Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow: The Futurism of Walt Disney 

Several people have attempted to point out that the phrase used at 7:25, "If you can dream it, you can do it," is not a quote from Walt Disney. Instead of answering for it every time it is brought up, we will put our response here for all to see: In a 1979 interview conducted by Arn Saba, Disney Legend Floyd Gottfredson recounted an exchange that occurred at Imagineering during a meeting about the new audioanamatronics technology. Someone said that what Walt wanted could not be achieved, and Gottfredson described Walt's response as, "God Damn it, if you can visualize it, if you can dream it, then there's some way to do it! Now keep after it until we get it!" The words are not the same but the sentiment is, and this conversation is most likely the genesis of that phrase. Though Gottfredson did not work in Imagineering it's reasonable to believe that as a member of the Disney Organization from 1929 to 1975 he is a reliable source and was up to date on the various goings on within the organization. We hope you will now understand why the phrase was included and attributed to Walt. Thank you for watching!

the story of how Walt was lying in the hospital bed looking up at the ceiling and describing to Roy the details of his plans for Epcot really got me. Especially the part where he said, "And that's where we'll put the bench where me and Lily can sit" He was a man that truly had a passion for what he did. He kept making plans for the future even though his end was near. He knew that if there was the slightest chance that he could recover, he prepared so that he could get up and get back to what he loved right away. No words to describe how that makes me feel other than inspiring .

A beautiful documentary. There’s so many nasty lies about the man to tear his legacy apart is so gross.

I'm 70 YEARS OLD AND i WENT TO Disney WORLD 30 YEARS AGO AND it WAS SO big THAT it TOOK ME 3 DAYS TO SEE it ALL BUT it WAS GREAT TO SEE it 😁

I’ve always considered it a tragedy that the Disney company abandoned Walt’s dream of Epcot, and turned it into another amusement park. How the world today might be different if they had had the courage to stay on track!

5 years later and this still one of the best if not the best documentaries I have ever had the pleasure of watching

I've always been so upset that they "gave up" on Walt's EPCOT, if he had even five more years there's no telling how different today would be.

We're thrilled at the positive response the film has been receiving! We're glad you all seem to enjoy it, especially since we had such a great time making it! The world today needs Walt Disney's ideals more than ever!

_"What would you think if..."_ Oh, man, did I wish my art teachers were like that. It's probably the best thing anyone overseeing creative work could possibly say.

this was awesome. Disney should endorse this film. It might remind Disney Corp what type of good people use to work at Disney Studios.

As a Disney enthusiast and specifically a Walt Disney enthusiast, I can say with confidence that this is the best documentary of Walt I have ever seen, hands down... Thank you for creating this for those of us who are inspired every day by this man and his legacy

This is one of the absolutely finest video documentaries, of Walt Disney, I have ever seen. I remember seeing Walt on TV as a young child. He connected with people, and especially children. So much was lost with Walt's, and then Roy Disney's passing. After which, Disney as a company, has in my opinion, largely lost its way. It increasingly, became something soulless, and lacking the family centered ideology of, Walt Disney! Yes, the centers are for families, but there are many areas of business, and ways of doing business, that I am more than confident, Walt, nor Roy Disney, would have approved off, nor done. Walt was a true, and I dare say, altruistic, visionary. We were so much the poorer when Walt passed away. He impacted people, for the good. We need more Walt Disney's. And there are so very few of them, today. Yes, they are visionaries, but not visionaries who saw, such as in EPCOT, a vision to benefit every aspect and member, of the family. Wonderful video!!!

This is what the purpose of a documentary is: To tell an amazing real-life story that the public would otherwise not be aware of. Fantastic, top-tier work, and criminally underappreciated.

I loved this, watched the whole thing and came back for a second go

50:00 bottom guy flipping us off!! Lmao XD

It’s odd how I’m just finding this now. I never considered how disney studios was one mans dream

The production value, editing, and interviews were all amazing. Congratulations on such a fine piece of work.

Best movie on Walt I have seen.

