 'yes' to an opportunity, even if they weren't really sure they could do it. Bob had that natural inclination, along with a strong curiosity and that thing Ray Bradbury called 'optimistic behaviorism,' the ability to be realistic and practical." Gurr met Disney on one of his first days on the job working on the Autopia cars, a story he tells often. Gurr didn't recognize the company patriarch — "an older guy, unshaven, kinda ratty looking" — when he put his leg up on one of the tires of the mini-car. But the two quickly got along. "He always came in at least once a week and sat down and talked to me," Gurr says. "I found out later he didn't do that with everybody. I think the kind of stuff I did — cars, and I could come up with stuff very quickly — was stuff he would like to have in his park. But he doesn't give 'atta-boys.' He doesn't thank anybody. He does it in a very subtle manner, but very seldom people are thanked. I think his attitude was, 'There's no point in giving an 'atta-boy,' because if I hired you and you're here and you're doing stuff, why would I thank you?' Gurr backs up. He notes he was thanked, in Disney's peculiar way, once in his career, and that's when he was working on the Disneyland Monorail, which debuted in the park in 1959. Gurr created the initial design, a "Buck Rogers"-inspired space age vehicle, as Gurr wanted it to feel sleek and ready for liftoff. The original drawing of the monorail, stenciled by Gurr within three days of getting the assignment and colored by John Hench, hangs in Gurr's living room. Eventually, Gurr also was tasked with overseeing its manufacturing. Gurr recalls one day in which he was working on a half-built monorail train in a soundstage and was paid a visit. "The finance guy pulled me aside and handed me an envelope," Gurr says. "He says, 'Walt can't understand how you do this, but he'd like you to have this.' I opened the envelope and it was 10 $100 bills in 1959. I took that as an 'atta-boy,' but he didn't want to tell me." Gurr speaks with a mix of humor, directness and curiousity, eager to share stories but also not someone who overly romanticizes them. Asked about his design philosophy, for instance, and Gurr dispenses with big theories and instead focuses on careful pragmatism. "If you over-anticipate and then something doesn't work, you have a downer," Gurr says. "I did this with everything I ever designed. 'This thing is going to work because...' And I have to prove every single step. You plot every detail, but you don't anticipate guaranteed success. It's a cautionary approach to life. People, say, 'Oh, I hope, oh I dream.' No, no no." Gurr is told such a philosophy seems to clash with a company that made wishing upon a star — and phrases such as "If you can dream it, you can do it" — part of its brand. "Think like a Buddhist," Gurr says. "Dream, wish and hope are dangerous words. You get yourself thinking and set up for disappointment. Stay on the reality side. Then if it didn't work, we're going to figure out what we're going to do now." Gurr gives an example from his career. He was brought in relatively late to the project that would become "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln"; the long-running show features a robotic Abraham Lincoln and debuted at New York's 1964 World's Fair and was installed at Disneyland the following year. The Lincoln animatronic wasn't moving with the realism that Disney was demanding, and Gurr was told he had about three months to figure it out. Gurr began dissecting the figure's innards, working primarily with parts from the airline industry. "I didn't know anything about the shape of humans," Gurr says. "I'm a car and airplane guy. And 90 days is a rushed job. But I figured out how to build a structure with a human figure. Someone else had worked on it, and it didn't quite work. But I can look at a human and see something like an airplane — a lightweight, tubular structure. When you look at something and you're not trained, you see it with a different filter." The conversation inevitably turns to the upcoming Disneyland show 'Walt Disney — A Magical Life," which will temporarily displace "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" during Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebrations. "A Magical Life" is set to debut July 17, Disneyland's official anniversary, and will feature an animatronic of Disney, which the company has teased is its most lifelike robotic figure to date. Gurr is asked for his thoughts, specifically how Disney may have felt to be turned into a mechanical creation. But he doesn't bite; Gurr notes that the Walt Disney Co. has him sworn to secrecy on the matter. "I am embargoed," Gurr says. "I see, I know and I follow it, but I'm embargoed to say nothing. The public, though — there will be quite a reaction, I'll say." Gurr is typically an open book, especially as he has grown into his status as a mentor and a role model. In recent years, for instance, Gurr has become more comfortable discussing his personal life. For much of his professional career, Gurr was a closeted gay man, coming