Disneyland is such a familiar part of our lives now that we often take it for granted. We focus on things like how much tickets cost and when the park is least crowded, trying to plan the perfect visit.
The new documentary “Disneyland Handcrafted” hits pause on all of that.
Director Leslie Iwerks’ film uses around 200 hours of previously unreleased footage to show how Disneyland was created, starting a year before it first opened. It highlights the incredible challenges faced in bringing the park to life.
“Can you imagine L.A. without Disneyland?” Iwerks asks me during an interview.
To understand Disneyland’s enduring appeal, it’s worth watching “Disneyland Handcrafted,” which debuts Thursday on Disney+. While Disney owns and runs the park as a business, it’s also become a significant part of American culture, mirroring the stories and beliefs that define us. The park evolves with the times, but this new film highlights the original vision Walt Disney had. By the time Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, that vision was fully realized, transforming a simple orange grove in Anaheim into a beloved destination – a place people visit for generations as a cherished tradition.
Leslie Iwerks has deep roots in Disney history. Her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, was a pioneering animator who helped create Mickey Mouse. Her father, Don Iwerks, was a special effects expert who contributed to many Disney attractions, including the film “Captain EO” starring Michael Jackson. As a filmmaker, Iwerks has previously documented Disney with her series “The Imagineering Story,” and her work often explores themes related to Hollywood, politics, and the environment.
Here, Iwerks reveals just how fragile the creation of Disneyland was.
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Workers are adding golden details to the towers of Sleeping Beauty Castle, highlighting the careful craftsmanship that makes it the iconic centerpiece of Disneyland Park. Photos also show the castle being painted and a look at its construction process (Disney+).
After watching the film many times, I keep thinking about certain small details. Like a worker meticulously shaping the concrete of Sleeping Beauty Castle shortly before opening day, while the narrator mentions the park’s increasing expenses. Or a construction vehicle tipping over, with the driver narrowly avoiding serious injury as Walt Disney discusses the project’s impressive safety record. And the blunders, like the frustrating attempt—and failure—to create a functional river.
It’s no surprise Disneyland remains incredibly popular today – over 900 million people have visited since it opened in 1955. The park emerged during a particularly anxious time, and was actually designed to offer an escape. Post-World War II America was grappling with new, less obvious fears, like the threat of nuclear war and the uncertainties of the Cold War, and Disneyland provided a comforting alternative.
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Disneyland isn’t about looking back at the past; it’s a carefully created world that never actually existed. It aims to offer a hopeful vision of what could be – like a charming town with a fairytale castle – and reminds us to keep dreaming. It’s less about escaping reality and more about understanding it, almost like a live-action play where visitors get to be the stars and act out their best selves.
Iwerks wonders what truly made Disneyland special. He believes it was Walt Disney’s bold vision to create a place where families could connect and have fun, a place that would constantly change and improve over time, appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds. It was a daring idea, based purely on his belief in bringing people together, and that’s what made it so remarkable.
The film is deeply moving because Iwerks steps back and lets the footage speak for itself. Originally, Disney commissioned and filmed this material for their weekly ABC television series, which provided funding for the park. While a few clips aired on “Walt Disney’s Disneyland,” the show primarily focused on promoting the park to the public. Now that the park is well-established, Iwerks can reveal a raw, behind-the-scenes look – including footage of a muddy, unfinished Frontierland – where Disneyland’s art director, Harper Goff, recounts Disney’s frustration over dwindling funds and the park’s initial state as ‘just a pile of muck.’
“This is what worry is,” Goff says in the narration.
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Looking back, what really struck me was just how much pressure everyone was under during that one year. It was an insane task – basically building a whole little city in under a year! Imagine coordinating all those construction workers and artisans, everyone pouring their skills, creativity, and storytelling abilities into this park, and doing it all at record speed. It was truly unbelievable.
Adds Iwerks, “You can’t remodel your kitchen right now in a year.”
The documentary uses a simple, observational style, and the filmmaker avoids offering opinions about how Disney built the park. We see footage of workers taking risks – like balancing on beams without safety equipment – highlighting how few safety rules there were at the time. The filmmaker notes Disney relied on funding from ABC, which forced them to finish the park in just one year. However, when Disneyland finally opened, it wasn’t truly complete. The problems on opening day – from faulty pavement to plumbing issues – have become legendary.
The film focuses on the intense pressure to finish Disneyland on time, particularly considering it was a much more ambitious park than typical amusement parks of the period. Over its 90-minute runtime, the film argues that Disneyland was a risky undertaking. We see, for example, that Main Street wasn’t even paved two months before opening day, and the filmmakers reveal a debate about postponing the launch. Ultimately, they decided against a delay, fearing the park would run out of funds and the project would fail.
It’s actually a bit surprising this film is being released at all. Director Leslie Iwerks explains the movie was finished a long time ago but wasn’t shown to audiences until Disney executive Jason Recher championed its release. Iwerks recalls sharing a link with Recher, who immediately recognized its potential. “He knew it needed to be seen,” she says, adding that she’d almost given up hope of it ever being released.
The film will likely delight Disney enthusiasts and also appeal to those fascinated by the creation of an iconic American landmark. A particularly memorable scene shows the Disneyland Railroad cars being transported by truck past City Hall, highlighting that Disneyland, despite its inspirations, leaders, and evolution, remains uniquely Southern Californian in origin.
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2026-01-22 14:34