Walt Disney

NAME Walter Elias Disney

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Pioneering animated cartoons, creating iconic characters like Mickey Mouse, and building the Disney entertainment empire, including Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

BIRTH Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, at 2156 North Tripp Avenue in Hermosa, Chicago, Illinois.

Walt Disney's birthplace  Source Wikipedia

FAMILY BACKGROUND Walt Disney’s surname, Disney, originates from "D’Isigny," referring to someone from Isigny-sur-Mer in northern France. His father, Elias Disney, was a professional carpenter who worked on the construction of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, which inspired many of Walt’s future creative visions. His mother, Flora Call Disney, was of German and Irish descent. Walt had four siblings, including a younger sister, Ruth Disney, who was very private and rarely gave interviews. He remained close to Ruth, sending her an annual birthday letter, a check, and Disney merchandise for her son.

CHILDHOOD Growing up, Walt Disney was deeply influenced by his father’s stories about the 1893 World's Fair, where he learned about mechanical wonders like the first Ferris wheel. He developed a love for storytelling and drawing early on. 

A pivotal childhood experience occurred when Walt carelessly killed a small owl. Overcome with guilt, he vowed never to harm another living creature. This incident shaped his lifelong tendency to personalize animals in his animated films, making them endearing and full of character.

EDUCATION Disney attended McKinley High School in Chicago, where he focused on drawing and photography. He also took night classes at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, honing his artistic skills. His formal education was cut short when he dropped out at 16 to serve as an ambulance driver in World War I with the Red Cross in France.

CAREER RECORD Started as a commercial artist and cartoonist.

Founded Laugh-O-gram Films in Kansas City, producing short animated films.

Moved to Hollywood and co-founded Walt Disney Studios with his brother Roy.

Created Mickey Mouse, who debuted in Steamboat Willie (1928), the first cartoon with synchronized sound.

Produced numerous classic animated features, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi.

Beyond animation, he opened Disneyland in 1955, setting the standard for modern theme parks. He also spearheaded the development of Walt Disney World, though he passed away before its completion.

APPEARANCE Walt Disney had a distinctive appearance, with dark hair, a mustache, and a warm smile. His expressive eyes and charismatic presence made him a natural storyteller, whether in person or on screen.

Disney in 1946

FASHION Disney dressed conservatively and professionally, often seen in a suit, tie, and neatly combed hair. He had a preference for sweaters and sport jackets, maintaining a classic and approachable style.

CHARACTER Disney was known for his relentless ambition, creativity, and optimism. He was a perfectionist and often pushed his team to exceed expectations. Despite challenges, he remained driven by a childlike wonder and a belief in making the impossible possible.

SPEAKING VOICE Disney had a warm, engaging voice. His speaking style was calm, clear, and friendly, often filled with enthusiasm when discussing his dreams and projects.

Walt Disney provided the original voice for Mickey Mouse. He voiced the character from 1928 to 1946, lending his distinctive falsetto to Mickey in early animated shorts. Disney took great personal pride in voicing the character himself, often performing Mickey's shy, high-pitched voice in theatrical cartoons. 

SENSE OF HUMOR  Walt Disney's sense of humor was multifaceted and deeply influenced by his upbringing and creative vision. He had a knack for integrating humor into storytelling, often emphasizing character-driven comedy rather than relying solely on gags. Disney believed that humor should stem from the story itself or the personality of the characters, which led to a more relatable and gentle form of comedy compared to the more frenetic style seen in Warner Brothers cartoons. He referred to this approach as the “plausible impossible,” where the humor felt natural within the cartoon world1.

Disney's humor often included elements of slapstick and physical comedy, appealing to audiences through exaggerated actions and visual gags. For instance, he understood that children found simple bodily humor—like "rump humor"—hilarious, which he incorporated into various animated features. However, his comedic style was not limited to lowbrow jokes; he also appreciated cleverness and wit in storytelling, as evidenced by the incorporation of adult-oriented jokes that could fly over children's heads while still being entertaining for adults.

Moreover, Disney fostered a playful environment at his studio, encouraging practical jokes and horseplay among his staff. This not only relieved stress but also sparked creativity, as he believed that humor could enhance the creative process. His colleagues often noted that he had an intuitive understanding of what was funny and could refine stories to maximize their comedic impact.

