877 · Disney Worldbuilders Interview with Leslie Iwerks

Lou Mongello: 00:00:41

Every world you've ever walked into at a Disney park started somewhere impossibly small. A childhood memory, maybe an insecurity.

A fairy tale that somebody needed to believe in when things were hard. That's the idea behind the new Disney World Builders documentary. And this week, its director is sitting virtually across from me.

Leslie Iwerks has created the imagineering story. She made Disneyland handcrafted.

And now she's gathered Bob Iger, James Cameron, Kevin Feige, Jennifer Lee, Pete Docter, Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau, Jared Bush, and Josh d' Amaro to answer one deceptively simple question. Where did your world begin? But Leslie isn't just the person behind the camera. She's the granddaughter of Ub Iwerks and the daughter of Don Iwerks.

And her family helped set the very thing in motion that these creators are now carrying forward. So what does it feel like to hear Jon Favreau talk about your grandfather?

What do you do when a filmmaker tells you something more honest than maybe you were expecting? Let's find out together. Hello, my friend, and welcome to WW Radio, your guide to Disney parks and experiences around the world.

I'm your host and your friend, Lou Mongello, and this is show number 877. Whether this is your first time listening or you've been here since the very beginning, thank you and welcome home.

We have been doing this together for more than 20 years.

And wherever you are right now, in your car, on a walk at the gym, or sitting somewhere like work, when maybe you should actually be working, I am just really glad and grateful that you are here. Today's conversation is one that I have really been looking forward to.

It is about imagination and legacy and failure and the very human moments hiding underneath some of the biggest stories Disney has ever told.

Lou Mongello: 00:02:40

With Leslie Iwerks.

Lou Mongello: 00:02:42

And her new documentary, Disney World Builders, is going to premiere this week Live at D23, the ultimate Disney fan event, and start streaming on Disney on August 20th but I had a chance to get a sneak preview and this incredible, truly fascinating one on one conversation that I really think you're going to enjoy. And if you do, please share it with someone else that you think might enjoy it as well.

And if you can take a second to leave a rating review over on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, then come join us over in the WW radio clubhouse at www.com clubhouse. Not to just talk about this documentary and conversation, but anything in the Disney, Marvel and Star wars universe.

It is a fun, friendly, fun family friendly and very welcoming and drama free community and I'd love to hear what you think about my conversation with Leslie and the documentary itself. You can also connect and chat with me on social I am Lou Mongello on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

And when you're ready to book your next trip to some of the amazing places created by some of the folks we talk about on this week's episode and in the documentary, visit my friends over@m MouseFanTravel.com for completely free expert vacation planning. They get it linked like us, they handle all the details so you can just enjoy the magic.

Visit them over@m MouseFanTravel.com then be sure to stay tuned to the end of the show as I will finally share a little secret that I've been hiding from you that I'm finally ready to reveal. But for now, sit back, relax and enjoy this week's episode of the WWE Radio Show.

Lou Mongello: 00:04:18

My very special guest today has spent her entire career telling the stories behind the stories. She is the director of the Imagineering Story and Disneyland Handcrafted, both of which.

Lou Mongello: 00:04:29

I loved, and her newest film may be her most ambitious yet.

Lou Mongello: 00:04:33

It is called Disney World Builders and.

Lou Mongello: 00:04:35

It brings together some of the most.

Lou Mongello: 00:04:37

Influential creators in all of entertainment.

Lou Mongello: 00:04:40

Bob Iger, Josh d', Amaro, Kevin Feige,.

Lou Mongello: 00:04:42

James Cameron, Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau, Pete Docter, Jennifer Lee, and Jared Bush, who all sit down for a series of remarkably very candid conversations about where their imaginations caught fire and how the worlds that they once dreamed of are now rising in Disney destinations around the globe. But here's what makes Leslie the perfect person to tell the story. World building is in her blood.

She is the granddaughter of Iwerks, Walt's earliest artistic partner, the animator who helped bring Mickey himself into the world.

She's the daughter of Don Iwerks, the technical genius behind things like circle vision360 and so many of the innovations that shaped how we experience truly immersive storytelling in The Disney parks. She doesn't just study world builders. She comes from them. So, Leslie Iwerks, thank you so much for being here. Welcome back to the show.

