Disney's Bob Gurr joins IAAPA Hall of Fame
Another one of Walt Disney's original Imagineers is joining the theme park industry's Hall of Fame.
IAAPA today announced the 2026 class for its IAAPA Hall of Fame. Among this year's inductees is Bob Gurr, the Imagineer who helped create many of Disneyland's iconic Tomorrowland ride vehicles, including those for Autopia, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Submarine Voyage, and the Omnimover ride system.
And, yes, today I learned that Gurr was not already a member of the IAAPA Hall of Fame. Gurr, 94, was named a Disney Legend in 2004 and won the Themed Entertainment Association's Buzz Price Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. Curiously, the TEA draws an explicit distinction between its award and the IAAPA Hall of Fame, saying that the TEA's award is designed for creators rather than owners, managers and operators that "are typically recognized by the IAAPA Hall of Fame."
Other members of the IAAPA Hall of Fame class of 2026 are former IAAPA Chairman and CEO Chip Cleary, Ellis & Associates founder and safety advocate Jeffrey Ellis, and Grupo Xcaret founder Miguel Quintana Pali.
The four will be inducted officially on Monday, November 16 during IAAPA Expo 2026 in Orlando.
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