Walt Disney

Walt Disney has changed the lives of billions of people around the world. He

turned his dreams into reality with the help of his many followers, this showed his true leadership. Walt had the ability to share his visions and dreams with others and persuade them to believe in him and his ideas. To open up his own business and start making cartoons Walt had to take many risks. He had to take an even bigger risk borrowing millions of dollars to open Disneyland. It took great leadership skill to build up the Disney Empire and make it such a success.

Walt Disney was a film making pioneer. The first synchronized sound cartoon,

Steamboat Willie (1928) was his creation, as was the first full-color cartoon, Flowers and carees (1932). He was also responsible for the first animated film that gave the illusion of depth through the use of the multiplane camera, The Old Mill (1937). The cartoon, as realized by Disney, gained even greater stature in 1937 when Walt released his first full-length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He went on to introduce many more innovations to movie making, including stereophonic sound (Fantasia, 1940) and 360-degree projection (Disneyland's circle-Vision 360, 1955). This remarkable man's many achievements also include the longest-running prime time television series (1954-1983), the Academy Award-winning true-life adventure nature films. Walt had many great ideas that he needed to share with others. The was a great persuading leader, he had to make others believe in him and accept his ideas. Walt knew how to tell his ideas to other and get them excited about his new idea and want to help him.

In 1953 Walt's vision of an amusement park began. He visited fairs, carnivals,

circuses and parks to study the attractions and the people. Anaheim, California is selected as the place where Disneyland will be built. Other amusement park owners don't believe that Walt will fail. Walt worked very hard for the next two years to get ready for the opening of Disneyland. July 17, 1955 Disneyland opens. Rides break down park stands run out of food & drink. Fantasyland is closed due to a gas leak. Walt has his staff resolve the problems of opening day and invites newspaper, wire service and magazine staffs & family to Disneyland to repair press relations. Building Disneyland was a huge risk for

Walt, he had to borrow millions of dollars from the bank. Walt was also forced to offer public stock, something that he did not want to do. 600,000 shares of common stock sold at $5 a piece. Walt new that if Disneyland was a failure he could lose everything, but he was confident that it would not.

Walt was a very busy man, he was always making moves, coming up with new ideas for Disneyland and thinking about building his new park Disney World and Epcot.

The Disney Empire was a huge international company with many jobs that needed to get done. Walt could not do this all alone, so he had hired thousands of employees over the years.

Sometimes in life Walt got too busy, and was trying to do too many things at once. He would have so many ideas that he wanted to work on and he would get to spread out. Walt would often take risk, and these risk didn't always work out for the good. One time when he was just starting making cartoons he risked a lot of money and lost. Walt had to file for bankruptcy. Being the leader that he is he did not quit when he went bankrupt, he started again.

Walt Disney was a leader in the field of animation and a pioneer and risk taker in the amusement park business. He founded his own business and started making some of the first animated films. He opened Disneyland an amusement park like no other in the world and he created a huge international company. Without Walt's inspiration and drive, Walt Disneyland and Walt Disney World would never have been conceived much less built. Although he was only one man, he touched the lives of countless millions. He refreshed our spirits by appealing to the child in all of us. Each time he turned one of his dreams into reality, he showed us that our own dreams can come true.