It is so good to see you again.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:05:39

Thank you very much. What an intro. Make sure you're talking about me.

Lou Mongello: 00:05:46

Absolutely.

Lou Mongello: 00:05:46

I could have gone on.

Lou Mongello: 00:05:47

My original intro, in my mind was about 45 minutes long. But I want to be respectful of your time because you have done so much.

And look, you know, before we go anywhere, I want to start by saying thank you again, purely from a fan perspective, for yet another remarkable piece of work. I had the opportunity and really the privilege to screen it before its official release.

And I'm so grateful for what you created and for what you've shared and for, obviously, the time that you're spending again with me today.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:06:17

Well, thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

Lou Mongello: 00:06:19

So just quickly to sort of set.

Lou Mongello: 00:06:21

Up before we get into it, like, explain in your own words, very quickly, like, what is world builders? And how did this film come to be? And I think, more importantly, Liz, like, why was right, like, now is the time.

Now is the best time to sit down with these particular storytellers and ask them where their worlds began.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:06:41

Well, I think world building is about, you know, coming up with something in your mind, and then ultimately it gets onto a screen, and then ultimately it gets into a land. And that's kind of that. That lineage that Walt started with.

The original Disneyland was coming up with these ideas on the screen through animated films, live action. And then ultimately he built them into places within Disneyland that we could walk into and experience.

And I was starting to think about Walt during the making of Handcrafted. I mean, obviously, I spent a lot of time thinking about looking at what he did and the details in that footage. And.

And it just started making me think about what it must have felt like for Walt to walk through his own lands, really, when they were done, when they were finished and the paint was dry or barely dry before opening day. And what it must have felt like to inhabit the worlds that were only once in his imagination.

And now they're real places that people can experience and play in.

And so, you know, I can't go back to ask Walt what it must have been like, but certainly wanted started thinking about, well, what does it feel like for today's world builders who have created an idea in their head, the storytellers, and then have put that story that was in their head onto the screen, across millions of screens around the world, created characters that are now in Our consciousness in the zeitgeist, the that are part of our lives, that are beloved, and then ultimately worlds that we would love to inhabit in the real world and now we can at Disney parks around the world. So I started looking at, okay, well, who are these folks? You know, and it's all the people in this film.

And started mapping out over a weekend of just what this film could look like. And really wanted to sort of tell their story arcs of their careers. And then ultimately they were fans first. They grew up going to the parks.

And so it's that love for Disneyland that they all have. And ultimately now their creations are actually in the parks.

So it's a cool full arc, you know, story 360 story, full circle that I thought would be fun to share within each person's point of view.

Lou Mongello: 00:09:15

Well, and here's one of the things.

Lou Mongello: 00:09:16

That strikes me because there are so many parallels, because you made a film about world builders and you are one yourself, right?

And more than that, you descend obviously from the people who helped invent and inspire, I think, this craft at Disney and your grandfather and your father. So when you sit across from a Cameron or a Filoni or a Fike, as I was watching, I was thinking, what is Leslie thinking while she's watching this?

So when you listen to them describe the very thing that your family helped set in motion, like, what do you hear that maybe nobody else in the room could have heard?

Leslie Iwerks: 00:09:56

Well, that's a good question.

st partners in Kansas City in: 1919

And I often sort of say that Eben Walt were two sides of the same coin. One was story and one was technical.

And so that continued on through Mickey Mouse with synchronized sound, with color, with multiplane camera, ultimately later with the circle vision camera system that my grandfather helped invent. All these things were pushing the technological envelope, but not at the expense of story. Story always came first.

It was always there to serve the story. And so that partnership between story and technology was really what set the ground in motion at Disney. It was the DNA of the company.

And that continues to this day with these storytellers who are now working with Disney imagineers to bring those stories to life using the Most cutting edge technology. And again, it's like Pete Docter says with Monsters Inc. He had a story idea, but it took all these years later for the technology to catch up.

And that's often the case. And that certainly was something that happened at Disney too.

But in the older days, but now that's with technology just rapidly just on all cylinders through AI and everything else. It's like that technology can do a lot more now. And so it's like, well, what can't we do?

So that's what's interesting is that technological thread, I think, and that story thread that continues from day one.

