MR. HEITMANN'S WORLD  OF

THIS is the Web Page To Link To For Every Imaginable Internet Connection For Everything Associated With  The Name:  WALT DISNEY.

THE MAN BEHIND THE NAME

WALT DISNEY HAS MADE A PERMANENT "MOUSEPRINT"

"To translate the world's great fairy tales, thrilling legends, stirring folk tales into visual theatrical presentations, and to get back warm response of audiences in many lands has been for me an experience and a lifetime satisfaction beyond all value."

 Animation historians love to say "It all started with a mouse". In fact it actually began with a visionary named Walt Disney. From the early years in Kansas City with the likes of Ub Iwerks, Hugh Harmon and Rudy Ising. Walt Disney went on to become the single most important man in the history of animation. His legacy is a veritable who's who of animated characters; Snow White, Donald Duck, Pinocchio, Alice, Bambi, Cinderella, and of course, Mickey Mouse.

The creator of Mickey Mouse and founder of Disneyland and Walt Disney World was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1901. His father, Elias Disney, was an Irish-Canadian. His mother, Flora Call Disney, was of German-American descent. Walt was one of five children, four boys and a girl.

Walt became interested in drawing at an early age, selling his first sketches to neighbors when he was only seven years old. At McKinley High School in Chicago, Disney divided his attention between drawing and photography, contributing both to the school paper. At night he attended the Academy of Fine Arts.

During the fall of 1918, Disney attempted to enlist for military service. Rejected because he was only 16 years of age, Walt joined the Red Cross and was sent overseas, where he spent a year driving an ambulance and chauffeuring Red Cross officials. His ambulance was covered from stem to stem, not with stock camouflage, but with drawings and cartoons.

After the war, Walt returned to Kansas City, where he began his career as an advertising cartoonist. Here, in 1920, he created and marketed his first original animated cartoons, and later perfected a new method for combining live-action and animation.

In August of 1923, Walt Disney left Kansas City for Hollywood with nothing but a few drawing materials, $40 in his pocket and a completed animated and live-action film. Walt's brother, Roy 0. Disney, was already in California, with an immense amount of sympathy and encouragement, and $250. Pooling their resources, they borrowed an additional $500, and constructed a camera stand in their uncle's garage. Soon, they received an order from New York for the first "Alice Comedy" featurette, and the brothers began their production operation in the rear of a Hollywood real estate office two blocks away.

On July 13, 1925, Walt married one of his first employees, Lillian Bounds, in Lewiston, Idaho. They were blessed with two daughters: Diane, married to Ron Miller, former president and chief executive officer of Walt Disney Productions; and Sharon Disney Lund, who served as a member of Disney's Board of Directors and passed away in 1993. The Millers have seven children and Mrs. Lund had three.

Mickey Mouse was created in 1928, and his talents were first used in a silent cartoon entitled "Plane Crazy." However, before the cartoon could be released, sound burst upon the motion picture screen. Thus Mickey made his screen debut in "Steamboat Willie," the world's first fully-synchronized sound cartoon, which premiered at the Colony Theatre in New York on November 18, 1928.

 Walt's drive to perfect the art of animation was endless. Technicolor was introduced to animation during the production of his "Silly Symphonies." In 1932, the film entitled "Flowers and Trees" won Walt the first of his 32 personal Academy Awards. In 1937, he released "The Old Mill," the first short subject to utilize the multiplane camera technique.

On December 21 of that same year, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first full-length animated musical feature, premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. Produced at the unheard cost of $1,499,000 during the depths of the Depression, the film is still accounted as one of the great feats and imperishable monuments of the motion picture industry. During the next five years, Walt completed such other full-length animated classics as "Pinocchio," "Fantasia," "Dumbo," and "Bambi."

A pioneer in the field of television programming, Disney began production in 1954, and was among the first to present full-color programming with his "Wonderful World of Color" in 1961. "The Mickey Mouse Club" and "Zorro" were popular favorites in the 1950s.

Disneyland, launched in 1955 as a fabulous $17 million Magic Kingdom, soon increased its investment tenfold. By its third decade, more than 250 million people were entertained, including presidents, kings and queens, and royalty from all over the globe.

