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This Tour is a Thematic Tour or Heritage Trail.

Walt Disney's Kansas City

Created by Nichole Stahly on October 21st 2021, 12:57:00 am.
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Description

This thematic driving tour explores notable locations related to Walt Disney's years in Kansas City and his early life as an animator before making it big in Hollywood. It includes Disney’s childhood home, where he worked out of the garage, as well as several former companies where Disney acquired experience. Highlights of the tour include the building that served as the headquarters of Walt Disney's first animation studio, Laugh-O-Gram Films. Disney first moved to Missouri with his family in 1906. After running a small farm near rural Marceline, in 1911, the Disney’s moved to Kansas City, where Walt took classes at the Kansas City Art Institute and discovered a love for cartooning. In the fall of 1919, just before his 18th birthday, Disney got his first job in the industry at Pesmin-Rubin Commercial Art Studio. He spent the next two-and-a-half years gaining experience and advancing his skills. In May of 1922, Disney incorporated his first animation studio, Laugh-O-gram Films, which operated until he left for California in the summer of 1923. Walt Disney was not only a man with artistic talent but also tremendous ambition and innovative ideas. During his time in Kansas City, Disney learned to develop his business acumen while also learning to recognize talent in others. When he started Laugh-O-gram Films, Disney recruited several men he had worked with at other art studios. Once in California, many of them followed and went on to become some of the leading names in the Golden Age of Animation.


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