of age during the 1950s era of Joseph McCarthy and the Lavender Scare, the anti-communist purge of LGBTQ+ people from the U.S. government. Gurr isn't shy about the topic today, and he knows there's curiosity, especially because, at least publicly facing, the Walt Disney Co. has at times leaned conservative. In 1987, for instance, Disneyland hosted an AIDS Project Los Angeles fundraiser as a mea culpa for once banning same-sex dancing. As Gurr says, "You can have a very stiff Disney company. Mickey Mouse. Everything's sweet." Yet Gurr stresses that topic rarely came up during his time at Disney. Once, he says, he caught two peers placing a bet on his sexuality at a Walt Disney World event, but he laughed it off. And as far as his big boss was concerned, Gurr wants to state for the record that Walt Disney had little interest in the personal lives of his staff. "Walt ignored all of that," Gurr says. "He saw the talent. He had a bigger, broader picture." Gurr is, however, asked if he wishes the Walt Disney Co. and others would be more progressive in their storytelling, Disney recently removed a transgender athlete storyline from the critically acclaimed Pixar animated series 'Win or Lose." In a statement at the time, Disney said it recognized 'many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.' Gurr doesn't hide his feelings about the current political climate. He worries, for instance, that Hollywood may avoid such narratives during Donald Trump's presidency. And yet he takes a wide-angle view, noting that at his age he's lived through numerous cultural ebbs and flows. "Everybody's quieting down because we got Trump a second time," Gurr says, criticizing the administration's crackdown on DEI-based programs and labeling the president a "bully." "So I think everybody is laying low. The DEI pushback is quite serious. But long term in civilizations, these pendulums swing back and forth. I grew up in the era of Sen. McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover, an era where you dare not leave the slightest hint and you never used the word gay. It was assumed gay people were a diseased threat, and you had to design two lives for yourself." The film "Living by Design" digs deep into Gurr's history, complete with footage of him from the 1930s. The focus is primarily on Gurr's passions, the hobbies and subjects that shaped his design work and led to his projects for Disney. It aims to show, says director Frank H. Woodward, Gurr's curiosity and fearlessness; for instance, he was the first man down an unfinished Matterhorn track. "We hadn't gotten it all the way to bottom yet, so we had hay bales to stop the car in case it didn't stop," Gurr says. "My boss looked at me and said, 'Robert, you designed it, you ride it.'" Gurr hasn't seen the film yet. He wanted to wait to experience it with an audience. Woodward says after the Alex Theatre showing on Saturday, he and Gurr plan to tour the film, visiting other locations around Southern California and hopefully a trip to Florida for the Walt Disney World crowd. With Disneyland's 70th anniversary on the mind of many a park fan, the timing for the film should be right. As someone who has never slowed down and never stopped looking ahead, Gurr is asked what his message would be to those entrusted with ensuring that Disneyland is prepared for its next 70 years. "Just do it right," Gurr says. "Every detail of everything you do, make sure you're doing it in the best possible way that you can. The choices a person makes, whether it's legal work, medical work, science, cartoons or Disneyland vehicles, do it your absolute best. That will make sure you'll be much more successful than if you just clock in and out to do the job and go home." Gurr's defining Disney creations — the sci-fi-inspired monorails of Disneyland and Walt Disney World, the first implementation of a tubular steel coaster in the Matterhorn — are just a small fraction of his résumé. He would architect a 30-foot animatronic King Kong that once stood at Universal Studios Hollywood, work with Steven Spielberg on the dinosaur figures for "Jurassic Park," construct a constantly sinking ship at Las Vegas' Treasure Island and build a flying UFO for the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. In his spare time, he regularly flew glider planes, a hobby of his for 50 years. He's not piloting these days, but almost daily he'll sit in his office and get behind a simulator to operate digital planes or helicopters. It's how, Gurr says, he works out his mind. "Somebody told me, 'You're a kid playing 'Fortnite.' I've got rudder pedals on the floor and all these controls. The airplane is extremely real to fly. "This is the way I test if Alzheimer's were to come," he continues, gesturing to his computer setup in his office. "The first time I would see that is that if I had difficulty flying a helicopter — taking off and flying. It's a severe test of your brain." And it's safe to say that today, Gurr's mind — in addition to his body of work — still soars. Sign up for The Wild newsletter to get weekly insider tips on the best of our beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