But that was only the beginning. In 1965, Walt Disney turned his attention toward the problem of improving the quality of urban life in America. He personally directed the design on an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or EPCOT, planned as a living showcase for the creativity  of American industry.

501 South Buena Vista Boulevard is the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. This is where Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966 at the age of 65. He had undergone lung surgery a month earlier for the removal of a tumor on his left lung. Walt Disney was cremated on December 17, 1966, two days after his death. He is buried at Forest Lawn in the cemetery's Court of Freedom section.

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible.."

Quotes from Walt   Biography.com> Walter Elias Disney

ANIMATION & TIME-PROVEN CHARACTERS

CLICK ON A CHARACTER OR ROYAL BLUE MOVIE TITLE

     

 

"When people laugh at Mickey Mouse, it's because he's so human; and that is the secret of his popularity."

THE CLASSICS!

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs   (December 21, 1937)

2. Pinocchio  (February 7, 1940)

3. Fantasia  (November 13, 1940)

4. Dumbo  (October 23, 1941)

5. Bambi  (August 13, 1942)

 6. Saludos Amigos  (February 6, 1943)

7. The Three Caballeros  (February 3, 1945)

8. Make Mine Music  (August 15, 1946)

 9. Fun and Fancy Free  (September 27, 1947)

 10. Melody Time  (May 27, 1948)

11. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad  (October 5, 1949)

12. Cinderella  (February 15, 1950)

13. Alice in Wonderland  (July 28, 1951)

14. Peter Pan  (February 5, 1953)

15. Lady and the Tramp  (June 22, 1955)

16. Sleeping Beauty  (January 29, 1959)

17. One Hundred and One Dalmatians  (January 25, 1961)

18. The Sword in the Stone  (December 25, 1963)

19. The Jungle Book  (October 18, 1967)

20. The Aristocats  (December 24, 1970)

21. Robin Hood  (November 8, 1973)

22. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh  (March 11, 1977)

23. The Rescuers  (June 22, 1977)

24. The Fox and the Hound  (July 10, 1981)

25. The Black Cauldron  (July 24, 1985)

26. The Great Mouse Detective  (July 2, 1986)

27. Oliver & Company  (November 18, 1988)

28. The Little Mermaid  (November 17, 1989)

29. The Rescuers Down Under  (November 16, 1990)

30. Beauty and the Beast  (November 22, 1991)

31. Aladdin  (November 25, 1992)

32. The Lion King  (June 24, 1994)

33. Pocahontas  (June 23, 1995)

34. The Hunchback of Notre Dame  (June 21, 1996)

35. Hercules  (June 27, 1997)

36. Mulan (June 19, 1998)

37. Tarzan (June 18, 1999)

38. Fantasia 2000 (January 1, 2000)

39. The Emperor's New Groove (December 15, 2000)

40. Atlantis (July 11, 2001)

41. Lilo & Stitch   (June 21, 2002)

42. Treasure Planet   (November 2002)

43. Brother Bear (November 2003)

44. Home on the Range (April 2004)

VOICES IN THE FILMS

Walt Disney Studios Academy Awards

 For Complete Listing of All Of The Films The Disney Studios Have Produced, Click MICKEY

LINKS TO THE

"HAPPIEST PLACES ON EARTH"

THE THEME PARKS:

"Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the child's approach to life. They're people who don't give a hang what the Joneses do. You see them at Disneyland every time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures, and they have a degree of contentment with what life has brought -- sometimes it isn't much, either."

THE ORIGINAL DREAM: In 1955 Walt Disney Productions, Ltd., opened a huge amusement park called Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Featuring historical reconstructions, displays, and rides, it became a famous tourist attraction.

A PROTOTYPE COMMUNITY: Walt Disney World opened near Orlando, Florida, in 1971. Walt's original concepts for a total "Vacation Kingdom" now stands on a land area that is TWICE the size of New York City. Four Theme Parks, An Aviary, Three Water Parks, Nightclubs, Hundreds of Restaurants, Dozens of Themed Resort Hotels, It's Own Transportation System, Conservation Plants, and more UNDERGROUND!