Disney himself had a playful side. When he proposed to Lillian Bounds, he jokingly said, “I’ve got $75; shall I buy a new car or a wedding ring?” He was also known for pulling pranks and enjoyed making people laugh.

RELATIONSHIPS Walt Disney and Lillian Bounds were married on July 13, 1925, in a small ceremony at the home of Lillian's brother in Lewiston, Idaho.  Lillian wore a dress she had sewn herself, and the ceremony was officiated by Reverend D.J.W. Somerville from the local Episcopal Church of the Nativity.  

Their marriage, lasting over 41 years until Walt's death in 1966, is generally considered a loving and successful one.  Their relationship was built on mutual respect and support, with Lillian often acting as Walt's sounding board and unofficial advisor.  Early in their marriage, they enjoyed going to movies together.  Walt showed his affection by always hugging and kissing Lillian when he came home, and he spoke proudly of her.  They shared a playful, teasing relationship and enjoyed laughing together.  

Lillian played a key role in Disney's success, famously suggesting the name "Mickey Mouse" over Walt's original choice, "Mortimer Mouse."

Lillian Bounds Disney at Schiphol Airport, 1951

They had two daughters: Diane, born in 1933, and Sharon, adopted in 1936. 

He was also close friends with J. Edgar Hoover and secretly worked as an FBI informant for 26 years.

MONEY AND FAME Despite his eventual fortune, Disney struggled financially in his early years, at times resorting to eating dog food to survive. However, his persistence paid off, and by the 1950s, he was one of the most successful businessmen in entertainment. He was also generous—he gave his housekeeper Disney stocks as gifts, which eventually made her a multimillionaire.

FOOD AND DRINK Walt Disney was known for his simple, comfort-food preferences, a reflection of his Midwestern upbringing and the lean years of his early career.  His culinary tastes were far from extravagant.  Perhaps his most famous favorite was a unique chili concoction: a mix of two canned varieties, Gebhardt's (meat-heavy) and Dennison's (bean-heavy), which he enjoyed with V-8 juice and soda crackers.  He was so fond of this meal that he even brought canned chili with him to upscale hotels, like London's Dorchester, much to the amusement of his colleagues.

For breakfast, Walt typically stuck to the basics: eggs, toast, fruit juice, and sometimes sausage.  Lunch at the studio was often a quick affair at his desk, consisting of sandwiches, milk, and coffee.  When entertaining guests, he often served V-8 juice as an aperitif.  Dinner at home leaned towards easy, familiar dishes.  Canned spaghetti, chicken livers, macaroni and cheese, and cube steak with potatoes and gravy were among his preferred meals.  His wife, Lillian, once noted that he would often critique dinner if he had already eaten the same dish for lunch, suggesting a certain pickiness despite his generally simple tastes. (1)

ANIMATION Walt Disney’s journey into the world of animation began in the least glamorous way imaginable: with bankruptcy. As a young illustrator in Kansas City, he launched Laugh-O-Gram Studios, a silent cartoon enterprise that, in a plot twist worthy of his later movies, went belly-up faster than you can say “whistle while you work.” Undeterred, Disney packed up and moved to Hollywood in 1923, where he and his brother Roy started Disney Brothers Studio—later The Walt Disney Company—on October 16 of that year.

In 1928, in what can only be described as a stroke of creative genius (or an act of sheer, desperate necessity), Disney and animator Ub Iwerks created Mickey Mouse, a cheerful rodent who would become the most famous cartoon character in history. The first Disney cartoon with synchronized sound, Steamboat Willie, premiered on November 18, 1928, introducing audiences not just to Mickey but to his ever-loyal companion, Minnie.

Disney didn’t stop at mice. The Silly Symphonies series (1929–1939) became a laboratory for animation breakthroughs, experimenting with Technicolor, the multiplane camera, and, frankly, an impressive amount of synchronized woodland frolicking. The 1932 short Flowers and Trees, the first full-color cartoon, earned Disney his first Academy Award—a novelty that would soon become routine.

Industry experts were convinced that no audience would sit through a feature-length cartoon. Disney, who rarely listened to naysayers, went ahead and made Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs anyway. Released on February 4, 1938, the film was an instant sensation, proving once and for all that people were, in fact, willing to watch dwarfs sing about mining if the animation was good enough. The movie earned Disney an honorary Oscar—a full-sized statuette plus seven miniatures, because apparently, Hollywood loves a literal joke.