He worked with Walt Disney to shape Disneyland. Now at 93, boy, does he have stories
Bob Gurr has often joked that if it's at Disneyland and it moves, he likely had a hand in its design. Gurr first started working for Disney in late 1954, just months before Disneyland would open in July 1955, and is one of the figures instrumental in the look, feel and tone of the park. Gurr was the pivotal designer behind the Autopia cars, the Disneyland Monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and the tomb-like ride vehicles — the 'doom buggies' — of the Haunted Mansion. But there's one of his designs that's often overlooked by fans, and it holds a special place in Gurr's heart: a little red vintage fire engine that can regularly be spotted on Main Street, U.S.A., Disneyland's introductory land. The Los Angeles-born Gurr had as a teenager been asked to drive a fire engine in a Temple City parade. Serendipitously, that car was owned by Disney master animator Ward Kimball, whom Gurr had met via a car enthusiast society, the Horseless Carriage Club. 'So I'm 18 or 19, and driving a fire engine,' Gurr says. 'I want one and I'll never have the money for one. It was a bug.' But one day in 1958 Gurr would get his fire engine. 'Walt,' says Gurr, referring of course to company founder Walt Disney, 'came to my office, and he had a quiet moment, which he did a lot. I said, 'Walt, we don't have a fire engine on Main Street.' And he said, 'No, Bobby, we don't.' About 20 minutes later, the accounting department calls, and the lady says, 'Bob, write this number down. This is the charging number for the fire engine project.' And I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to get a fire engine!'' Today, Gurr has become one of the more public-facing advocates for vintage Disney tales. He hosts a monthly bus tour, Bob Gurr's Waltland, which visits integral Disney sites around L.A. It often sells out in minutes, as fans know that Gurr, 93 and still fiery, is a wealth of Walt-era stories about the creation of Disneyland and Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive arm of the company devoted to theme park experiences. He shares them with fans regularly at Disneyland, as well as on his YouTube production 'The Bob Gurr Show.' This Saturday, a documentary on his career, 'Bob Gurr: Living by Design,' will premiere at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, the neighborhood in which Gurr grew up. He does all this, he says, because it's fun to talk about his work — he says in the film's trailer that he's done '250 basic jobs.' But he also views it as something of a mission. 'Walt was Walt,' says Gurr, who's prone to talk in exaggerated tones with excitable gestures. 'As time goes on, people think he's a company or a brand. I come across people who didn't know he was a person.' And, he adds, few remain who worked with Walt personally. On a recent morning at his Tujunga home, Gurr was getting a little wistful. Sitting in a living room overflowing with tchotchkes — some of them incredibly valuable to Disney fans, such as artist-proof models of Gurr's original monorail designs that casually sit on a coffee table — Gurr draped one of his legs over the arm of a chair and talked about why his fire engine is so meaningful. It's that small, early 20th century open-air vehicle that became one of Walt's favorites. 'The last photograph of Walt in his park, what was it?' Gurr asks, referring to a Renie Bardeau picture of Disney behind the wheel in the carriage of a car in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. 'Sitting there in the fire engine with his buddy Mickey Mouse. That was the last photo in Disneyland before he was gone. So that little fire engine has had a circle of life.' In many ways, so has he. Gurr's life has been one of constant activity. Born in 1932 and raised just a short walk from Glendale's Grand Central Airport, now part of the Disney campus, Gurr grew up airplane- and car-obsessed, eventually attending ArtCenter to study vehicle design. His first major post-ArtCenter gig was in Detroit, working briefly for the Ford Motor Co. On his coffee table sits a gleaming metallic hood ornament, a winged pointed figure that looks like a mock spaceship that Gurr hoped would grace a new Lincoln. It was rejected, but he holds it proudly today as one of his first professional designs. 'The company did not like it, but I loved it and stole it and took it home,' he says. Missing the West Coast, however, Gurr returned to L.A. Though the Disney company wasn't on his radar, Gurr says he was close with Ub Iwerks and his family, having gone to school with one of Ub's sons. Iwerks was instrumental in the development of Mickey Mouse and often a close collaborator and business partner with Walt Disney. 'I knew he worked at Disney,' Gurr says, 'but he never told me what he did.' Gurr was asked to take a look at what would become Autopia and offer his design ideas. He was hired. 'Bob was quickly identified as one of the can-do people,' says Tom Morris, a former Imagineer turned author-historian on the division. 