Thanks for this informative and engaging documentary. I was 9 y/o when Walt died. I remember when he passed, a cartoon of Mickey Mouse crying appeared in the newspapers of the time. My family used to watch his tv show every Sunday night. Walt was a kindly man on that show, full of enthusiasm and zeal about any subject. R.I.P. Walt. Miss you always.

Amazing documentary! Truly a shame that this isn't available on DVD. It shows this innovative spirit that was Walt Disney and is a stark contrast to what the Disney Company has become in recent years without this kind of leadership.

I’m 47 minutes into this and the most important thing I’ve learned so far is that everyone thought Walt Disney was crazy or that what he wanted to do couldn’t be done… he just kept proving them wrong! This has is very important for those who want to follow their dreams!

Someone in the comments mentioned the terrible American Experience piece on Walt. It was crap. What makes this movie so good is that the filmmaker gets it. Well done, sir.

He was a freakin’ genius.

Fabulous documentary!! I agree, we need more positive and imaginative people like Walt Disney. It is so sad that he died too soon to finish his dreams. He was such an inspiration. I am thankful for him and for all the great people that helped him accomplish all that the Disney company did.

This is a beautiful testament to a great American legend. Thank you!

Saw how long this was when it queued and thought “I’m not watching 2 hours of this” but after 30 seconds I was glued!! Awesome and very enjoyable!! Thanks for the great film 🥳

I still want to see EPCOT done in its original vision.

Wow - what an awesome presentation! To quote a saying from Walt Disney: “I hope we never lose sight of one thing-that it was all started by a mouse.” , - I say, "it was all started by a Great Man - Walt Disney!"!

This made me tear up at the end. What a truly amazing documentary.

The more I learn about all this, the more I realize that Disney’s involvement in Worlds Fairs towards the last decade of his life, motivated him to the next level. Through sponsorships that were mutually beneficial at Disneyland also, he could basically make Disneyworld a place of applying permanent residence of new technologies. It was a very radical thing (creating a living prototype city) that hinged on his optimism of technology. There’s no way that anyone else could have brought this to fruition at the critical stage when we lost Walt.

This is one of the best documentaries I've seen.

I had a conversation today about Walt Disney the man. I met a Dad who's son draws and does amazing paintings. Came home and was searching for additionally Documentaries about Walt Disney so I can send it to him so he can view it with his son. I stumble with this Channel and really, enjoy this GEM of a DOCUMENTARY. I will probably be watching this more then once. EXCEPTIONAL LABOR OF LOVE & PASSION and recommend this family and friends.

i have been to disneyland and WDW epcot i believe this should a real place i believe in this

Fabulous. I love Walt and Roy and the Disney company. I wish he hadn't died so young. I am grateful Roy took on the challenge of building WDW...

A beautiful tribute to a beautiful man. Love you Walt.

Beautiful documentary

1:17:18 Squirrel And I wanted to express how much I appreciate independent documentary makers. This is great, thank you

Having been a cast member of WALT DISNEY WORLD for 10 years back in the 90’s, at the early start to my career, I can tell you that the spirit of this amazing man (not perfect man ) was very present….. in everything the team did. In every meeting, in every experience we tried to create, the magic, the guest experience, the innovation…. that Walt showed us was possible. Thank you so much for this wonderful look back, and reminders of the MAN behind the name… I’m headed back to WDW in November, and although the impacts from the biz side are there, the core spirit and joy and magic are still around every corner of this place!

This gave me a much deeper look into Walt's creative leadership. I mean I knew how "go get 'em" he was about a lot of the projects he was involved in but dayum, this guy knew what to do and how to do it and who to do it with!

Walt Disney a man ahead of his time. EPCOT a future unrealized.

Thank u for humanizing Walt after a number of accusatory “documentaries” I think he was a person like all of us and I think he had good intentions

He was a great artist, animator, collaborator, filmmaker, innovator, inventer, trend setter, & visionary.

Can you imagine the things Walt would be inventing or creating if he were still with us today? Brilliant man!

I have love walt Disney since I was a child 34 now, i hate hearing the things said about him because i knew they were not true. My father was born in 42 and would talk about this great man and how he chanced movie making, how we thought about technology, space and so many different ideas. As a kid I watched many of his films from 40s and 50s and technology and the future so I have always been difficult to hear that bs so thank u for cutting though that.