Following Snow White, Disney pushed the artistic envelope with Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), and Bambi (1942), each film taking animation to new heights of visual spectacle and emotional devastation (let’s not even talk about Bambi’s mother).

During World War II, the Disney studio was temporarily commandeered for propaganda purposes, churning out training films and morale-boosting cartoons. In the post-war years, Disney diversified like never before, blending live action and animation in films like Song of the South (1946) and Mary Poppins (1964), the latter of which would become a cultural touchstone (and, crucially, did not involve singing cartoon crows).

Disney expanded his empire into live-action films and television. Treasure Island (1950) was his first live-action film, and Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color (1961) helped popularize color television in the U.S.

Disney holds the record for the most competitive Academy Awards—22 wins from 59 nominations. He also remains the most decorated person at a single Oscar ceremony, taking home four trophies in 1953, presumably having to make several trips to his seat. 

THEME PARKS Walt Disney’s foray into theme parks began, as so many great ideas do, with sheer exasperation. The amusement parks of the 1940s were, in his view, loud, grimy, and filled with suspiciously sticky surfaces. He imagined something better—a place that would be clean, meticulously designed, and free of the kind of carnival operators who might sell you a hot dog that could also be used to grease a car engine.

The idea first took shape in 1948 during a visit to Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Watching his daughters ride the carousel, Disney pondered a place where “age relives fond memories of the past, and youth savors the challenge of the future.” (A lovely sentiment, though it is worth noting that most amusement parks at the time offered more of a “youth gets sick on cotton candy while age wonders how much longer it has to stand here” experience.) His vision was influenced by Tivoli Gardens in Denmark, Greenfield Village in Michigan, and the grand spectacle of the 1939 New York World’s Fair, all of which had the crucial advantage of being places where a person could enjoy themselves without stepping in something regrettable.

Once the idea had taken root, Disney needed money. Lots of it. To raise funds, he struck a deal with ABC: they would finance his project in exchange for a weekly television show, a decision that led to The Wonderful World of Disney and a significant uptick in American children lobbying their parents for a trip to California.

Finding the right location was another challenge. Disney initially considered building his park near his Burbank studio, but the available land was about the size of a decent supermarket parking lot. Instead, he bought 160 acres of orange groves in Anaheim, effectively transforming a sleepy citrus-growing region into the most famous tourist destination on earth. Construction began in 1954, and just one year and $17 million later, Disneyland was ready to open its gates.

The grand opening of Disneyland on July 17, 1955, was, in theory, a magical event. In practice, it was a fiasco of biblical proportions. Counterfeit tickets resulted in an unexpected surge of guests, leading to overcrowding of epic proportions. A heatwave sent temperatures soaring past 100°F. The newly-poured asphalt on Main Street turned into a sort of molten goo, trapping women’s high heels like a particularly aggressive Venus flytrap. A plumbing strike had left the park with a difficult choice: working water fountains or working toilets. (Disney chose the latter, but irate guests assumed the dry fountains were a sneaky ploy to sell more Pepsi.) Rides broke down, a boat sank, and the press dubbed the whole affair “Black Sunday.”

And yet, against all odds, Disneyland was an instant success. In its first year, 3.6 million people visited the park, and by the end of the decade, Disneyland was as much a part of American life as baseball, apple pie, and wondering how much a churro should reasonably cost.

By the late 1950s, Disney had set his sights on an East Coast park, mainly because 75% of the U.S. population lived east of the Mississippi and, presumably, he was getting tired of all of them clogging up Disneyland. To avoid land speculators, he acquired 27,443 acres near Orlando under a series of dummy corporations with names like "Ayefour Corporation" and "Latin-American Development and Management Company," all of which sounded suspiciously like fronts for either the CIA or a 1950s jazz ensemble.

Tragically, Walt Disney never saw his Florida dream realized—he died in 1966, leaving his brother Roy to finish what became Walt Disney World. The first phase, Magic Kingdom, opened in 1971, essentially serving as a bigger, more humidity-laden version of Disneyland. Over the years, the resort expanded with EPCOT (1982), Disney’s Hollywood Studios (1989), and Animal Kingdom (1998), each iteration proving that people would happily pay good money to stand in long lines if the theming was sufficiently immersive.

