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{{Short description|American animator, producer and entrepreneur (1901–1966)}}
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{{redirect|Uncle Walt|the television presenter of children's programming|Walter E. Sickles}}
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{{Use American English|date=May 2016}}
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{{Infobox person
| name               = Walt Disney
| image              = Walt Disney 1946 (cropped2).JPG
| image_size         = 
| caption            = Disney in 1946
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1901|12|05|mf=yes}}
| birth_place        = [[Chicago]], Illinois, U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1966|12|15|1901|12|05|mf=yes}}
| death_place        = [[Burbank, California]], U.S.
| resting_place = [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]]
| title              = President of [[the Walt Disney Company]]<ref>{{cite news|date=September 11, 1945|title= Disney to Quit Post at Studio|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-disney-to-quit-pos/170422017/ |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>
| occupation         = {{Flatlist|
* Animator
* film producer
* voice actor
* entrepreneur
}}
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Lillian Disney|Lillian Bounds]]|1925}}
| children           = 2, including [[Diane Disney Miller|Diane]]
| relations          = [[Disney family]]
| awards             = {{Plainlist|
* 26 [[Academy Awards]]{{efn|[[List of Academy Awards for Walt Disney|22 competitive, 4 honorary]]}}
* 3 [[Golden Globe Awards]]
* 1 [[Emmy Award]]
}}
| module             = {{Listen|embed=yes
| type               = trailer
| filename           = Walt Disney Snow White Trailer.wav
| title              = Walt Disney's voice
| description        = Disney explaining each of the seven dwarfs from the trailer of [[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'']] (1937)
}}
| signature          = Walt Disney 1942 signature.svg
}}

'''Walter Elias Disney''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɪ|z|n|i}} {{respell|DIZ|nee}};<ref name="OD: pronunciation" /> December 5, 1901{{snd}}December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur.<!-- Only the most notable occupations are listed here, see [[MOS:ROLEBIO]]. --> A pioneer of the [[Golden age of American animation|American animation industry]], he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, he holds the record for most [[Academy Awards]] won (22) and nominations (59) by an individual. He was presented with two [[Golden Globe]] Special Achievement Awards and an [[Emmy Award]], among other honors. Several of his films are included in the [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] and have also been named as some of the [[greatest films ever]] by the [[American Film Institute]].

Born in Chicago in 1901 and raised largely in [[Missouri]], Disney developed an early interest in drawing. He took art classes as a boy and took a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California in the early 1920s and set up the Disney Brothers Studio (now [[the Walt Disney Company]]) with his brother [[Roy O. Disney|Roy]]. With [[Ub Iwerks]], he developed the character [[Mickey Mouse]] in 1928, his first highly popular success; he also provided the voice for his creation in the early years. As the studio grew, he became more adventurous, introducing [[synchronized sound]], full-color three-strip [[Technicolor]], [[feature-length]] cartoons and technical developments in cameras. The results, seen in features such as ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' (1937), ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]'', ''[[Fantasia (1940 film)|Fantasia]]'' (both 1940), ''[[Dumbo]]'' (1941), and ''[[Bambi]]'' (1942), furthered the development of animated film. New animated and [[live-action film]]s followed after World War II, including ''[[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderella]]'' (1950), ''[[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|Sleeping Beauty]]'' (1959), and ''[[Mary Poppins (film)|Mary Poppins]]'' (1964), the last of which received five Academy Awards.

In the 1950s, Disney expanded into the [[theme park]] industry, and in July 1955 he opened [[Disneyland]] in [[Anaheim, California]]. To fund the project he diversified into television programs, such as ''[[Walt Disney's Disneyland]]'' and ''[[The Mickey Mouse Club]]''. He was also involved in planning the [[American National Exhibition|1959 Moscow Fair]], the [[1960 Winter Olympics]], and the [[1964 New York World's Fair]]. In 1965, he began development of another theme park, [[Disney World]], the heart of which was to be a new type of city, the "[[Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow]]" (EPCOT). Disney was a heavy smoker throughout his life and died of lung cancer in 1966 before either the park or the EPCOT project were completed.

Disney was a shy, self-deprecating and insecure man in private but adopted a warm and outgoing public persona. He had high standards and high expectations of those with whom he worked. Although there have been accusations that he was [[Racism in the United States|racist]] or [[Antisemitism in the United States|antisemitic]], they have been contradicted by many who knew him. The [[historiography]] of Disney has taken a variety of perspectives, ranging from views of him as a purveyor of [[Americanism (ideology)|homely patriotic values]] to being a representative of American [[cultural imperialism]]. Widely considered to be one of the most influential cultural figures of the 20th century, Disney remains an important presence in the [[history of animation]] and in the [[cultural history of the United States]], where he is acknowledged as a national [[cultural icon]]. His film work continues to be shown and adapted, the Disney theme parks have grown in size and number around the world and his company has grown to become one of the world's largest mass media and entertainment [[Conglomerate (company)|conglomerates]].

==Early life and education==
[[File:Walt Disney Birthplace Exterior Hermosa Chicago Illinois.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Pale yellow wooden house with brown trim surrounded by white picket fence|Disney's childhood home]]
Disney was born on December 5, 1901, at 1249 Tripp Avenue, in Chicago's [[Hermosa, Chicago|Hermosa]] neighborhood.{{efn|In 1909, in a renumbering exercise, the property's address changed to 2156 North Tripp Avenue.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=8}}}} He was the fourth son of [[Elias Disney]]{{nsmdns}}born in the [[Province of Canada]], to Irish parents{{nsmdns}}and Flora ({{nee}} Call), an American of German and English descent.<ref name="ST: background" /><ref name="EB: Crowther" />{{efn|Disney was a descendant of Robert d'Isigny, a Frenchman who had traveled to England with [[William the Conqueror]] in 1066.{{sfnm|1a1=Mosley|1y=1990|1p=22|2a1=Eliot|2y=1995|2p=2}} The family [[anglicisation|anglicized]] the d'Isigny name to "Disney" and settled in the English village now known as [[Norton Disney]] in the [[East Midlands]].<ref name=Ancestors />}} Aside from Walt, Elias and Flora's sons were Herbert, Raymond and [[Roy O. Disney|Roy]]; and the couple had a fifth child, Ruth, in December 1903.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|pp=9–10}} In 1906, when Disney was four, the family moved to a farm in [[Marceline, Missouri]], where his uncle Robert had just purchased land. In Marceline, Disney developed his interest in drawing when he was paid to draw the horse of a retired neighborhood doctor.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=9–10, 15}} Elias was a subscriber to the ''[[Appeal to Reason (newspaper)|Appeal to Reason]]'' newspaper, and Disney practiced drawing by copying the front-page cartoons of [[Ryan Walker (cartoonist)|Ryan Walker]].{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=13}} He also began to develop an ability to work with watercolors and crayons.<ref name="EB: Crowther" /> He lived near the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] line and became enamored with trains.{{sfn|Broggie|2006|pp=33–35}} He and his younger sister Ruth started school at the same time at the Park School in Marceline in late 1909.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=16}} The Disney family were active members of a [[Congregational church]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=41e-Ru0wRkEC&q=Congregational|isbn=9780679757474|title=Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination|year=2007|publisher=Vintage Books}}</ref> Disney later described his childhood in Marceline as one of the happiest and most formative periods of his life, and drew inspiration from the town for several of his future projects.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/marceline-missouri-lost-disney-park|title=Marceline, Missouri — Walt Disney's lost town|first=John|last=Bordsen|date=April 5, 2023|website=CNN|access-date=2025-10-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://d23.com/the-magic-of-marceline/|title=The Magic of Marceline|website=D23|date=January 18, 2012 |access-date=2025-10-22}}</ref> 

In 1911, the Disneys moved to [[Kansas City, Missouri]].{{sfn|Finch|1999|p=10}} There, Disney attended the [[Benton Grammar School]], where he met fellow-student Walter Pfeiffer, who came from a family of theatre fans and introduced him to the world of [[vaudeville]] and motion pictures. Before long, Disney was spending more time at the Pfeiffers' house than at home.{{sfn|Krasniewicz|2010|p=13}} Elias had purchased a newspaper delivery route for ''[[The Kansas City Star]]'' and ''[[Kansas City Times]]''. Disney and his brother Roy woke up at 4:30 every morning to deliver the ''Times'' before school and repeated the round for the evening ''Star'' after school. The schedule was exhausting, and Disney often received poor grades after falling asleep in class, but he continued his paper route for more than six years.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|pp=18–19}} He attended Saturday courses at the [[Kansas City Art Institute]] and also took a [[correspondence course]] in cartooning.<ref name="EB: Crowther" /><ref name="KCL: WD" />

In 1917, Elias bought stock in a Chicago jelly producer, the O-Zell Company, and moved back to Chicago with his family.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=30}} Disney enrolled at [[McKinley High School (Chicago)|McKinley High School]] and became the cartoonist of the school newspaper, drawing patriotic pictures about World War I;<ref name="D23: WD" />{{sfn|Finch|1999|p=12}} he also took night courses at the [[Chicago Academy of Fine Arts]].{{sfn|Mosley|1990|p=39}} 

In mid-1918, he attempted to join the [[United States Army]] to [[Western Front (World War I)|fight the Germans]], but he was rejected as too young. After [[age fabrication|forging the date of birth]] on his birth certificate, he joined the [[Red Cross]] in September 1918 as an ambulance driver. He was shipped to France but arrived in November, after [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|the armistice]].{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=36–38}} He drew cartoons on the side of his ambulance for decoration and had some of his work published in the army newspaper ''[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]''.<ref name="NYT: Obit" />

==Career==
===1919–1928: Early career===
[[File:Walt Disney envelope ca. 1921.jpg|thumb|Walt Disney's business envelope featured a self-portrait, {{circa|1921}}]]
He returned to Kansas City in October 1919,{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=41}} where he worked as an apprentice artist at the Pesmen-Rubin Commercial Art Studio, where he drew commercial illustrations for advertising, theater programs and catalogs, and befriended fellow artist [[Ub Iwerks]].{{sfn|Thomas|1994|pp=55–56}} In January 1920, as Pesmen-Rubin's revenue declined after Christmas, Disney, aged 18, and Iwerks were laid off. 

They started their own business, the short-lived Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists.{{sfnm|1a1=Thomas|1y=1994|1p=56|2a1=Barrier|2y=2007|2pp=24–25}} Failing to attract many customers, Disney and Iwerks agreed that Disney should leave temporarily to earn money at the Kansas City Film Ad Company, run by A.&nbsp;V. Cauger; the following month Iwerks, who was not able to run their business alone, also joined.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=25}} The company produced commercials using the [[cutout animation]] technique.{{sfn|Mosley|1990|p=63}} Disney became interested in animation, although he preferred drawn cartoons such as ''[[Mutt and Jeff]]'' and [[Max Fleischer]]'s ''[[Out of the Inkwell]]''. With the assistance of a borrowed book on animation and a camera, he began experimenting at home.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|pp=57–58}}{{efn|The book, Edwin G. Lutz's ''Animated Cartoons: How They Are Made, Their Origin and Development'' (1920), was the only one in the local library on the subject; the camera he borrowed from Cauger.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|pp=57–58}}}} He came to the conclusion that [[cel animation]] was more promising than the cutout method.{{efn|Cutout animation is the technique of producing cartoons by animating objects cut from paper, material or photographs and photographing them moving incrementally. Cel animation is the method of drawing or painting onto transparent celluloid sheets ("cels"), with each sheet an incremental movement on from the previous.{{sfn|Withrow|2009|p=48}}}} Unable to persuade Cauger to try [[cel]] animation at the company, Disney opened a new business with a co-worker from the Film Ad Co, [[Fred Harman]].{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=56}} Their main client was the local Newman Theater, and the short cartoons they produced were sold as "Newman's Laugh-O-Grams".{{sfn|Finch|1999|p=14}} Disney studied [[Paul Terry (cartoonist)|Paul Terry's]] ''[[Aesop's Fables (film series)|Aesop's Fables]]'' as a model, and the first six "Laugh-O-Grams" were modernized fairy tales.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=60}}

