Walt Disney Day Date in the current year: December 2, 2024

Walt Disney was born in Chicago on December 5, 1901. In 1906, Disney’s family moved to Marceline, Missouri, where he developed an interest in drawing when a neighbor paid him to draw his horse. Disney took art classes as a boy and began working as a commercial illustrator at age 18 and as an animator at age 20.

In 1923, Disney moved to Los Angeles, where his brother Roy lived. On October 16, 1923, Walt and Roy Disney founded Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio to produce animated films; this was the beginning of the Walt Disney Company. Disney’s breakthrough came in 1928 with the character of Mickey Mouse, which he co-created with Ub Iwerks. The first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Plane Crazy, failed to impress audiences, but Steamboat Willie, released on November 18, 1928, was a success.

As Disney’s studio grew, he began to produce feature-length cartoons in Technicolor, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi. The period between 1934 and 1941, when Disney produced his first feature-length animated films, is sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of Animation.

After a hiatus in the production of animated features caused by World War II, Disney returned in 1950 with the highly successful Cinderella, followed by the studio’s first live-action feature, Treasure Island. In 1955, Disney opened his first theme park, Disneyland, in Anaheim, California. He also branched out into television, producing Walt Disney’s Disneyland and The Mickey Mouse Club to help finance the theme park. In 1965, Disney began developing another theme park, Disney World in Florida, but he died in 1966 before the park was completed.

Although views of Walt Disney and his work have changed over the decades, he is generally regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of the animation industry. As a producer, he holds the record for most Academy Award wins and nominations by a single individual, with his works winning 22 Oscars out of 59 nominations. He also received four honorary Academy Awards and has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one of his motion pictures and the other for his work on television, along with other accolades.

Walt Disney Day has been observed since 1986, when President Ronald Reagan proclaimed December 5, 1986 as Walt Disney Recognition Day to commemorate Walt Disney’s 85th birth anniversary. It was a one-time proclamation, but Disney fans continued to celebrate the holiday, moving it to the first Monday in December.

There are many ways to celebrate Walt Disney Day. You can take a trip to a Disney theme park if there is one near you and you can afford it, re-watch your favorite Disney cartoons, throw a Disney-themed party, watch a documentary about Walt Disney, and share your fond memories of growing up with Disney cartoons on social media using the hashtag #WaltDisneyDay to help spread the word about the holiday.