Growing up, like most girls, I had, and still have, an obsession with Disney. There is something so nostalgic and magical about Disney, especially their older films. I can recall when I was about the age of five, I asked my mother to take me out to buy CD’s because, back then, tablets and phones were newer, and all I knew growing up was the television and my trusty old DVD player. It was a gift from my uncle, and I could not go a day without it. No matter what time it was, I would play movies on it in the morning, afternoon, and at night. It was a daily ritual. I would watch the same film on repeat and never get tired. I watched, “The Little Mermaid,” so often that I was able to memorize every single line, word for word, from start to finish.
Disney played a big role not only in my childhood but in many others growing up. It taught us valuable lessons, such as loving ourselves for who we are. Today, Disney encourages women to break societal norms and to respect different backgrounds. They promote this idea of dreaming big and going after what you want, when you want. One of my favorite movies was “Meet the Robinsons.” It’s this sweet story about an orphan boy who travels to the future to find his mom, and let me tell you, it really hits home. Their motto throughout the movie is “Keep Moving Forward.” There is something so heartwarming about this movie that moves me so much. It always manages to pull on my heartstrings, no matter how many times I watch it.
What makes Disney so great is the fact that it can appeal to almost any audience. Disney has romance, drama, comedy, and, most importantly, it’s a major dopamine booster when you’re feeling down. Even when you get older, you can still watch Disney movies. Crazy, right? In all honesty, there is nothing shameful or wrong with liking Disney movies. I think it’s quite admirable if you still do, because it shows that you had something from childhood that you still hold close to your heart. It’s important to not lose sight of our values or interests because they’re part of who we are.
Walt’s Journey
You must be wondering, “Who created Disney?” Well, it was Disney, but he usually went by Walt Disney. In the midst of war and the Great Depression, Walt’s films and cartoons made heads turn when he invested his time in creating the characters we know and love today. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the rest of the gang came in 1927, before sound could be incorporated into films. Everything was black and white for a while, and no characters spoke, so you assumed what was going on based on gestures or expressions. Motion pictures were huge for a while since people would watch films to escape the harsh reality they were living in during the 1920’s, and this helped Walt gain recognition. Walt was born and raised in Chicago on December 5, 1901, to a family dedicated to the farming industry at the time. When the family moved to Kansas, he was only seven, but once he reached the age of 16, that was when his journey began. Not long after, he became well acquainted with an animator who went by the name Ub Iwerks.
Ub happened to be a commercial artist in Kansas, and this sparked Walt’s interest since he was studying to become a successful cartoonist himself. He attended an art institute in Kansas and later the “School of Design.” Walt was self taught for the most part and has been driven by his passion to animate and create characters since he was young. What inspired him to do what he loved was delivering newspapers with his father. There was not much joy Walt could get out of it, so he thought about what it would be like to create or live in a world where he could escape his negative emotions. A place with peace, despite not having much education, he was successful in his endeavors when he learned how to use his skills effectively with Ub’s helping hand.
Walt was able to take his experiences and turn them into ideas on paper by fighting for his dreams with great persistence. He went to the next level after traveling to Chicago to later partner up with his brother Roy, who happened to work in the business industry. Roy became the co-founder of Disney to help keep their brand alive. Walt and Ub Iwerks were unstoppable once news got out about one of their first series, “Alice.” The “Alice” series was a small example of their work. Little did they know that they would have to create more shorts in the years to come, because people were hungry for fresh and new characters.
Disney Overview
One character in particular that I can recall was “Steamboat Willie.” His job was to appear at the start of films with his little steamboat and hat while whistling a catchy tune. His whistle was very significant at the time, making Disney films more memorable, and it added that pizzazz that many films lacked. Willie’s whistle was like a song you can’t get out of your head, or like those classic Halloween commercials from CN that aired in the early 2000’s. It was nostalgic. Growing up, we watched the evolution of Disney over time and how their intros began to progress more, and that goes for animation style and film quality too. Disney has come a long way, but from time to time, some viewers miss that old classic style they once had, because it was fresh and unique.
Mickey used to be a character who wasn’t afraid to get angry or be expressive. A lot of people today don’t know that side of him, because many of the old school or vintage cartoon characters we once knew have changed. What really made Disney what it was in the past was the fact that animators like Walt were not afraid to make characters with negative traits. These traits set them apart from others. Many viewers like having characters we can relate to or characters that aren’t afraid to make jokes that might be partially out of line at times. It’s all done for the sake of comedy. Mickey was not always a one sided character, he used to be so much more than a Disney mascot. People want memories they can look back on and still laugh at to this day, like “The Muppets,” for example. “The Muppets” was a show that me and my parents easily bonded over, because it was hilarious.
Viewers have access to movies like “Cinderella,” “Peter Pan,” and even “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.” Fun fact, “Spooky Scary Skeletons” originated from Disney as well and was released in 1996 by Andrew Gold. This short was truly a master piece, and it lives on each and every Halloween to this day. It has gained so much fame that you could find the song being reused or recycled on almost any social media platform. This allows newer viewers to get a taste of what they missed growing up and gives them a chance to enjoy these films with family or friends. Another fun fact is that when Walt was alive, he believed the real trouble with the world was that “..too many people grow up.” That is why we must hold onto our dreams tight instead of letting the world bring us down, and that is just a small fraction of what Disney is all about. Walt has created such an uplifting and inspiring community for people in hopes of spreading joy to the world, and if he were still with us, he would be proud to see how far Disney has come.