In May 1921, the success of the "Laugh-O-Grams" led to the establishment of [[Laugh-O-Gram Studio]], for which he hired more animators, including Fred Harman's brother [[Harman and Ising|Hugh]], [[Harman and Ising|Rudolf Ising]] and Iwerks.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=60–61, 64–66}} The Laugh-O-Grams cartoons did not provide enough income to keep the company solvent, so Disney started production of ''[[Alice's Wonderland]]''{{nsmdns}}based on ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]''{{nsmdns}}which combined live action with animation; he cast [[Virginia Davis]] in [[Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|the title role]].{{sfn|Finch|1999|p=15}} The result, a 12½-minute, [[short film|one-reel]] film, was completed too late to save Laugh-O-Gram Studio, which went into bankruptcy in 1923.{{sfnm|1a1=Gabler|1y=2006|1pp=71–73|2a1=Nichols|2y=2014|2p=102}}

Disney moved to Hollywood in July 1923 at 21 years old. Although New York was the center of the cartoon industry, he was attracted to Los Angeles because his brother Roy was convalescing from [[tuberculosis]] there,{{sfn|Barrier|1999|p=39}} and he hoped to become a live-action film director.{{sfn|Thomas|Johnston|1995|p=29}} Disney's efforts to sell ''Alice's Wonderland'' were in vain until he heard from New York film distributor [[Margaret J. Winkler]]. She was losing the rights to both the ''Out of the Inkwell'' and ''[[Felix the Cat]]'' cartoons, and needed a new series. In October, they signed a contract for six [[Alice Comedies|''Alice'' comedies]], with an option for two further series of six episodes each.{{sfn|Thomas|Johnston|1995|p=29}}{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=40}} Disney and his brother Roy formed the [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Disney Brothers Studio]]{{nsmdns}}which later became [[the Walt Disney Company]]{{nsmdns}}to produce the films;{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=78}}<ref name="WDC: About" /> they persuaded Davis and her family to relocate to [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] to continue production, with Davis on contract at $100 a month. In July 1924, Disney also hired Iwerks, persuading him to relocate to Hollywood from Kansas City.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|pp=73–75}} In 1926,<ref>{{cite web |title=Disney Studios on Hyperion |url=https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/86048 |website=Photo Collection |publisher=[[Los Angeles Public Library]] |access-date=May 29, 2022}}</ref> the first official Walt Disney Studio was established at 2725 Hyperion Avenue; the building was demolished in 1940.<ref>{{cite web |title=Demolition of Disney Hyperion Studios |url=https://tessa.lapl.org/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/36331 |website=Photo Collection |publisher=[[Los Angeles Public Library]] |access-date=May 29, 2022}}</ref>

By 1926, Winkler's role in the distribution of the ''Alice'' series had been handed over to her husband, the film producer [[Charles Mintz]], although the relationship between him and Disney was sometimes strained.<ref name="WDFM: Alice Skids" /> The series ran until July 1927,<ref name="WDFM: Final Alice" /> by which time Disney had begun to tire of it and wanted to move away from the mixed format to all animation.<ref name="WDFM: Alice Skids" /><ref name="BBC: Oswald" /> After Mintz requested new material to distribute through [[Universal Pictures]], Disney and Iwerks created [[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]], a character Disney wanted to be "peppy, alert, saucy and venturesome, keeping him also neat and trim".<ref name="BBC: Oswald" />{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=83}}

In February 1928, Disney hoped to negotiate a larger fee for producing the ''Oswald'' series, but found Mintz wanting to reduce the payments. Mintz had also persuaded many of the artists involved to work directly for him, including Harman, Ising, [[Carman Maxwell]] and [[Friz Freleng]]. Disney also found out that Universal owned the [[intellectual property rights]] to Oswald. Mintz threatened to start his own studio and produce the series himself if Disney refused to accept the reductions. Disney declined Mintz's ultimatum and lost most of his animation staff, except Iwerks, who chose to remain with him.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=109}}<ref name="WDFM: Secret Talks" />{{efn|In 2006, [[the Walt Disney Company]] finally re-acquired Oswald the Lucky Rabbit when its subsidiary [[ESPN]] purchased rights to the character, along with other properties from [[NBCUniversal]].<ref name="EPSN: Oswald" />}}

===1928–1934: Creation of Mickey Mouse and following successes===
To replace Oswald, Disney and Iwerks developed [[Mickey Mouse]], possibly inspired by a pet mouse that Disney had adopted while working in his Laugh-O-Gram studio, although the origins of the character are unclear.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=88}}{{efn|Several stories about the origins exist. Disney's biographer, [[Bob Thomas (reporter)|Bob Thomas]], observes that "The birth of Mickey Mouse is obscured in legend, much of it created by Walt Disney himself."{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=88}}}} Disney's original choice of name was Mortimer Mouse, but his wife [[Lillian Disney|Lillian]] thought it too pompous, and suggested Mickey instead.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=112}}{{efn|The name Mortimer Mouse was used in the 1936 cartoon ''[[Mickey's Rival]]'' as a potential love-interest for [[Minnie Mouse]]. He was portrayed as a "humorous denigration of the smooth city slicker" with a smart car, but failed to win over Minnie from the more homespun Mickey.{{sfn|Watts|2013|p=73}}}} Iwerks revised Disney's provisional sketches to make the character easier to animate. Disney, who had begun to distance himself from the animation process,{{sfn|Thomas|Johnston|1995|p=39}} provided Mickey's voice until 1947. In the words of one Disney employee, "Ub designed Mickey's physical appearance, but Walt gave him his soul."<ref name="WDFM: MM" />

[[File:Steamboat Willie (1928) by Walt Disney.webm|thumb|thumbtime=0:26|The first appearance of [[Mickey Mouse]], in ''[[Steamboat Willie]]'' (1928)]]
Mickey Mouse first appeared in May 1928 as a single test screening of the short ''[[Plane Crazy]]'', but it, and the second feature, ''[[The Gallopin' Gaucho]]'', failed to find a distributor.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=116}} Following the 1927 sensation ''[[The Jazz Singer]]'', Disney used synchronized sound on the third short, ''[[Steamboat Willie]]'', to create the first post-produced [[sound film|sound cartoon]]. After the animation was complete, Disney signed a contract with the former executive of Universal Pictures, [[Pat Powers (businessman)|Pat Powers]], to use the "Powers Cinephone" recording system;{{sfn|Langer|2000}} Cinephone became the new distributor for Disney's early sound cartoons, which soon became popular.{{sfnm|1a1=Finch|1y=1999|1pp=23–24|2a1=Gabler|2y=2006|2p=129}}

To improve the quality of the music, Disney hired the professional composer and arranger [[Carl Stalling]], on whose suggestion the ''[[Silly Symphony]]'' series was developed, providing stories through the use of music; the first in the series, ''[[The Skeleton Dance]]'' (1929), was drawn and animated entirely by Iwerks. Also hired at this time were several artists, both local and from New York.{{sfnm|1a1=Finch|1y=1999|1pp=26–27|2a1=Thomas|2pp=109|2y=1994|3a1=Langer|3y=2000}} Both the Mickey Mouse and ''Silly Symphonies'' series were successful, but Disney and his brother felt they were not receiving their rightful share of profits from Powers. In 1930, Disney tried to trim costs from the process by urging Iwerks to abandon the practice of drawing every frame individually in favor of the more efficient technique of drawing key poses and letting assistants [[Inbetweening|sketch the {{Not a typo|inbetween}} poses]]. Disney asked Powers for an increase in payments for the cartoons. Powers refused and signed Iwerks to work for him; Stalling resigned shortly afterwards, thinking that without Iwerks, the Disney Studio would close.{{sfnm|1a1=Finch|1y=1999|1pp=26–27|2a1=Gabler|2y=2006|2pp=142–44}} Disney had a nervous breakdown in October 1931{{nsmdns}}which he blamed on the machinations of Powers and his own overwork{{nsmdns}}so he and Lillian took an extended holiday to Cuba and a cruise to Panama to recover.{{sfn|Krasniewicz|2010|pp=59–60}}
[[File:Walt Disney with film roll and Mickey Mouse on his right arm, year 1935.jpg|thumb|243x243px|Disney with film roll and [[Mickey Mouse]] on his right arm in 1935]]
With the loss of Powers as distributor, Disney studios signed a contract with [[Columbia Pictures]] to distribute the Mickey Mouse cartoons, which became increasingly popular, including internationally.<ref name="Time: Rodent" />{{sfnm|1a1=Finch|1y=1999|1pp=26–27|2a1=Gabler|2y=2006|2p=142}}{{efn|By 1931 he was called Michael Maus in Germany, Michel Souris in France, Ratón Mickey in Spain and Miki Kuchi in Japan.<ref name="Time: Rodent" />}} Disney and his crew also introduced new cartoon stars like [[Pluto (Disney)|Pluto]] in 1930, [[Goofy]] in 1932 and [[Donald Duck]] in 1934.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=129}} Always keen to embrace new technology and encouraged by his new contract with [[United Artists]], Disney filmed ''[[Flowers and Trees]]'' (1932) in full-color three-strip [[Technicolor]];{{sfnm|1a1=Gabler|1y=2006|1p=178|2a1=Thomas|2y=1994|2p=169}} he was also able to negotiate a deal giving him the sole right to use the three-strip process until August 31, 1935.{{sfnm|1a1=Barrier|1y=1999|1p=167|2a1=Gabler|2y=2006|2p=179}} All subsequent ''Silly Symphony'' cartoons were in color.{{sfn|Finch|1999|p=28}} ''Flowers and Trees'' was popular with audiences{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=178}} and won the inaugural [[Academy Award]] for best [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film|Short Subject (Cartoon)]] at the [[5th Academy Awards|1932 ceremony]]. Disney had been nominated for another film in that category, ''[[Mickey's Orphans]]'', and received an [[Academy Honorary Award|Honorary Award]] "for the creation of Mickey Mouse".{{sfn|Barrier|2007|pp=89–90}}<ref name="AA: 1932" />

In 1933, Disney produced ''[[The Three Little Pigs (film)|The Three Little Pigs]]'', a film described by the media historian Adrian Danks as "the most successful short animation of all time".<ref name="SoC: 3 Pigs" /> The film won Disney another Academy Award in the Short Subject (Cartoon) category. The film's success led to a further increase in the studio's staff, which numbered nearly 200 by the end of the year.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=184–86}} Disney realized the importance of telling emotionally gripping stories that would interest the audience,{{sfn|Lee|Madej|2012|pp=55–56}} and he invested in a "story department" separate from the animators, with [[storyboard artist]]s who would detail the plots of Disney's films.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=186}}

===1934–1941: Golden age of animation===
[[File:Walt Disney Snow white 1937 trailer screenshot (13).jpg|thumb|alt=Walt Disney sits in front of a set of models of the seven dwarfs|Walt Disney introduces each of the seven dwarfs in a scene from the original 1937 ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White]]'' theatrical trailer]]
By 1934, Disney had become dissatisfied with producing cartoon shorts,{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=129}} and believed a feature-length cartoon would be more profitable.{{sfn|Thomas|Johnston|1995|p=90}} The studio began the four-year production of ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'', based on [[Snow White|the fairy tale]]. When news leaked out about the project, many in the film industry predicted it would bankrupt the company; industry insiders nicknamed it "Disney's Folly".{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=270}} The film, which was the first animated feature made in full color and sound, cost $1.5&nbsp;million to produce{{nsmdns}}three times over budget.{{sfnm|1a1=Barrier|1y=1999|1p=130|2a1=Finch|2y=1999|2p=59}} To ensure the animation was as realistic as possible, Disney sent his animators on courses at the [[Chouinard Art Institute]];<ref name="Disney Myth" /> he brought animals into the studio and hired actors so that the animators could study realistic movement.<ref name="Disney Experience" /> To portray the changing perspective of the background as a camera moved through a scene, Disney's animators developed a [[multiplane camera]] which allowed drawings on pieces of glass to be set at various distances from the camera, creating an illusion of depth. The glass could be moved to create the impression of a camera passing through the scene. The first work created on the camera{{nsmdns}}a ''Silly Symphony'' called ''[[The Old Mill]]'' (1937){{nsmdns}}won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film because of its impressive visual power. Although ''Snow White'' had been largely finished by the time the multiplane camera had been completed, Disney ordered some scenes be re-drawn to use the new effects.{{sfn|Williams|Denney|Denney|2004|p=116}}

