Walter Elias Disney

Disney moved to a farm outside of Marceline, Missouri, with his family in 1906. In 1910, his family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. After service as a World War I ambulance driver, Disney returned to Kansas City and opened his first animation studio.

His major accomplishments include producing the first synchronized sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie (1928); initiating the use of the three-color process in animation for motion pictures; producing the first feature-length animated picture, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937); and creating the family theme park Disneyland and such beloved characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. He was also a winner of 32 Academy Awards.

The building of Disneyland in 1955 was a dream come true for Disney. He was able to create a fantasy world for both adults and children, allowing guests to immerse themselves in his cartoons rather than just watching them on the big screen. Disney based his “Main Street, USA,” upon the streets of small town America, particularly the buildings in downtown Marceline, Missouri. In fact, Disney paid a visit to Marceline in 1946 and likely did research for his park design. In 1938 Disney had written, “More things of importance happened to me in Marceline than have happened since—or are likely to in the future.”