A small town boy with big dreams went to Hollywood with only 40 dollars in his pocket. He started an animation studio in his garage and worked for 5 years with no income and success. But then he created some of the iconic cartoon characters that won him 26 Oscar awards. Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 A.D in a small town in Illinois, Chicago.
He was one of five kids. So, to help out his family, he sold painting sketches to neighbors. At the age of 14, he was working at a railroad, selling snacks, candy and soda to the passengers. Disney and his brother Roy woke up at 4:30 every morning to deliver newspapers before school time. Walt Disney would often fall asleep in class, so he constantly received poor grades. In high school, he decided to focus on drawing, art and animation. At the age of 19, he started an animation company, which was his biggest dream. But unfortunately, it did not provide enough income, so the company went bankrupt. With only 40 dollars in his pocket, he went to Hollywood in 1923, with big dreams.
He started an animation studio in an old garage. He spent the next 5 years working with no income. In 1928, he finally found success with a short film, but lost the copyright to his own characters. He was crushed. He had nowhere to live and little money for food. But he kept trying again and again. Finally, he found success on his third attempt. His character Mickey Mouse became a hit. He then wanted to make a feature-length animated film but everybody said it was a bad idea. The movie took 3 years to finish and the cost of it was equivalent to 25 million dollars today. Disney ran out of money and had to mortgage his house. He dared to give everything to that project.
Once released, “Snow white and the Seven Dwarves” was hailed as a masterpiece. It made the most money of any movie that year, equivalent to 134 million dollars today. He then created Disneyland, the revolutionary theme park that redefined family entertainment. The Walt Disney company is one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. His work has brought joy and happiness to millions of people all around the world. And his legacy will continue to inspire people for generations to come.
Some fascinating facts about Walt Disney
-Walt Disney was the original voice of Mickey Mouse when the character debuted in Steamboat Willie (1928). He voiced Mickey until 1947.
-Mickey Mouse was originally going to be called “Mortimer Mouse,” but Walt’s wife, Lillian Disney, thought the name sounded too pompous and suggested “Mickey” instead.
-Before California, Walt considered building Disneyland in Kansas City or St. Louis, where he had personal ties. He ultimately chose Anaheim because of the year-round mild climate and tourism potential.
-There’s a long-standing myth that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen after death. In reality, he was cremated two days after he passed away in 1966.
-Walt Disney won 22 Academy Awards from 59 nominations, both still a record for an individual. He also received 4 honorary Oscars.
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