''Snow White'' premiered in December 1937 to high praise from critics and audiences. The film became the most successful motion picture of 1938 and by May 1939 its total gross of $6.5&nbsp;million made it the most successful sound film made to that date.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=270}}{{efn|$1.5&nbsp;million in 1937 equates to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|1500000|1937}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}; $6.5&nbsp;million in 1939 equates to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|6500000|1939}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the US [[GDP deflator]] measure of inflation.{{inflation-fn|US}}}} Disney won another Honorary Academy Award, which consisted of one full-sized and seven miniature Oscar statuettes.<ref name="AA: 1939" />{{efn|The citation for the award reads: "To Walt Disney for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, recognized as a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field for the motion picture cartoon."<ref name="AA: 1939" />}} The success of ''Snow White'' heralded one of the most productive eras for the studio; the [[Walt Disney Family Museum]] calls the following years "the 'Golden Age of Animation{{' "}}.<ref name="WDFM: Golden Age" />{{sfn|Krasniewicz|2010|p=87}} With work on ''Snow White'' finished, the studio began producing ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]'' in early 1938 and ''[[Fantasia (1940 film)|Fantasia]]'' in November of the same year. Both films were released in 1940, and neither performed well at the box office{{nsmdns}}partly because revenues from Europe had dropped following the start of [[World War II]] in 1939. The studio incurred a loss on both pictures and was deeply in debt by the end of February 1941.{{sfnm|1a1=Thomas|1y=1994|1pp=161–62|2a1=Barrier|2y=2007|2pp=152, 162–63}}

In response to the financial crisis, Disney and his brother Roy started the company's [[Initial public offering|first public stock offering]] in 1940, and implemented heavy salary cuts. The latter measure, and Disney's sometimes high-handed and insensitive manner of dealing with staff, led to [[Disney animators' strike|a 1941 animators' strike]] which lasted five weeks.{{sfnm|1a1=Ceplair|1a2=Englund|1y=1983|1p=158|2a1=Thomas|2y=1994|2pp=163–65|3a1=Barrier|3y=1999|3pp=171–73}} While a federal mediator from the [[National Labor Relations Board]] negotiated with the two sides, Disney accepted an offer from the [[Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs]] to make a goodwill trip to South America, ensuring he was absent during a resolution he knew would be unfavorable to the studio.{{sfnm|1a1=Thomas|1y=1994|1pp=170–71|2a1=Gabler|2y=2006|2pp=370–71}}{{efn|The trip inspired two combined live-action and animation works ''[[Saludos Amigos]]'' (1942) and ''[[The Three Caballeros]]'' (1945).{{sfn|Finch|1999|p=76}}{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=394–95}}}} Due to the strike{{nsmdns}}and the financial state of the company{{nsmdns}}several animators left the studio, and Disney's relationship with other members of staff was permanently strained as a result.{{sfnm|1a1=Langer|1y=2000|2a1=Gabler|2y=2006|2p=378}} The strike temporarily interrupted the studio's next production, ''[[Dumbo]]'' (1941), which Disney produced in a simple and inexpensive manner; the film received a positive reaction from audiences and critics alike.{{sfnm|1a1=Finch|1y=1999|1p=71|2a1=Gabler|2y=2006|2pp=380–81}}

===1941–1950: World War II and beyond===
[[File:Disney drawing goofy.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Disney drawing Goofy for a group of girls in Argentina, 1941]]
Shortly after the release of ''Dumbo'' in October 1941, the U.S. entered World War&nbsp;II. Disney formed the Walt Disney Training Films Unit within the company to produce instruction films for the military such as ''Four Methods of Flush Riveting'' and ''Aircraft Production Methods''.{{sfnm|1a1=Thomas|1y=1994|1pp=184–85|2a1=Gabler|2y=2006|2pp=382–83}} Disney also met with [[Henry Morgenthau Jr.]], the [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]], and agreed to produce short Donald Duck cartoons to promote [[Series E bond|war bonds]].{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=384–85}} Disney also produced several [[Walt Disney's World War II propaganda production|propaganda productions]], including shorts such as ''[[Der Fuehrer's Face]]''{{nsmdns}}which won an Academy Award{{nsmdns}}and the 1943 feature film ''[[Victory Through Air Power (film)|Victory Through Air Power]]''.{{sfn|Finch|1999|p=77}}

The military films generated only enough revenue to cover costs, and the feature film ''[[Bambi]]''{{nsmdns}}which had been in production since 1937{{nsmdns}}underperformed on its release in August 1942, and lost $200,000 at the box office.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=399}} On top of the low earnings from ''Pinocchio'' and ''Fantasia'', the company had debts of $4&nbsp;million with the [[Bank of America]] in 1944.<ref name="WDFM: Fiscal Crisis" />{{efn|$4&nbsp;million in 1944 equates to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|4000000|1944|r=-6}}}} in {{inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the [[United States Consumer Price Index|Consumer Price Index]] measure of inflation.{{inflation-fn|US}}}} At a meeting with Bank of America executives to discuss the future of the company, the bank's chairman and founder, [[Amadeo Giannini]], told his executives, "I've been watching the Disneys' pictures quite closely because I knew we were lending them money far above the financial risk.&nbsp;... They're good this year, they're good next year, and they're good the year after.&nbsp;... You have to relax and give them time to market their product."{{sfn|Thomas|1994|pp=186–87}} Disney's production of short films decreased in the late 1940s, coinciding with increasing competition in the animation market from [[Warner Bros. Cartoons|Warner Bros.]] and [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]. Roy Disney, for financial reasons, suggested more combined animation and live-action productions.{{sfn|Langer|2000}}{{efn|These included ''[[Make Mine Music]]'' (1946), ''[[Song of the South]]'' (1946), ''[[Melody Time]]'' (1948) and ''[[So Dear to My Heart]]'' (1949).{{sfn|Langer|2000}}}} In 1948, Disney initiated a series of popular live-action nature films, titled ''[[True-Life Adventures]]'', with ''[[Seal Island (film)|Seal Island]]'' the first; the film won the Academy Award in the [[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film|Best Short Subject (Two-Reel)]] category.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=445–46}}

===1950–1966: Theme parks, television, other interests, and final years===
In early 1950, Disney produced ''[[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderella]]'', his studio's first animated feature in eight years. It was popular with critics and theater audiences. Costing $2.2&nbsp;million to produce, it earned nearly $8&nbsp;million in its first year.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=220}}{{efn|$2.2&nbsp;million in 1950 equates to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2200000|1950|r=-6}}}} in {{inflation/year|US}}; $8&nbsp;million in 1950 equates to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|8000000|1950|r=-6}}}} in {{inflation/year|US}}, according to calculations based on the [[United States Consumer Price Index|Consumer Price Index]] measure of inflation.{{inflation-fn|US}}}} Disney was less involved than he had been with previous pictures because of his involvement in his first entirely live-action feature, ''[[Treasure Island (1950 film)|Treasure Island]]'' (1950), which was shot in Britain, as was ''[[The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men]]'' (1952).{{sfnm|1a1=Finch|1y=1999|1pp=126–27|2a1=Barrier|2y=2007|2pp=221–23}} Other all-live-action features followed, many of which had patriotic themes.{{sfn|Langer|2000}}{{efn|The patriotic films include ''[[Johnny Tremain (film)|Johnny Tremain]]'' (1957), ''[[Old Yeller (film)|Old Yeller]]'' (1957), ''[[Tonka (film)|Tonka]]'' (1958), ''[[Swiss Family Robinson (1960 film)|Swiss Family Robinson]]'' (1960), ''[[Pollyanna (1960 film)|Polyanna]]'' (1960).{{sfn|Langer|2000}}}} He continued to produce full-length animated features too, including ''[[Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]'' (1951) and ''[[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]]'' (1953). From the early to mid-1950s, Disney began to devote less attention to the animation department, entrusting most of its operations to his key animators, the [[Disney's Nine Old Men|Nine Old Men]],{{efn|The [[Disney's Nine Old Men|Nine Old Men]] consisted of [[Eric Larson]], [[Wolfgang Reitherman]], [[Les Clark]], [[Milt Kahl]], [[Ward Kimball]], [[Marc Davis (animator)|Marc Davis]], [[Ollie Johnston]], [[Frank Thomas (animator)|Frank Thomas]] and [[John Lounsbery]].{{sfn|Langer|2000}}}} although he was always present at story meetings. Instead, he started concentrating on other ventures.{{sfn|Canemaker|2001|p=110}} Around the same time, Disney  established his own film distribution division [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista]], replacing his most recent distributor [[RKO Pictures]].{{sfn|Thomas|1994|pp=336–337}}

[[File:WaltDisneyplansDisneylandDec1954.jpg|thumb|Disney shows the plans of [[Disneyland]] to officials from [[Orange County, California|Orange County]] in December 1954]]
For several years Disney had been considering building a theme park. When he visited [[Griffith Park]] in Los Angeles with his daughters, he wanted to be in a clean, unspoiled park, where both children and their parents could have fun.<ref name="WDFM: Dreaming" /> He visited the [[Tivoli Gardens]] in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was heavily influenced by the cleanliness and layout of the park.<ref name="Disney Myth 2" /> In March 1952, he received zoning permission to build a theme park in Burbank, near the Disney studios.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|pp=233–34}} This site proved too small, and a larger plot in [[Anaheim, California|Anaheim]], {{convert|35|mi|km}} south of the studio, was purchased. To distance the project from the studio{{nsmdns}}which might attract the criticism of shareholders{{nsmdns}}Disney formed WED Enterprises (now [[Walt Disney Imagineering]]) and used his own money to fund a group of designers and animators to work on the plans;<ref name="WDFM: WED" /><ref name="WDFM: Genesis" /> those involved became known as "Imagineers".{{sfn|Finch|1999|p=139}} After obtaining bank funding he invited other stockholders, [[American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres]]{{nsmdns}}part of [[American Broadcasting Company]] (ABC){{nsmdns}}and [[Western Publishing|Western Printing and Lithographing Company]].{{sfn|Langer|2000}} In mid-1954, Disney sent his Imagineers to every amusement park in the U.S. to analyze what worked and what pitfalls or problems there were in the various locations and incorporated their findings into his design.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=246}} Construction work started in July 1954, and [[Disneyland]] opened in July 1955; the opening ceremony was broadcast on ABC, which reached 70&nbsp;million viewers.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=524, 530–32}} The park was designed as a series of themed lands, linked by the central [[Main Street, U.S.A.]]{{nsmdns}}a replica of the main street in his hometown of Marceline. The connected themed areas were [[Adventureland (Disney)|Adventureland]], [[Frontierland]], [[Fantasyland]] and [[Tomorrowland (Disney Parks)|Tomorrowland]]. The park also contained the [[Narrow-gauge railway|narrow gauge]] [[Disneyland Railroad]] that linked the lands; around the outside of the park was a high [[berm]] to separate the park from the outside world.{{sfn|Eliot|1995|pp=225–26}}{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=498}} An editorial in ''[[The New York Times]]'' considered that Disney had "tastefully combined some of the pleasant things of yesterday with fantasy and dreams of tomorrow".<ref name="NYT: Topics" /> Although there were early minor problems with the park, it was a success, and after a month's operation, Disneyland was receiving over 20,000 visitors a day; by the end of its first year, it attracted 3.6&nbsp;million guests.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=537}}
[[File:Walt Disney and Dr. Wernher von Braun - GPN-2000-000060.jpg|left|thumb|Disney in 1954 with [[Wernher von Braun]]]]
The money from ABC was contingent on Disney television programs.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=508–09}} The studio had been involved in a successful television special on Christmas Day 1950 about the making of ''Alice in Wonderland''. Roy believed the program added millions to the box office takings. In a March 1951 letter to shareholders, he wrote that "television can be a most powerful selling aid for us, as well as a source of revenue. It will probably be on this premise that we enter television when we do".{{sfn|Langer|2000}} In 1954, after the Disneyland funding had been agreed, ABC broadcast ''[[Walt Disney anthology television series|Walt Disney's Disneyland]]'', an anthology consisting of animated cartoons, live-action features and other material from the studio's library. The show was successful in terms of ratings and profits, earning an audience share of over 50%.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=511}}{{efn|Even repeats of the program proved more popular than all other television shows—aside from [[Lucille Ball]]'s ''[[I Love Lucy]]''; no ABC program had ever been in the top 25 before ''Disneyland''.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=511}}}} In April 1955, ''[[Newsweek]]'' called the series an "American institution".<ref name="NW: Wonderful" /> ABC was pleased with the ratings, leading to Disney's first daily television program, ''[[The Mickey Mouse Club]]'', a variety show catering specifically to children.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=520–21}} The program was accompanied by merchandising through various companies (Western Printing, for example, had been producing coloring books and comics for over 20 years, and produced several items connected to the show).{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=245}} One of the segments of ''Disneyland'' consisted of the five-part [[miniseries]] ''[[Davy Crockett (miniseries)|Davy Crockett]]'' which, according to Disney biographer [[Neal Gabler]], "became an overnight sensation".{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=514}} The show's theme song, "[[The Ballad of Davy Crockett]]", became internationally popular and ten million records were sold.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=257}} As a result, Disney formed his own record production and distribution entity, [[Walt Disney Records|Disneyland Records]].{{sfn|Hollis|Ehrbar|2006|pp=5–12, 20}}

