Walt Disney

Hello there! My name is Walt Disney. Long before I created magical castles and talking mice, I was just a boy with a pencil and a giant imagination. I was born on December 5th, 1901, and grew up on a farm in Missouri. I loved animals! I would watch the pigs, chickens, and cows for hours and then rush inside to draw them in my sketchbook. I drew on everything—scraps of paper, the side of the barn, anywhere I could! My older brother, Roy, was my best friend. He always believed in my drawings, even when they were just little scribbles. I even sold my first sketches to our neighbors. It made me so happy to see them smile at my art. That’s when I knew I wanted to spend my whole life creating things that brought joy to people.

When I grew up, my brother Roy and I decided to chase a big dream. We moved all the way to Hollywood, California, on October 16th, 1923, to start our own cartoon studio. At first, things were tough. We worked in a tiny garage and didn't have much money. But we had big ideas! One day, on a long train ride, an idea popped into my head for a cheerful, plucky little character. He was a mouse, and I named him Mickey. My friend Ub Iwerks helped me bring him to life with his amazing drawing skills. On November 18th, 1928, we showed our first cartoon with sound, called 'Steamboat Willie,' starring Mickey Mouse. People had never seen anything like it! They clapped and cheered. Mickey was a star! He taught me that even a small mouse can have a big adventure, and that you should never give up on your ideas, no matter how small they seem at first.

After Mickey, we made many more movies, like 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,' which premiered on December 21st, 1937. It was the very first full-length animated movie! But I had another, even bigger dream. I wanted to create a magical place where parents and children could have fun together, a real-life fairytale land. Everyone said it was impossible, but I knew we could do it. On July 17th, 1955, we opened the gates to Disneyland! Seeing families laugh on the rides and meet their favorite characters was the best feeling in the world. I passed away on December 15th, 1966, but my dreams live on. My hope is that my stories and parks will keep bringing happiness to children and families everywhere. Always remember: if you can dream it, you can do it.