Where is the one place in the entire world where people of all ages, races, and genders can go to have fun, smile and make their dreams come true? To many, this place is the one and only Disney World. This magical place was created by none other than Walter Elias Disney himself.
Walt Disney was one of the most adored and influential men of the 20th century. He will be always be remembered because he was hard working and utilized his creative side in order to make people of every background smile and believe in their dreams.
Walt Disney’s life is the perfect example of someone living the American dream. He was born to a very large family in Chicago on December 5, 1901. They moved to Kansas City in 1909 so his father could look for new work. When Walt was only 8 years old, he began to work for his father by distributing letters to advertise his father’s business.
In 1918, he attempted to enlist in the army, but when that did not work he began volunteering for the Red Cross. He went overseas and drove an ambulance. When he returned home, he continued to work for his father as a watchman. This job finally gave him the opportunity he needed to work on his drawings. He was extra talented at drawing animals. He studied for a year at the Art Institute in Kansas City and then at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts.
While working at several newspaper companies, Walt started his own company, Laugh-O-Grams Studios. With $15,000 from several investors, Walt created two short fairy tale films, which quickly became popular all over the country. He achieved recognition for his works, but was bankrupt soon after. All he had left was a camera and his original copy of his work, “Alice in Wonderland.” He had no money for food or clothing and was as poor as he had ever been. He did a small ad for a dentist who admired his work and with this money he was able to move to California to pursue his dreams.
He made it to Hollywood in the summer of 1923. There he studied how to make movies and realized that if no one had worked for him, he would have to make it for himself. He rented a camera and began filming funny films in a garage he was renting. He sent them out, and this is finally when he was offered $1,500 for his movie “Alice in Wonderland.” He partnered with his brother Roy so they could produce 12 new films. In October of 1923, the brothers created Walt Disney Company, where they produced short cartoon films.
Making these films was very expensive, and even though business was booming, the company’s financial situation was in dire need of help. The name of their brand was being spread throughout the country, and they even won an Oscar for Best Short Subject. But soon after, this all changed. The brothers released the world’s very first full-length animated cartoon, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” They expected it would cost around half a million dollars to make the film. He took out many loans, and they ended up making 8 million, becoming millionaires overnight.
Production began to boom, and over 6,000 people had applied to work for Walt Disney. Walt chose 30 people, and in the end only 10 could handle the job. He grew tired of the film industry and wanted to branch out and show everyone the world that he had going on inside his head. This is when he decided to build his own amusement park. To help raise funding for the park, Walt paired up with ABC to air Mickey Mouse on television for $5 million dollars. He was able to buy the land.
The search for the best spot finally ended in rural Anaheim, California, with the purchase of a 160-acre orange grove near the Santa Ana freeway. After much work, invitations were sent out in the summer of 1955 to announce the opening of Disneyland on July 17. However, people reproduced the passes. As a result, many people who were not invited showed up, and opening day was a bit of a mess. The park ran out of food and drink and due to the high temperatures the asphalt was not completely dry and guest’s shoes were getting stuck. Despite the chaotic first day, the park gained immense popularity and became a well-known tourist destination.
In 1959, Walt Disney began looking for property to open a second amusement park. After flying over the Orlando area, Walt Disney chose this area for the second park. In 1964, Disney began planning and designing the park. However, on December 15, 1966, Walt Disney passed away due to lung cancer. Due to this, his brother Roy Disney stepped up and oversaw construction of the park, which began in 1967. On October 1, 1971, the park opened for the first day. It is estimated that 52 million people visit Disney World each year.
Walt Disney is known for his hard work and his ability to make others laugh and unleash their creativity, and for this, he serves as a role model for many. During his time, Walt Disney won a record 26 Academy Awards. Although Walt Disney was not able to see the opening of Disney World, the production of various works he contributed to, and the opening of many other parks around the world, due to his hard work and open mind he has left a legacy behind that many people around the world enjoy and will continue to enjoy.
