Walt Disney

"All our dreams can come true. if we have the courage to pursue them" (Disney). Walter Elias Disney is a famous pioneer of animated cartoon films, and he created well-known cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Walt Disney is a hero because he is inspirational, successful, and inspires dreams for people.

Disney, the youngest of five children, was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois, and died from lung cancer on December 15, 1966 in Los Angeles, California.  Disney was quite an artist and in McKinley High School 1971, he took photographs, made drawings for the school newspapers, and also studied cartooning. He found a job as a draftsman and inker in commercial art studios and met Ub Iwerks, an artist who would contribute to Disney's success (Bosley). From 1914-1918, he was a Red Cross Ambulance Corps driver and then moved in Kansas City, Missouri, where at 16 he joined an art class at the Academy of Fine Arts to develop his drawing skills, hoping to be a newspaper cartoonist. 

Disney is a hero because he was an enlightened man who was one of the first to develop many original creations. As an encyclopedia of the social sciences once said, "Disney has now grown into a global business conglomerate of film studio, television network, cable company, magazine, merchandise bearing various Disney logos, theme parks and resorts, and other ventures, with revenues totaling over $25 billion around the turn of the century" (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences). With the things Disney loved to do, he established it his career and made it global. He made entertainment more popular around the world and made people want to do the same. Someone once said, "His imagination, highly-developed merchandising skills, and uncanny ability to tap into the fantasies of children of all ages ensured that his company would strive long" (Walter Elias Disney). His creativity brightened people around the world to follow his footsteps and to spread his happiness to others. Disney brought life amongst the children that grew up to his films, which gave them joy. From the things he did, and created, it made him inspirational for all times. 

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Walt Disney was an acknowledgeable man who contributed greatly to this society. He "created cartoons, live-action movies, imaginative theme parks, and wholesome family entertainment on a global scale" (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences). Disney shared his imagination out to the world and made people dream bigger things. He never failed to make people feel joyful with his films, because in all of his work he has made, their was always a happy ending. Disney has made many successes and "had created a very diversified entertainment empire, built on cartoon themes, animal icons, nostalgic sentiment, and a high level of quality control" (Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History). Disney's creations, like the famous Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, spread joy to kids and teens all around the world. His work and films also included life lessons to young audiences. For example, in the movie Beauty and the Beast, Disney taught them that there is more than just beauty on the outside, and that you should always see what is on the inside first before judging someone. As you can see, Disney is a hero because he created a handful of things to make this society where it is today.

  As a hero, Disney worked hard to try and inspire dreams for people all around the world. Disney made Disneyland an "enclosed environment of these sites separating visitors from the outside world, encouraging consumption in the guise of family fun" (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences). Disney made his theme park so it is an exciting and an enlightening environment where kids could run around and play. He opened these theme parks so people could relax and have fun, not worrying about anything, and letting their dreams wander the park. What Disney did to society was extraordinary, he "developed well-loved amusements for "children of all ages" throughout the world" (Bosley). Not only did Disney target young kids, he also targeted adults, as well. In Disneyland, people can see cute young couples wandering the parks, gentlemen proposing to their loved one, and even newlyweds celebrating a big event of their life in the happiest place on earth. It brought joy to people, and created memories that they could cherish forever. This shows how much Disney worked hard to brighten up peoples' dreams.

Walt Disney is a hero because of the contributions he made to society, how he inspired people, and the impact he made on peoples' dreams. He made a big impact on peoples' lives encouraging happiness, which makes him a hero today.

Works consulted:

Bosley, Crowther. "Disney, Walt." Britannica Biographies (2011): 1.

Biography Reference Center. Web. 8 May 2012.

International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. Vol.              

2. 2^nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. p409-410.

"Walter Elias Disney." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Ed. Thomas Carson   and          

Mary Bonk. Detroit: Gale, 1999. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 10 May 2012.

"Walt(Er Elias) Disney." Hutchinson's Biography Database (2011): 1.

Biography Reference Center. Web. 8 May 2012. 

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Disney formed Disney Brothers Studio with his brother, Roy. His first cartoon with sound was released in 1928, featuring his most famous cartoon, Mickey Mouse. A year later, he started making cartoons with color. He then released his first animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which broke all box office records. Three years later, he concentrated on cartoon production and study, and finished creating Burbank Studio in California which employed more than a thousand artists and technicians. By the 1950's he started to make action movies, then set up another movie studio in Buena Vista International. In dedication for WWI, he made training and propaganda films for the U.S government (like Treasure Island, Seal Island, and much more). Later, he made a historic deal with ABC Network to produce and appear in a weekly program, aired their first television show, and ended up being the first Hollywood producer to embrace television. He was the first to present a color series, called Wonderful World in Color, and was the founder of California's Institute of Arts. He built an amusement park known as Disneyland in Los Angeles. Before he died, he worked on building his second park, called Disney World, in Orlando, Florida, which opened in 1971. These events in his life are the conclusions of what makes him a hero today.