How Disney Built America

Recounting the birth of Mickey Mouse, how he began as a pencil sketch and rocketed to lasting fame; the story starts with Walt in his early days in Hollywood when he quickly loses his first successful cartoon character to a powerful middleman.

Facing soaring costs, mounting criticism, and a tight deadline, Walt Disney pushes the limits of technology to create the first full-length animated feature film. It’s Disney’s magic combination of passion, brilliance, and tech innovation that gives rise to the billion-dollar business of animated films.

Walt Disney overcomes immense obstacles to create the first Theme Park, where instead of thrill rides, he gives the visitor an immersive journey into a story, like the experience of being inside a movie.

Amidst financial troubles, Disney hires an ingenious marketing whiz who helps them figure out how to bring their beloved characters off the screen and into the hands of millions. Mickey becomes the first celebrity face to grace a cereal box and from there, the licensing of Disney products becomes a lucrative industry and the gold standard for multimedia corporations all over the world.

Against all odds, Disney turns 27,000 acres of muddy Florida swampland into the world's largest and most visited Theme Park.

For nearly 70 years, Disney has pushed the boundaries of art and science through the work of a team of dreamers, designers, and builders known as the "Imagineers"; a look at the story of these builders who have turned the impossible into a reality.