While Walt Disney created the character and provided Mickey’s original voice, it was actually Ub Iwerks, his close friend and animator, who drew Mickey Mouse for the first time. Iwerks animated the early shorts almost single-handedly.
Walt was a lifelong chain smoker, but the Disney company worked hard to downplay it, especially after his death. In fact, when he was portrayed in Saving Mr. Banks, Disney Studios insisted there be no scenes of him smoking, though subtle hints were added.
There’s a secret apartment above the Firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland. Walt used it as a personal hideaway during the park’s construction and early years. A lamp in the window is always kept on to honor his presence.
In the 1940s, Walt considered creating a small amusement area called “Mickey Mouse Park” across the street from the Burbank studio. The idea evolved and expanded into what became Disneyland in 1955.
The rumor that Walt Disney had his body cryogenically frozen after death is completely false. He died in 1966 and was cremated, with his ashes interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. The myth lives on, though!
