It’s no secret that we have a teensy tiny obsession with all things Disney. The happiest place on earth always seems to exude happiness and it is amazing how each time we go – we are more and more enamored with the World that Walt Disney created in the Florida marsh.
It is the magic of the place, the moment, and the memories created with your family that continue to draw me back. And it is also the legacy and the man behind the World that are equally as fascinating.
Based off the book, Walt before Mickey: Disney’s Early Years, 1919-1928 by Timothy Susanin, the latest Netflix streaming find, Walt Before Mickey, captured my attention with the promise of a story about the man behind the Mouse and a bird’s eye view into his journey to become a phenomenal animator and a success story like no other.
The classic look of the film as we traveled through time starts with Walt as a young boy – drawing on the side of his father’s barn and fences. It is a heartwarming look into the humble beginnings of the man who’s claim to fame now spans the world and comes in the form of a lovable animated Mouse. The story follows him through successes, failures, a love story, and the quest to bring to life something that he felt passionate about – the changing course of animation.
Film themes include perseverance, determination, and the deep connections felt with friends and family that chose to take a chance and believe in him. This family-friendly flick is a great source of inspiration – especially from someone that they probably already know and love without even thinking about it.
The movie continues to document his early wins and the struggles that he faced while trying to bring this type of animation to the brink. A loan that starts with about $5 and a rented space that cost just as much – one of his first sales left him with nothing, but breaking even, and yet, he continues over time to seek to get better and better and adapt to his circumstances.
And now – our family enjoys some of our greatest times in the confines of his Parks. We are overwhelmed with whimsy, magical, and joy (no exaggeration from me here) as we see this World and his imagination brought to life.
Walt Before Mickey tells the story of the man before his statue occupied the front of Cinderella’s castle and is a reminder that without those early years, this legacy would not exist.
Walt Disney was courageous and a man before his time and Walt Before Mickey gives a view of that long before that first smile from our favorite Mouse.
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