Disney's Forgotten Past: Surprising Stories Behind Iconic Characters and Theme Parks

Walt Disney's history is filled with surprising turns and unexpected stories. One such story revolves around Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a cartoon character created by Walt Disney and animator Ub Iwerks in 1927. Before Mickey Mouse became the face of Disney, Oswald was the star, but Disney eventually lost the rights to the character due to a dispute with Universal Studios.

Mickey Mouse did not speak in his earliest cartoons, making sounds such as whistling and laughing instead. His first spoken words came in 1929's The Karnival Kid, where he worked as a hot-dog vendor, saying 'Hot dog!' for the first time. The voice was provided by Carl Stalling, while Walt Disney voiced Minnie Mouse in the same film.

When Walt Disney began making Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, some people doubted that audiences would sit through a feature-length animated film. However, the 1937 film eventually became a huge success and helped transform Disney's studio.