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USA Today
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
If you like theme parks, thank Disneyland
If you enjoy theme parks or any immersive themed experience, you have Disneyland to thank. 'Half of the stories that I tell that are not about Disneyland start with somebody went to Disneyland and then they came back home and they tried to build their own Disney,' said filmmaker and theme park historian Kevin Perjurer, whose pop culture channel Defunctland has more than 2 million followers on YouTube. 'Something as small as a regional laser tag place probably even has someone designing that has Disneyland or at least the quality of what an Imagineer would do on the mind.' That's because Disneyland defined what we know of as theme parks today. Here's how. Park history By no means was Disneyland the first amusement park or themed guest experience. Widely cited Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen opened in 1843, more than a century before Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. Domestic parks like Luna Park on Coney Island and Beverly Park kiddieland in Los Angeles – which Perjurer notes had a western-themed section – also predated Disneyland. World's fairs had themed experiences, too. What set Disneyland apart was "really this concept of full immersion and a full themed experience connected with a storyline,' said Jakob Wahl, president and CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. 'Creating those lands, which were kind of immersive in their own space, I think that is what Walt Disney then ultimately changed and drove to perfection.' At Disneyland, guests could step into stories they already knew and discover new ones dreamed up by Imagineers, like Disney Legend Bob Gurr, who designed ride vehicles for iconic attractions like Autopia, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Haunted Mansion and the Monorail. 'I was one of the first 18 people that was assigned by Walt to work specifically on the design of Disneyland,' he said. 'He always saw this as storytelling. Storytelling, you know you can draw a picture, it's a story. You can make a movie, it's a story ... or you can do it in 3D, call it an amusement park.' Disneyland's 70th anniversary: How the resort is celebrating happy Inspiration from films Bruce Vaughn, president and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, said Walt Disney and the original Imagineers used filmmaking techniques to tell stories in the park's physical environment. 'There's cross dissolve, so it's a slow fade from the hub into Adventureland, where it isn't just a hard cut,' he explained. 'Or a long shot, like as you're going down Main Street, suddenly in the distance, there's this fantasy castle ... It draws you through.' The park's hub-and-spoke design has been copied by parks around the world, but the caliber of Disneyland's craftsmanship wasn't easily imitated. 'I mean, you're pulling upon some of the greatest illustrators, some of the greatest sculptors, all these people that were employed by Disney,' Perjurer said, highlighting how Disney was producing groundbreaking films like '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' as the park was being built. 'That film, the scenic design just blew people away, and so the ability to walk through something with that level of scenic design or even trying to accomplish the level of scenic design ... was definitely mind-blowing to people.' New technology Over the years, Disney Imagineers have pioneered many new ways to tell stories. Gurr remembers Walt Disney calling him into a workshop when the first audio animatronic of President Abraham Lincoln was being developed in secret. 'He said, 'Bobby, I want half as much weight and twice as many motions, and I want you to get started now,'' he said, adding that he never could cure Disney of calling him Bobby. That Lincoln audio animatronic went on to mesmerize audiences at the 1964 New York World's Fair before moving to Disneyland, where a new audio animatronic of Walt Disney just debuted during the resort's 70th anniversary celebration. Audio animatronics are now commonplace at theme parks around the world. Another innovation Disneyland guests can still experience today is the ride technology on Indiana Jones Adventure. 'Since it's an Indiana Jones story, it's got to feel like you're off road,' Vaughn said. 'So you had to put a simulator on top of a vehicle to give you the sense that you were going over all this terrain and that you were on a suspension bridge and then you dove down deeper than you actually did.' He described Imagineers as magicians more than technologists, helping guests suspend their disbelief, to embrace the magic like kids again. Guests who want to keep the magic going can stay on property at Disneyland's resort hotels. Wahl notes other destinations around the world have copied Disney's model of offering themed accommodations onsite. 'The destination or attraction evolves from a one-day visit to a multi-day experience,' he said. 'You can forget about the daily concerns, and people want to have that for a day, but they also want to have that for the night.' Listening to guests One thing Disneyland guests could not get past in the park's early days was the first-person format of some Fantasyland dark rides. 'Originally it was like a simulation where you were the main character of that story, and you were seeing a point of view, while the films were from a third-party perspective,' Perjurer said. 'You are Snow White. You are Peter Pan. You are Mr. Toad ... and so the characters weren't in the rides.' Those rides were reimagined to include the main characters of their respective stories. 'We had to kind of redesign a lot of details in the park to suit how people actually behave,' Gurr recalled, but that was OK. '(Disney) wasn't afraid to try to do things even though he didn't know how to do it, but he became pretty good at a lot of things.' Many other theme parks also offer what Vaughn calls book reports, rides recapping stories with condensed highlights. However, in a full circle moment, Disney's newer attractions again invite guests to become characters in stories, like at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. 'You get to pilot the Millennium Falcon,' Vaughn said. 'You're taken as a spy. And we know that that's where Walt was going. One thing I love about Walt Disney is that he was always about immersing into stories.' It's those experiential stories that have kept guests coming back for 70 years. In his Disneyland opening day remarks, Walt Disney said, 'Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.' Seventy years later, it's still doing that.
