Walt Disney is widely known as a dreamer and an innovator, an idealist
who followed his vision to create wonderful things. But it's easy to
forget one important piece of the pie - Walt's dreams were about delighting
people - children and adults alike. And he never forgot how important
his public was. He wanted his movies, his television shows, and most
especially his beloved Disneyland and the parks that followed, to please
everyone as much as they pleased him.
We'd like to share with you some of Walt's words, courtesy of the Walt
Disney Family Museum, on the importance of his public.
Throughout his life, Walt Disney always valued the response of his audience,
and went to great lengths to understand what the people wanted to see,
and how he could stay in close touch. Here are some quotes from Walt
on his public:
The Key Is the Public
"The public has been my friend. The public discovered Mickey Mouse
before the critics and before the theatrical people. It was only after
the public discovered it, did the theatrical people become interested
in it; and did the critics become interested. Up to that time, the critic
wouldn't have bothered using any space, you see? So it all comes down
that newspapers and people who write for newspapers are only interested
in people after the public is interested. The key to it is the public."
The Spirit of Adventure
"I go right straight out for the adult. As I say, for the honest
adult. Not the sophisticates. Not these characters that think they know
everything and you can't thrill them anymore. I go for those people
that retain that something, you know, no matter how old they are; that
little spirit of adventure, that appreciation of the world of fantasy
and things like that. I go for them. I play to them. There's a lot of
them. You know?"
Direct to the Public with Television
"I have more latitude in television than I ever had before. If
I had an idea for something, I had to then go and try to sell it to
the distributors, to the theater men, and everyone else. With television,
I just get my gang together and we say we think that will be something
interesting -- let's do it. And I go direct to that public."
The Park Reflects What People Like
A picture is a thing that once you wrap it up and turn it over to Technicolor,
you're through. The last picture I just finished, the one I just wrapped
up a few weeks ago --- it's gone. I can't touch it. There's things in
it I don't like. I can't do anything about it. I wanted something live.
Something that could grow. Something I could keep plussing with ideas.
The park is that. Not only can I add things, but even the trees will
keep growing. The thing will get more beautiful every year. And as I
find out what the public like or they don't like, I have to apply that
to some other thing. I can't change that picture. So that's why I wanted
that park."
Words of Inspiration
"We're finding some wonderful words of Mr. Lincoln that are still
prophetic today. And I think it's going to be a great moment for the
public when they can sit and hear Mr. Lincoln talk about some of the
things. What is Liberty? You know? The rights and the obligations that
we have and all of that. I think it's needed today, too."
