Disney in the Classroom
Page 3 of 4
Disney had his artists create military units logos (similar in style to the way
this van is painted) for virtually nothing.
This meant that Walt had to start over. Since he couldn’t afford to do a feature film he had his artists put together a series of package films. (These were collections of shorts that were organized around a theme.) The public responded poorly to these flims and the critics said that Disney had lost his touch. Some even predicted that Walt Disney Productions would be forced into bankruptcy.
Walt with children at Disneyland
Walt gives his Opening Day speech
What Walt Disney accomplished, because of his attitude and determination, would be an excellent example and model for students even if all that he did was establish a successful business. However, as you probably already know, and as my students will learn, Walt Disney was much more than a businessman. (My previous Disney in the Classroom articles cover the effect Walt Disney, and his Company, had and has on our culture from the 1930's to the present.) In my lesson on Walt himself, I will not go into any detail concerning what he created, since I will cover that in my other Disney lessons. However, I will show his Opening Day speech at Disneyland. After they see the speech, I will have my students write down why they believe Disneyland has remained popular for almost fifty years. I anticipate that at least a few students will see that Disneyland’s popularity comes from the fact that being there gives people hope. As guests in the Park we can believe that good will always overcome evil, that we can be proud of our past, and that our future is bright. Disneyland is in fact the ultimate expression of the theme that runs through all of Walt’s work- there is always hope that everything will work out the way that it should.