Scottish Sun
15-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Decapitated, disfigured and crushed to death… the most gruesome Disney disasters to hit beloved theme parks
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BENEATH the sparkle of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and the cheery tunes of Main Street USA, Disneyland and its sister parks have endured moments of sheer horror. Over the decades, a series of gruesome incidents - from decapitations to crushing deaths have hit the beloved attractions. 17 A decapitation in Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds is one of the park's most harrowing episodes Credit: Disney 17 Disneyland has made efforts to modernize its safety system over the years Credit: Alamy 17 A Disneyland employee turns away a family from the closed Roger Rabbit ride after a boy was critically injured on the attraction in 2000 Credit: Getty Tragic deaths and injuries have hit the parks in the past - but Disney has worked to modernize safety systems. Accidents are rare these days at the attractions. But these shocking incidents remain a sobering reminder that even in the most magical place on Earth, things can go terribly wrong. Here is a roundup of some of the most gruesome disasters to hit Disney parks. Decapitated on the Matterhorn Bobsleds The snowy peaks of the Matterhorn turned into a scene of horror on January 3, 1984. Dolly Regene Young, 47, was thrown from her bobsled and decapitated when fatally struck by another oncoming vehicle. According to Snopes, Young's seat belt was found unbuckled, but it was never determined whether she removed it herself or if it had malfunctioned. Her absence wasn't even noticed until the ride concluded and the grisly discovery was made. Disney was not held legally responsible, but the shock and brutality of the incident continue to haunt the ride's history. Crushed to death at America Sings 17 Deborah Gail Stone was crushed to death on July 8, 1974 Credit: Facebook 17 The rotating wall of the America Sings attraction closed in on her, trapping her between a moving and stationary section Credit: Facebook It was supposed to be a fun summer job. But on July 8, 1974, 18-year-old Deborah Gail Stone, a promising student and new Disneyland employee, was crushed to death in front of stunned guests. The rotating wall of the America Sings attraction closed in on her, trapping her between a moving and stationary section. It is unclear whether a misstep or insufficient training led her to the fatal spot, according to David Koenig's book 'Mouse Tales'. The attraction shut down for two days while emergency safety modifications — including warning lights and breakaway walls — were installed. No official blame was cast on Disney, but the case cast a long shadow over park operations. Dragged under Roger Rabbit ride 17 Brandon Zucker slipped from a Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin vehicle on September 22, 2000 Credit: FindaGrave 17 He was dragged beneath the car, sustaining devastating internal injuries, brain damage, and cardiac arrest Credit: FindaGrave A trip to Toontown turned into a medical nightmare for four-year-old Brandon Zucker, who slipped from a Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin vehicle on September 22, 2000. He was dragged beneath the car, sustaining devastating internal injuries, brain damage, and cardiac arrest. According to the LA Times, the lap bar may have malfunctioned, and the child had been seated near an open side. After two years, Disney settled with the family for an undisclosed amount, without admitting fault. The settlement's terms were not made public, but guaranteed the boy would receive medical treatment for the remainder of his life. Brandon remained severely disabled until his death in 2009 at age 13. He was found unresponsive at his dad's home in Anaheim and died at Children's Hospital of Orange County, the Pantagraph reported at the time. Deadly derailment on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 17 Marcelo Torres was killed during the derailment of the Big Thunder Railroad Credit: FindaGrave 17 10 others injured on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Credit: Alamy 17 A picture of the scene after the tragedy in 2003 Credit: ABC A routine thrill ride became a fatal wreck on September 5, 2003, when Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailed. Marcelo Torres, a 22-year-old graphic designer, suffered massive internal bleeding and blunt-force trauma when the ride's locomotive detached and slammed into his passenger car. As ABC7 News reported