This has just become one of my favorite documentaries, and honestly I wouldn't doubt that it is the best documentary on Walt Disney's ideas of the future. It's hard to believe this film was made by such a small team.

Coming from one of the biggest Disney fans out there, this was the greatest Documentary I have seen pertaining to the Great Walt Disney. From start to finish you had my attention and interest. Though a lot of the things I have heard before or know, the way it was presented had me feel this was all brand new material. In a sense, this film had a "Magical Feel" to it, just like Walt would've had in his film.

This is fantastic and has enough production value to be run on TV, you did a really good job with this.

This is the latest in a series of really high-quality documentaries I have been lucky enough to stumble across on RU-vid in the past couple of weeks, the kind of thing that makes you realize why the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences got in the habit of awarding an Oscar for these things. Today's documentary genre industry is so utterly tin-plated by comparison. It also reminded me of when anything with the word "Disney" conveyed a sense of the magical in the best sense of the expression. When you heard it, you knew you were in for something not just out of the ordinary, but visionary and always benevolent. There is nothing like that today.

So much better than the BBC documentary... which seemed to film Gabler's book. Walt deserves to be remembered for his best work and not his human frailties. Very inspiring and sincere Thank you.

This is the best documentary on Walt Disney I've ever seen. Far superior to the PBS/American Experience doc in every way.

I just want to thank you guys for this documentary! I think I have watched it at least 12 times now and it always makes my heart sing :-) I don’t know what Walt would think of what they have done to his parks and his company, but nothing can erase who he was and everything he gave to our nation and this world :-) In many ways his death and then the total departure of the Disney’s from the company the company died :-( but thanks to technology we have so much of him, his character and his dreams to look back upon! :-)

This is hands down the best Disney documentary I've seen.

love the smoketree ranch tie the narrator is wearing at the beginning....

To think what the company would’ve been in Walt had never smoked...Roy lived into his late 70’s....what would the company have been if Walt had been able to see the Florida Project through to completion; if we’d had Walt Disney into the 80’s, into HIS 80’s...Damned cigarettes robbed us all of what that could’ve been!!

1:30:45 The Vultures couldn't wait to turn Disney into the soulless husk it is today. 😒 R.I.P Walt😢

What an incredible man 💜

best documentary on Walt Disney, I watched, ,love his ideas

This was so phenomenally done! I love all the actual Walt monologue footage you included too! It’s not as included in most of the other Disney Docs I’ve found. Thank you so much for this! 🙏💖💫

I keep coming back to watch this. Simply one of the best documentaries I've ever seen.

He spread more joy to humanity than anyone else I can think of.

This was incredible. I spent four days watching it in between my schoolwork.

I like how much actual footage of Walt you crammed into this. While I know it's not the case, it almost feels like everything he said was made with this documentary in mind. Fantastic interviews and writing, this is a must-see for anyone touched by Disney and his work. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this. Thank you!

I have been waiting for something like this for a long time. The people you interviewed were perfect. Rolly Crump and Bob Gurr are two of my favorite people. Great editing as well. Most documentaries couldnt tell this story under 3 hours.

What a wonderful documentary! That's the Walt that I love, the optimist and dreamer that didn't just dream, he built his dreams with hard work. One walk through his parks shows his attention to detail, his respect of people and his amazing creativity. I wish everyone could see this documentary and see that he was so much more than the guy who made Mickey Mouse cartoons. He was the man who helped end World War 2, the man who helped man get to the moon, and the man who brought technology to the fore again and again. He's the man kids should be studying in school to see what can be done with just ingenuity and hard work. Thanks again for such a great documentary!

This is probably one of the coolest things I have ever watched. Thank you.

Thank you! Nice work and GREAT DOCUMENTARY! I noticed a minor discrepancy between your documentary and a documentary by the BBC. In yours it is stated that it was Roy's idea to change the name of the company from Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio to the Walt Disney Studio in the BBC documentary it was Walt's idea. Your information seems to be correct, nice catch!