As well as the construction of Disneyland, Disney worked on other projects away from the studio. He was consultant to the 1959 [[American National Exhibition]] in Moscow; Disney Studios' contribution was ''[[America the Beautiful (Disney)|America the Beautiful]]'', a 19-minute film in the 360-degree [[Circle-Vision 360°|Circarama theater]] that was one of the most popular attractions.{{sfn|Langer|2000}} The following year he acted as the chairman of the Pageantry Committee for the [[1960 Winter Olympics]] in [[Squaw Valley, Placer County, California|Squaw Valley, California]], where he designed the [[Olympic Games ceremony|opening, closing and medal ceremonies]].{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=566}} He was one of twelve investors in the [[Celebrity Sports Center]], which opened in 1960 in [[Glendale, Colorado]]; he and Roy bought out the others in 1962, making the Disney company the sole owner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/celebrity-sports-center |title=Celebrity Sports Center: Bowling, video games, and your very first water slide|publisher=Denver Public Library|date=January 25, 2020}}</ref>

Despite the demands wrought by non-studio projects, Disney continued to work on film and television projects. In 1955, he was involved in "[[Man in Space]]", an episode of the ''Disneyland'' series, which was made in collaboration with [[NASA]] rocket designer [[Wernher von Braun]].{{efn|The program, which was produced by [[Ward Kimball]], was nominated for an Academy Award for the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject)|Best Documentary (Short Subject)]] at the [[29th Academy Awards|1957 Awards]].<ref name="AA:1957" />}} Disney also oversaw aspects of the full-length features ''[[Lady and the Tramp]]'' (the first animated film in [[CinemaScope]]) in 1955, ''[[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|Sleeping Beauty]]'' (the first animated film in [[Technirama]] [[70 mm film]]) in 1959, ''[[One Hundred and One Dalmatians]]'' (the first animated feature film to use [[Traditional animation#Xerography|Xerox cels]]) in 1961, and ''[[The Sword in the Stone (1963 film)|The Sword in the Stone]]'' in 1963.{{sfn|Finch|1999|pp=82–85}}

In 1964, Disney produced ''[[Mary Poppins (film)|Mary Poppins]]'', based on [[Mary Poppins (book series)|the book series]] by [[P. L. Travers]]; he had been trying to acquire the rights to the story since the 1940s.{{sfn|Finch|1999|p=130}} It became the most successful Disney film of the 1960s, although Travers disliked the film intensely and regretted having sold the rights.<ref name="DT: Travers dislike" /> The same year he also became involved in plans to expand the [[California Institute of the Arts]] (colloquially called CalArts), and had an architect draw up blueprints for a new building.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=298}}

Disney provided four exhibits for the [[1964 New York World's Fair]], for which he obtained funding from selected corporate sponsors. For [[PepsiCo]], who planned a tribute to [[UNICEF]], Disney developed [[It's a Small World]], a boat ride with audio-animatronic dolls depicting children of the world; [[Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln]] contained an animatronic [[Abraham Lincoln]] giving excerpts from his speeches; [[Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress|Carousel of Progress]] promoted the importance of electricity; and Ford's Magic Skyway portrayed the progress of mankind. Elements of all four exhibits{{nsmdns}}principally concepts and technology{{nsmdns}}were re-installed in Disneyland, although It's a Small World is the ride that most closely resembles the original.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=293}}<ref name="WDFM: Fair" />
[[File:Walt Disney with Company at Press Conference.jpg|thumb|244x244px|Disney (left) with his brother [[Roy O. Disney]] (right) and then Governor of Florida [[W. Haydon Burns]] (center) on November 15, 1965, publicly announcing the creation of Disney World]]
During the early to mid-1960s, Disney developed plans for a [[ski resort]] in [[Mineral King]], a glacial valley in California's [[Sierra Nevada]]. He hired experts such as the Olympic ski coach and ski-area designer [[Willy Schaeffler]].{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=621–23}}<ref name="Ski: Schaeffler" />{{efn|Disney's death in 1966, and opposition from conservationists, stopped the building of the resort.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=631}}}} With income from Disneyland accounting for an increasing proportion of the studio's income, Disney continued to look for venues for other attractions. In 1963, he presented a project to create a theme park in downtown [[St. Louis]], Missouri; he initially reached an agreement with the Civic Center Redevelopment Corp, which controlled the land, but the deal later collapsed over funding.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/columns/david-nicklaus/no-disney-didn-t-spurn-st-louis-over-beer/article_8c800b33-b9da-51df-9049-70d448cd084b.html|title=No, Disney didn't spurn St. Louis over beer|first=David|last=Nicklaus|date=May 8, 2013|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|access-date=October 5, 2022|archive-date=December 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216041938/https://www.stltoday.com/business/columns/david-nicklaus/no-disney-didn-t-spurn-st-louis-over-beer/article_8c800b33-b9da-51df-9049-70d448cd084b.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/the-daily-disney/os-walt-disney-world-almost-in-st-louis-20151207-story.html|title=Walt Disney World was almost in St. Louis|first=Jim|last=Salter|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=December 7, 2015|access-date=October 5, 2022|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222155639/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/the-daily-disney/os-walt-disney-world-almost-in-st-louis-20151207-story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In late 1965, he announced plans to develop another theme park to be called "Disney World" (now [[Walt Disney World]]), a few miles southwest of [[Orlando, Florida]]. Disney World was to include the "Magic Kingdom"{{nsmdns}}a larger and more elaborate version of Disneyland{{nsmdns}}plus golf courses and resort hotels. The heart of Disney World was to be the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" ([[EPCOT (concept)|EPCOT]]),{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=606–08}} which he described as:

<blockquote>an experimental prototype community of tomorrow that will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise.{{sfn|Beard|1982|p=11}}</blockquote>

During 1966, Disney cultivated businesses willing to sponsor EPCOT.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=307}} He received a story credit in the 1966 film ''[[Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.]]'' as {{anchor|Retlaw Yensid}}Retlaw Yensid, his name spelt backwards.{{sfn|Broggie|2006|pp=28}} He increased his involvement in the studio's films, and was heavily involved in the story development of ''[[The Jungle Book (1967 film)|The Jungle Book]]'', the live-action musical feature ''[[The Happiest Millionaire]]'' (both 1967) and the animated short ''[[Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day]]'' (1968).{{sfnm|1a1=Thomas|1y=1994|1p=343|2a1=Barrier|2y=2007|2p=276}}

==Illness, death and aftermath==
[[File:Walt Disney Grave.JPG|thumb|upright|alt=A gravestone inscribed 'Walter Elias Disney', 'Lillian Bounds Disney', 'Robert B. Brown', Sharon Disney Brown Lund ashes scattered in paradise'|Grave of Walt Disney at Forest Lawn, Glendale]]
Disney had been a [[Chain smoking|heavy smoker]] since World War&nbsp;I. He did not use cigarettes with [[cigarette filter|filters]] and had smoked a pipe as a young man. In early November 1966, he was diagnosed with [[lung cancer]] and was treated with [[cobalt therapy]]. Believing the treatment to have been successful, he returned to work, however on November 30 he felt unwell and was taken by ambulance from his home to [[Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center|St. Joseph Hospital]] where, on December 15, at age 65, he died of [[circulatory collapse]] caused by the cancer.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=626–31}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/archives/la-me-walt-disney-19661216-story.html|title=Wizard of Fantasy Walt Disney Dies|language=en-US|first=Harry|last=Trimborn|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 16, 1966|access-date=November 3, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The death of Walt Disney — folk hero|first=Alistair|last=Cooke|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2011/dec/16/from-the-archive-walt-disney-dies-1966|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 16, 2011|access-date=November 3, 2024|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/12/16/archives/walt-disney-65-dies-on-coast-founded-an-empire-on-a-mouse-walt.html|title=Walt Disney, 65, Dies on Coast|language=en|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 16, 1966}}</ref> His remains were cremated two days later and his ashes interred at the [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]] in [[Glendale, California]].{{sfn|Mosley|1990|p=298}}{{efn|A long-standing [[urban legend]] maintains that Disney was [[Cryonics|cryonically frozen]].{{sfn|Eliot|1995|p=268}} Disney's daughter Diane later stated, "There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that my father, Walt Disney, wished to be frozen."<ref name="WFP: Frozen" /><ref name="Snopes: Frozen" />}}

The release of ''The Jungle Book'' and ''The Happiest Millionaire'' in 1967 raised the total number of feature films that Disney had been involved in to 81.<ref name="D23: WD" /> When ''Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day'' was released in 1968, it earned Disney an Academy Award in the Short Subject (Cartoon) category, awarded posthumously.{{sfn|Dobson|2009|p=220}} After Disney's death, his studios continued to produce live-action films prolifically while the quality of their animated films was allowed to languish. In the late 1980s, this trend was reversed in what ''[[The New York Times]]'' describes as the "[[Disney Renaissance]]" that began with ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' (1989).<ref name="USA Today" /> Disney's studios continue to produce successful film, television and stage entertainment.<ref name="WDS: History" />

Disney's plans for the futuristic city of EPCOT did not come to fruition. After Disney's death, his brother Roy deferred his retirement to take full control of the Disney companies. He changed the focus of the project from a town to an attraction.<ref name="Esquire: EPCOT" /> At the inauguration in 1971, Roy dedicated Walt Disney World to his brother.<ref name="DWR: WH" />{{efn|Roy died two months later, in December 1971.{{sfn|Thomas|1994|pp=357–58}}}} Walt Disney World expanded with the opening of [[Epcot Center]] in 1982; Walt Disney's vision of a functional city was replaced by a park more akin to a permanent [[world's fair]].<ref name="ATT: EPCOT" /> In 2009, the Walt Disney Family Museum, designed by Disney's daughter Diane and her son Walter E. D. Miller, opened in the [[Presidio of San Francisco]].<ref name="WDFM: About" /> Thousands of artifacts from Disney's life and career are on display, including numerous awards that he received.<ref name="NYT: WDFM" /> In 2014, the Disney theme parks around the world hosted approximately 134&nbsp;million visitors.<ref name="NYDNOctober2015"/>

==Personal life and character==
{{external media| float = right| video1 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?195399-10/walt-disney Interview with Neal Gabler on ''Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination'', November 19, 2006], [[C-SPAN]]}} 
Early in 1925, Disney hired an ink artist, [[Lillian Disney|Lillian Bounds]]. They married in July of that year, at her brother's house in her home town of [[Lewiston, Idaho]].<ref name=wddiofclmt>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D7peAAAAIBAJ&pg=4762%2C3438544 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |agency=Associated Press |title=Walt Disney dies of cancer at 65 |date=December 16, 1966 |page=1}}</ref> The marriage was generally happy, according to Lillian, although according to Disney's biographer [[Neal Gabler]] she did not "accept Walt's decisions meekly or his status unquestionably, and she admitted that he was always telling people 'how henpecked he is'."{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=544}}{{efn|One possible exception to the stable relationship was during the making ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' (1937), where the stresses and turmoil associated with the production led to the couple discussing divorce.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=544}}}} Lillian had little interest in films or the Hollywood social scene and she was, in the words of the historian Steven Watts, "content with household management and providing support for her husband".{{sfn|Watts|2013|p=352}} Their marriage produced two daughters, [[Diane Disney Miller|Diane]] (born December 1933) and Sharon (adopted in December 1936, born six weeks previously).{{sfn|Barrier|2007|pp=102, 131}}{{efn|Lillian had two miscarriages during the eight years between marriage and the birth of Diane; she suffered a further miscarriage shortly before the family adopted Sharon.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|pp=102, 131}}}} Within [[Disney family|the family]], neither Disney nor his wife hid the fact Sharon had been adopted, although they became annoyed if people outside the family raised the point.{{sfnm|1a1=Mosley|1y=1990|1p=169|2a1=Gabler|2y=2006|2p=280}} The Disneys were careful to keep their daughters out of the public eye as much as possible, particularly in the light of the [[Lindbergh kidnapping]]; Disney took steps to ensure his daughters were not photographed by the press.{{sfnm|1a1=Thomas|1y=1994|1p=196|2a1=Watts|2y=2013|2p=352}}

