Walt Disney’s magical dream did not begin with fireworks or fanfare. It began with orange groves, relentless ambition, and hundreds of skilled hands racing against time. That pivotal moment in history comes vividly to life in Disneyland Handcrafted, a feature documentary from filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, premiering January 22 on Disney+ and Disney’s YouTube channel.
As a bonafide Disney fan, I was excited to attend the premiere screening of this exciting documentary feature at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California! And as an added bonus, I took advantage of an invitation to tour Walt Disney’s legendary office after watching the movie.
Built from rare archival footage and original audio recordings, Disneyland Handcrafted transports viewers back to the exhilarating, high-pressure year that gave rise to “The Happiest Place on Earth.” From groundbreaking to opening day on July 17, 1955, the film chronicles the extraordinary artistry, grit, and determination required to transform Disney’s seemingly impossible dream into a living, breathing destination.
At its heart, the film is a tribute to the hundreds of craftspeople, artists, and early Imagineers who brought Disneyland to fruition. These were painters, builders, designers, sculptors, and engineers working under intense deadlines, limited resources, and enormous expectations. Their work laid the foundation for what would become one of the most influential entertainment experiences in history.
What distinguishes Disneyland Handcrafted is its perspective. Through newly unearthed materials from the Walt Disney Archives, Iwerks and her team discovered long-forgotten 16mm film reels and audio recordings that offer an unpolished, fly-on-the-wall look at the park’s creation. The footage captures what was truly happening behind the scenes – the urgency, the trial and error, the creativity under pressure, and the human stories that shaped Disneyland’s earliest days.
Told through firsthand accounts and original recordings of those who were there, the documentary preserves both the legacy and nostalgia of a transformative moment in American and entertainment history. Fun fact: Practically all of the film’s ambient sound was added by Disney through Foley sound effects processes, as most of the footage in the film didn’t include any original audio from the archived footage. As a result, viewers are immersed in the reality of building Disneyland – not as a polished fairy tale, but as a bold, risky endeavor driven by a belief in something unique.
More than 70 years after its opening, Disneyland stands as the blueprint for a massive global, themed-entertainment industry, one that is now in its greatest era of expansion. Disneyland Handcrafted offers a rare opportunity to witness the origin of that legacy. As a result, the film is a meaningful and emotional experience for Disney fans, history lovers, and creatives alike.
Premiering January 22 on Disney+ and Disney’s YouTube Channel, Disneyland Handcrafted reminds audiences that before the magic could be experienced, it first had to be dreamed, then built by hand, by heart, and against all odds.
