One of the most frequent questions that arises when fans debate the current state of the Walt Disney Company is whether its founder, Walt Disney himself, would appreciate where the company is today. Many times in the past, fans—and even members of the Disney family—have disagreed about whether Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney would appreciate the direction that the House of Mouse has taken with its business decisions. In light of the current political turmoil and lawsuits the company finds itself embroiled in, the question is certainly worth genuinely considering.
Walt Disney and His Brainchild
On October 16, 1923, brothers Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney founded what would become one of the most influential entertainment conglomerates of the century. With humble beginnings as the Disney Brothers Studio, the company eventually found success with a new character—Mickey Mouse—in a groundbreaking short film, Steamboat Willie, and as they say, the rest is history.
Over the years, Disney has weathered its fair share of ups and downs and has come out on top every time. The company is going through a rough patch right now, but if history has taught us anything, it’s very likely the company will find its way through choppy waters successfully.
Josh D’Amaro on Walt Disney’s Opinions of the Parks
Recently, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro spoke to The Points Guy for an interview where he addressed a lot of concerns that fans have raised over the years. The conversation covered many topics (including the controversial Star Wars hotel, the Galactic Starcruiser, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s baby). It addressed the fact that much of the development at the Parks occurred after Walt Disney’s death in 1966. Yet, Walt Disney’s vision for the Disney Parks has shaped the attention-to-detail Guests see today.
On the subject of one of the newer lands at the Walt Disney World Resort—the Star Wars campus at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park—Mr. D’Amaro shared,
“I think he’d be pretty proud. I think he would actually be pretty amazed at the evolution of storytelling…I don’t think he could have ever imagined it was this, but at its core, we’re doing the same thing he wanted to do. We could just do it so much more effectively now.”
There’s no real way to know what the founder would think of the Disney Parks today or the state of the Walt Disney Company, but it’s definitely interesting to speculate on what the man who started it all would believe about the company he poured his heart and soul into.
