Editing Walt Disney (section)

==Career==
===Early career: 1920–1928===
[[File:Walt Disney envelope ca. 1921.jpg|thumb|Walt Disney's business envelope featured a self-portrait, {{circa|1921}}]]
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}}

{{See also|Walt Disney Animation Studios}}
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 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" />}}

===Creation of Mickey Mouse and following successes: 1928–1934===
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}}

===Golden age of animation: 1934–1941===
[[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}}

===World War II and beyond: 1941–1950===
[[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}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}, 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}}

===Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966===
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}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}; $8&nbsp;million in 1950 equates to ${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|8000000|1950}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}}, 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>

[[File: Walt disney portrait right.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Disney in 1954]]
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}}