One of Walt Disney’s grandest dreams was for EPCOT—not the theme park, but the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, a futuristic city where people would live in harmony with advanced technology, cutting-edge urban planning, and, presumably, an exceptionally efficient trash collection system. After his death, however, Disney executives decided that running an actual city sounded suspiciously like work and opted instead to create a park devoted to world cultures and corporate-sponsored futurism. Today, EPCOT allows visitors to experience a meticulously curated version of global travel, complete with French pastries, Japanese teppanyaki, and the annual realization that walking around the World Showcase in the Florida heat is a much greater test of endurance than anticipated.

Decades later, Disney’s theme parks remain some of the most visited places on earth. Each year, millions of guests file into lands where princesses roam, animatronic pirates sing about rum, and a giant, talking mouse has somehow become the world’s most beloved billionaire. It’s a testament to Walt Disney’s vision that his parks continue to inspire wonder, joy, and an almost supernatural ability to make people open their wallets.

Cinderella Castle Magic Kingdom Panorama. By Flickr user: Michael Gray

MUSIC AND ARTS Music played a significant role in Disney’s work. He often called composer Robert B. Sherman into his office to play “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins (1964), which he considered his favorite song. He also pushed for groundbreaking musical innovations, such as the use of Fantasound in Fantasia (1940), which made it the first film shown in stereophonic sound.

Disney’s artistic journey began in Kansas City, where he took art classes as a teenager and worked as a commercial illustrator. He briefly attended the Kansas City Art Institute and later studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, though his real education came from sketching incessantly. During World War I, he lied about his age to join the Red Cross as an ambulance driver, decorating his vehicle with cartoon characters—a move that foreshadowed his lifelong tendency to mix business with whimsy.

After returning from the war, Disney worked in advertising before founding his first animation company, Laugh-O-Gram Studios, in 1921. The studio produced short, modernized fairy tales—an early hint at the storytelling approach that would define his career. Unfortunately, financial troubles doomed the venture, and by 1923, Disney was broke. Rather than admitting defeat, he packed up and headed to Hollywood, where he and his brother Roy started what would eventually become The Walt Disney Company.

By the late 1920s, Disney had grown from an artist to an animation innovator.

LITERATURE Disney was an avid reader, especially enjoying adventure stories and folklore. Many of his films, including Snow White, Cinderella, and Peter Pan, were adapted from classic literature.

NATURE Disney had a deep appreciation for nature, reflected in his True-Life Adventures documentary series. His studio also produced Bambi (1942), which featured some of the most realistic animal animation of its time.

PETS Walt Disney owned a Standard Poodle named Lady (nicknamed "Dee Dee") in the 1940s and 1950s . This real-life Lady was distinct from the fictional Lady and the Tramp Cocker Spaniel. The Disney family often featured her in photos and home movies, and Walt reportedly shared snacks like hot dogs with her.

Stories suggest Disney’s musophobia (fear of mice) inspired him to create Mickey Mouse as “exposure therapy” . However, no firsthand accounts from Disney or close associates confirm this.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Walt Disney's hobbies and interests offered a glimpse into his creative mind, blending nostalgia, hands-on curiosity, and inspiration for his professional endeavors.  His lifelong fascination with trains, beginning in childhood, became a defining passion.  In 1948, he built the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, a 1/8-scale backyard railway spanning half a mile, complete with a steam locomotive named Lilly Belle after his wife. This stemmed from his love of Lionel model trains and his childhood memories of the Marceline, Missouri rail depot.  He even installed an intricate model railroad in his office, operating it for guests and showcasing his passion for engineering and detail.  This hobby directly influenced Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A. and the park's iconic railroad system.

Disney also possessed a fondness for miniature collecting.  During European trips, he acquired miniature glass, wood, and metal objects, which he displayed in his office and home. These tiny treasures served as a creative catalyst, influencing Disneyland's design, particularly the Storybook Land Canal Boats with their scaled-down fairy-tale settings. (2)

Drawing and art were other lifelong pursuits.  From selling drawings to neighbors in Marceline as a child to taking art classes in Chicago and Kansas City, he nurtured his talent.  Even as a studio head, he continued to sketch character concepts and story ideas, maintaining a hands-on role in animation.