'The ones who said 'yes' to an opportunity, even if they weren't really sure they could do it. Bob had that natural inclination, along with a strong curiosity and that thing Ray Bradbury called 'optimistic behaviorism,' the ability to be realistic and practical.' Gurr met Disney on one of his first days on the job working on the Autopia cars, a story he tells often. Gurr didn't recognize the company patriarch — 'an older guy, unshaven, kinda ratty looking' — when he put his leg up on one of the tires of the mini-car. But the two quickly got along. 'He always came in at least once a week and sat down and talked to me,' Gurr says. 'I found out later he didn't do that with everybody. I think the kind of stuff I did — cars, and I could come up with stuff very quickly — was stuff he would like to have in his park. But he doesn't give 'atta-boys.' He doesn't thank anybody. He does it in a very subtle manner, but very seldom people are thanked. I think his attitude was, 'There's no point in giving an 'atta-boy,' because if I hired you and you're here and you're doing stuff, why would I thank you?' Gurr backs up. He notes he was thanked, in Disney's peculiar way, once in his career, and that's when he was working on the Disneyland Monorail, which debuted in the park in 1959. Gurr created the initial design, a 'Buck Rogers'-inspired space age vehicle, as Gurr wanted it to feel sleek and ready for liftoff. The original drawing of the monorail, stenciled by Gurr within three days of getting the assignment and colored by John Hench, hangs in Gurr's living room. Eventually, Gurr also was tasked with overseeing its manufacturing. Gurr recalls one day in which he was working on a half-built monorail train in a soundstage and was paid a visit. 'The finance guy pulled me aside and handed me an envelope,' Gurr says. 'He says, 'Walt can't understand how you do this, but he'd like you to have this.' I opened the envelope and it was 10 $100 bills in 1959. I took that as an 'atta-boy,' but he didn't want to tell me.' Gurr speaks with a mix of humor, directness and curiousity, eager to share stories but also not someone who overly romanticizes them. Asked about his design philosophy, for instance, and Gurr dispenses with big theories and instead focuses on careful pragmatism. 'If you over-anticipate and then something doesn't work, you have a downer,' Gurr says. 'I did this with everything I ever designed. 'This thing is going to work because...' And I have to prove every single step. You plot every detail, but you don't anticipate guaranteed success. It's a cautionary approach to life. People, say, 'Oh, I hope, oh I dream.' No, no no.' Gurr is told such a philosophy seems to clash with a company that made wishing upon a star — and phrases such as 'If you can dream it, you can do it' — part of its brand. 'Think like a Buddhist,' Gurr says. 'Dream, wish and hope are dangerous words. You get yourself thinking and set up for disappointment. Stay on the reality side. Then if it didn't work, we're going to figure out what we're going to do now.' Gurr gives an example from his career. He was brought in relatively late to the project that would become 'Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln'; the long-running show features a robotic Abraham Lincoln and debuted at New York's 1964 World's Fair and was installed at Disneyland the following year. The Lincoln animatronic wasn't moving with the realism that Disney was demanding, and Gurr was told he had about three months to figure it out. Gurr began dissecting the figure's innards, working primarily with parts from the airline industry. 'I didn't know anything about the shape of humans,' Gurr says. 'I'm a car and airplane guy. And 90 days is a rushed job. But I figured out how to build a structure with a human figure. Someone else had worked on it, and it didn't quite work. But I can look at a human and see something like an airplane — a lightweight, tubular structure. When you look at something and you're not trained, you see it with a different filter.' The conversation inevitably turns to the upcoming Disneyland show 'Walt Disney — A Magical Life,' which will temporarily displace 'Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln' during Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebrations. 'A Magical Life' is set to debut July 17, Disneyland's official anniversary, and will feature an animatronic of Disney, which the company has teased is its most lifelike robotic figure to date. Gurr is asked for his thoughts, specifically how Disney may have felt to be turned into a mechanical creation. But he doesn't bite; Gurr notes that the Walt Disney Co. has him sworn to secrecy on the matter. 'I am embargoed,' Gurr says. 