Please make more of these Walt Disney documentaries. I watch this so often that I remember most of the words

Watching on Walt's 122 birthday. This man has made my life so much better than it would have been. Music.. television.. movies.. vacations.. and even the clothes I wear and the things that I choose to display and decorate my home with, have all been influenced by this man and his dream. Thank you, Walter Elias Disney. Thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the memories. 💖

This is such a great film on Walt Disney! I've been a huge fan of Walt and Disneyland my whole life. I was fortunate to have grown up in Southern California; going to Disneyland every year from 1969 to 2006 (with a couple of years there during the 1990s where I was going every weekend because I had a year-round pass!) This film reminds me how much I miss California and Disneyland...

Thank you for this outstanding documentary!

Hands down the best documentary about Walt Disney's career. Great job. The design and editing are wonderful. Those title cards look terrific. Also, kudos for using the Smoke Tree Ranch tie tack!

Not sure why this channel has so few subscribers. As a 53 yr old native Floridian( born 05/20/71), WDW has ALWAYS been a huge part of my life. Having gone so many times I have lost count, I have never grown tired of going and have always found something new on each visit. It will remain my “happy place” for the rest of my life. Thank you, Walt Disney, for enriching my life.

Last week I had the honor of going to Epcot with a man named Gene Morgan, he was the landscaper for Roy Disney. He worked with him for 35 years, and he responsible for literally every single plant that went into the park and around it. He gave me the behind the scenes stories on many places there, and it was the best day of my life!

I finished watching this documentary last night, and I found it so incredibly informative and entertaining. Thank you for finding the perfect balance of old historic clips and interviews. Walt would applaud your genius!

Great, well paced, documentary with some new info, stories and shots. Most important, it is very inspiring.

Growing up in Delaware during the sixties I watched Davy Crockett and other adventurous programs on the Wonderful World of Disney. Then, in the seventies I was in the navy training for duty aboard submarines when I along with a couple of classmates drove to Anaheim to see Disneyland. It was my first time in California and it was surreal to see the wonders that Walt spoke of when I was a child. Even so, until viewing this film I never realized the influence that Walt Disney had during the air campaign of World War II and the space program. I believe Mr. Disney's visionary mind was only eclipsed by his innate sense of decency. Well done to the producers of this film and in closing, may God Bless America...the Green Bay Packers...and the Spirit of Walt Disney.

This man was truly thinking of the future. Everything he had planned for EPCOT, I can see working with the technology of then and the time to advance it.

Amazing documentary! It really captures an unbiased opinion of who Walt Disney truly was. He was a man that knew any dream was possible if you had the right people and worked hard enough. He's an inspiration!

The best documentary on Walt and Disneyland I've seen in terms of information and pure inspiration. If there's anyone who hates on Disneyland or Walt, I feel like if they could pay attention to this entire documentary, they would surely change their mind. I tear up at many parts of this documentary from the magnitude of what that man has done for our world

Loved this film and would love my kids to see it too. Lovely kind uncle Remus is a huge comfort to lots of kids. Please re-release it soon .

One of the best documentaries I've ever watched on Walt Disney. I love how you went with the technology direction. Keep up the good work!

I've been to WDW many times. But on one particular trip, I went to the exhibit "One Man's Dream", and that's where I first learned about Walt's idea for E.P.C.O.T. - the actual city; not the theme park. I became obsessed with the idea for a time afterwards, reading any material that I could get my hands on in regards to the idea, and watching that whole video of Walt introduce the Florida Project. I've since returned to Disney a few times since, but honestly haven't given any thought to the actual city for some time until I stumbled upon this wonderful documentary. This had more information from first-hand sources than I had previously found on the subject and it's likely reinvigorated at the very least my entertaining of that idea once again. Thanks for this film; well done.

H.O.T.S. (higher order thinking skills). This just blew my puny mind to Bermuda. The quality of your insights, interviews, and intellect, all wrapped in a top-notch editing tortilla equals the best damn WED documentary burrito I've ever sunk my teeth into. The segment on WWII describes what is only touched on at the Family Museum in SF. Saying 'Thank You' seems trivial at best, but as I am left without words, Thank You for this.

