Founders · May 3The Biography of Walt Disney
Disney funded the prototype with a mortgage, his life insurance and employee loans, then hired nobody with amusement park experience. Staff were cast, not hired, and a cigarette butt lay no longer than 25 seconds before being picked up. Opening day caused the largest traffic jam in Orange County history.
Tips
- Walt Disney treated television as an ally of film while rival movie moguls saw a threat▶ 1:27:40The Disneyland show became the second most popular on TV behind I Love Lucy and lifted ABC into the big three networks.
- Walt Disney built Disneyland by rejecting what amusement park operators said would fail▶ 1:33:00Opening day caused the largest traffic jam in Orange County history, and Disney counted fireworks rockets to confirm he got the full number.
- Walt Disney financed Disneyland with a mortgage, his life insurance and loans from employees▶ 1:27:05He said the small team recaptured the joy of the early Hyperion Studio days.