[[File:DisneySchiphol1951.jpg|thumb|left|Disney family at [[Schiphol Airport]] (1951)]]
In 1949, Disney and his family moved to a new home in the [[Holmby Hills]] district of Los Angeles. With the help of his friends [[Ward Kimball|Ward and Betty Kimball]], who already had their own [[Grizzly Flats Railroad|backyard railroad]], Disney developed blueprints and immediately set to work on creating a miniature [[live steam]] railroad for his back yard. The name of the railroad, [[Carolwood Pacific Railroad]], came from his home's location on Carolwood Drive. The miniature working steam locomotive was built by Disney Studios engineer [[Roger E. Broggie]], and Disney named it ''Lilly Belle'' after his wife;{{sfn|Broggie|2006|pp=7, 109}} after three years Disney ordered it into storage due to a series of accidents involving his guests.{{sfn|Barrier|2007|p=219}}

Disney grew more [[Conservatism in the United States|politically conservative]] as he got older. A [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] supporter until the [[1940 United States presidential election|1940 presidential election]], when he switched allegiance to the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]],{{sfn|Thomas|1994|p=227}} he became a generous donor to [[Thomas&nbsp;E.&nbsp;Dewey]]'s [[1944 United States presidential election|1944 bid for the presidency]].{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=452}} Disney engaged in [[red-baiting]] in response to organized labor actions against his company. In 1941, he paid for a full-page ad in ''Variety'' claiming that "Communistic agitation" was responsible for a cartoonist strike against him.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Perlstein |first=Rick |url=https://archive.org/details/invisiblebridgef0000perl |title=The invisible bridge : the fall of Nixon and the rise of Reagan |date=2014 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-1-4767-8241-6 |page=361}}</ref> In 1946, he was a founding member of the [[Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals]], an organization who stated they "believ[ed] in, and like, the American Way of Life&nbsp;... we find ourselves in sharp revolt against a rising tide of Communism, Fascism and kindred beliefs, that seek by subversive means to undermine and change this way of life".{{sfn|Watts|2013|p=240}} In 1947, during the [[Second Red Scare]], Disney testified before the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] (HUAC), where he branded [[Herbert Sorrell]], [[David Hilberman]] and [[William Pomerance]], former animators and [[trade union|labor union]] organizers, as communist agitators; Disney stated that the 1941 strike led by them was part of an organized communist effort to gain influence in Hollywood.<ref name="CNN: HUAC" />{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=370}}

''The New York Times'' reported in 1993 that Disney had been an FBI informant passing secret information to J. Edgar Hoover about communist activities in Hollywood.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/06/movies/disney-link-to-the-fbi-and-hoover-is-disclosed.html|title=Disney Link To the F.B.I. And Hoover Is Disclosed|last=Mitgang|first=Herbert|date=May 6, 1993|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 10, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> However, while Walt Disney was made a "Special Agent in Charge Contact" in 1954, FBI officials claim this was largely an honorary title regularly awarded to members of a community who might be of use to the bureau.<ref name="Korkis">{{cite web |url=https://www.mouseplanet.com/11885/Debunking_Myths_About_Walt_Disney |title=Debunking Myths About Walt Disney |last=Korkis |first=Jim |date=November 20, 2017 |website=mouseplanet.com |publisher= Mouseplanet |access-date=September 2, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Creative Explosion: Walt's Political Outlook |url=http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/insidestory/inside_1933e.html |website=The Walt Disney Family Museum |access-date=November 1, 2023|date=June 7, 2008|page=17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607073757/http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/insidestory/inside_1933e.html |archive-date=June 7, 2008 }}</ref> The FBI declassified and released Walt Disney's file on their website, and revealed that much of Disney's correspondence with the bureau (via studio personnel) was in relation to the production of [[educational films]]; such as a certain installment of the "Career Day" [[newsreel]] segments on ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' focusing on the bureau (which aired in January 1958), as well as an unmade 1961 educational short warning children about the dangers of [[child molestation]].<ref name="Korkis" /><ref>{{cite web |title=FBI Records: The Vault - Walter Elias Disney |url=https://vault.fbi.gov/walter-elias-disney |website=vault.fbi.gov |publisher=[[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] |access-date=November 1, 2023}}</ref>

Disney's public persona was very different from his actual personality.<ref name="PBS trailer 2" /> Playwright [[Robert E. Sherwood]] described him as "almost painfully shy&nbsp;... diffident" and self-deprecating.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=204}} According to his biographer [[Richard Schickel]], Disney hid his shy and insecure personality behind his public identity.{{sfn|Schickel|1986|p=341}} Kimball argues that Disney "played the role of a bashful tycoon who was embarrassed in public" and knew that he was doing so.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=205}} Disney acknowledged the façade and told a friend that "I'm not Walt Disney. I do a lot of things Walt Disney would not do. Walt Disney does not smoke. I smoke. Walt Disney does not drink. I drink."<ref name="PBS trailer 1" /> Critic [[Otis Ferguson]], in ''[[The New Republic]]'', called the private Disney: "common and everyday, not inaccessible, not in a foreign language, not suppressed or sponsored or anything. Just Disney."{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=205}} Many of those with whom Disney worked commented that he gave his staff little encouragement due to his exceptionally high expectations. Norman recalls that when Disney said "That'll work", it was an indication of high praise.{{sfn|Norman|2013|p=64}} Instead of direct approval, Disney gave high-performing staff financial bonuses, or recommended certain individuals to others, expecting that his praise would be passed on.{{sfn|Krasniewicz|2010|p=77}}

==Reputation==
[[File:Disney1968.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A portrait of Disney with cartoon representations of different nationalities on a 6 cent US stamp|A portrait of Disney with cartoon representations of different nationalities on a 6-cent U.S. postage stamp, 1968]]
Views of Disney and his work have changed over the decades, and there have been polarized opinions.{{sfn|Watts|1995|p=84}} Mark Langer, in the ''American Dictionary of National Biography'', writes that "Earlier evaluations of Disney hailed him as a patriot, folk artist, and popularizer of culture. More recently, Disney has been regarded as a paradigm of [[American imperialism]] and intolerance, as well as a debaser of culture."{{sfn|Langer|2000}} Steven Watts wrote that some denounce Disney "as a cynical manipulator of cultural and commercial formulas",{{sfn|Watts|1995|p=84}} while [[PBS]] records that critics have censured his work because of its "smooth façade of sentimentality and stubborn optimism, its feel-good re-write of American history".<ref name="PBS: AmEx"/>

Watts argues that many of Disney's post-World War II films "legislated a kind of cultural [[Marshall Plan]]. They nourished a genial [[cultural imperialism]] that magically overran the rest of the globe with the values, expectations, and goods of a prosperous middle-class United States."{{sfn|Watts|1995|p=107}} Film historian [[Jay Telotte|Jay P. Telotte]] acknowledges that many see Disney's studio as an "agent of manipulation and repression", although he observes that it has "labored throughout its history to link its name with notions of fun, family, and fantasy".{{sfn|Telotte|2008|p=19}} John Tomlinson, in his study ''Cultural Imperialism'', examines the work of [[Ariel Dorfman]] and [[Armand Mattelart]], whose 1971 book {{lang|es|Para leer al Pato Donald}} ({{translation}} ''[[How to Read Donald Duck]]'') identifies that there are "imperialist&nbsp;... values 'concealed' behind the innocent, wholesome façade of the world of Walt Disney"; this, they argue, is a powerful tool as "it presents itself as harmless fun for consumption by children."{{sfn|Tomlinson|2001|p=41}} Tomlinson views their argument as flawed, as "they simply ''assume'' that reading American comics, seeing adverts, watching pictures of the affluent&nbsp;... ['[[Yankee]]'] lifestyle has a direct pedagogic effect".{{sfn|Tomlinson|2001|p=44}}

===Politics and allegations of prejudice===
Disney has been accused of [[antisemitism]] for having given Nazi propagandist [[Leni Riefenstahl]] a tour of his studio a month after {{lang|de|[[Kristallnacht]]}}.<ref name="NYT: Dargis"/> Riefenstahl's invitation was solicited to Disney by painter and ballet dancer [[Hubert Julian "Jay" Stowitts|Hurbert "Jay" Stowitts]], a close friend of Riefenstahl, and a former colleague of [[Leopold Stokowski]] who at the time was collaborating with Disney on ''Fantasia''.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=499}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Graham |first1=Cooper C. |title='Olympia' in America, 1938: Leni Riefenstahl, Hollywood, and the Kristallnacht |url=http://www.coopercgraham.net/documents/OlympiaCCGraham.pdf |date=September 15, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104337/http://www.coopercgraham.net/documents/OlympiaCCGraham.pdf |access-date=April 9, 2024|archive-date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref> A month later a spokesperson for Disney told the ''[[New York Daily News]]'': "Miss Riefenstahl got into the studio, but she crashed the gate. A Los Angeles man who is known to Disney obtained permission to take a party through the plant. Leni was in the party. If we had known it in advance she wouldn't have got in."<ref>{{cite news |title=Leni Isn't Kicking |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-leni-isnt-kicking/170422066/ |access-date=April 8, 2024 |agency=New York Daily News |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=January 6, 1939}}</ref> Animation historian Jim Korkis theorizes that Disney may have also met with Riefenstahl for financial reasons: as an attempt by Disney to recover over 135,000 [[Reichsmarks]] owed from his German film distributor and to get the ban on Disney films lifted in Germany.<ref name="Korkis" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Korkis |first1=Jim |title=Call Me Walt: Everything You Never Knew About Walt Disney |date=2017 |publisher=Theme Park Press |location=Dallas |isbn=978-1683901013 |page=178 }}</ref> Animator [[Art Babbitt]], organizer behind the [[Disney animators' strike|1941 strike]] at the studio and who held a well-known grudge against Disney, claimed in his later years that he saw Disney and his lawyer attend meetings of the [[German American Bund]], a pro-Nazi organization, during the late 1930s.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=448}} However, according to Disney biographer Neal Gabler: "...that was highly unlikely, not only because Walt had little enough time for his family, much less political meetings, but because he had no real political leanings at the time."{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=448, 457}} Disney's office appointment book makes no mention of him attending Bund rallies, and no other employee ever claimed he attended such meetings.<ref name="Korkis" /><ref name="Call Me Walt">{{cite book |last1=Korkis |first1=Jim |title=Call Me Walt: Everything You Never Knew About Walt Disney |date=2017 |publisher=Theme Park Press |location=Dallas |isbn=978-1683901013 |page=176}}</ref>

According to Gabler, Disney was [[apolitical]] and "something of a political naïf" during the 1930s and he had previously told one reporter – as tensions in Europe were brewing – that America should "let 'em fight their own wars" claiming he had "learned my lesson" from [[World War I]].{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=449}}{{efn|Disney also demonstrated his political naivete in the October 1933 issue of ''Overland Monthly'' where he stated: "Of course there must be millions of people who have a downright feeling of animosity for our M. Mouse. Mr. A. Hitler, the Nazi old thing, says that Mickey’s silly. Imagine that! Well, Mickey is going to save Mr. A Hitler from drowning or something some day. Just wait and see if he doesn’t. Then won’t Mr. A. Hitler be ashamed!"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Korkis |first1=Jim |title=Walt's Forgotten Essay |url=https://mouseplanet.com/walts-forgotten-essay/3107/ |website=MousePlanet.com |date=November 17, 2010 |access-date=17 October 2025}}</ref><ref name="Korkis" /><ref name="Call Me Walt" />}} Gabler also noted that in late 1939, Disney was going over a scale model of a new studio to be built in Burbank, when one animator suddenly asked him how the recently begun war in Europe would affect its construction, to which Disney responded by asking, "What war?"{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=348}} During [[World War II]], Disney was actively involved in making propaganda films against the Nazis, both for the general public (such as ''[[Der Fuehrer's Face]]'' and ''[[Education for Death]]''), as well as educational and training films exclusively for the [[United States Government]]. As early as October 1940 (over a year before America's entry into the war), Disney began enlisting contracts from various branches of the [[United States Armed Forces]] to make training films,{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=382}} and in March 1941 he held a luncheon with Government representatives formally offering his services "...for national defence industries at cost and without profit. In making this offer, I am motivated solely by a desire to help as best I can in the present emergency."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barrier |first1=Michael |title=Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation In Its Golden Age |date=2003 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-516729-0 |page=368 |edition=Revised}}</ref> These training films contained highly classified information and required the highest level of security clearance to be viewed. If Disney had any previous sympathies toward Nazism, the U.S. Government would have disqualified him from making these films.<ref name="Korkis" /><ref name="Call Me Walt" />

