When you think of Walt Disney, you think of the parks he created and how they are only for people who 'never grow up' (Thank you, Peter Pan). You imagine parents who are stressed out from how many people are at the park that day, how early should you get there, which side of the park should you do first, and the list goes on. However, when I think of Walt Disney, all I can say is: thank you! Thank you for the magic you have created and how the love is still alive even when you passed so many years ago.
Thank you for not giving up!
If I was in your position when you started this crazy journey, I do not know if I would have continued or not! You went from going bankrupt at your first studio to having people steal your ideas, leaving you back at square one. This did not stop you from creating the adorable characters we now hold near and dear to our hearts, such as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto! Who would the world be without the whistle from Mickey as he floated down the stream in "Steamboat Willie!"
Thank you for creating the classics!
From 1923 to even after your death in 1966, you created not just movies, but you captured the heart of America in either 30-minute mini-series or hour-long movies that will stay in our hearts forever. From watching a girl sing to animals about how her Prince will come to watching Mickey Mouse and friends have crazy adventures, I always know that I can get a laugh out of something you made. Even 100 years later, these movies will still be the classics in my heart.
Thank you for creating the parks!
I grew up watching these movies as a way to help me fall asleep and imagine what life would be like to be a Disney princess like Belle or a fearless warrior like Mulan. Before my ninth birthday, my grandparents told me that we were going to Walt Disney World for my actual birthday! I was ecstatic to know that I would be going to the place where dreams come true, which has been your motto since the beginning. On this special day I could have cared less that it was my birthday, because I was going to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and so many other friends on this crazy-filled day! I laughed until my stomach hurt, I took as many pictures as I could, I played games with my grandparents, and watched my happiness spark when watching the fireworks at the end of the day. Yes, you see fireworks on the fourth of July, but these are not your normal fireworks that you are seeing at this magical place. Disney just makes everything seem like a dream come true in the smallest ways possible.
Thank you for keeping my dreams alive!
I may not be able to dress up as Tianna or any other Disney Princess, but I am still pushing to keep my own dreams alive. I watch these movies and though they may be fictional, they always give me hope to keep pushing towards my goals. No, my goal is not to marry rich so I live in a big castle with fancy maids and dresses...well...I mean, I could want that...but that's not the point! I want to be like Mulan and teach girls that you can still be pretty and do whatever a man can do in this world (and yes, she did it first--not Anna from "Frozen").
I know this may sound weird, but it does not feel like you are dead. Yes, your ashes were spread after you died from lung cancer, but you never left this Earth. Even after your death, the magic you started years ago is still living in the new artist and illustrators that never met you. They even created a movie semi about you, but it showed who you were and how you were when you were physically here. So my last thank yous are: thank you for being yourself and never changing who you were just to make people happy, and thank you for sharing your talent. Some people keep it inside, but to quote you directly, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
