For adults and children alike, the name Walt Disney is a symbol of a carefree and vibrant childhood, filled with beloved animated characters. The founder of Disneyland managed to bring his dreams to life, making thousands of kids around the world happy, as reported by chicagovski.com.
A Not-So-Fairy-Tale Childhood
Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago. His mother was a teacher, and his father was a carpenter. Besides Walt, the family was raising four other children. In the early 1900s, Chicago was gripped by a crime wave. After a police officer was killed on a neighboring street, the Disney family decided to move to Marceline, Missouri.
The family bought a small farm and got to work. Young Walt’s favorite pastime was drawing. The boy didn’t have pencils or sketchbooks, so for his beloved hobby, he used whatever materials he could find—sticks, tar, and even the walls of his house. One day, Walt drew a remarkably realistic picture of his neighbor Mr. Sherwood’s horse. The man was so impressed with the drawing that he paid the child 25 cents.
It was this moment that convinced the young boy he was destined to become an artist. However, young Walt’s childhood was far from perfect. Starting at the age of eight, he helped his father distribute ads and flyers for their farm. Walt gave all the money he earned to his father.
A few years later, in search of a better life, the Disney family decided to move to Kansas City. In the new city, what impressed the boy most was a huge estate with a large garden. The child’s vivid imagination painted pictures of him wandering the halls of a fairy-tale castle and playing in its lavish gardens. Young Walt tried several times to sneak past the massive fence onto the private castle grounds, but all his attempts ended in failure.
It was then that the boy vowed he would one day build a great estate with endless entertainment for children and a huge garden for games. Decades later, Walt Disney managed to bring his idea to life.
On the Path to a Dream
Like many of his peers, the young boy dreamed of becoming a popular actor. He spent all his pocket money on trips to the cinema, where he watched Charlie Chaplin films over and over. In 1918, Walt Disney tried to enlist in the army.
The persistent young man eventually managed to get a job with the Red Cross. For almost a year, he worked as an ambulance driver. Interestingly, the vehicle Walt drove could be spotted from a distance, as he had covered it in whimsical drawings.
Later, Disney decided to get an education at the Chicago Art Institute. After graduating, the young man intended to find a job as an artist. Walt realized that what truly captivated him was the genre of animation—creating exciting stories for kids.
Disney Brothers Studio
With almost no money to his name, Walt Disney set off in search of fortune in Hollywood. With great difficulty, he managed to get a role as an extra in a film. However, the scene featuring the young actor was cut from the final movie. This disheartened him so much that he decided to focus on his favorite activity: animation.
Walt Disney rented his uncle’s garage and began creating cartoons. He borrowed money and bought all the necessary equipment. His business partner was his brother, Roy. The young dreamers named their small workshop “Disney Brothers Studio.”
Walt Disney dedicated all his time to working on cartoons in the garage. The main character of his first animated story was a girl named Alice from the book of the same name, “Alice in Wonderland.” The cartoon quickly gained popularity.
In 1923, the Disney brothers signed a contract with distributor Margaret Winkler. All rights to the cartoons they created were transferred to the distributor. October 16, 1923, is officially considered the founding day of the “Walt Disney Company.”
Mickey Mouse – The Most Popular Cartoon Character
Walt Disney created a new character for his animated stories – Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. However, the character’s creator was shut out of the production of the cartoon series. All rights to the story went to the distributor.
This bitter setback did not stop Walt Disney on his path to achieving his dream. He came up with a new character for his cartoons, Mickey Mouse, although the character was initially named Mortimer Mouse. Later, under the influence of his wife, the creator renamed the amusing little mouse.
The Mickey Mouse cartoon was released in theaters in 1928 and was an almost immediate, stunning success. For the “Silly Symphonies” series of cartoons, Walt Disney received his first Oscar.
Mickey Mouse marked the beginning of a successful era in Disney’s animation empire. One by one, he created characters that won the hearts of millions of viewers. The world saw the first full-color cartoon, “Three Little Pigs,” as well as series featuring the cheerful Donald Duck and the dog Pluto.
The success of his own creations inspired Walt Disney to produce a feature-length story, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The company spent a staggering budget for that time—over a million dollars—to create the film. The story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became the highest-grossing animated film of its time.
It’s worth adding that almost all of Disney’s employees were convinced the new animated film was doomed to fail. However, in its first day in theaters alone, the cartoon brought its creators about $8 million. This success did not go unnoticed by the most prestigious awards, and Walt Disney was awarded another Oscar.
The Opening of Disneyland
Walt Disney loved visiting zoos and amusement parks with his daughters, where the kids could enjoy the entertainment to their hearts’ content. One day, the entrepreneur realized that there was no place in the United States where adults could have fun together with their children.
Therefore, Walt Disney decided to create a unique amusement park. The first Disneyland welcomed visitors in 1955. The grand theme park opened in Anaheim, California. Upon visiting Disneyland, children and adults could see the main characters from their favorite cartoons and visit truly magical locations—jungles, an underwater world, or a sorcerer’s kingdom.
The construction budget for the theme park was approximately $16 million. Disneyland was a massive success, visited by millions of people from all over the world. Subsequently, amusement parks of the same name appeared not only in other US cities but also abroad.
Interesting Facts About Walt Disney’s Life
According to many critics, the success of almost all of Walt Disney’s creations can be explained by the fact that the main theme of his films was the struggle between good and evil. The side of light always triumphed over darkness, inspiring hope in people. For this reason, adults were fans of the cartoons right alongside their children.
Throughout his life, Walt Disney was an opponent of the communist regime. He was one of the initiators of the anti-communist Motion Picture Alliance. Its members included representatives of the American intellectual elite who advocated for traditional democratic values.
The great animator was kind to children and those around him. Few people know that his housekeeper, Thelma Howard, who worked in his house for years, became a multi-millionaire. The creator of Disneyland gave her shares of the Disney company for her birthday every year. Thelma Howard passed away in 1994, leaving an inheritance of $9.5 million to her relatives.