Walt Disney and the Idea of Disneyland

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Disneyland is considered a magical place. Some might even consider it “better than real” (Louise 162). It is a place where families can have fun together and bond. It has been running successfully for over fifty years. But how did Disneyland come to be? It did not simply pop up one night out of nowhere. Disneyland came to be through three events; the childhood of Walt Disney, the idea for an amusement park, and the building of this “better than real” place. Walter Elias Disney was born December 5, 1901 in Chicago. He was born into the family of Elias and Flora Disney. When Walt was born, he had two older brothers. One was Raymond, who was eleven, and the other was Roy O., who was eight. Two years after Disney, his sister Ruth was born. In 1906, the Disneys moved to Marceline, Missouri where Walt attended the Park School (Louise). In 1911, the Disneys relocated to Kansas City. Here Walt attended the Benton Grammar School. Walt’s father in 1916, decided to move his family back to Chicago, however, Ruth and Walt stayed in Kansas City and finish Grammar School. In 1917, Walt worked on the railroad for the summer. He then attends McKinley High School back in Chicago. At this time he also took art classes at the Art Institute of Chicago (Louise). In 1918, Walt took a job at the Chicago Post office. He almost missed being injured by a bomb there. That year Walt and one of his friends faked their birthdays to get into the Red Cross Ambulance Corp. After World War 1, Walt is sent to Europe. There he works as a driver for the Red Cross. He returned home in 1919. He returned home with enough money to set up a business. In 1922, Walt released his first animated cartoon Little Red Riding Hood (Louise). From here, his work grew. A few years ... ... middle of paper ... ...ion, Disneyland came to be through three events; the childhood of Walt Disney, the idea for an amusement park, and the building of this “better than real” (Hass 162) place. Works Cited Ayre, Lyn. “Early History of Disneyland” EntertainmentScene360.com. http://www.entertainmentscene360.com/index.php/early-historyof-disneyland-3-6527/. 29 June 2011. Web. 21 Jan. 2014 “Disneyland Timeline” www.csus.com http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/shawg/articles/facilities/disneyland_timeline.html Feb. 1, 2014. Web. Hass, Kristinrice, Kym S. Filene, Benjamin. “Behind The Magic: Fifty Years of Disneyland.” Journal of American History 93.1 (2006): 161. MasterFILE Premier. Web.23 Jan. 2014. [http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=21254268&site=ehost-live] Krashiewicz, Louise. Walt Disney: A Biography. Santa Barbara: Greenwood Biographies, 2010. Print.

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