You’ll Never Believe What Former Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr Has in His House ?

You may think you have some pretty cool collections, but chances are they pale in comparison to what Disney Imagineers have lying around the house.

We’ve learned a lot of fun tidbits and Disney secrets over the years from former Disney Imagineers, but it’s not every day that we get a deep dive into the collection of an Imagineer who worked at both the Disney Parks AND Universal!

If you’re a fan of Universal theme park history, King Kong, and the Imagineering process, you’re in luck! Legendary former Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr recently posted an Instagram video taking viewers through his collection of some old King Kong attraction memorabilia!

 

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Gurr took viewers on a tour of some Kongfrontation and King Kong Experience remnants in his home from the two King Kong-themed attractions from Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood.

We were able to get a good look at a Studio Tour Konfrontation billboard, an animated scale model of King Kong himself, the upper half of a 30-foot tall King Kong face, and Kong’s giant experimental test hand from 1985 (that admittedly hasn’t held up well over time).

During the tour, Gurr explained in detail about the intricacies of the ride. For example, the Kong animatronic had giant counterweights at the bottom. Gurr said, “If something failed, the machine would simply stand at attention and wait for the next instruction.” Even the belly had animations built in!

As for the hand, it was meant to grab the bridge and was built with different plastics and fabric. Unfortunately, it started to fall apart within a year and the glue and materials started to bleed into Gurr’s carpet.

King Kong Encounter was added to the Universal Studios Hollywood Tram Tour in June 1986, where it took passengers into a massive soundstage dressed to appear like the 1976 production of King Kong. It  was here that Gurr and his Universal team (including Disney legend Peter Alexander) got to show case the 7-ton, 30-foot-tall Kong animatronic.

The ride section eventually burned down in an infamous fire at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2008 and was subsequently replaced by King Kong: 360 3D.

Due to the attraction’s popularity, a Florida version appeared in 1990 at Universal Studios Florida when it opened.

The Orlando experience, now formally known as Kongfrontation, expanded upon Hollywood’s, taking guests through a massive facade of New York’s Penn Station into a full scale New York City street. Guests would wait in a subway station queue that featured news reports from real longtime NYC newscaster Roland Smith as he detailed Kong’s rampage through the city. The broadcast included footage from the 1976 film.

Passengers would then board a replica of the Roosevelt Island tram, which were suspended from the ceiling, and then travel through a destroyed New York as they encountered military and police vehicles and, this time, two massive 39-foot tall Kong animatronics with banana breath.

Kongfrontation was a very popular attraction at Universal Orlando until it eventually closed in September of 2002. It would be replaced with the Revenge of the Mummy attraction, which opened in 2004.

However, like what happened in Hollywood, Kong returned to Universal Orlando in  2016 when Skull Island: Reign of Kong opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. While this attraction is largely a 360 3-D film, there are still some big sets and an animatronic “half” Kong figure.

As for Gurr, he’s enjoying retirement after working on notable projects over the decades, such as the Disneyland Monorail, Autopia, the Haunted Mansion, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland. In fact, Gurr is responsible for many if not all of the Disneyland ride vehicles from when the park opened.

Gurr is an absolute legend and his body of work speaks for itself. From the ride vehicles and animatronics at many Disney Parks, to his work on the Kong attraction, to his influence on the T-Rex animatronic from Jurassic Park and Godzilla animatronic in 1998’s Godzilla film, his legacy continues to impact us to this very day!

For more Disney and Universal theme park fun facts, as well as all the latest news, stay tuned right here at AllEars!

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Have you ridden Kongfrontation or King Kong Encounter? Share your experiences and memories in the comments below!