Designer Times
Page 3 of 3
Bob Gurr was invited to be one of the Imagineers for the recent Club 33 Breakfast and Imagineer Tour at Disneyland to benefit the Ryman-Carroll Foundation. This is his short account of the event from the "other side"
When Disneyland puts on a special event like the current three weekend Ryman-Carroll Foundation Tribute, early day Imagineers have to be coaxed out to the park early on the Saturday mornings. Best way to do this is for us Imagineers to be provided with a Friday night stay in one of the Presidential Suites at the Disneyland Pacific Hotel. The concierge services then keep us spoiled with all their great hospitality.
Early Saturday morning, the Disneyland Ambassador gathers us all up for a brief get together to see the new Herb Ryman art display in the Disney Gallery, then escorts us to three locations in the park for our "History of Disneyland" presentation. John Hench holds court on Main Street, Blaine Gibson gets staged in the Castle Forecourt, and Bob Gurr gets to do a lively talk and dance at the Autopia Ride.
The (100) lucky paying guests are split into (3) groups, then are shuttled through each location where Disneyland has set up a small enclosed outdoor theater with chairs and a sound system. I enjoyed telling stories three times in a row, making them different so the guests could later compare notes and find some of the stories didn't match. Better than trying to memorize off the wall ad-libs!
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-- Bob Gurr
Bob Gurr began working with Disney in 1954. He retired in 1981 but occassionally consults for the Company. Since Disney he's worked on the sinking ship at Las Vegas' Treasure Island, Universal Studios' King Kong, Godzilla for the film by the same name and much more. Among his proudest accomplishments he lists "making Walt tickled pink that some of the things he wanted to build actually worked. You could tell how proud he was when he would show off things to his friends and the press. Lincoln and the Monorail were two big ones for him."
Designer Times is normally posted the second Wednesday of each month.
The opinions expressed by Bob Gurr, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future of Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted October 11, 2000
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