Who is your favourite Disney Character? What is your favourite Disney movie?
Disney has been bringing its magic to the world for decades, with characters, movies and
magical kingdoms that have become a legendary part of history.
So where did it all begin and who is the mastermind behind the most iconic fairytale movies
of all time? On December 5 th , 1901, Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago, U.S.A.
At an early age Walt developed an interest in drawing, taking art classes before getting a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. In 1923, he moved to Hollywood, California, in the hope of becoming a live-action film director, setting up Disney Brothers Studio, which we know today as the Walt Disney Company, with his brother Roy.
Walt’s first highly popular success came in 1928 with the creation of the cartoon character
Mickey Mouse, for which he provided the voice until 1947. Mickey Mouse was joined by
more cartoon stars like Pluto in 1930, Goofy in 1932 and Donald Duck in 1934.
Up until this time, Walt Disney had been producing short cartoons and decided to start
creating feature-length cartoons.
After taking four years to make, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in December
1937 and was the first animated feature film made in full colour and sound. It became the
most successful motion picture of 1938 for which Disney won an Honorary Academy Award.
This was followed by Pinocchio and Fantasia in 1940, Dumbo in 1941 and Bambi in 1942.
After World War II, animation continued with the addition of live action films like Cinderella,
Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland, followed by Mary Poppins in 1964,
which received five Academy Awards.
From 1937 to 2023, Walt Disney Animation Studios produced 62 fully animated films.
Whilst there are some iconic movies from the early years, there have been many memorable
movies released over the period from 1991 to 2023. Some of those greats are Beauty and
the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, Moana and Frozen, just to name a few. And as Disney owns
Pixar, some other greats include Finding Nemo, Cars, The Incredibles, and Toy Story.
In 1954, the first Disney show was screened on television. It was very successful, and this
led to the first Disney daily television programme, The Mickey Mouse Club.
For many years, Walt Disney had been thinking about building a theme park; a clean,
unspoiled park where families could have fun. Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California in
July 1955. The park was designed with four themed lands; Adventureland, Frontierland,
Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, linked by a Main Street, which was a replica of the main
street in his hometown of Marceline. A second theme park was opened in Orlando Florida in 1971, known as Walt Disney World.
People can also experience the wonders of Disneyland in Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong
Kong. Walt Disney holds the record as a film producer for the most Academy Award nominations (59) and awards earned by an individual (22). He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, for which he has two stars. Disneyland itself has a star as does Mickey Mouse.
Walt Disney will always be known as the pioneer of the animation industry and for the
fantastic movies and characters he brought to the big screen.
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