The [[Walt Disney Family Museum]] acknowledges that ethnic stereotypes common to films of the 1930s were included in some early cartoons{{efn|Examples include ''The Three Little Pigs'' (in which the Big Bad Wolf comes to the door dressed as a Jewish peddler) and ''[[The Opry House]]'' (in which Mickey Mouse is dressed and dances as a [[Hasidic Jew]]).{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=456}}<ref name="Creative Explosion"/>}} but also points out that Disney donated regularly to Jewish charities and was named the 1955 "Man of the Year" by the [[B'nai B'rith]] chapter in Beverly Hills.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=456}}<ref name="Creative Explosion"/> The organization itself found no evidence of antisemitism on Disney's part. The plaque read: "For exemplifying the best tenets of American citizenship and inter-group understanding and interpreting into action the ideals of B'nai B'rith."<ref name="Korkis"/> Disney had numerous Jewish employees, many of whom were in influential positions.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=455}} None of Disney's employees&nbsp;– including animator [[Art Babbitt]], who disliked Disney intensely&nbsp;– ever accused him of making antisemitic slurs or taunts.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=448, 457}} Jewish story man [[Joe Grant]], who worked closely with Disney throughout the 1930s and 1940s stated, "As far as I'm concerned, there was no evidence of antisemitism. I think the whole idea should be put to rest and buried deep. He was not antisemitic. Some of the most influential people at the studio were Jewish. It's much ado about nothing. I never once had a problem with him in that way."<ref name="Korkis"/>{{efn|Other Jewish employees production manager Harry Tytle, and head of merchandising [[Kay Kamen]], who once quipped that Disney's New York office had "more Jews than The Book of Leviticus"{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=455}}}} In addition songwriter [[Robert B. Sherman]] recalled that when one of Disney's lawyers made antisemitic remarks towards him and his brother [[Richard M. Sherman|Richard]], Disney defended them and fired the attorney.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/debunking-disney-urban-myths/ |title=Debunking Disney Urban Myths |last=Korkis |first=Jim |date=November 20, 2017 |website=cartoonresearch.com |publisher=Cartoon Research|access-date=September 2, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Korkis"/> Gabler, the first writer to gain unrestricted access to the Disney archives, concludes that the available evidence does not support accusations of antisemitism and that Disney largely got that reputation due to his association with [[Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals]] – an anti-Communist organization formed in 1944, that was rumored to have antisemitic undertones. Gabler concludes that "...though Walt himself, in my estimation, was not antisemitic, nevertheless, he willingly allied himself with people who were antisemitic, and that reputation stuck. He was never really able to expunge it throughout his life."<ref name="CBS: Gabler"/> Disney distanced himself from the Motion Picture Alliance, and had no involvement with the organization after 1947.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=611}} 
According to Disney's daughter [[Diane Disney-Miller]], her sister Sharon dated a Jewish boyfriend for a period of time, to which her father raised no objections and reportedly said, "Sharon, I think it's wonderful how these Jewish families have accepted you."<ref name="Korkis"/>

Disney has also been accused of other forms of racism because some of his productions released between the 1930s and 1950s contain racially insensitive material.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=433}}{{efn|Examples include ''[[Mickey's Mellerdrammer]]'', in which Mickey Mouse dresses in [[blackface]]; the black-colored bird in the short ''Who Killed Cock Robin''; the American Indians in ''Peter Pan''; and the crows in ''Dumbo'' (although the case has been made that the crows were sympathetic to Dumbo because they knew what it was like to be ostracized).{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=433}}}} Gabler argues that "Walt Disney was no racist. He never, either publicly or privately, made disparaging remarks about blacks or asserted white superiority. Like most white Americans of his generation, however, he was racially insensitive."{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=433}}
The feature film ''[[Song of the South]]'' was criticized by contemporary film critics, the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People|NAACP]], and others for its perpetuation of [[Stereotypes of African Americans|black stereotypes]],{{sfn|Cohen|2004|p=60}} but during filming Disney became close friends with its star, [[James Baskett]], describing him in a letter to his sister Ruth as "the best actor, I believe, to be discovered in years."{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=438}} Disney and Baskett stayed in contact long after the film's production, with Walt sending him gifts. When Baskett was in failing health, Disney not only began financially supporting him and his family, but also campaigned successfully for an [[Honorary Academy Award]] for his performance, making Baskett the first black actor so honored.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=438}} Baskett died shortly afterward, and his widow wrote Disney a letter of gratitude for his support claiming he had been a "friend in deed and [we] certainly have been in need."{{sfn|Gabler|2006|pp=438–39}}<ref name="Korkis"/> [[Floyd Norman]], the studio's first black animator who worked closely with Disney during the 1950s and 1960s, said, "Not once did I observe a hint of the racist behavior Walt Disney was often accused of after his death. His treatment of people{{nsmdns}}and by this I mean all people{{nsmdns}}can only be called exemplary."{{sfn|Korkis|2012|p=xi}}

===Portrayals and cultural depictions===
Disney has been portrayed numerous times in fictional works. [[H. G. Wells]] references Disney in his 1938 novel ''[[The Holy Terror (Wells novel)|The Holy Terror]]'', in which World Dictator Rud fears that Donald Duck is meant to lampoon the dictator.{{sfn|Pierce|1987|p=100}} Disney was portrayed by [[Len Cariou]] in the 1995 made-for-TV film ''A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story'',<ref name="Variety: Dream Is a Wish" /> and by [[Tom Hanks]] in the 2013 film ''[[Saving Mr. Banks]]''.<ref name="Saving Mr Banks" /> In 2001, American German-language author [[Peter Stephan Jungk]] published {{lang|de|Der König von Amerika}} (trans: ''The King of America''), a fictional work of Disney's later years that re-imagines him as a power-hungry racist. The composer [[Philip Glass]] later adapted the book into the opera ''[[The Perfect American]]'' (2013).<ref name="DT: Perfect Am" />

Several commentators have described Disney as a [[cultural icon]].{{sfnm|1a1=Mannheim|1y=2016|1p=40|2a1=Krasniewicz|2y=2010|2p=xxii|3a1=Watts|3y=2013|3p=58| 4a1=Painter| 4y=2008|4p=25}} On Disney's death, journalism professor Ralph S. Izard comments that the values in Disney's films are those "considered valuable in American Christian society", which include "individualism, decency,&nbsp;... love for our fellow man, fair play and toleration".<ref name="Izard: Master" /> Disney's obituary in ''[[The Times]]'' calls the films "wholesome, warm-hearted and entertaining&nbsp;... of incomparable artistry and of touching beauty".<ref name="Times: Obit" /> Journalist [[Bosley Crowther]] argues that Disney's "achievement as a creator of entertainment for an almost unlimited public and as a highly ingenious merchandiser of his wares can rightly be compared to the most successful industrialists in history."<ref name="EB: Crowther" /> Correspondent [[Alistair Cooke]] calls Disney a "folk-hero&nbsp;... the Pied Piper of Hollywood",<ref name="Guard: Cooke" /> while Gabler considers Disney "reshaped the culture and the American consciousness".{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=x}} In the ''American Dictionary of National Biography'', Langer writes:

<blockquote>Disney remains the central figure in the history of animation. Through technological innovations and alliances with governments and corporations, he transformed a minor studio in a marginal form of communication into a multinational leisure industry giant. Despite his critics, his vision of a modern, corporate utopia as an extension of traditional American values has possibly gained greater currency in the years after his death.{{sfn|Langer|2000}}</blockquote>

In December 2021, the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] in New York opened a three-month special exhibit in honor of Disney titled "Inspiring Walt Disney".<ref>[https://nypost.com/2021/12/18/centuries-old-art-that-inspired-disney-arrives-at-the-met/ "Centuries-old art behind Disney's best animated films arrives at the Met"]. By Zachary Kussin. December 18, 2021. ''[[New York Post]]''.</ref>

==Awards and honors==
{{See also|List of Academy Awards for Walt Disney}}
[[File:Walt Disney Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom 1964.jpg|thumb|276x276px|Disney receiving the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] in 1964 from President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]].]]
Disney received 59 Academy Award nominations, including 22 awards: both totals are records.<ref name="Nominee Facts" /> He was nominated for three [[Golden Globe Award]]s, but did not win, but he was presented with two Special Achievement Awards{{nsmdns}}for ''Bambi'' (1942) and ''[[The Living Desert]]'' (1953){{nsmdns}}and the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award|Cecil B. DeMille Award]].<ref name="GG: WD" /> He also received four [[Emmy Award]] nominations, winning once, for Best Producer for the ''Disneyland'' television series.<ref name="Emmy: Awards" /> Several of his films are included in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant": ''Steamboat Willie'', ''The Three Little Pigs'', ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', ''Fantasia'', ''Pinocchio'', ''Bambi'', ''Dumbo'' and ''Mary Poppins''.<ref name="LoC: Film Registry" /> In 1998, the [[American Film Institute]] published a list of the 100 greatest American films, according to industry experts; the list included ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (at number 49), and ''Fantasia'' (at 58).<ref name="AFI: 100" />

In February 1960, Disney was inducted to the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] with two stars, one for motion pictures and the other for his television work;<ref name="Hollywood WoF" /> Mickey Mouse was given his own star for motion pictures in 1978, and Disneyland received one in 2005.<ref name="Hollywood WoF: MM" /><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Laura |date=April 12, 2010 |title=Top 10 Dubious Walk-of-Fame Stars: Disneyland |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1981000_1980999_1981006,00.html |magazine=Time |access-date=April 19, 2022}}</ref> Disney was also inducted into the [[Television Hall of Fame]] in 1986,<ref name="Emmy: HoF" /> the [[California Hall of Fame]] in December 2006,<ref name="CHoF: WD" /> was the inaugural recipient of a star on the [[Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars|Anaheim walk of stars]] in 2014,<ref name="OC Walk of Stars" /> and was a member of the first [[Orange County Hall of Fame]] class in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gonzalez |first1=David |title=Walt Disney, Kobe Bryant, Gwen Stefani among first OC Hall of Fame class |url=https://abc7.com/orange-county-hall-of-fame-walt-disney-gwen-stefani/14316911/ |access-date=January 26, 2024 |work=[[KABC-TV]] |publisher=The Walt Disney Company |date=January 12, 2024}}</ref>

The Walt Disney Family Museum records that he "along with members of his staff, received more than 950 honors and citations from throughout the world".<ref name="D23: WD" /> He was made a {{lang|fr|Chevalier}} in the French {{lang|fr|[[Legion of Honour|Légion d'honneur]]}} in 1935,<ref name="Guard: Legion" /> and in 1952 he was awarded the country's highest artistic decoration, the {{lang|fr|Officer d'Academie}}.<ref name="SMT: Academie" /> Other national awards include Thailand's [[Order of the Crown of Thailand|Order of the Crown]] (1960); Germany's [[Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany|Order of Merit]] (1956),<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dp2JDAAAQBAJ&dq=Verdienstorden+der+Bundesrepublik+Deutschland+walt+disney&pg=PA215|title=West Germans Against The West: Anti-Americanism in Media and Public Opinion in the Federal Republic of Germany 1949–1968|first=C.|last=Müller|date=May 13, 2010|publisher=Springer|isbn=9780230251410 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Brazil's [[Order of the Southern Cross]] (1941),<ref>[http://www.unirio.br/cch/escoladehistoria/pos-graduacao/ppgh/dissertacao_pablo-hernandez Unirio]</ref> and Mexico's [[Order of the Aztec Eagle]] (1943).<ref name=CalMuseum /> In the United States, he received the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] on September 14, 1964,<ref name="WP: Freedom" /> and on May 24, 1968, he was posthumously awarded the [[Congressional Gold Medal]].<ref name="VNN: CGM" /> He received the Showman of the World Award from the National Association of Theatre Owners,<ref name=CalMuseum /> and in 1955, the [[National Audubon Society]] awarded Disney its highest honor, the Audubon Medal, for promoting the "appreciation and understanding of nature" through his ''True-Life Adventures'' nature films.<ref name="Audubon Medal" /> A [[minor planet]] discovered in 1980 by astronomer [[Lyudmila Karachkina]], was named [[4017 Disneya]],{{sfn|Schmadel|2003|p=342}} and he was also awarded honorary degrees from [[Harvard University|Harvard]], [[Yale]], the [[University of Southern California]] and the [[University of California, Los Angeles]].<ref name="D23: WD" />
{{Clear}}

