Walter Elias Disney

Walt Disney (virtue4.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/walt-disney/)

For over fifty-five years many people have known about Mickey Mouse and Disneyland. But, behind the mouse ears and princess castle there is one remarkable man. His name is Walter Elias Disney well known as Walt Disney. Walt Disney was born December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. Soon after Disney’s birth his father’s job moved him and his family to Marceline, Missouri. Walt Disney lived in Missouri most of his childhood and there is where he began his love for drawing and art. When Disney was in school instead of doing his class work he would doodle pictures. Walt Disney probably never realized that years later those doodles would begin a whole new generation of animation. Walt Disney was a very creative man in his lifetime. He accomplished many things and got to where he wanted to be in life. Through his journey Disney showed that for people to get where they want to be in life they have to be a hard worker with courage.

Walt Disney on the left with Ub Iwerks on the rig (www.awn.com/imagepicker/image/15750)

Walt Disney was a hard worker, because he never gave up on his dream even though it took him three years to reach it. Walt Disney was a goal orientated kind of person and knew what he wanted to do at a young age: “…Walt attended McKinley High School in Chicago. There, Disney divided his attention between drawing and photography, and contributing to the school paper. At night he attended the Academy of Fine Arts, to better his drawing abilities.” (Brad Aldridge 2003) Disney attending night school proves that he is a hard worker, because he wanted to get better at his passion and he attended an extra class in order to do that. He knew what he wanted to be and knew what he had to do to get there so he worked night and day doing whatever he could do to be an amazing artist. In the first year of Disney’s career he worked with Ub Iwerks: “By 1922 he had set up his own shop as a partner with Ub Iwerks, whose drawing ability and technical skills were major factors in Disney’s eventual success initial failure with Ub Iwerks sent Disney to Hollywood, California in 1923.” (Laura B. Tyle 2003) Walt Disney moving to Hollywood to pursue his dream demonstrates that he is a hard worker, because even though he failed the first time he tried again. If Disney would have given up then he wouldn’t have gotten to where he would later be in his career. Walt Disney is someone that can prove to many people today that hard work pays off over time.

Walt Disney showing his Snow White sketches. (jimhillmedia.com/.../2006/11/01/6521.aspx)

Throughout Disney’s career he showed a great amount of courage by being the first to try many new things. Even though Disney was amazing, like any other ordinary person he failed at one point in his life: “By the time Walt had started to create The Alice Comedies, which was about a real girl and her adventures in an animated world, Walt ran out of money, and his company Laugh-O-Grams went bankrupted. Instead of giving up, Walt packed his suitcase and with his unfinished print of The Alice Comedies in hand, headed for Hollywood to start a new business. He was not yet twenty-two.” (Brad Aldridge 2003) Walt Disney failed with his first career, but that didn’t stop him from moving on and trying again. Disney proves his courage by getting back into the animation world instead of giving up and believing that the same conflict would occur again in his career. Disney was the first animator to ever create a synchronized sound cartoon which started up a whole new generation of animators: “Disney rapidly expanded his studio facilities to include a training school where a whole new generation of animators developed and made possible the production of the first feature length cartoon, Snow White.” (Suzanne M. Bourgoin 1998) This proves Disney’s courage, because he had to put out the first feature length cartoon without knowing if the public would approve. By Disney being the first of many new ways in animation it shows that he wasn’t afraid to try new things and be a leader. Walt Disney demonstrates to us that courage can be showed in many different ways and how far it can take you in life.

Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse. (http://www.worldculturepictorial.com/blog/content/mickey-mouse-turns-80-symbol-optimism-fun-sheer-zest-life-a-little-fellow-trying-do-best-he-)

It took Walt Disney a long time to get where he wanted to be in life, but he made it through by being a hard worker and having great courage. Disney went to night classes to improve in his drawing abilities and through that he shows he is a hard worker. Then, later on he had to have courage to show the first full length animated film, Snow White. Walt Disney was a remarkably creative man that accomplished many of his dreams. He does and always will inspire many people to reach for their dreams and work hard for them. Disney proves to us that people can accomplish anything they want to which makes him a true hero. As he says in one of his many quotes, “If you can dream it you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse.” (Walt Disney)

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Adams, Mary Alice. "Disney, Walter Elias (1901-1966). " Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed.

Suzanne M. Bourgoin. 2nd ed. Detroit: GaleResearch, 1998. 17 vols.Student Resource Center - Junior. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 30

Aldridge, Brad. Brad Aldridge, 2003. Web. 12 May 2010. www.justdisney.com

Crowther, Bosley. "History Reference Center." N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2010. search.ebscohost.com