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:
- 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.
- During World War I, Walt worked as an ambulance driver for the American Red Cross.
- Walt’s first company was called Laugh-O-Grams, which is where Walt created the Alice Comedies.
- Walt Disney actually voiced Mickey Mouse from 1928 – 1947. When Walt got too busy running the studio, Jimmy MacDonald took over.
- 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.
- Mickey Mouse was not Walt’s first iconic cartoon character. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was Walt’s first success which he created for Universal.
- Walt held the patent for technicolor for 2 years. He was the only one allowed to create color films during this time.
- 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.
- Wall-E is named after Walt. The name comes from Walt’s full name Walter Elias Disney.
- Walt holds the record for the most academy award wins and nominations, having 32 Academy Awards.
- 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”.
