Happy Birthday Walt: 11 Facts You May Not Know About Walt Disney

Disney Life

Today marks what would have been Walt Disney’s 118th birthday. To celebrate, here are 11 facts that you may not know about Walt Disney.

11 Facts About Walt Disney:

  1. Walt Disney was born in Chicago. He quickly moved to Marceline, Missouri. He moved back to Chicago to attend high school at McKinley High School.
  2. During World War I, Walt worked as an ambulance driver for the American Red Cross.
  3. Walt’s first company was called Laugh-O-Grams, which is where Walt created the Alice Comedies.
  4. Walt Disney actually voiced Mickey Mouse from 1928 – 1947. When Walt got too busy running the studio, Jimmy MacDonald took over.
  5. Walt had an apartment located above the firehouse in Disneyland. Cast members at Disneyland leave a lamp on in the window to remind everyone that Walt’s spirit is always alive at Disneyland.
  6. Mickey Mouse was not Walt’s first iconic cartoon character. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was Walt’s first success which he created for Universal.
  7. Walt held the patent for technicolor for 2 years. He was the only one allowed to create color films during this time.
  8. Walt believed that it took him 25 steps to eat a hot dog. You will always find a garbage can 25 steps away from a hot dog stand at Disney.
  9. Wall-E is named after Walt. The name comes from Walt’s full name Walter Elias Disney.
  10. Walt holds the record for the most academy award wins and nominations, having 32 Academy Awards.
  11. In a school play, Walt once played the role of Peter Pan, years before Walt Disney Company would transform the story into a film.

Walt Disney may have had some personal viewpoints that are less than ideal. But, he was also a man of curiosity and imagination and created a world where everyone can be a kid again. He inspired us all and reminded us that “all our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”.


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