Being able to spend the day with a Disney Imagineer who worked with Walt Disney is a special treat. Seeing some of the important places of Disney history while hearing some of the stories of Disneyland’s early days from this same Disney Imagineer is even more special. This is what you get to experience when you go on Bob Gurr’s Waltland Disney History Bus Tour in Los Angeles, California.
Who is Bob Gurr? Robert H. (Bob) Gurr worked at W.E.D. Enterprises, now known as Walt Disney Imagineering, from 1954 – 1981. He is considered the lead designer and/or creator of several vehicles at Disneyland, including the Autopia cars, the Monorail, the Haunted Mansion Doom Buggies, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. In 2004, Bob Gurr was named a Disney Legend and he was honored in 2008 with a window on Main Street, U.S.A. Gurr has continued to consult on various Disney projects and is viewed by many as an honorary Disney ambassador.
Once a month, on the third Sunday, Bob hosts Waltland, a Disney History Bus Tour. This limited engagement guided tour starts and ends at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. In all, the tour covers an area of approximately 18 miles and is focused on Disney history and the neighborhoods of Griffith Park, Los Feliz, and Burbank. Many of the stops include stopping and walking a bit, and other places are viewed while driving by in the motor coach. In addition to commentary from Bob, a short video was shown inside the motor coach as we approached some of the locations. These clips included historic footage and brief explanations about the upcoming places.
In the late 1920s, Walt and Lillian Disney’s first family home was located at 2495 Lyric Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Roy, his brother, and Edna Disney lived at 2491 Lyric Avenue, which was next door. | Photo credit: Krista
Historical Marker – maybe it’s time for a new sign? | Photo credit: Lloyd
Walt Disney opened a new studio at 2719 Hyperion in January 1926. | Image credit: https://ohmy.disney.com/insider/2014/02/17/yeah-theyre-pretty-great-moments-in-disney-history/
Bob Gurr shared about how this was where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was created. Today, there is a Gelson’s Market on the site where the Disney Hyperion Studio was located from 1926 to 1940. | Photo credit: Krista
The Griffith Park Merry-go-Round is open every Saturday and Sunday (weather permitting) at 11:00 AM. It is also open weekdays during Christmas, Easter, and Summer from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is also open every major holiday. | Photo credit: Krista
Did you know? The Griffith Park Merry-go-Round was originally built for Mission Beach in San Diego! Check out the caption on this image for more information. | Photo credit: Krista
The historic Merry-go-Round was originally built in 1926. It was brought to Griffith Park by the Davis Family in 1937 after operating in Mission Beach, San Diego. The carousel features 68 horses in 4 rows and an elaborate ceiling kit. | Photo credit: Krista
The Merry-go-Round is accompanied by one of 1,500 tunes played by a Stinson 165 military band organ (reportedly the largest on the West coast). Many of the tunes are Disney related, such as “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins. | Photo credit: Krista
Little by little the artwork on the Griffith Park Merry-go-Round is being restored by volunteers. This section was recently completed. | Photo credit: Krista
The Merry-go-Round features 68 intricately carved horses with jewel-encrusted bridles. | Photo credit: Krista
Krista & Monkey took a spin on the Merry-go-Round. | Photo credit: Lloyd
Bob Gurr on the Merry-go-Round! | Photo credit: Krista
Walt Disney’s view of the Griffith Park’s Merry-go-Round when he would sit on a bench during weekend visits with his daughters. It was at this site that Walt Disney was first inspired to create Disneyland. | Photo credit: Krista
The bench where Walt Disney would sit when he frequented the carousel on weekends with his young daughters. | Photo credit: Krista
Bob Gurr sharing about the Merry-go-Round. | Photo credit: Krista
The Griffith Park Merry-go-Round was another highlight of the tour for Monkey! | Photo credit: Krista #MonkeysRoadTrip
Exploring Walt’s Barn was a highlight of the tour for Monkey! | Photo credit: Krista #MonkeysRoadTrip
Visit the Carolwood.com website for information to plan your visit. Also follow Walt Disney’s Barn on Facebook for news about events. | Photo credit: Krista
Walt’s Barn, which was previously located in the backyard of his “dream home” on Carolwood Drive, was apparently modeled after a barn in Marceline, Missouri. | Photo credit: Krista (Original photo from the collection of Dan Viets).
Walt’s Barn is open the 3rd Sunday each month. | Photo credit: Krista
Inside Walt’s Barn is a model train layout of Rainbow Ridge and Nature’s Wonderland, which was an attraction at Disneyland’s Frontierland from July 1956 to January 1977. | Photo credit: Krista
Charles Phoenix was a guest at Walt’s Barn in March to promote his book, “Addicted to Americana”. | Photo credit: Lloyd
The transportation for the Waltland tour is on a private motor coach. | Photo credit: Krista
Walt Disney Studios front gate area with the the Seven Dwarfs in the background as they overlook the Disney Legends Plaza and greet all who enter the front of the Team Disney Building. You can see them for blocks around the Disney Studios in Burbank. They are a landmark reminder of the influence Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs continues to have on The Walt Disney Company. | Photo credit: Krista
Monkey enjoyed visiting The Walt Disney Studios main gate! | Photo credit: Krista
Krista and Monkey with Bob Gurr, Disney Legend and Imagineer. | Photo credit: Lloyd
I first learned about the Waltland tour from one of the Disney related groups on Facebook and decided that I wanted to go on the March 2018 tour. Tickets start at $105 per person and go on sale approximately three months in advance and are available until they sell out. A limited number of optional upgrades are available that include priority seating and/or beverages. The basic ticket includes a box lunch and transportation via motor coach.
We enjoyed our tour – hearing Bob Gurr’s stories about growing up in Los Angeles in the 1930s to 1950s and working for Walt Disney. Tickets are available now for the tours in April, June, and July 2018. If you are seeking a unique tour for Disney fans, then this one is for you!
Bob Gurr’s description of his tour on the Waltland website. | Image source: www.Waltland.com
Which of these Waltland tour sites would you like to visit?
Have you visited any of these Disney historical sites in Los Angeles?
Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments!
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Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.