Biography: The Roots of an Animator

Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. Walt was the 4th child of 5 kids from parents Elias and Flora Disney. Although he was not raised by his birth parents, instead he was raised on his uncle farm near Marceline, Missouri, 100 miles northeast of Kansas City. Although this may not seem like an ideal childhood, Walt claimed that he loved growing up on the farm and that many of the animals were inspiration for his animations. In 1923, Walt moved with his brother and associate, Roy, to Hollywood. Here, with borrowed money, Walt initiated his own studio with the “Alice in Cartoonland,” series. This series eventually ended up in local theatres. Disney made the first full color cartoon in 1932. It was called, “Flowers and Trees.” In 1937, he made the first full length animated film, “Snow White and Th e Seven Dwarves.” Aside from all of the movies, Walt created the California Institute of the Arts. This was a professional school for the creative and performing arts. This school was commonly known as Cal Arts. Walt thought of this as, “The ultimate in education for the arts.” Disney stated, “If I can help provide a place to develop the talent of the future, I think I will have accomplished something.” On July 18, 1955, Disney opened the first ever theme park. By this time there had been many amusement parks but no parks dedicated to one theme of entertainment. The theme park was opened in Anaheim, California. The park contained rides based on Disney film characters and Disney settings. At the parks opening, Walt said, “Disneyland will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world.” On December 15, 1966, in Burbank, California, Walt Disney died due to Lung Cancer. Many people all over the world were devastated by this news although his creations continued in his business. 5 years after Walt’s death, in 1971, Walt’s second planned theme park, Disney World, was opened in Orlando, Florida. This is just one example of the many things that have continued through Walt Disney’s creativity, imagination, and pure heart.
Information from: "Walt(er)(Elias) Disney." Biography Resource Center. Gale, 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010