About this audiobook

Before Mickey Mouse, there was simply a boy who loved to draw. Before Disneyland became a destination known around the world, there was a young man struggling to make a living from his art. Before the name Disney became associated with animation, television, theme parks, and entertainment, there was a dreamer who experienced failure, financial hardship, uncertainty, and professional setbacks. This is his story. Walt Disney: His Entire Life in a Glance takes you on a journey through the complete life of Walter Elias Disney—from his birth in Chicago in 1901 to his death in 1966 and the remarkable continuation of the projects he left behind. Discover the childhood experiences in Missouri that shaped Walt's imagination. Follow his early fascination with drawing, trains, and storytelling as he searched for a place in the world of art. Experience his journey through the First World War, his early work as a commercial artist, and his discovery of animation. Then come the struggles. Follow Walt as he builds Laugh-O-gram Films—and watches it collapse into bankruptcy. See how he takes an unfinished film, little money, and a determination to continue to Hollywood. With his brother Roy beside him, he begins again. Then comes Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. And its loss. From that painful setback emerges one of the most recognizable characters in history: Mickey Mouse. But Mickey is only one chapter of the story. Discover how Walt and his artists experimented with synchronized sound, color, music, and character animation. Follow the extraordinary gamble of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a project that demanded enormous financial and creative commitment and helped establish feature-length animation as a major form of filmmaking. Then watch Walt's world expand far beyond cartoons. Explore his involvement in wartime filmmaking, television, nature documentaries, live-action movies, and educational projects. Follow the extraordinary development of Disneyland, where animation and storytelling moved from the movie screen into a physical world that audiences could enter and explore. But Walt was not finished. He became interested in mechanical technology, Audio-Animatronics, education, artistic training, urban planning, and the future. His ambitions eventually reached Central Florida, where he envisioned something much larger than another theme park: EPCOT—the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. And then, unexpectedly, the story ends. Walt Disney died in 1966, before many of his final dreams could be completed. But his story did not end with his death. His brother Roy continued the Florida project. Walt Disney World eventually opened. EPCOT took shape in a form different from Walt's original experimental city. His films, characters, technologies, institutions, and ideas continued to influence generations long after he was gone. This book invites you to look beyond the familiar image of Walt Disney and discover the full human story behind the name.

Journey Exploration