Finally, after giving up golf due to frustration, Disney took up lawn bowling.  He found the slower pace of the sport relaxing, often playing at the Los Angeles Athletic Club or at his Holmby Hills home.  

SCIENCE AND MATHS Disney was fascinated by technology and innovation. His team developed cutting-edge animation techniques, and he was a pioneer in theme park design, using science and engineering to create immersive experiences.

Disney shows the plans of Disneyland to officials from Orange County.Orange County Archives

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY: His work often reflected traditional values and a sense of optimism.

Although raised in a Protestant household, Disney was private about his religious beliefs. He believed in hard work, optimism, and imagination, often stating, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

POLITICS: Disney was a staunch anti-communist and testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. He supported Republican candidates and was a friend of President Richard Nixon.

SCANDAL: Accusations of antisemitism and racism have been made against him, though these are disputed by some who knew him.

MILITARY RECORD: Walt Disney's involvement in military affairs, while not involving formal enlistment in the U.S. military, demonstrated his patriotism during both World War I and World War II.  During World War I, a 16-year-old Disney altered his birthdate on his passport to join the Red Cross Ambulance Corps in 1918.  Deployed to France after the Armistice, he drove ambulances and delivered supplies, often transporting medical aid to devastated areas like Soissons.  His time overseas, from 1918 to 1919, proved to be a maturing experience, with Disney later reflecting that "the things I did...added up to a lifetime of experience."

During World War II, Disney's studio became a vital hub for wartime support.  A remarkable 93% of the studio's output was dedicated to the war effort.  The U.S. government requisitioned Disney's Burbank studio, where they produced instructional films like Four Methods of Flush Riveting and Aircraft Production Methods.  

Disney's characters, most notably Donald Duck, starred in anti-Axis propaganda shorts, including the Oscar-winning Der Fuehrer's Face (1943), which mocked Nazi ideology.  

Disney artists also created over 1,200 unit insignias for the Army, Navy, and Allied forces.  Donald Duck and Pluto were particularly popular choices, boosting morale by connecting troops to beloved characters.  These emblems, adorning planes, uniforms, and equipment, symbolized Disney's commitment to the war effort.  

Beyond insignias, Disney produced shorts like The New Spirit (1942) to encourage Americans to pay taxes promptly to fund the war, and created educational films promoting nutrition and accident prevention on the home front. 

the government contracts during World War II proved to be a financial lifeline for Disney, rescuing the studio from near-bankruptcy in the early 1940s.  As historian Gerard Raiti noted, "If it weren't for the U.S. Military, the Walt Disney Company might not exist today."

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS: Disney was nearly a casualty of the 1918 influenza pandemic. He fell gravely ill and had to be released from the military so his parents could care for him. Later in life, he became a chain-smoker, which ultimately contributed to his death from lung cancer in 1966.

HOMES: Disney lived in multiple residences over the years, including a Tudor-style home in Los Angeles and a mansion in Holmby Hills, California. His love for trains inspired him to build a miniature railroad in his backyard.

TRAVEL: A frequent traveler, Disney visited Europe and South America to study animation techniques and folklore. His trips to amusement parks worldwide helped shape his vision for Disneyland, which opened in 1955.

Despite his busy schedule, he personally drove his two daughters to school each day, rather than relying on his chauffeurs.

DEATH: Disney was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1966. He passed away on December 15, 1966, and was cremated at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. A popular urban legend claims he was cryogenically frozen, but there is no evidence to support this.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA: Disney frequently appeared on television, introducing episodes of Disneyland and The Wonderful World of Disney. His warm, avuncular presence made him one of the most beloved figures in entertainment history.

Even after his passing, Disney’s legacy continues to shape the world of animation and theme park entertainment.

ACHIEVEMENTS: Won 22 Academy Awards and received numerous other accolades.

Pioneered advancements in animation, sound, and color filmmaking.

Created a vast library of beloved animated characters and films.

Built Disneyland and Walt Disney World, revolutionizing the theme park industry.

Left a lasting legacy as one of the most influential figures in entertainment history.

Sources (1) Mouse Planet (2) Waltdisney.org