They say behind every good man is a good woman. There should be another phrase that states behind every man is a loving brother. This phrase would be true about Walt Disney and his older brother Roy. The Disney brothers grew up close in Kansas City delivering papers for their father before and after school. Weekends were no time to rest because there were deliveries to be made.
Roy always supported his brother’s dreams even if he might have not totally believed in them. There were failures before the success of Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney Studios, and Roy was there for both.
Walt’s last big project was his Florida project. He wanted to build a second theme park in central Florida. Unfortunately, Walt never got to see it through. When Walt Disney passed away on December 15, 1966, that could have been the end of the Florida project now known as Disney World. Instead, Roy took it upon himself to pick up the baton and run with it. He even changed the name to Walt Disney World to honor his beloved brother.
While Walt lay in his hospital bed picturing Disney World on the ceiling, he explained his vision to Roy as he sat there massaging his cold feet. Under Roy’s watchful eye, he saw to it that Walt’s vision came to fruition. Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, and the crowds since then have come. Roy O. Disney passed away in December of the same year, only a little over two months after the park opened.
I believe that it can be considered that if Walt Disney is the father of Disneyland, it can be said that Roy Disney is the father of Walt Disney World.
Have you heard of Roy O. Disney’s role in the completion of Disney World?