Who Was Walt Disney

How does the figure of Ub Iwerks showcase the different sides of Walt’s character? How did Walt serve as a mentor and friend to Ub as well as an antagonist? How did these roles overlap and inform each other?

In what ways did failing multiple times to start a business help Walt’s later success? How do these failures illustrate The Importance of Resilience in Overcoming Setbacks?

How does EPCOT represent Walt’s optimistic vision of the future? What does this vision suggest about his politics and worldview? Does the real EPCOT live up to Walt’s vision?

How did Walt’s roles as an animator and an entrepreneur inform, support, or conflict with one another? Were his business goals ever at odds with the artistic integrity of his films?

Why was Mickey Mouse important to Walt’s early career in the animation industry? What factors help to explain the immense popularity of Mickey when the character first appeared?

Why was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves such a turning point in Walt’s career? Where do you see the influence of this film in later cultural products?

How did Mickey Mouse Clubs affect Walt’s career? How did they shape the landscape of popular culture more broadly?

Why did Walt distance himself from animation in his later career? In what ways did he continue to shape the artistic direction of his company, and to what extent do you see his influence in Disney films made after his death?