==See also==
* [[Masaichi Nagata]] - the president of Japanese film company [[Daiei Film]] whose connection with Disney had influenced distributions of Disney productions and the publication of ''[[Bambi, a Life in the Woods]]'' in Japan, construction of [[Nara Dreamland]], and so on.<ref>Isao Ogawa ([[:ja:小川功 (経営学者)|jp]]), June 2015, [https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1050282677716756736?lang=en The Study of Fictitiousness in Theme Parks : True-False Discussion of Nara Dream Land from a Tourism-Sociological Viewpoint], The Hikone ronso, vol.404, pp.64-79, [[Shiga University]]</ref>

==Notes and references==
===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===References===
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="AFI: 100">
{{cite web|title=AFI's 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time |url=http://www.afi.com/100years/movies.aspx |website=American Film Institute |access-date=May 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424004920/http://www.afi.com/100Years/movies.aspx |archive-date=April 24, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="WDC: About">
{{cite web|title=About the Walt Disney Company|url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/|website=The Walt Disney Company|access-date=May 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505063818/https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/|archive-date=May 5, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="WDS: History">
{{cite web|title=History of The Walt Disney Studios |url=http://waltdisneystudios.com/static/The%20History%20of%20TWDS.pdf |website=The Walt Disney Company |access-date=May 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509015731/http://waltdisneystudios.com/static/The%20History%20of%20TWDS.pdf |archive-date=May 9, 2016 }}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: Dreaming">
{{cite web|title=Dreaming of Disneyland|url=http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/dreamingdisneyland/index.html|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|access-date=September 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060518072723/http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/dreamingdisneyland/index.html|archive-date=May 18, 2006}}</ref>

<ref name="NYT: Topics">
{{cite news|title=Topics of the Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1955/07/22/archives/topics-of-the-times.html|work=The New York Times|date=July 22, 1955|access-date=May 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507093724/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9402E6DB103AE53BBC4A51DFB166838E649EDE|archive-date=May 7, 2016}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

<ref name="Disney Myth 2">
{{cite AV media |date= January 17, 2015 |title=Walt Disney: The Man Behind the Myth|medium=Television production|time= 1:10:00–1:13:00|publisher=The Walt Disney Family Foundation}}</ref>

<ref name="NW: Wonderful">
{{cite news|title=A Wonderful World: Growing Impact of Disney Art|work=Newsweek|date=April 18, 1955|page=62}}</ref>

<ref name="Disney Experience">
{{cite AV media |date= September 14, 2015 |title=Walt Disney: An American Experience|medium=Television production|time= 1:06:44&nbsp;– 1:07:24|publisher=PBS}}</ref>

<ref name="Disney Myth">
{{cite AV media |date= January 17, 2015 |title=Walt Disney: The Man Behind the Myth|medium=Television production|time= 38:33–39:00|publisher=The Walt Disney Family Foundation}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: Fair">
{{cite web|last1=Carnaham |first1=Alyssa |title=Look Closer: 1964 New York World's Fair |url=http://www.waltdisney.org/blog/look-closer-1964-new-york-world%E2%80%99s-fair |website=The Walt Disney Family Museum |access-date=May 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413003545/http://www.waltdisney.org/blog/look-closer-1964-new-york-world%E2%80%99s-fair |archive-date=April 13, 2016 |date=June 26, 2012}}</ref>

<ref name="Guard: Legion">
{{cite news|title=Untitled|work=The Manchester Guardian|date=December 20, 1935|page=10}}</ref>

<ref name="Times: Obit">
{{cite news|title=Obituary: Mr Walt Disney|work=The Times|date=December 16, 1966|page=14}}</ref>

<ref name="Guard: Cooke">
{{cite news|last1=Cooke|first1=Alistair|author-link1=Alistair Cooke|title=Death of Walt Disney—folk-hero|work=The Manchester Guardian|date=December 16, 1966|page=1}}</ref>

<ref name="Izard: Master">
{{cite journal|last1=Izard|first1=Ralph S.|title=Walt Disney: Master of Laughter and Learning|journal=Peabody Journal of Education|date=July 1967|volume=45|issue=1|pages=36–41|jstor=1491447|doi=10.1080/01619566709537484 |issn=0161-956X}}</ref>

<ref name="DT: Perfect Am">
{{cite news|last1=Gritten |first1=David |title=Walt Disney: hero or villain? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10064623/Walt-Disney-hero-or-villain.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=May 17, 2013 |archive-date=April 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426053955/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10064623/Walt-Disney-hero-or-villain.html |access-date=April 25, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="PBS: AmEx">
{{cite web|title=American Experience: Walt Disney |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/walt-disney/ |website=PBS|access-date=April 22, 2016 |archive-date=April 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404133927/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/walt-disney/}}</ref>

<ref name="DWR: WH">
{{cite news|title=Walt Disney World Resort: World History|work=Targeted News Service|date=March 18, 2009}}</ref>

<ref name="Variety: Dream Is a Wish">
{{cite web|last1=Scott |first1=Tony |title=Review: 'Cbs Sunday Movie a Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story' |url=https://variety.com/2001/tv/reviews/walt-the-man-behind-the-myth-1200469954/ |work=Variety |date=October 20, 1995 |access-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505084621/http://variety.com/2001/tv/reviews/walt-the-man-behind-the-myth-1200469954/}}</ref>

<ref name="Saving Mr Banks">
{{cite news|last1=Gettell |first1=Oliver |title='Saving Mr. Banks' director: 'Such an advantage' shooting in L.A. |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/moviesnow/la-et-mn-saving-mr-banks-tom-hanks-envelope-screening-series-20131218,0,1857959.story |access-date=June 27, 2014 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219232202/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/moviesnow/la-et-mn-saving-mr-banks-tom-hanks-envelope-screening-series-20131218%2C0%2C1857959.story |archive-date=December 19, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name=CalMuseum>
{{cite web|title=Walt Disney |url=http://www.californiamuseum.org/inductee/walt-disney |website=The California Museum |date=February 17, 2012 |access-date=April 20, 2016 |archive-date=April 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406123002/http://www.californiamuseum.org/inductee/walt-disney}}</ref>

<ref name="Audubon Medal">
{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19551116&id=8r9OAAAAIBAJ&pg=3770,22870 |title=Disney Receives Audubon Medal |work=The Blade |location=Toledo, OH |date=November 16, 1955 |archive-date=May 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519214319/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19551116&id=8r9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lwAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3770,22870 |access-date=April 25, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="Emmy: Awards">
{{cite web|title=Awards & Nominations: Walt Disney |url=http://www.emmys.com/bios/walt-disney |website=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-date=March 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331144805/http://www.emmys.com/bios/walt-disney}}</ref>

<ref name="Nominee Facts">
{{cite web|url=http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/help/statistics/Gen-NomsFacts.pdf |title=Nominee Facts&nbsp;– Most Nominations and Awards |access-date=April 26, 2013 |website=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |archive-date=April 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402095027/http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/help/statistics/Gen-NomsFacts.pdf}}</ref>

<ref name="SMT: Academie">
{{cite news|title=Walt Disney Honored|work=San Mateo Times|date=February 5, 1952|location=San Mateo, CA|page=9}}</ref>

<ref name="WP: Freedom">
{{cite news|last1=Aarons|first1=Lerby F.|title=Arts, Science, Public Affairs Elite Honored With Freedom Medals|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 15, 1964|page=1}}</ref>

<ref name="VNN: CGM">
{{cite news|last1=Marth|first1=Mike|title=Walt Disney Honored With Congressional Gold Medal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-van-nuys-news-waltcongressionalgoldm/28941675/ |work=The Van Nuys News|date=April 4, 1969|page=27}}</ref>

<ref name="Hollywood WoF">
{{cite web|title=Walt Disney |url=http://www.walkoffame.com/walt-disney |website=[[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] |access-date=June 27, 2014 |archive-date=March 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319193037/http://www.walkoffame.com/walt-disney}}</ref>

<ref name="Hollywood WoF: MM">
{{cite web|title=Mickey Mouse |url=http://www.walkoffame.com/mickey-mouse |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |access-date=May 3, 2016 |archive-date=April 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403111315/http://walkoffame.com/mickey-mouse}}</ref>

<ref name="LoC: Film Registry">
{{cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |website=Library of Congress |access-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-date=April 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407144839/https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing}}</ref>

<ref name="Emmy: HoF">
{{cite web|title=Hall of Fame Honorees: Complete List |url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/hall-of-fame-honorees |website=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|access-date=June 27, 2014 |archive-date=April 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402004406/https://www.emmys.com/awards/hall-of-fame-honorees}}</ref>

<ref name="CHoF: WD">
{{cite web|title=John Muir Inducted in California Hall of Fame |url=http://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/ca_hall_of_fame.aspx |website=The John Muir Exhibit |access-date=June 26, 2014 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304235823/http://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/ca_hall_of_fame.aspx}}</ref>

<ref name="OC Walk of Stars">
{{cite web|title=Disney to be first honoree on O.C. Walk of Stars |url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/walk-52629-first-orange.html |website=Orange County Register |access-date=June 26, 2014 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305204240/http://www.ocregister.com/articles/walk-52629-first-orange.html |date=November 8, 2006}}</ref>

<ref name="GG: WD">
{{cite web|title=Winners & Nominees: Walt Disney |url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/person/walt-disney |website=Hollywood Foreign Press Association |access-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-date=April 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401004246/http://www.goldenglobes.com/person/walt-disney}}</ref>

<ref name="Creative Explosion">
{{cite web|title=Creative Explosion: Walt's Political Outlook|url=http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/insidestory/inside_1933d.html|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|access-date=June 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607073752/http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/insidestory/inside_1933d.html|archive-date=June 7, 2008|page=16}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: About">
{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://www.waltdisney.org/about-us|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|access-date=June 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330224647/http://www.waltdisney.org/about-us|archive-date=March 30, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: Genesis">
{{cite web|last1=Mumford|first1=David|last2=Gordon|first2=Bruce|title=The Genesis of Disneyland|url=http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/disneylandgenesis/index.html|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|access-date=April 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081028031306/http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/disneylandgenesis/index.html|archive-date=October 28, 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: WED">
{{cite web|title=The Beginning of WED|url=http://www.waltdisney.org/content/beginning-wed|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|access-date=April 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002204510/http://www.waltdisney.org/content/beginning-wed|archive-date=October 2, 2015}}</ref>

<ref name="CNN: HUAC">
{{cite news|title=Testimony of Walter E. Disney before HUAC|access-date=May 21, 2008|url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/06/documents/huac/disney.html| work=CNN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514003423/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/06/documents/huac/disney.html|archive-date=May 14, 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: Fiscal Crisis">
{{cite web|title=The Disney Brothers Face a Fiscal Crisis|url=http://www.waltdisney.org/content/disney-brothers-face-fiscal-crisis|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|access-date=April 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602200043/http://www.waltdisney.org/content/disney-brothers-face-fiscal-crisis|archive-date=June 2, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: Golden Age">
{{cite web|title=The Golden Age of Animation|url=http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/goldenage/index.html|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|access-date=April 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414052339/http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/goldenage/index.html |archive-date=April 14, 2009}}</ref>

