Walt Disney Biography

Walt Disney is a legend, a folk hero of the 20th century. His worldwide popularity was based on imagination, optimism, creation, and self-made success in America. Walt Disney did more to touch the hearts, minds, and emotions of millions of kids and adults than any other person. He brought us closer to the future, while telling us of the past. It is certain, that there will never be such as great a man, as Walt Disney.

Walter Elias Disney was born December 5, 1901 in Chicago Illinois. Walt was one of five children, four boys and a girl. After Walt's birth, the Disney family moved to Marceline, Missouri. Walt lived out most of his childhood here. Walt had a very early interest in drawing, and art. When he was seven years old, he sold small sketches, and drawings to nearby neighbors. His interest in creating enduring art forms took shape when he talked his sister, Ruth, into helping him paint the side of the family's house with tar.

Close to the Disney family farm, there were Santa Fe Railroad tracks that crossed the countryside. Often Walt would put his ear against the tracks, to listen for approaching trains. Walt's uncle, Mike Martin, was a train engineer. Walt worked a summer job with the railroad, selling newspapers, popcorn, and sodas to travelers. Walt would often try to recapture the freedom he felt when aboard those trains, by building his own miniature train set

Besides his other interests, 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.

During these relaxed years of country living, Walt began to love and appreciate nature and wildlife, ...

... middle of paper ...

...g the quality of urban life in America. He personally directed the design of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT). It was planned as a living showcase for the creativity of American industry.

Thus, Disney directed the purchase of 43 square miles of virgin land--twice the size of Manhattan Island--in the center of the state of Florida. Here, he master planned a whole new "Disney world" of entertainment to include a new amusement theme park, motel-hotel resort vacation center, and his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. After more than seven years of master planning and preparation, including 52 months of actual construction, the Walt Disney World Resort, including the Magic Kingdom Park, opened to the public as scheduled on October 1, 1971. EPCOT Center opened October 1, 1982, and on May 1, 1989, the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park opened