And so to answer your question about what was I thinking when I'm sitting across from them, what I was like for James Cameron, who spoke about how he was such a technological aficionado from the very beginning, he was reading CINEFX magazines, film magazines, and going to USC library and checking out all sorts of technology manuscripts and learning about the sodium traveling map process that my grandfather helped develop. And he was just a real die hard cinephile. And visual effects, it was very interesting visual effects and special effects.

So I felt like I could relate to a lot of these people because I too was that person. When I was going to film school, I was reading CINEFX magazines. I was, you know, really immersed in how films get made in the technical side.

But you know, I didn't go into visual effects or what have you or animation. But I could relate to all these folks in that. I've told stories about these subjects as well.

Ilm, I've, Pixar, you know, Disney animation, you name it. So I can relate to a lot of the things that these people are saying because I've had crossover in my documentaries.

Lou Mongello: 00:13:13

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 00:13:13

And I think that Cameron guy is.

Lou Mongello: 00:13:14

Going to make it someday.

Lou Mongello: 00:13:15

He's just as on the cusp of.

Lou Mongello: 00:13:16

The real big one. I'm sure at 28 you kept talking about things like technology because you can.

And obviously you have told the Disney story through a variety of different lenses. Right. The films, the characters, the technology, the parks and the people.

And with world building, when you first set out to make this and you sort of had the first idea that I love, sort of came up through a weekend.

Lou Mongello: 00:13:42

Right.

Lou Mongello: 00:13:43

Did you believe you were making a film about the creation of these extraordinary places or did you discover or was the plan that you were making a film really about the people? And I think the important part about this film is the memories and the emotions behind them.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:14:01

It was the latter for sure. I think it was really about what. What did Disneyland or a Disney park mean to these people?

And ultimately, how did that spark their creative journey into the filmmakers that they are today?

And I wasn't sure if everybody would have this sort of die hard, you know, Disney fan, fanboy or fan girl, you know, experience, but for the most part they did. And and so I think that was fun because we all are fans first.

And so I think as I interviewed everybody and talked about their earliest trips to Disneyland or what Disneyland meant to them or Disney World, God, the passion that came out of everybody was just so excited and fun. And they couldn't wait to get to Disneyland and go on the certain rides. They map it out in the car on the way there.

And I mean, we can all relate to that as kids. And that's a cycle that is a generational thing that Walt Disney planted way back in the day.

And here we are still generation after generation, culture after culture, country after all these different countries around the world, they have people that pilgrimage to these parks every year or generationally, for sure. So I don't know. I just think that that was so interesting to me to hear it from their point of.

And to hear that their struggles, their early doubts, their early concerns, they overcame those. And they also got mentors and they figured out ways to pivot and to trust in themselves, to believe in themselves, or they would.

Like in the case of Jen Lee, she leaned into the stories of Cinderella, she leaned into stories of fantasy to gain strength. And so it's not just the parks, but it's also the Disney films that gave people streng.

So that was interesting to me to hear everybody's sort of point of view and how Disney affected them. And now they are affecting Disney.

Voicemail - Patrice Roberti: 00:16:11

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 00:16:12

You know, we start off talking a little bit about the timing of this, and I think with so much that I think people in the world wrestle with now, like a film about imagination and optimism and positivity is. And I think possibility is so very important.

I think one of the most beautiful and powerful ideas in the film is that these enormous worlds that we as guests enjoy so much generationally began oftentimes somewhere very small and very personal. It was a childhood memory. You talk about. Jen Li. An insecurity, a relationship, a dream, or even something that somebody just needed to believe in.

And it was so beautiful to hear these stories in their own words. Did that sort of common thread and getting sort of. You talk about that vulnerability that you so beautifully were able to pull out for.

Was that something that surprised you as you were going through this.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:17:09

It did, actually. I mean, I think. Well, the other thing too was I felt like a lot of these folks are kind of larger than life people in the scheme of Disney fandom.

And I just wanted to humanize everybody. It's like we're all human. We're not all. Yeah, we might have really great, you know, successes and things, but at the end of the day, we're all human.

We all can relate to the same things. We can all relate to going to Disneyland. We can all relate to our own insecurities.

