Leslie Iwerks Discusses Her New Film ‘Disneyland Handcrafted’

Leslie Iwerks Discusses Her New Film 'Disneyland Handcrafted'

On January 22, the latest film from Academy Award®- and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks - Disneyland Handcrafted - comes to Disney+ and Disney YouTube.

The documentary offers an extremely rare look at the challenges overcome during the creation of The Happiest Place on Earth. It accomplishes this by using previously unseen footage shot by ABC for the Disneyland TV series, which televised regular updates about the construction of what Walt called his "latest and greatest dream."

"It's truly remarkable what went into making Disneyland Handcrafted," Asad Ayaz, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, The Walt Disney Company, said. "Entirely from archival material, this film feels both intimate and epic - a testament to the thoughtfulness, care and curiosity required for incredible storytelling."

Iwerks and her team restored footage that never made it to air and original audio recordings of those deeply involved in the park's construction to tell a story about Walt's impossible dream in a style previously unseen.

For Disney fans, Iwerks is a familiar name, as Leslie's father, Don Iwerks, and grandfather, Ub Iwerks, are both Disney Legends and Academy Award winners - and were close collaborators with Walt. Leslie has directed such noteworthy documentaries as The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story, The Pixar Story, and The Imagineering Story.

We spoke with Iwerks to learn more about the film, the amazing innovations that have always been part of Disneyland's DNA, and the legacy of the park.

For Disneyland Handcrafted, what inspired you to tell the story of Disneyland's creation using only archival footage and audio?

When we were doing The Imagineering Story, we came upon all of this amazing archival footage of the making of Disneyland, and much of it has never been seen or were behind the scenes outtakes in the making of Disneyland. Mark Catalena, Mo Stoebe, my editor, and myself, we decided… that we were going to tell the story all through archival footage and audio soundbites from people that were there on the ground working with Walt, talking about the challenges leading up to opening day.

As someone with deep roots at Disney, how does your unique perspective shape the way you approached Disneyland Handcrafted?

My grandfather and father, both Disney legends and Oscar® winners, were very instrumental in a lot of the creativity that started with this company, from Mickey Mouse to the multiplane camera to the optical printer to [Circle-Vision 360]. I grew up around this, and I think my love for all things Disney has just permeated the films that I make here and the films I want to continue to make here, about so many untold stories.

Did anything surprise you about the building of Disneyland while you were making the film?

How hard it was [Laughs]. I mean, really, it was hard to make this park and watching this footage, it's unbelievable. It's like, "How did they do it?" And the risk that Walt took - his own livelihood, his own company - he risked so much to build this park.

And to think, when he looked out at that dirt lot and thought, "I'm going to create the happiest place on Earth," it's unbelievable what he pulled off. And now people enjoy these parks all around the world.

In what ways does your documentary highlight the groundbreaking innovations behind the idea for and creation of Disneyland?

This documentary really encapsulates the raw DNA of Disneyland: it's the four lands in the park, the main street, the hub. All of this became the blueprint for the other parks around the world. It also became the blueprint for happiness.

It's amazing to me that this idea perpetuated from this man originally sitting on a park bench in Griffith Park in Burbank to 12 theme parks around the world. And it's not just for kids, it's for families, it's for grandparents. I honestly don't think there is any place else in the United States, possibly even the world, where people go generation after generation after generation and have this desire and this pride to take your kids back and experience Disneyland like you did. It's pretty phenomenal.

How does the film illustrate Walt Disney's visionary approach to media - particularly his use of television to launch and promote Disneyland, and his ability to weave live experiences, films, and TV into one cohesive story?

During the early fifties, people were pretty scared of this new technology called television. The film industry really looked at it as a threat to movies. And when Walt got his sights set on television, he realized he didn't need to be scared of it - he needed to embrace it.

He was one of the first studio heads to embrace television, and he used it, partnering with ABC to promote his upcoming theme park, Disneyland. Disneyland became the show that people would tune in to around the country to watch and see what was happening in the park. And he was on camera promoting this project, happy as can be.

But really, what was going on behind the scenes at the park was a completely different story. It was behind schedule. There were cost overruns. There were day-in and day-out challenges and dramas. But he continued to believe in this, and he basically told his brother [Roy O. Disney, president of Walt Disney Productions], "Believe in it or I'm going to do it regardless."

And he did. He put up his own money to build this park. And so it was really an impressive feat for Walt Disney to do what he did. And I just hope that people will get a real glimpse into the realities behind the scenes.

How do you think Disneyland today is carrying on the legacy that Walt began 70 years ago?

Every day that Disneyland continues to carry on the legacy that Walt started back in 1955 and every Disney theme park around the world does that. I think it comes from this desire to have the highest quality.

He wanted cast to be friendly. He wanted the park to be clean. He wanted the best technology. He wanted the best film programing. He wanted the characters to be warm and hospitable to the children. You could walk through these lands, you could live through them, you could experience them like you can't on 2D film and television.

I think it has only gotten better time and time again. Park after park, the Imagineers continue to innovate. Everyone stands on the shoulders of Walt Disney, but every Imagineer stands on the shoulders of those who came before and this company is always about innovating, and they will continue to innovate till forever, because that's what Walt set in place.