I was just saying at the end our of the last podcast how I wish someone would do a documentary on Progress City. Further, I wanted a documentary that focused more on Walt the optimist and futurist, opposed to focusing primarily on films. This documentary nails all of that. This is what PBS should have aired for their American Experience. I think this is the best, and my favorite documentary I have seen on Walt Disney yet. I love Walt and what he has accomplished, but I have always been much more fascinated with him as an innovator. I like Walt Disney films, but I am much more into the parks and his outlook on the future. There was much more to Walt than just fairy tale films, and this documentary does a great job of detailing that side of him.

This is one of the best documentaries on Walt's life I have ever seen. Truly incredible look at the life of a man who innovated and inspired through Storytelling. Clips that I've never seen before from the archives and best of all it stamps on horrible myths that were spread after Walt's death. Incredible!!!

Inspiring film!! People really need to take some cues from your sense of storytelling 👌🏻

9:47 The first cartoon short was NOT "Trolley Troubles". It was the first to publicly air. The first cartoon short was called "Poor Papa" however it never properly aired because Charles Mintz did not like the character Oswald at the time because he wasn't "Charlie Chaplin like" and wanted a character that was more energetic and younger. This is why Oswald was changed to a better version which aired in the short "Trolley Troubles" and it became the first short to publicly air. NOT the first short created. The short from 1927 I believe was stored away after it was shown to Mintz. The film was lost until a few years ago presumably.

I truly wish Walt was still alive..how amazing Disney would be! It is awesome but he was such a visionary! Just imagine the things we would have today?

What a fantastic film. Having just watched the generationally biased American Experience on Walt, I found this to dwarf the PBS doc both in content and ambition. In fact, this is one of the finest Disney docs I have seen. Thanks, Mr. Moran.

The most impressively extensive Walt Disney documentary I've seen yet! Thank you for making this. I've always been a fan of the idea behind EPCOT. I can only imagine what kind of a world we'd be living in had Walt Disney lived longer, maybe into his mid 70's. I'd like to think there's a parallel universe out there somewhere where Walt might still be alive thanks to the technology that came from a lab in his version of EPCOT. We would all be living better, longer lives, thanks to innovations created in such a place.

Walt Disney the man is amazing. His ingenuity, intuition, his innovations, his ability to lead with purpose. He was a genius way before his time. I learned many new things in this film that just make me love the man Walt Disney even more - if that is possible. I cannot help but cry when I think of losing this dear, wonderful person. He started something that will keep going on and on. I too wish we could have seen the real Epcot. I have heard that the somewhat answer to Epcot is Celebration with it's business, hotels, housing, green spaces with recreation and so forth. It's gorgeous in there, but did not really become the reality Walt wanted. Thank you for making this amazing film - I agree, it so far surpasses the PBS/American Experience documentary!

This is amazing thank you. What a wonderful new Walt Disney documentary.

Very well done. I actually watched from beginning to end and found this interesting and obviously well researched.

WHAT A DELIGHTFUL way to spend my afternoon just getting off work and listening to this video and his accomplishments and of course his legacy I Marvel at people like mr. Walt Disney he did indeed make this world richer and those who are inspired by him are amazing people as well. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF CURRENT RELEVANCY . . . I appreciate it

this is perhaps the best film i have seen on Disney in years. this film gives insights that no other film has given. Stories told with extra details not previously heard on other documentaries.

This was fantastic, thank you. My neighbor worked directly with Roy Disney for 30 years building the park.

The loss to humanity of Walt’s passing is simply incalculable - surpassed only by his stunning contributions to the betterment of humanity, all of which continue and endure today and hopefully forever. What I wouldn’t give for him to live another few years longer. Long enough so he could complete his work to bring the true EPCOT dream into existence. Even with all of his extraordinary achievements and all he has done to illuminate and enlighten the world, I still believe that EPCOT would’ve been his opus.

Great and wonderful documentary!

Walt Disney was a visionary genius, combined with determination and a huge talent .

Terrific insights into how Walt did what he did and why. Spread this one around, please! This is the Disney bio you've been looking for.