WALT DISNEY WORLD

IMPORTANT WALT DISNEY WORLD DATES

November 11, 1965: Walt Disney announces Florida Project

Fall 1967: Site preparation begins

Spring 1969: Construction begins on Magic Kingdom, two hotels

October 1, 1971: Opening day for Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom

December 1971: Inaugural Walt Disney World Golf Classic

March 1975: Walt Disney Village Opens

June 1976: River Country water adventure park opens

October 1, 1982: Epcot Grand Opening

May 1, 1989: Disney-MGM Studios opens

June 1, 1989: Typhoon Lagoon and Pleasure Island open

April 1, 1995: Blizzard Beach water adventure park opens

June 1995: Michael Eisner announces Disney’s Animal Kingdom

July 1995: Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings Pavilion opens

September 1997: Downtown Disney opens

March 1997: Disney’s Wide World of Sports opens

April 22, 1998: Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens

March 1999: Asia opens in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

WHEN ATTRACTIONS OPENED

1971: 26 original Magic Kingdom attractions: Jungle Cruise; Swiss Family Treehouse; Tiki Room (Tropical Serenade); Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel; Dumbo, the Flying Elephant; Mad Tea Party; Mickey Mouse Revue (GONE); Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (GONE); It’s a Small World; Snow White’s Adventures; Diamond Horseshoe Revue; Frontier Shooting Gallery; Country Bear Jamboree; Mike Fink Keel Boats; Hall of Presidents; Haunted Mansion; Main Street horseless carriage, Jitney, fire truck, horse-drawn streetcar and omnibus; Main Street Cinema; Walt Disney World Railroad; Skyway  (GONE) and Tomorrowland Indy Speedway

1972: If You Had Wings (GONE)

1973: Pirates of the Caribbean; Walt Disney Story; Swan Boats; Tom Sawyer Island

1974: StarJets; “Magic Carpet ‘Round the World” film (GONE)

1975: Space Mountain; Carousel of Progress; WEDway PeopleMover; Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes

1980: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

1982: 5 Future World & 9 World Showcase pavilions at Epcot: Spaceship Earth; The Land; Journey Into Imagination; Universe of Energy; World of Motion (GONE); Canada; United Kingdom; France; Mexico; Germany; Italy; China; Japan; American Adventure

1983 Horizons (EC) (GONE)

1984: Morocco showcase (EC); “American Journeys” film (MK) (GONE)

1986: The Living Seas (EC); Captain EO (EC) (GONE)

1988: Mickey’s Starland (MK); Norway showcase (EC); Disney-MGM Studios Production facilities

1989: Dreamflight (MK) (GONE); Wonders of Life (EC); original Disney-MGM Studios attractions: Great Movie Ride; Backstage Studio shuttle tour; Magic of Disney Animation tour; “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular;” Behind the Scenes Special Effects walking tour (GONE); Superstar Television (GONE); Monster Sound Show (GONE).

1990: Star Tours; “Here Come the Muppets” show (GONE), “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” Movie Set Adventure

1991: Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3D (ST)

1992: Splash Mountain (MK); Voyage of the Little Mermaid (ST)

1993: ATAS Hall of Fame plaza (ST)

1994: Innoventions (EC); The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ (ST); Legend of The Lion King (MK); “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” (EC); Planet Hollywood; The Timekeeper (MK); Theater of the Stars (ST)

1995: New Tomorrowland (MK) including The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter

1996: Mickey’s Toontown Fair (MK); Universe of Energy (EC)

1998: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (MK); “The Enchanted Tiki Room -- Under New Management” (MK); original Animal Kingdom attractions: The Boneyard; Countdown to Extinction; Cretaceous Trail; Kilimanjaro Safaris; Pangani Forest Exploration Trail; Wildlife Express; Conservation Station; “It’s Tough to be a Bug”

1999: Test Track (EC); Disney’s Winter Summerland miniature golf course; Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (ST); The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (MK)

2000: Kali River Rapids (AK)

2002: Primeviel Whirl (AK)

PARK ATTENDANCE

August 1972: Attendance passes 10 million

March 1976: 50-millionth guest

October 1979: 100-millionth guest

July 1987: Total attendance tops 250 million

August 1992: 400-millionth guest

September 1994: 1-billionth guest to a Disney theme park worldwide

October 13, 1995: 500-millionth guest

June 24, 1998: 600-millionth guest

LINKS TO OTHER DISNEY SITES

       

"I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing -- that it was all started by a mouse."

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