In about one
week, we will be stepping into the land of all things Disney. We’re so excited to be holding our Anaheim regional
conference in such a magical place! Many
of our childhood memories revolve around trips to Disneyland or cartoons and
movies produced by Disney. Here are a
few facts about the man whose creativity has touched all of us.
#1:
Originally, Walt’s last name was “d’Isigny”. It belonged to his
ancestors from France, but was later changed to make it more convenient to plan a trip
to Disneyland.
#2: On September 11, 1968, the U. S. Postal
Service honored Walt by putting his picture on a six-cent commemorative postage
stamp.
#3: Walt never graduated from high school. He
left school at age16 and joined the American Red Cross. However, he won
honorary degrees from many renowned universities, including Yale and UCLA.
#4: Disney often spelled his name backwards. Even
when he searched for a plot to build his theme park, he used the name M.T. Lott
so sellers wouldn’t take advantage of him.
#5: Walt Disney Resort in Florida is about the
size of San Francisco or two Manhattan islands.
#6: Walt was awarded a special Academy Award in
1932 for creating Mickey Mouse. Goofy, Donald Duck, Pluto, and a host of
other characters followed afterward.
#7: In a career spanning 43 years, Walt Disney
was nominated 64 times for the Oscars, of which he won 32 times – the most
ever!
#8: He once worked as an informant for the FBI.
#9: Despite the fact that Walt was the voice of
Mickey Mouse for two decades, he was actually afraid of mice.
#10: Of all the music from all of the Disney
shows, Walt’s favorite song was Feed the
Birds, from Mary Poppins.
Obviously, Walt
practiced what he preached when he said,
“ All our dreams can
come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
