#22. Bedtime Story
Here, we can see Walt Disney posing for a photo while apparently reading Alice in Wonderland to Donald Duck.
Donald Duck had a special place in Disney's heart. He came up with the character when he realized that he needed a character that wasn't always happy like Mickey Mouse was, and so the ill-tempered duck was born.
#21. Underground Tunnels
This picture seems kind of eerie, doesn't it? Well, this is a normal sight for employees at the Disney parks. As a guest, however, you'll never see this side of Disney.
Here, we can see a Mickey actor walking through one of the hundreds of underground tunnels that connect every part of each park. These are used for employees to get ready, rest, and just travel from one area to another.
#20. Flying Nannies
Even though it might not look that spectacular judging by modern standards, Mary Poppins was a groundbreaking film when it came out.
One of the biggest special effects used was the "flying nannies" that were blown by the wind. They were actually stunt men dressed as nannies that were hanging from the ceiling.
#19. First Mickey Plushie
One of the biggest pieces of merchandise from Disney is, without a doubt, the Mickey plushie. However, the modern one looks nothing like the original model.
This photo shows the very first Mickey plushie design, which was just adorable. It looked like the first model of the character, which changed over the years (and of course, the plushies changed with it).
#18. Animation Techniques
One of the most brilliant techniques used by Disney was to use real-life sets and people to model the animations. Basically, the entire movie was first done by real actors and then made into an animation.
Here, we see Helene Stanley, the actress on who Cinderella was based. She can be seen gracefully balancing plates while walking down the stairs. Remember that scene from the movie?
#17. The First Studio
Disney is nowadays a huge corporation that owns properties all over the globe, but back in 1926, this was the only Disney building around.
This was the first Walt Disney Studios building and was located at 2719 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles. The studios operated here until 1940 and many classics were made there, including Snow White and Pinocchio.
#16. The Birth Of Pinocchio
Pinocchio is a Disney classic and it still remains one of the most popular movies ever made by the studio. It is also one of its earliest films - the second, in fact.
Here we can see Walt Disney playing with a model of the character of Pinocchio in 1940, around the time the movie was released. Also, look at his awesome shirt!
#15. Making Of Fantasia
Another movie that was released in 1940 was the incredible musical Fantasia, which gave is the iconic look of Mickey dressed as a wizard's apprentice.
To capture the movements of musicians, a real orchestra was used and their movements were enhanced by this type of lighting that created huge shadows. This way, animators could carefully observe their every move and translate everything into the animation.
#14. Train Lover
Walt Disney loved many things, but one of the things he loved the most was trains. In fact, the idea for Mickey Mouse came to him during a train ride.
This is his own miniature train that he had built at the Walt Disney Studios, and he absolutely loved it. The Carolwood Pacific Railroad, as he named it, was then transferred to his home in Holmby Hills.
#13. Disneyland
Although Disney World is much bigger and has more visitors nowadays, the first park to ever open was Disneyland, located in California.
This is a picture of the opening day of the park on July 17, 1955. As you can see, people are dressed in the typical fashion of the time. The park was instantly flooded with visitors and was a success.
#12. Mine Train
As we've mentioned before, Walt Disney was a huge train fan. He tried to include trains in his parks as much as possible, and the Mine Train was very close to his heart.
The ride opened in 1960 and ran for 17 years. It featured animatronics and different desert and woods themes throughout the ride. It was later replaced with the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which is a roller-coaster that you can still ride today.
#11. Toby Tyler
You may not know this film because it isn't one of the most famous ones, but Toby Tyler is a 1960 Disney film about a kid who runs away from home and joins the circus.
Toby befriends a chimp called Mr. Stubbs, and this is the chimp who played him behind the scenes. Walt Disney himself loved hanging out with the adorable animal between takes.
#10. Animal Lover
Walt Disney had a special place in his heart for animals. If you think about it, many of Disney's movies actually feature animals as their main characters.
Just like he did with human characters, he insisted that animals be studied in order for animators to recreate their movements. Here is Disney with two baby deer during the making of Bambi.
#9. Mad Tea Party
The Mad Tea Party is one of the most popular attractions at both Disneyland and Disney World and other parks abroad. This ride is actually one of the oldest and was inspired by the Mad Hatter's crazy party in Alice in Wonderland.
The ride has suffered many changes over the years, of course, but it still retains its original touch. This ride is so popular that it is featured in all theme parks around the world except for one: Disneyland Shanghai.
#8. Hands-On Boss
Even though Walt Disney got really rich and was the boss of a big company, he still spent most of his time working. While many people would choose to delegate tasks and just sti back and relax, Disney wanted to be involved in every step of the way.
Here's one example of Disney being a very hands-on boss. He constantly checked on workers of every part of the production of every movie. Here, he is seen checking on animators during production of Alice in Wonderland.
#7. Tomorrowland
One of Disney's many obsessions was the future and what the world would look like then. He focused many of his works in technological advancements and always kept up to date with them.
Tomorrowland is one of the many themed areas of the Disney parks, and it was created by Disney with the idea of always keeping it fresh and futuristic. His fear was that it would become "Yesterdayland", but so far, so good. Here's Walt posing for a photo in the original Tomorrowland.
#6. The Monorail
We've said this many times already, but do you remember that Walt Disney was obsessed with trains? Well, the Monorail was one of his favorite projects.
Here, you can see him posing next to the Disneyland Monorail expansion in 1961, and he just couldn't look any happier. The Monorail is still used in many Disney parks to this day.
#5. The Monster
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a 1954 Disney movie based on Jules Verne's novel of the same name. The movie is about a mysterious monster that is terrorizing the sea and it ends up just being a submarine.
The movie was an unbelievable production at the time and was praised for its special effects. The "monster" in particular stood out and the movie won the Oscar for best visual effects that year.
#4. Rainbow Caverns Mine Train
It shouldn't be surprising at this point that we've got another picture featuring Walt Disney and one of his beloved trains. Remember the Mine Train we talked about before? Well, that one was designed as an extension of the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train.
This one was built in 1956 and this picture shows Disney admiring the finished product before it was open to the public. The tilted rocks were particularly well done and he couldn't stop looking at them.
#3. Famous Silhouette
As we all know, the first character Walt Disney created was the one and only Mickey Mouse. He first appeared in the cartoon Steamboat Willie in 1928.
Here, we can see Walt Disney posing for a picture i 1935, but there's someone else in the photo. Do you see the silhouette on the left? That's Mickey, his biggest creation.
#2. Attention To Detail
The Disney parks are known for being extremely detailed and wherever you look, you can spot a small detail that makes things even better.
This started from the very beginning of the parks when Walt Disney was around. He specifically instructed employees to clean everything, even the street signs. Here, you can see two women carefully cleaning a street sing in Disneyland.
#1. Enchanted Tiki Room
The Enchanted Tiki Room is one of the most memorable attractions at the Disney parks. It is now featured in both American locations and at Tokyo Disneyland, but the first one was opened in 1963 in Disneyland California.
Here, you can see Walt Disney himself being completely mesmerized by the animatronic birds in the Tiki Room. You can see the same birds nowadays and still enjoy the same show.