TABLE OF CONTENTS There is little doubt that the magic behind Disney lies with the man himself. Indisputably, the driving force and the direction of the company stem from Walt Disney's creative X-factor and his abiding influence. The Disney Image is one emanating the realisation of dreams, the perpetual state of childhood and the enchanting lure of escape into a fantastic and happy world of childhood innocence. Behind this surreal world of magical dreams lies the history of a company that is not unlike other successful companies of today. The struggling start experienced by its creator(s) in the early years, the internal disputes that weighed the company down time and time again and the takeovers and the financial battles that took place these were all present throughout the formation of what is today greatly loved and widely known as The Walt Disney Company.
Before Walt Disney became the man who opened the creative door to popular accessible children's entertainment and made it, as such, globally appealing, it is said that he first received such creative inspiration as an ambulance driver during WWI, often coming across great castles in Europe (Grover, 1997, p. 1). In the years to come, the fruit of such inspiration would present itself as the magnificent imitation castles that one finds in Disneyland these days. Before the internationally renowned icon Mickey Mouse (who curiously enough nearly became Mortimer Mouse [1]) came to dominate the hearts of many, it must be mentioned that Walt started off dealing...
