DISCOVER A FORGOTTEN CHAPTER IN DISNEY HISTORY
In 1935, as the artists and animators at the Disney Studio toiled mightily on the animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt and Roy Disney traveled with their wives to New York and boarded the luxury liner Normandie to begin their "grand tour" of Europe.
With the full cooperation of Walt's late daughter Diane Disney Miller, Didier Ghez spent years researching this seminal but little-known event that became so vital to the continued growth of the Disney company right through the creation of Disneyland two decades later. His book, Disney's Grand Tour, is the culmination of that research.
Walt Disney's European Vacation:
The early 1930s was a crucial time for Walt Disney: despite the global success of Mickey Mouse, Walt knew he couldn't rely on his iconic alter-ego to sustain his studio indefinitely. He needed new triumphs. So he staked his creative future and his cinematic fortune on Snow White. But the pressure was driving Walt to another nervous breakdown; he needed a vacation.
Walt's brother Roy suggested a trip to Europe with their wives. The trip would take the Disneys from England to France, Germany, and Italy, and then back home. While the couples intended to relax and enjoy the comforts of Old World Europe, Walt also had business in mind: his grand tour was not just about taking in the sights but about building the Disney brand in Europe and bringing back to America ideas and source material for new films, new cartoons, and far down the road, a new theme park.
Your Travel Itinerary with Walt:
In Disney's Grand Tour, famed historian Didier Ghez traces the footsteps of Walt and Roy Disney as they board the Normandie in New York and sail to England, then travel through France, Germany, and Italy prior to boarding another luxury liner, the Rex, for the trip home. But the book is no mere travelogue: you will be at Walt's shoulder as he conducts Disney business; meets some of the luminaries of his day, including H.G. Wells and Louis Lumiere; attends gala events staged in his honor; and recharges his creative powers for the astonishing Disney projects ahead.
