Walt Disney liked to draw from a very young age. His favorite thing was to make pictures that told stories. While many children prefer to play outside, Walt was content to sit and draw for hours. His brother Roy helped him a lot. Roy knew Walt could make good pictures, so he bought him drawing tools. Walt spent all his free time learning to draw better. He drew pictures of the animals he saw and the people in his town. He would trust his brother Roy to tell him if his drawings were good.

 

His parents sometimes worried about how much time he spent drawing, but they knew he loved art. As a young man, Walt worked hard to advance his art skills. He drew pictures and thought of new ideas daily. Even when he had to deliver newspapers early in the morning to make money, he never stopped drawing. He wanted to discover new ways to tell stories through pictures.

 

In 1919, when he was 18, Walt began making cartoons. At that time, cartoons were very traditional—they were simple black-and-white drawings. Walt wanted to make them more modern and interesting. He worked directly with other artists to create new techniques. They worked long hours, and this created stress for everyone. However, Walt felt a strong responsibility to make his stories different and new.

 

Walt received important advice from his brother Roy: “Make something new.” Following this idea, Walt created Mickey Mouse. Mickey was fun, and people felt a strong personal connection to him. Walt discovered he could use Mickey to tell new stories that people all around the world loved.

 

In 1937, Walt took on his biggest challenge: to create Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This was the first long cartoon movie. Many people thought it would fail, saying that audiences would not want to watch a long cartoon. However, the movie was a huge success, and Walt decided to continue making films that would bring joy to families. This success helped him create other famous animated films, such as Pinocchio and Bambi.

 

Always wanting to do more, Walt opened Disneyland in 1955. He wanted to create a special place where families could feel content and happy, and have fun together. The park was a mix of modern entertainment and traditional values. People came from many places to visit the park. Children could meet Mickey Mouse and other friends from the movies. Families could ride on fun trains and boats. Everyone had fun. Walt was very happy to see people enjoying the park together. He often walked around the park to check that everything was perfect. He believed that it was very important.

 

Walt Disney died in 1966, but his ideas continue through the company he created. The Disney company is now one of the world’s largest entertainment companies. It still mixes traditional stories with modern technology. Walt showed that if you trust in yourself and work hard to advance your dreams, amazing things can happen.