Walt Disney from the beginning

Household Names and the People Behind Them​
Check out our next series via Curricula & Co blog page, Household Names and the People Behind Them. We have some extraordinary entrepreneurs who have founded some of the  world best household products…… Over the next few weeks we will be going behind the scenes to discover more about these visionaries  Read More Stories

Even miracles take a little time
-Fairy Godmother (Cinderella)​

Disney has captured the imaginations of many children over a number of generations, and many decades over the 20th and 21st centuries. It has created timeless classics that we still watch over and over to this day, such as the Disney Princesses, Bambi, and Mickey Mouse and friends. The company has continued to adapt to reach modern audiences, while still inspiring new generations with its original creations..

Today is a great day to try
-Quasimodo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Walt and Roy Disney’s film production business began in 1923, in a tiny studio office in Los Angeles. Around this time, the brothers began to produce a series of films in both animation and live action format, which they called the “Alice Comedies”.

Over the next 14 years, Walt, Roy and their growing team created the original classic Disney characters we still know today: Mickey Mouse came about in 1928, followed closely by Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, and many others. 

In 1937, the company created their first ever full-length, animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. This was cutting edge for its time, and was a monumental undertaking, which involved lengthy and pain-staking work, as every movement was hand-drawn very carefully. None of the computer graphics we have today! On its release, the film was received successfully throughout the world.

The expectations of audiences, who wanted more, prompted Walt Disney to begin the creation of Burbank, a self sufficient production facility that would become the birthplace of such classics as Fantasia, Bambi, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan.

In 1954, Walt Disney revealed his idea for Disney Land. He dreamed of a place where children and their parents could have just as much fun together. A year later, it opened to the public.

From the 1980s onward, Disney came back from a decade of not quite living up to its amazing reputation, as it released a series of films that flopped financially. After Walt’s tragic death following a battle with lung cancer, Michael Eisner of Paramount studios became CEO, and Frank Wells from Warner took over as president. Their expertise and fresh take on film production breathed new life into Disney, and gave the company a new lease of life, and a fresh sense of direction, which ushered in the success it knows today.

It’s fascinating to look at the stories of people who are the world’s definition of success. All of them have come through great obstacles, as well as slumps and phases of being under pressure. What makes them successful is their resilience, teach ability, and willingness to grow and change with the times…

---

---

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most beautiful and rare of all.
The Emperor (Mulan