at the time, investigators discovered that fasteners on the train's wheel assembly had not been properly tightened — a maintenance error that caused the axle to come loose. Ten others were injured in the crash. Though Disney settled the lawsuit with Torres' family, the park was widely criticized for what some called a "cost-cutting culture" in the maintenance department during the early 2000s. 17 Carmen Torres, the mother of 22-year-old Marcelo Torres who was killed at Disneyland Credit: Getty Fatal blow on the Sailing Ship Columbia A Christmas Eve cruise around the Rivers of America ended in death and chaos when a metal cleat tore loose from the Sailing Ship Columbia and struck two guests and a cast member in 1998. One man, 33, later died from head injuries. According to Aitken Law, the plaintiff's attorneys on the case, the cleat came free when a nylon rope — used in place of the standard, non-stretch hemp — snapped and recoiled, launching the hardware into the crowd. California's OSHA (Division of Occupational Safety and Health) fined Disney $12,500 for inadequate training and misuse of materials. The company paid the victim's family an estimated $25 million in a settlement. 17 The Columbia sailing ship was closed following an accident on Christmas Eve in 1998 Credit: Getty 17 At least three people were injured when a rope cleat pulled loose from the front of the ship Credit: Getty Foot crushed on Alice in Wonderland ride A 15-year-old boy from Mesa, Arizona, left Disneyland with broken bones after his foot became wedged between a moving ride vehicle and a guardrail on December 21, 2000. Emergency responders were called after the teen's leg was crushed while riding the Alice in Wonderland attraction, the LA Times reported. Investigators found that the boy had likely been dangling his leg outside the vehicle — despite visible signage and lap bar restraints advising against it. Anaheim Fire Division Chief Kent Mastain said 'the car did exactly what it was supposed to do,' stopping automatically. Disneyland reopened the ride just hours later and was not found liable for the accident. Space Mountain ejection leaves teen paralyzed 17 One guest was left partially paralyzed after allegedly being thrown from his seat on Space Mountain Credit: Disney Parks In 1983, 18-year-old James Higgins was left partially paralyzed and brain-damaged after allegedly being thrown from his seat on Space Mountain. Higgins sued Disney, claiming a flawed lap bar design was to blame. His attorneys sought $3.3 million in damages. The case hinged on the ring-shaped lap bars then in use, which a physicist testified could be removed by guests, according to the LA Times. However, under cross-examination, the expert admitted gravity and proper positioning should have kept riders in place. The jury sided with Disney in 1985, 9–3, determining Higgins may have stood up mid-ride despite warnings. The lap bar was eventually replaced, but no fault was ever assigned to Disney. 'Permanently disfigured' after Blizzard Beach horror 17 A Disney World fan weighing 334lbs was left 'permanently disfigured' after 'going airborne' on popular water slide 17 He was allegedly allowed on the ride despite being too heavy at Blizzard Beach in Orlando, Florida Meanwhile in Florida, a 334-pound Disney World guest is suing the company after allegedly being 'permanently disfigured' in a water slide accident at Blizzard Beach. Eugene Strickland filed a lawsuit in Orange County on May 29, seeking over $50,000 for 'permanent catastrophic injuries' he claims were caused by Disney's negligence. Strickland says he was allowed to ride the Downhill Double Dipper, despite exceeding the 300-pound weight limit set by ASTM guidelines. At the time, he weighed 334 pounds. A jury trial is scheduled for May 2027. Disney has not yet commented on the case. The Sun reached out to Disney for comment. Disabled woman dead after Jungle Cruise fall 17 A disabled woman died of septic shock after falling while trying to exit the Jungle Cruise in 2021 Credit: Alamy In one of Disneyland's most recent cases, a disabled woman died of septic shock after falling while trying to exit the Jungle Cruise in 2021. According to Business Insider, a lawsuit filed by her family claims that Disneyland employees laughed at the woman's struggles and failed to offer a wheelchair-accessible boat. The 66-year-old suffered a broken leg that later developed into a fatal infection. The case is still pending, with no final ruling on Disney's liability. The allegations have raised serious questions about how the park accommodates disabled guests.
