Walt Disney

Walt Disney 1946www.wikipedia.orgWalt Disneywww.biography.com

        Walt Disney is a hero, as he was able to make a positive impact both when he was alive and after his death, as his animations and theme parks will remain an everlasting part of good American life and culture and show good morals and manners. Walt Disney was born on December 5th, 1901. It was always his dream to be a cartoonist, but his first company was unable to stay afloat. Disney powered through it and moved to Hollywood to start Disney Animation, where he then created the characters which we all know and love today. He passed away on December 15th, 1966, but his movies and parks still idolize his legacy.

        One trait I value in a hero is the ability to overcome adversity and rise to the challenge. A hero, in my opinion, needs to never give up and keep trying. Walt Disney shows these traits in his early life when his first business, Laugh-o-Grams, was shut down and Disney had to declare bankruptcy. He refused to let this put him down, and decided to move to Hollywood, California, where budding animators and producers could strike it big. In Hollywood, he made a new business: Disney Brothers Animation. “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you” (The Story of Walt Disney - 1957). I feel that Disney shows a very heroic trait in not giving up and trying another method of going about his dream. Another obstacle Disney steamrolled was making his first animated film, Snow White, and the Seven Dwarfs. At first, the public had a hard time accepting this idea and didn't believe in his ability. Disney did not let this sway him, and with high risk came high reward, as the movie was met with great critic appeal and $8 million dollars in the first release. All in all, I believe that Disney shows a very important heroic trait in always getting back up when life knocks him down.

        This ability to take risks, even when the general public was unwilling to support it, was another heroic trait which Disney showed. Walt Disney acted as a leader, not a follower, and blazed his own path. It was traditional for him to put his own spin on things and try something new. Walt Disney showed this in the creation of the first “Disneyland” theme park. He created it based on his own vision and what he liked as a child. The train going in and around the original park is an example of this, as he loved trains when he was a child. “Courage is the main quality of leadership, in my opinion, no matter where it is exercised. Usually, it implies some risk, especially in new undertakings. Courage to initiate something and to keep it going, pioneering and adventurous spirit to blaze new ways, often, in our land of opportunity” (The Disney Way Fieldbook (2000) by Bill Capodagli). Going back to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney’s first hit film, he took risks here as well. The people and critics thought that Disney should just stick with cartoons and small animations, but Walt was ready to undertake something bigger and better. He took a risk and created his first animated movie. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came a string of other animated films, like Bambi, which are still classics to this day. Disney’s natural ability to lead others and not follow the general flow is a heroic trait in my opinion, as a hero should be able to take the reigns and forge their own path.

        The many movies, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, that Disney created were able to make a positive influence on American culture and life to this day. Walt Disney made an impact on people in the mid-1900s with his parks and animated films, as they were not the normal things that everyone was used to, but instead, they had their own Disney spin and flare. Even in the 21st century, Walt Disney’s movie classics like Mary Poppins and Pinocchio still influence the lives of children and adults alike. The characters in his movies showed Disney’s own life challenges, like struggling for acceptance and questioning the virtues of the class system. “To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past …. and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America … with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world” (Walt Disney, July 17, 1955). Walt Disney said this at the grand opening of the first Disneyland theme park. He wanted his creations to inspire people and make them feel deeply, while he himself worked his own emotions into them as well. His legacy is incredible; he accomplished so many things, like creating the first theme park, making the first feature-length animated film, and creating Mickey Mouse, one of the most loved cartoon characters in American history.

        All in all, I feel that Walt Disney is still a hero in this day and age. Walt Disney is a hero, as he was able to make a positive impact both when he was alive and after his death, as his animations and theme parks will remain an everlasting part of good American life and culture and show good morals and manners. His studios, Disney Pixar and Disney, still make films and cartoons that hit home and have permanently emblazoned their place in American society and history. All in all, I believe that Walt Disney was a hero to many people in both his time and today in the 21st century.

Bibliography

Pettinger, Tejvan. “Biography of Walt Disney”, Oxford, www.biographyonline.net, 8th August 2014. Updated 1st March 2017, https://www.biographyonline.net/artists/walt-disney.html

WGBH Educational Foundation. “Walt Disney.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 29 Aug. 2017, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/walt-disney/.

“Walt Disney.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Jan. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney.

“Walt Disney.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 7 Aug. 2017, www.biography.com/people/walt-disney-9275533.