<ref name="SoC: 3 Pigs">
{{cite web|last=Danks|first=Adrian|title=Huffing and Puffing about Three Little Pigs|url=http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/cteq/3_little_pigs/|website=Senses of Cinema|date=December 2003|access-date=April 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080422180415/http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/03/29/3_little_pigs.html|archive-date=April 22, 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: MM">
{{cite web|last=Solomon|first=Charles|title=The Golden Age of Mickey Mouse|url=http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/mickeymousegoldenage/index.html|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|access-date=April 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710052034/http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/mickeymousegoldenage/index.html|archive-date=July 10, 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: Secret Talks">
{{cite web|title=Secret Talks|url=http://www.waltdisney.org/content/secret-talks|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|access-date=April 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429005131/http://www.waltdisney.org/content/secret-talks|archive-date=April 29, 2015}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: Final Alice">
{{cite web|title=The Final Alice Comedy Is Released|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|url=http://www.waltdisney.org/content/final-alice-comedy-released|access-date=April 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714145210/http://www.waltdisney.org/content/final-alice-comedy-released|archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="WDFM: Alice Skids">
{{cite web|title=Alice Hits the Skids|website=The Walt Disney Family Museum|url=http://www.waltdisney.org/content/alice-hits-skids|access-date=April 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714201543/http://www.waltdisney.org/content/alice-hits-skids|archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="ST: background">
{{cite news|last=Rackl |first=Lori |url=http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1790811,disney-walt-museum-san-francisco-092709.article |title=Walt Disney, the Man Behind the Mouse |date=September 27, 2009 |access-date=October 21, 2010 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003001653/http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1790811%2Cdisney-walt-museum-san-francisco-092709.article |archive-date=October 3, 2009}}</ref>

<ref name="WFP: Frozen">
{{cite news|last1=Poyser|first1=John|title=Estate-planning lessons from the Magic Kingdom|work=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|date=July 15, 2009|page=B5|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/finance/estate-planning-lessons-from-the-magic-kingdom-50836787.html}}</ref>

<ref name="Snopes: Frozen">
{{cite web|title=Was Walt Disney Frozen?|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/suspended-animation/|last=Mikkelson|first=David|website=[[Snopes]]|date=October 19, 1995|access-date=June 15, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name="Time: Rodent">
{{cite news|title=Regulated Rodent|magazine=Time|date=February 16, 1931|page=21}}</ref>

<ref name="Ski: Schaeffler">
{{cite news|last1=Meyers|first1=Charlie|title=Ski Life|work=Ski|date=September 1988|page=26}}</ref>

<ref name="Esquire: EPCOT">
{{cite web|last1=Patches |first1=Matt |title=Inside Walt Disney's Ambitious, Failed Plan to Build the City of Tomorrow |url=http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/news/a35104/walt-disney-epcot-history-city-of-tomorrow/ |website=Esquire |access-date=April 20, 2016 |date=May 20, 2015 |archive-date=March 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325041137/http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/news/a35104/walt-disney-epcot-history-city-of-tomorrow/}}</ref>

<ref name="ATT: EPCOT">
{{cite web|title=News Update: EPCOT|url=http://techchannel.att.com/play-video.cfm/2012/2/3/AT&T-Archives-Epcot|website=AT&T Archives|access-date=April 20, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304202409/http://techchannel.att.com/play-video.cfm/2012/2/3/AT%26T-Archives-Epcot}}</ref>

<ref name="USA Today">
{{cite news|first=Claudia |last=Puig |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2010-03-26-beauty26_ST_N.htm |title='Waking Sleeping Beauty' documentary takes animated look at Disney renaissance |work=USA Today |date=March 26, 2010 |access-date=April 20, 2016 |archive-date=April 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401082520/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2010-03-26-beauty26_ST_N.htm}}</ref>

<ref name="NYT: Dargis">
{{cite news|last=Dargis |first=Manohla |title=And Now a Word From the Director |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/movies/conflicting-voices-in-lars-von-triers-words-and-works.html?scp=1&sq=And%20Now%20a%20Word%20from&st=Search |access-date=September 26, 2011 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 21, 2011 |archive-date=September 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912232143/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/movies/conflicting-voices-in-lars-von-triers-words-and-works.html?scp=1&sq=And%20Now%20a%20Word%20from&st=Search&_r=0}}</ref>

<ref name="CBS: Gabler">
{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walt-disney-more-than-toons-theme-parks/ |work=CBS News |title=Walt Disney: More Than 'Toons, Theme Parks |date=November 1, 2006 |access-date=April 20, 2016 |archive-date=March 13, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313010654/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/walt-disney-more-than-toons-theme-parks/}}</ref>

<ref name="NYT: WDFM">
{{cite news|title=Exploring the Man Behind the Animation |first=Edward |last=Rothstein |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/arts/design/01disney.html?pagewanted=1 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 30, 2009 |archive-date=June 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618074450/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/arts/design/01disney.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0 |access-date=April 25, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="NYDNOctober2015">
{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/13-disney-parks-article-1.2381618 | title=13 things to know about the Disney parks on 44th anniversary of Walt Disney World | work=New York Daily News|date=October 1, 2015|access-date=May 21, 2016 | first=Melanie | last=Dostis | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521150431/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/13-disney-parks-article-1.2381618|archive-date=May 21, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="PBS trailer 1">
{{cite AV media|date=September 10, 2015 |title=The Two Sides of Walt Disney |medium=Television trailer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRu7ka4eD8k |access-date=April 20, 2016 |time=0:14–0:25 |publisher=PBS |archive-date=October 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024012444/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRu7ka4eD8k}}</ref>

<ref name="PBS trailer 2">
{{cite AV media|date=September 10, 2015 |title=The Two Sides of Walt Disney |medium=Television trailer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRu7ka4eD8k |access-date=April 20, 2016 |time=0:08–0:13 |publisher=PBS |archive-date=October 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024012444/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRu7ka4eD8k}}</ref>

<ref name="DT: Travers dislike">
{{cite news|last1=Singh |first1=Anita |title=Story of how Mary Poppins author regretted selling rights to Disney to be turned into film |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9195930/Story-of-how-Mary-Poppins-author-regretted-selling-rights-to-Disney-to-be-turned-into-film.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=April 10, 2012 |access-date=April 18, 2016 |archive-date=April 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414231355/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9195930/Story-of-how-Mary-Poppins-author-regretted-selling-rights-to-Disney-to-be-turned-into-film.html}}</ref>

<ref name="AA:1957">
{{cite web|title=The 29th Academy Awards 1957|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1957|website=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=March 26, 2015 |access-date=April 18, 2016|archive-date=May 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507092819/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1957}}</ref>

<ref name="EPSN: Oswald">
{{cite news|title=Stay 'tooned: Disney gets 'Oswald' for Al Michaels |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2324417 |work=ESPN.com |access-date=April 16, 2016 |date=February 10, 2006 |archive-date=April 7, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407035338/http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2324417}}</ref>

<ref name="AA: 1939">
{{cite web|title=The 11th Academy Awards 1939|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1939|website=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 3, 2014 |access-date=April 16, 2016|archive-date=May 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507092742/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1939}}</ref>

<ref name="AA: 1932">
{{cite web|title=The 5th Academy Awards 1933|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1933|website=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 9, 2014 |access-date=April 15, 2016|archive-date=May 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507092803/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1933}}</ref>

<ref name="BBC: Oswald">
{{cite news|last1=Soteriou |first1=Helen |title=Could Oswald the Lucky Rabbit have been bigger than Mickey? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19910825 |work=BBC News |date=December 3, 2012 |access-date=April 14, 2016 |archive-date=March 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308094315/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19910825}}</ref>

<ref name="NYT: Obit">
{{cite news|title=Walt Disney, 65, Dies on Coast; Founded an Empire on a Mouse|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/12/16/archives/walt-disney-65-dies-on-coast-founded-an-empire-on-a-mouse-walt.html|work=The New York Times|date=December 16, 1966|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507092701/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C02E6D61130E03ABC4E52DFB467838D679EDE|archive-date=May 7, 2016|access-date=April 25, 2016}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

<ref name="D23: WD">
{{cite web|title=About Walt Disney |url=https://d23.com/about-walt-disney/ |website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]] |publisher=The Walt Disney Company |access-date=April 13, 2016 |archive-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421084237/https://d23.com/about-walt-disney/}}</ref>

<ref name="EB: Crowther">
{{cite web|last=Crowther |first=Bosley |title=Walt Disney |website=Encyclopædia Britannica|author-link=Bosley Crowther |url=http://www.britannica.com/biography/Walt-Disney |date=April 27, 2015 |access-date=April 12, 2016 |archive-date=March 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320210314/http://www.britannica.com/biography/Walt-Disney}}</ref>

<ref name="KCL: WD">
{{cite web |url=http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/Biographies&CISOPTR=31&CISOBOX=1&REC=2 |title=Biography of Walt Disney (1901–1966), Film Producer |website=The Kansas City Public Library |access-date=April 12, 2016 |archive-date=March 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309120940/http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?cisobox=1&cisoptr=31&cisoroot=%2Fbiographies&rec=2}}</ref>

<ref name="OD: pronunciation">
{{cite web|title=Definition of Disney, Walt in English |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Disney-Walt?q=disney |website=Oxford Dictionaries |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=April 12, 2016 |archive-date=March 30, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330142206/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/disney-walt}}</ref>

<ref name=Ancestors>
{{cite news|last=Winter |first=Jon |title=Uncle Walt's Lost Ancestors |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uncle-walts-lost-ancestors-1266622.html |newspaper=The Independent |date=April 12, 1997 |location=London |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200929/http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uncle-walts-lost-ancestors-1266622.html |access-date=April 25, 2016}}</ref>
}}

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* {{cite book|last1=Barrier|first1=J. Michael|author-link=Michael Barrier|title=The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney|year=2007|publisher=University of California Press|location=Oakland, CA|isbn=978-0-520-24117-6|url=https://archive.org/details/animatedmanlifeo00barr|url-access=registration|quote=Buckaroo Bugs'.}}
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* {{cite book|last1=Korkis|first1=Jim|title=Who's Afraid of the Song of the South?|year=2012|publisher=Theme Park Press|location=Dallas, TX|isbn=978-0-9843415-5-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/whosafraidofsong0000kork}}
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* {{cite book|last=Mosley|first=Leonard|author-link=Leonard Mosley|title=Disney's World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eaKoZtJqPc0C&pg=PP1|year=1990|publisher=Scarborough House|location=Lanham, MD|isbn=978-1-58979-656-0}}
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* {{cite journal|last1=Painter|first1=Nell Irvin|title=Was Marie White? The Trajectory of a Question in the United States|journal=The Journal of Southern History|date=February 2008|volume=74|issue=1|pages=3–30}}
* {{cite book|last=Pierce|first=John J.|title=Foundations of Science Fiction: A Study in Imagination and Evolution|url=https://archive.org/details/foundationsofsci00pier|url-access=registration|year=1987|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=Westport, CT|isbn=978-0-313-25455-0}}
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* {{cite book|last=Schmadel|first=Lutz D.|title=Dictionary of Minor Planet Names|year=2003|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|location=Heidelberg|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VoJ5nUyIzCsC&pg=PP1|isbn=978-3-540-00238-3}}
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{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|auto=1}}
* [https://www.lambiek.net/artists/d/disney.htm Lambiek Comiclopedia biography.]
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
* [https://www.waltdisney.org/ The Walt Disney Family Museum]
* [https://www.thewaltdisneybirthplace.org/ The Walt Disney Birthplace]
* {{The Interviews about|walt-disney}}
* [https://vault.fbi.gov/walter-elias-disney FBI Records: The Vault – Walter Elias Disney] from the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]

{{S-start}}
{{s-bef|before=none}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Mickey Mouse|Voice of Mickey Mouse]]|years=1928–1947; 1955–1959}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jimmy MacDonald (sound effects artist)|James MacDonald]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-bus}}
{{succession box
| title = President of The Walt Disney Company
| before = none
| after = [[Roy O. Disney]]
| years = 1923&ndash;1945
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of Academy Awards for Walt Disney|Awards for Walt Disney]]
|list =
{{Academy Honorary Award}}
{{Cecil B. DeMille Award 1952–1975}}
{{Honorary César}}
{{Thalberg Award}}
{{1986 Television Hall of Fame}}
{{Winsor McCay Award 1970s}}
}}
{{Disney}}
{{Disneyland Resort}}

{{Portal bar|Animation|Biography|Disney|Film|Greater Los Angeles|Television|United States}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Disney, Walt}}
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[[Category:Producers who won the Best Animated Short Academy Award]]
[[Category:Producers who won the Best Documentary Short Subject Academy Award]]
[[Category:Producers who won the Live Action Short Film Academy Award]]
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[[Category:Writers from Missouri]]
[[Category:David di Donatello winners]]