Walt Disney is the pioneer of cartoons as we know them today, coming a long way from the boy who had just returned from World War I to Kansas city.He has created some of the most iconic characters, such as Mary Poppins and Peter Pan. Disney was a man who brought to life his art and dreams.The legacy that Walt Disney left after his death in December 1996 is one that is so much more than cartoons. Yes, cartoons have indeed become a huge part of his legacy, but the story that Disney left is an inspiring one. The son of a farmer, a boy who moved to Kansas City and then to Europe for war, and eventually the artist who found himself in cartoons. It is the story of a relentless man who worked and stopped at nothing to visualize his dream. He is a role model to everyone who does art, and an example to everyone who discredits art to being something that is merely a hobby. Disney taught adults and children alike to dream big. Part of his legacy was the character played by Tom Hanks in ‘Saving Mr. Banks’, which remains one of the most memorable depictions of Walt Disney.After Walt’s death in 1966, the Disney Company went to his brother, Roy, who managed it until 1971. Walt himself lived to age of 65, living a life that very well deserved its own film. During his lifespan, he saw two global conflicts, a period of great economic downturn, and personal tragedies, and yet he never failed to be the person who put a smile to everyone’s faces with his art.The happiness he spread to the people of the world is unique, reaching out to people of so many ages, making childhood all that much more joyful. One can only hope that his work continues, and that future generations are able experience the work of Walt Disney.If you like reading fun articles such as this, why not go ahead and read the Abraham Lincoln biography and Alex Morgan biography on Kidadl. It is the opportunity to learn interesting details about their lives.Walt Disney’s ChildhoodWalt Disney’s early life was one of the most prominent factors that played into the person he grew up to be. Let’s find out more about the childhood of the person who made our childhood better!Walt Elias Disney was the fourth born child of Elias and Flora Call Disney. His life started December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. Walt Disney lived here for about four years until his father, Elias, got the opportunity to manage a farm. Elias Disney was a very strict father. The Disney family moved out to Marceline, Missouri. Here, the family saw happy days, and the Disney brothers and their sister enjoyed life on the farm.It was here in Marceline that saw a young Walt Disney develop a love for art and drawing. His love for animals is reflected in his work with the Mickey Mouse Club. The very characters of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Donald Duck are common farm animals in his roots. The period at the farm came to an end after four years, and the family moved to Kansas City. Walt Disney began working delivering newspapers with his father Elias Disney, and took up a job selling candy in trains.Over this time, his development into being an artist begun, seen by how barbers would be willing to trade his artworks for haircuts. In the Chicago Art Institute, he started taking up art and drawing lessons. Little did Walt Disney know these lessons would be the founding pillars of what would go on to be the greatest legacies of an artist.Interestingly enough, Walt Disney wished to serve in World War I. However, because of his young age, he was not allowed to join. Instead, he drove ambulances for the Red Cross in France. His year spent driving ambulances brought him back to Kansas City. This return to Kansas City is really where his work as an artist, and is a critical period in Walt Disney’s life. He then moved to Los Angeles, and Hollywood is where his career kicked off.Walt Disney’s First CartoonsContrary to popular belief, Mickey Mouse is not the first cartoon of the Walt Disney World. Mickey Mouse is indeed the most iconic, but the title of the first cartoon lies elsewhere.In 1927, Walt found his big break. He struck a deal with Universal, and produced a series narrating the ‘Adventures Of Oswald The Lucky Rabbit’. A fun fact about this character of the Walt Disney world is that the name Oswald was chosen randomly, picked from a hat with other names. Unfortunately for Disney, the work that he put in with his animator, Ub Iwerks, did not pan out as Universal were not happy with the character they had created. ‘Adventures Of Oswald The Lucky Rabbit’ had features that would later be seen in Mickey Mouse.Walt Disney made changes to the rabbit to appease Universal, and the series finally got underway. However, there were still problems. Walt’s distributor, Charles Mintz, caused creative and financial issues among the two. Walt Disney did not own the copyright to Oswald, so Mintz pushed him out and formed his own studio, with his own animators and took over the cartoon Walt worked hard to create.Mintz offered a low ranking position in the studio to Disney.Walt could not keep control of the cartoon because there as no copyright that he owned. Interestingly enough, the Walt Disney