The Irish Sun
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Decapitated, disfigured and crushed to death… the most gruesome Disney disasters to hit beloved theme parks
BENEATH the sparkle of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and the cheery tunes of Main Street USA, Disneyland and its sister parks have endured moments of sheer horror. Over the decades, a series of gruesome incidents - from decapitations to crushing deaths have hit the beloved attractions. 17 A decapitation in Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds is one of the park's most harrowing episodes Credit: Disney 17 Disneyland has made efforts to modernize its safety system over the years Credit: Alamy 17 A Disneyland employee turns away a family from the closed Roger Rabbit ride after a boy was critically injured on the attraction in 2000 Credit: Getty Tragic deaths and injuries have hit the parks in the past - but Disney has worked to modernize safety systems. Accidents are rare these days at the attractions. But these shocking incidents remain a sobering reminder that even in the most magical place on Earth, things can go terribly wrong. Here is a roundup of some of the most gruesome disasters to hit Disney parks. Read more Disney stories Decapitated on the Matterhorn Bobsleds The snowy peaks of the Matterhorn turned into a scene of horror on January 3, 1984. Dolly Regene Young, 47, was thrown from her bobsled and decapitated when fatally struck by another oncoming vehicle. According to Her absence wasn't even noticed until the ride concluded and the grisly discovery was made. Most read in The US Sun Disney was not held legally responsible, but the shock and brutality of the incident continue to haunt the ride's history. Crushed to death at America Sings 17 Deborah Gail Stone was crushed to death on July 8, 1974 Credit: Facebook 17 The rotating wall of the America Sings attraction closed in on her, trapping her between a moving and stationary section Credit: Facebook It was supposed to be a fun summer job. But on July 8, 1974, 18-year-old Deborah Gail Stone, a promising student and new Disneyland employee, was crushed to death in front of stunned guests. The rotating wall of the America Sings attraction closed in on her, trapping her between a moving and stationary section. It is unclear whether a misstep or insufficient training led her to the fatal spot, according to David Koenig's book 'Mouse Tales'. The attraction shut down for two days while emergency safety modifications — including warning lights and breakaway walls — were installed. No official blame was cast on Disney, but the case cast a long shadow over park operations. Dragged under Roger Rabbit ride 17 Brandon Zucker slipped from a Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin vehicle on September 22, 2000 Credit: FindaGrave 17 He was dragged beneath the car, sustaining devastating internal injuries, brain damage, and cardiac arrest Credit: FindaGrave A trip to Toontown turned into a medical nightmare for four-year-old Brandon Zucker, who slipped from a Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin vehicle on September 22, 2000. He was dragged beneath the car, sustaining devastating internal injuries, brain damage, and cardiac arrest. According to the After two years, Disney settled with the family for an undisclosed amount, without admitting fault. The settlement's terms were not made public, but guaranteed the boy would receive medical treatment for the remainder of his life. Brandon remained severely disabled until his death in 2009 at age 13. He was found unresponsive at his dad's home in Anaheim and died at Children's Hospital of Orange County, the Deadly derailment on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 17 Marcelo Torres was killed during the derailment of the Big Thunder Railroad Credit: FindaGrave 17 10 others injured on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Credit: Alamy 17 A picture of the scene after the tragedy in 2003 Credit: ABC A routine thrill ride became a fatal wreck on September 5, 2003, when Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailed. Marcelo Torres, a 22-year-old graphic designer, suffered massive internal bleeding and blunt-force trauma when the ride's locomotive detached and slammed into his passenger car. As Ten others were injured in the crash. Though Disney settled the lawsuit with Torres' family, the park was widely