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Disney Parks looks back at what started it all.
Fans got a huge surprise on the 2025 “Making the Happiest Place on Earth” panel in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, August 30, when Oscar and Emmy nominated filmmaker Leslie Iworks appeared on stage to unveil his upcoming documentary Disneyland handcraft.
“Capture the excitement of Disneyland’s creation, which was built over 70 years ago, and you’ll have the opportunity to peek behind the orange groves and experience the park’s creation like never before,” you can read Disney Parks’ blog post about the documentary.
“This unique film features ASMR moments, constructed using rarely-not-seen footage by Leslie, drawn by hand through the Walt Disney archives, depicting the thoughtfulness and care that was put into Disneyland’s development,” the post adds.
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Disneyland’s first trailer premiered at Destination D23, along with a major announcement from Iwerks, who previously directed Disney+ Docuseries The Igmagineering Story.
The trailer begins with a narration in the ’50s, stating that “people in this country are trying to hear a new adventure in entertainment.”
“We’ll soon come across the American scene with the Disneyland title,” the narrator adds.
The footage that follows states that Walt Disney took “the greatest gamble of his life” when creating Disneyland.
“Walt set a deadline in his own mind that it is impossible for the opening in July 1955,” another voice can be heard about the “Top Secret” project, as more construction scenes are shown while the helicopter flies through the orange groves.
According to the trailer, Disney, who died in 1966 at the age of 65, is on display as “several photographers have been on display in Disneyland (a rarely seen footage).”
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At the end of the trailer, a man is heard reminded of “big big panic” to complete the park before the scheduled opening day of the summer of 1955.
“It was just as miracle that Disneyland was open up to now, and it was miracle that it went on so far,” he adds.
According to a Disney Parks blog post, Disneyland Handcraft “close the many artists, craftsmen and Walt Disney Imagineers who were actually there during the construction of Disneyland amidst the harsh conditions and look directly at them.”
“Many of this footage hasn’t seen the light of day…until now,” he adds.
Disneyland’s handmade handmade premiere this winter on Disney+ and Disney YouTube.