Company did acquire Oswald in 2006. Learning from his mistake with Oswald, the next character Walt Disney created got a copyright filed, so the Oswald debacle would not take away Disney’s hard work. This very character became the forefront and the poster of the Walt Disney Company, the Disney studio and the theme parks of today. It was none other than Mickey Mouse.Walt Disney Animation StudiosWalt Disney Animation Studios is perhaps the largest animation division in the world. It has been at the top for quite a long time and does not look like it will give up this spot anytime soon. Walt Disney was not only an artist, but a resourceful entrepreneur.The beginnings of the studio started before it was actually established. Walt Disney and his friend Ub Iwerks, an animator, set up the Laugh-O-Gram Films studio in Kansas City. They started working on feature films for ‘Alice In Cartoonland’. The success of these films pushed Walt to start the Walt Disney Company with his brother, Roy Disney, in Los Angeles.Animated features have been at the heart of Disney’s creation. It was Walt Disney’s primary goal to produce content that had humans interact with animals that were placed there through artificial means, and the end result was animated characters. The studio’s first animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award was ‘Beauty And The Beast’.The first full length animated feature film was ‘Snow White’. It was a risky movie because Disney had never produced a full length animated movie before. It was the turning stone for animated movies, and effectively proved that animated movies could in fact replicate the smoothness of live-action movies. Eventually, the Disney studio would go on to face different problems. The animators went on strike in 1941 for over three months.These workers were just coming out of the economic downtime of the Great Depression. To their annoyance, they discovered that Disney was making five times as much as the top bosses at the Disney Company. It was during this time that Disney fled to South America. During this period, his father, Elias, died. While his brother Roy addressed the demands and needs of the animators, the creative atmosphere was dampened as the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in World War II. During this period, the work that the Disney studios came up with was subpar.It was far from the standards it set when ‘Snow White’ was created. Feature length cartoons like ‘Cinderella’, ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Alice In Wonderland’ were left with unfulfilled potential in the Disney world of animation. One of the most famous films that the Disney company made at the end of the 20th century was ‘Treasure Island’. It is especially important because this was the first time the studio made a foray into the world of live-action films.The Walt Disney Company has grown to become a studio that is not only limited to cartoons and animated movies, but has expanded into other genres of film, as well as different industries and companies. The Disney Company has become the literal figurehead of media distributed among various demographics. One of its most famous acquisitions was the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have adopted the ideology of leading the industry of film-making with gusto, and has spread its roots widely. The company itself is the biggest in the industry, with a valuation of over $200 billion in assets.Walt Disney ParksSome of the biggest attractions of the world, and a lasting legacy of the work of Walt Disney, are the theme parks all over the world.Walt Disney first had the idea of a theme park when he happened to visit one of the amusement parks with his daughters. The first idea was to have a theme park built right beside his studio, but it was abandoned after he realised the lack of open space for it. Making progress on this, he acquired land in Anaheim, which would be the base of the Walt Disney Parks that would come in the future. The land on Anaheim would be home to the Disneyland Resort, the first of its kind. The Florida theme park was the second venture Disney made and it was a resounding success.After the preliminary success of Disneyland Resort and the theme park in Florida, Disney has spread this center of fun and entertainment all over the world. Some of the most popular ones are located in Paris, Honk Kong, Tokyo, and Shanghai. Each of these parks features a giant castle for you to explore. These Disney theme parks have been a very popular destination for tourists.They are fun parks tailored not only for children, but for adults too! You can visit a Disney theme park with your family, and your children can interact with members of the Mickey Mouse Club. The joy of meeting Donald Duck and Goofy is unparalleled. Do not miss the chance to visit a Disney park, for it is an experience to remember.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Walt Disney biography, then why not take a look at Amelia Earhart biography or Alexander Hamilton biography.
Walt Disney is the pioneer of cartoons as we know them today, coming a long way from the boy who had just returned from World War I to Kansas city.