criticized for what some called a "cost-cutting culture" in the maintenance department during the early 2000s. 17 Carmen Torres, the mother of 22-year-old Marcelo Torres who was killed at Disneyland Credit: Getty Fatal blow on the Sailing Ship Columbia A Christmas Eve cruise around the Rivers of America ended in death and chaos when a metal cleat tore loose from the Sailing Ship Columbia and struck two guests and a cast member in 1998. One man, 33, later died from head injuries. According to California's OSHA (Division of Occupational Safety and Health) fined Disney $12,500 for inadequate training and misuse of materials. The company paid the victim's family an estimated $25 million in a settlement. 17 The Columbia sailing ship was closed following an accident on Christmas Eve in 1998 Credit: Getty 17 At least three people were injured when a rope cleat pulled loose from the front of the ship Credit: Getty Foot crushed on Alice in Wonderland ride A 15-year-old boy from Mesa, Arizona, left Disneyland with broken bones after his foot became wedged between a moving ride vehicle and a guardrail on December 21, 2000. Emergency responders were called after the teen's leg was crushed while riding the Alice in Wonderland attraction, the Investigators found that the boy had likely been dangling his leg outside the vehicle — despite visible signage and lap bar restraints advising against it. Anaheim Fire Division Chief Kent Mastain said 'the car did exactly what it was supposed to do,' stopping automatically. Disneyland reopened the ride just hours later and was not found liable for the accident. Space Mountain ejection leaves teen paralyzed 17 One guest was left partially paralyzed after allegedly being thrown from his seat on Space Mountain Credit: Disney Parks In 1983, 18-year-old James Higgins was left partially paralyzed and brain-damaged after allegedly being thrown from his seat on Space Mountain. Higgins sued Disney, claiming a flawed lap bar design was to blame. His attorneys sought $3.3 million in damages. The case hinged on the ring-shaped lap bars then in use, which a physicist testified could be removed by guests, according to the However, under cross-examination, the expert admitted gravity and proper positioning should have kept riders in place. The jury sided with Disney in 1985, 9–3, determining Higgins may have stood up mid-ride despite warnings. The lap bar was eventually replaced, but no fault was ever assigned to Disney. 'Permanently disfigured' after Blizzard Beach horror 17 A Disney World fan weighing 334lbs was left 'permanently disfigured' after 'going airborne' on popular water slide 17 He was allegedly allowed on the ride despite being too heavy at Blizzard Beach in Orlando, Florida Meanwhile in Florida, a Eugene Strickland filed a lawsuit in Orange County on May 29, seeking over $50,000 for 'permanent catastrophic injuries' he claims were caused by Disney's negligence. Strickland says he was allowed to ride the Downhill Double Dipper, despite exceeding the 300-pound weight limit set by ASTM guidelines. At the time, he weighed 334 pounds. A jury trial is scheduled for May 2027. Disney has not yet commented on the case. The Sun reached out to Disney for comment. Disabled woman dead after Jungle Cruise fall 17 A disabled woman died of septic shock after falling while trying to exit the Jungle Cruise in 2021 Credit: Alamy In one of Disneyland's most recent cases, a disabled woman died of septic shock after falling while trying to exit the Jungle Cruise in 2021. According to The 66-year-old suffered a broken leg that later developed into a fatal infection. The case is still pending, with no final ruling on Disney's liability. The allegations have raised serious questions about how the park accommodates disabled guests.
Los Angeles Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
LA Times Today: He worked with Walt Disney to shape Disneyland. Now at 93, boy, does he have stories
If you've ever ridden Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds or climbed aboard the Monorail, then you're already familiar with the work of legendary Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr. Best known as the man behind many of Disneyland's most iconic rides, Gurr played a key role in creating the magic at the Magic Kingdom. And at 93, he's still got more horsepower than most of the attractions he built.
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.