'I see, I know and I follow it, but I'm embargoed to say nothing. The public, though — there will be quite a reaction, I'll say.' Gurr is typically an open book, especially as he has grown into his status as a mentor and a role model. In recent years, for instance, Gurr has become more comfortable discussing his personal life. For much of his professional career, Gurr was a closeted gay man, coming of age during the 1950s era of Joseph McCarthy and the Lavender Scare, the anti-communist purge of LGBTQ+ people from the U.S. government. Gurr isn't shy about the topic today, and he knows there's curiosity, especially because, at least publicly facing, the Walt Disney Co. has at times leaned conservative. In 1987, for instance, Disneyland hosted an AIDS Project Los Angeles fundraiser as a mea culpa for once banning same-sex dancing. As Gurr says, 'You can have a very stiff Disney company. Mickey Mouse. Everything's sweet.' Yet Gurr stresses that topic rarely came up during his time at Disney. Once, he says, he caught two peers placing a bet on his sexuality at a Walt Disney World event, but he laughed it off. And as far as his big boss was concerned, Gurr wants to state for the record that Walt Disney had little interest in the personal lives of his staff. 'Walt ignored all of that,' Gurr says. 'He saw the talent. He had a bigger, broader picture.' Gurr is, however, asked if he wishes the Walt Disney Co. and others would be more progressive in their storytelling, Disney recently removed a transgender athlete storyline from the critically acclaimed Pixar animated series 'Win or Lose.' In a statement at the time, Disney said it recognized 'many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.' Gurr doesn't hide his feelings about the current political climate. He worries, for instance, that Hollywood may avoid such narratives during Donald Trump's presidency. And yet he takes a wide-angle view, noting that at his age he's lived through numerous cultural ebbs and flows. 'Everybody's quieting down because we got Trump a second time,' Gurr says, criticizing the administration's crackdown on DEI-based programs and labeling the president a 'bully.' 'So I think everybody is laying low. The DEI pushback is quite serious. But long term in civilizations, these pendulums swing back and forth. I grew up in the era of Sen. McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover, an era where you dare not leave the slightest hint and you never used the word gay. It was assumed gay people were a diseased threat, and you had to design two lives for yourself.' The film 'Living by Design' digs deep into Gurr's history, complete with footage of him from the 1930s. The focus is primarily on Gurr's passions, the hobbies and subjects that shaped his design work and led to his projects for Disney. It aims to show, says director Frank H. Woodward, Gurr's curiosity and fearlessness; for instance, he was the first man down an unfinished Matterhorn track. 'We hadn't gotten it all the way to bottom yet, so we had hay bales to stop the car in case it didn't stop,' Gurr says. 'My boss looked at me and said, 'Robert, you designed it, you ride it.'' Gurr hasn't seen the film yet. He wanted to wait to experience it with an audience. Woodward says after the Alex Theatre showing on Saturday, he and Gurr plan to tour the film, visiting other locations around Southern California and hopefully a trip to Florida for the Walt Disney World crowd. With Disneyland's 70th anniversary on the mind of many a park fan, the timing for the film should be right. As someone who has never slowed down and never stopped looking ahead, Gurr is asked what his message would be to those entrusted with ensuring that Disneyland is prepared for its next 70 years. 'Just do it right,' Gurr says. 'Every detail of everything you do, make sure you're doing it in the best possible way that you can. The choices a person makes, whether it's legal work, medical work, science, cartoons or Disneyland vehicles, do it your absolute best. That will make sure you'll be much more successful than if you just clock in and out to do the job and go home.' Gurr's defining Disney creations — the sci-fi-inspired monorails of Disneyland and Walt Disney World, the first implementation of a tubular steel coaster in the Matterhorn — are just a small fraction of his résumé. He would architect a 30-foot animatronic King Kong that once stood at Universal Studios Hollywood, work with Steven Spielberg on the dinosaur figures for 'Jurassic Park,' construct a constantly sinking ship at Las Vegas' Treasure Island and build a flying UFO for the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. In his spare time, he regularly flew glider planes, a hobby of his for 50 years. He's not piloting these days, but almost daily he'll sit in his office and get behind a simulator to operate digital planes or helicopters. It's how, Gurr says, he works out his mind. 'Somebody told me, 'You're a kid playing 'Fortnite.' I've got rudder pedals on the floor and all these controls. The airplane is extremely real to fly. 'This is the way I test if Alzheimer's were to come,' he continues, gesturing to his computer setup in his office. 'The first time I would see that is that if I had difficulty flying a helicopter — taking off and flying. It's a severe test of your brain.' And it's safe to say that today, Gurr's mind — in addition to his body of work — still soars.
