LYNNWOOD — Bob Gurr may not be a household name to most.
To Don Morin, John Garcia and a legion of Disney fans worldwide, his accomplishments are legendary.
Gurr, the brains behind the original Disneyland monorail and the Matterhorn roller coaster, is one of the Disney celebrities who’ll appear at Mouse Meet, the second annual gathering of Disney enthusiasts scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Lynnwood Convention Center, 3711 196th St. SW.
Other celebrity guests include Margaret Kerry, the original model for Tinker Bell; Jeff Kurti, author of books on the art of animated films including “A Bug’s Life,” and “Mulan”; and Deb Wills, who runs the largest Disney fan website: allears.net.
Lou Mongello, host of a Florida podcast about Disney World, also will attend.
Morin, 43, is a Mukilteo resident who visited Disneyland as a kid.
That could have been where his interest in Disney ended.
The real turning point came in high school.
“They said do an essay on a historical figure. I chose Walt Disney,” Morin said.
The more he learned about the man behind Disneyland, the more passionate he became about all things Disney.
“He’s kind of been my influence every since,” Morin said.
The first Mouse Meet last summer sold out a month in advance. This year, organizers doubled the number of spots available to 300.
“We moved to a larger space in the convention center,” Morin said. “There’s a lot of different clubs and groups and fans in the area but they can’t always get together,” Morin said. “This is their opportunity to come together.”
Garcia, who’s helping coordinate the event, said his parents took him to Disneyland when he was a young child.
“I fell in love with the place,” he said. I’ve always loved the place. Most recently, I have taken a huge interest in Disney and Disneyland’s place in the cultural makeup of America.”
Morin said tickets, which are $24.95 for adults and $9.99 for kids under age 12, are still available for Mouse Meet. For tickets, go to www.pnwmousemeet.com
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429;ohalpert@heraldnet.com.
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