Words From Walt
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December 5
You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.

December 6
Fantasy, if it's really convincing, can't become dated, for the simple reason that it represents a flight into a dimension that lies beyond the reaches of time."

December 7
I suppose my formula might be: dream, diversify and never miss an angle.

December 10
A man should never neglect his family for business.

December 11
You hate to repeat yourself. I don't like to make sequels to my pictures. I like to take a new thing and develop something, a new concept.

December 12
There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island and at the bottom of the Spanish Main ... and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life.

December 13
When I started on Disneyland, my wife used to say, 'But why do you want to build an amusement park? They're so dirty.' I told her that was just the point - mine wouldn't be.

December 14
I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.

December 17
I'm not the perfectionist any more. It's my staff. They're the ones always insisting on doing something better and better. I'm the fellow trying to hurry them to finish before they spoil the job. You can overwork drawing or writing and lose the spontaneity.

December 18
I don't pretend to know anything about art. I make pictures for entertainment, and then the professors tell me what they mean.

December 19
Why be a governor or senator when you can be king of Disneyland?

December 20
You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.

December 21
A lot of young people think the future is closed to them, that everything has been done. This is not so. There are still plenty of avenues to be explored.

December 26
Actually, if you could see close in my eyes, the American flag is waving in both of them and up my spine is growing this red, white and blue stripe.

December 27
Instead of considering TV a rival, when I saw it, I said, 'I can use that, I want to be a part of it.

December 28
My role? Well, you know I was stumped one day when a little boy asked, 'Do you draw Mickey Mouse?' I had to admit I do not draw anymore. 'Then you think up all the jokes and ideas?' 'No,' I said, 'I don't do that.' Finally, he looked at me and said, 'Mr. Disney, just what do you do?' 'Well,' I said, 'sometimes I think of myself as a little bee. I go from one area of the Studio to another and gather pollen and sort of stimulate everybody. I guess that's the job that I do.

December 31
It's like the city of tomorrow ought to be. A city that caters to the people as a service function. It will be a planned, controlled community, a showcase for American industry and research, schools, cultural and educational opportunities.

January 2
I think by this time my staff, my young group of executives, and everyone else are convinced that Walt is right. The quality will out. And so I think they're going to stay with that policy because it's proved that it's a good business policy. Give the people everything you can give them. Keep the place as clean as you can keep it. Keep it friendly, you know. Make it a real fun place to be. I think they're convinced and I think they'll hang on ... if ... as you say ... well, after Disney.