Inspirational Story: The Success Journey of Walter Elias Disney

Walter Elias Disney was an American entrepreneur, animator, writer, voice actor, and also a film producer. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. He developed an early interest in drawing. He took art classes as a boy and got a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California in the early 1920s and set up the Disney Brothers Studio with his brother Roy which became one of the best-known motion-picture production companies in the world.

Disney was an innovative animator and created the cartoon character Mickey Mouse. Throughout his life, Disney’s father was Elias Disney who is an Irish-Canadian. His mother named Flora Call Disney was a German-American. Disney was one of five children consists of four boys and a girl. Walter Elias Disney has one of the most inspirational stories ever that proves hard work did pay off in the end no matter what.

Picture: NextStep Hub

His family was so poor that he had to deliver 1300 newspapers a day. Then his father would take away all the money. His brothers ran away because they were fed up with the hardships at home. At a very young age, he started to draw and paint, and sell pictures to relatives and neighbors. Then he attended drawing and photography classes in McKinley School, Chicago. He also made cartoons for the school paper.

At age of 19, in Kansas City, Walt started his lifelong dream, his own animation company in 1920. He had little money that he had to live with friends. But he failed to sell a single cartoon and his company went bankrupt. He worked as a cartoonist in a newspaper and the newspaper editor fired him claiming him lazy and a person without any creativity and imagination.

To pursue his childhood dream, he left Kansas City for Hollywood. He started an animation studio in an old garage. He worked for the next 5 years without any income. Mr. Walt finally tasted success with a short film “Alice in Cartooonland” and “Oswald the Rabbit” in 1928. But he lost the copyright to his own characters in 1928.

Picture: Inc. Magazine

Again the cartoonist tried with a new character. But again the audience was not impressed with his film. Still, he made a second film. But couldn’t find a distributor. Finally, in the third attempt, he got success. His character Micky Mouse became a hit and brought the great game to him. He dreamt of it and made it a reality.

The movie “Snow White And Seven Dwarves” was considered a masterpiece. It made $134 equivalent of today. The movie was the most successful film in 1938. Following the success, he started working on different characters of Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto Cartoon Series.

He opened Walt Disney Studios in Burbank in 1939. In 1955, he opened the Disneyland Theme Park, which is famous all over the world. He tasted failure many times but he did not quit. After falling down, he got up with a lot more energy because of his patience and hard work. He believed in his dream unquestionably and worked hard for the same.

Sources: Motivation N You.

Adib Mohd

Recent Posts

Toshiba Turns 95 with a Giant Fridge, Big Vibes & A Spot in the Malaysia Book of Records

Who says anniversaries are just cake and candles? For Toshiba’s 95th Anniversary Dealer Convention, it… Read More

23 hours ago

Resorts World Sentosa’s Singapore Oceanarium Introduces New Experiences As Ticket Sales Go Live

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS, 圣淘沙名胜世界) has announced that ticket sales have launched for Singapore Oceanarium… Read More

24 hours ago

Barista Brews at Prices You Won’t Believe Exist

Think handcrafted coffee always comes with a hefty price tag? Think again. Across Malaysia, cafés… Read More

24 hours ago

POCO Introduces POCO F7: Where Futuristic Design Meets Exceptional Power

POCO, a leading technology brand among young tech enthusiasts, today unveiled POCO F7, setting a… Read More

24 hours ago

Proton Owners Hit the Road for Wellness: AG Autoworld x Herbal Farmer Flag Off First-Ever Fun Drive in Johor

What do you get when you mix wellness, good vibes, and 30 Proton cars? A… Read More

24 hours ago

OMSMC Earns Spot in Newsweek’s Global Hospital Rating 2025

Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre (OMSMC) has been listed in Newsweek’s Global Hospital Rating 2025,… Read More

1 day ago

This website uses cookies.