Very few are privy to the encomium we bestow on Walt Disney for his immense contribution and enormous impact on our culture and entertainment industry. As co-creator of Mickey Mouse, he helped create one of the most popular cartoon characters in the world, which continues to entertain kids almost a century later, and brings nostalgia to prior generations. As the founder of the Walt Disney Studios, he changed animation and film-making forever.
Road to his success and clout wasn’t a smooth sail, all thanks to Disney’s ceaseless efforts and belief in his dreams. Due to hapless circumstance, he was put to work at the tender age of 9, only educated through 8th grade and had almost no formal training in art. He and his brothers had an estranged relationship with his father. His elder brothers ran off and he soon followed.
He lied about his age and became an ambulance driver during World War I, which did not last for very long. After returning from the war, he took up a job of an apprentice at a commercial art studio in Kansas City. Itching to set off on their own, he and his elder brother Roy launched their own cartoon business in 1920, but the company went bankrupt a few years later. He suffered multiple business setbacks but quitter he wasn’t.
Next stop, Los Angeles, to try his luck with acting. After arriving in LA, he soon realised the lack of studios thereof. Disney convinced his brother Roy to join him and set up a new shop. They found first major success by creating Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The character earned them grand success, but as fate would have it, their luck soon ran out. He ended up travelling to New York to renegotiate the contract only to discover that the producer had taken their team of animators under his wings, leaving Disney brothers no legal rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Unlucky perhaps?
Instead of getting into litigation battles, he decided to walk away. On his way back to California he created Mickey Mouse, which was his claim to fame back to top of the industry. Yet, it wasn’t as easy. Over 300 attempts to appease bankers before one agreed to finance his now famous cartoon. Even with the success of Mickey Mouse, Disney still faced challenges in keeping his business afloat.
After taking some much deserved time off with his wife to recuperate, Disney returned with a bold new idea. He decided to develop a full-length animation feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), which was a huge success at the box office. He followed with Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Bambi (1942) — all great successes.
If Disney didn’t already have enough burdens to shoulder, more awaited his way. His animators went on strike at the start of World War II contributing to his mounting debt that ran upwards of USD 4 million dollars. After the war, he was slowly rebuilding the company, but he learned to diversify, followed his hunch and turned to television. His gamble paid off. With the success of TV shows, Disney was able to harness enough capital to launch his biggest venture yet: Disneyland.
Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, in Anaheim, California. Like most Disney enterprises, it got off to a rocky start. Forged tickets brought in more visitors than anticipated, adding to lines that trailed seven miles long. With temperatures soaring up to 100°F, the new asphalt was melting women’s high heels, drinking fountains went defunct and some rides malfunctioned. Unforgiving critics quickly blasted Disneyland opening as “Black Sunday.”
That didn’t deter Walt. As always, his tenacity and perseverance turned his latest endeavour around. Disneyland soon became a colossal success, clearing out his financial debts, and to this day, operates as an integral part of his business empire.
Key to Disney’s success was not just his talent, but his storytelling ability and capability to inspire his team, pushing them to do their best. Getting inside the stories, studying the details and making them real: Disney understood this concept and became sort of a “craftsman” entrepreneur, more than an artist.
Despite his lack of formal education, Disney never stopped learning: reading, teaching himself animation, tirelessly experimenting and working to improve his craft. He showed that with enough resolve and determination, despite what life has in store for you, one can be successful.
All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all the troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
― Walt Disney
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