Who Was Walt Disney

Who Was Walt Disney? was published in 2009 and is the 205th installment of the Who Was…? series published by Penguin Books. Authored by Whitney Stewart, an experienced writer of children’s nonfiction, the book covers Walt Disney’s childhood, his early career, and his later rise to international fame. It highlights Walt’s creativity, resilience, and forward thinking as key drivers of his art and entrepreneurship, solidifying his place as one of the most important figures to have shaped the American entertainment industry. The book explores themes including Innovation as a Driver of Success, The Importance of Resilience in Overcoming Setbacks, and Extending Storytelling Beyond the Screen.

This guide refers to the first edition published by Penguin Random House.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of illness, death, racism, and substance use.

Summary

Walt Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago, Illinois, and he grew up on a farm in Missouri, where he learned to draw. He also spent his childhood spending time in nature and entertaining his family, showing a propensity for creativity. Eventually, the Disney family had to move to Kansas City, where Walt helped his father make ends meet. He worked at a job delivering newspapers and also developed a passion for acting. The family moved back to Chicago in 1917, and Walt dropped out of high school to take art classes. He developed a growing love of travel and exploration. Since this was also when World War I happened, Walt briefly worked as an ambulance driver in France. Having grown up and worked in various fields, Walt came back home and decided on pursuing a career in art.

Walt moved back to Kansas City and made a friend in Ub Iwerks, who also wanted to be an artist. After starting and failing at opening a business, they both learned formal animation and filming techniques at the Kansas City Slide Company. This marked Walt’s first big break, and it gave him the confidence to try to build a company again. Walt then moved to join his older brother Roy in Hollywood, where they started the Disney Brothers Studio (later renamed Walt Disney Studios) and where Walt finally began selling his cartoons for profit. Walt also met his future wife, Lillian Bounds, who worked as one of his artists. He first discussed the creation of Mickey Mouse with her. In 1928, Walt released the first animated film to feature sound, Steamboat Willie, to huge success. Mickey’s popularity increased after the creation of Mickey Mouse Clubs, which spread all across America. Walt’s personal life also enjoyed success: He got married, started a family, and helped his parents move to California to be closer to them. However, the early 1930s were a combination of highs and lows. The Great Depression threatened the company, Ub left due to Walt’s poor treatment of him, and Walt’s mother passed away. Despite these setbacks, Walt Disney Studios’ first colored animation, Flowers and Trees, won an Academy Award.

In the late 1930s, Walt began creating the highest grossing and most important animated work of his lifetime: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The film was a risk to make due to the required labor and cost, but it was released to great success and won an Academy Award. This marked the highlight of his career, and he went on to create several more feature-length animated films, paving the way for future animation studios. The 1940s brought some setbacks, however; workers at the company went on strike, Walt’s father passed away, and the film Dumbo didn’t do as well as Walt had hoped. With the start of World War II, the company worked with the government to create propaganda cartoons, which Walt disliked. Other releases in the late 1940s garnered criticism and left Walt feeling disenchanted with the animation industry.

Walt then began to branch out from animation to work on Disneyland, a theme park where children could meet their favorite characters and also buy merchandise featuring them. Despite the cost, he struck a deal with the television industry to finance the project. The park opened in 1955 and was very popular with Disney fans. Walt’s final projects included Walt Disney World in Florida, his participation in the New York World’s Fair in 1964, and his most treasured project, EPCOT. Walt passed away in 1966 at the age of 65, and Walt Disney World opened in 1971 under the supervision of Roy.