We can all relate to doubts and, you know, what are we going to do in our careers or lives or how do we get through this and are we good enough or what have you? And I just.

It was refreshing to me to hear certainly, you know, like Kevin and John and, you know, even James Cameron at some point just sort of talk about their early years, you know, trying to figure it out. You know, James Cameron was a truck driver for a while and just trying to figure it out.

You know, we weren't all just like, shoot out of the gate, like, successful. It was. We all go through it. And I think for me, I just.

I wanted their stories to resonate to everybody that, you know, young people, young aspiring creators, young aspiring, quote, unquote, world builders, or just anyone that's doubting themselves. I felt like enough of these stories could be the confidence builder documentary that you could watch to say, hey, if they can do it, I can do it.

But, you know, it was also just a tribute, in a way, to Walt Disney. It was kind of a nice way to. To honor Bob Iger, who was such a major part of these people's successes.

Without Bob, they may not be within the Disney company or they wouldn't be. So he acquired those companies and those filmmakers came with them or they were brought into the fold.

And so Bob, I think, is really the kind of the hero through a lot of this too, in that he understands story and the importance of story and the importance of story for Disney and how Walt Disney himself was so great at story. And Bob humbly says, I wasn't the storyteller, but I was there to enable them.

And he understood that that's what is critical as the leader of the Disney company, to enable these storytellers to continue to tell great stories.

Lou Mongello: 00:19:36

Yeah, it definitely is a beautiful love letter without sort of coming out and saying it to Bob Iger. And I love that sort of common thread through all the conversations. But it was also the vulnerability, I think, that really, again, you Talk about.

Jennifer Lee talked very, very personally about her childhood and her sister and how these stories and fairy tales helped her cope with very difficult things, which I think is instantly relatable to a lot of people. Pete Docter talking about how inside out was, how he connected that to who he was as a kid.

And that candor that you're able to pull out for something like this doesn't happen by accident.

And again, I think that it's just so interesting how these universal worlds paradoxically begin with something that is very specific and very personal.

And you as an interviewer being able to pull that out and I think probably have to decide what stays in and maybe what moments should be left out and remain private is fascinating to me.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:20:38

Yeah, there was a lot on the cutting room floor for sure. And that's always the hard part with these documentaries because you just get so much great material because, you know, the.

Lou Mongello: 00:20:48

Only complaint is that it's too short. Like we wanted this to be like a 10 part series.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:20:53

Well, I don't know what to say about that. It wasn't my choice. But I think, you know, the key is to keep it moving and to keep it interesting and to leave it so that people will want more.

You know, I mean, I'm sure there's gonna be some things down the road that, you know, we'll be able to share some of the outtakes and things like that.

But yeah, I think, you know, it's always a fine line in these stories is to ride that fine line between what the Disney fans will love and want and likely want more of. And what will non Disney fans who aren't really into who these people are.

I know that's probably like one person on the planet, but, you know, will they be interested just as much, you know, if they're not big Disneyland fans or whatnot. So I'm always thinking of that audience too and keeping that fine balance of time and what will keep people's interest.

Lou Mongello: 00:21:56

You know, we're talking about sort of.

Lou Mongello: 00:21:57

The common threads that we see and hear through the entire film. And I love how so many conversations were about looking forward and talking about the present, but also looking back.

So like when Jon Favreau was talking about, about being drawn to Oswald and talks about the story of Walt and Ub and losing Oswald and creating Mickey in response, and I think the important lessons and takeaways from that, that's your grandfather, that's your family's founding stories that are surfacing in the mouth of a modern creator. Do you know those Things are coming.

Or when you hear that, and when a story like that is told by a Jon Favro with such reverence and such respect, what does it feel like to hear those stories being told by the people who you are interviewing for this film?

Leslie Iwerks: 00:22:48

I think it was extremely special. I didn't know he was gonna say that. I didn't know he was gonna talk about that at such a deep level.

I mean, there's a lot more that he said going into the details of the animation style and the authenticity that they're really working to preserve and the original design style from UB and whatnot. And that was great.

It felt amazing to me that here is Jon Favreau bringing back a character that UB was such a critical part of and that he's really admiring him as an animator and appreciating what he did as an animator and bringing that appreciation back. And it just feels special to have that connection to obviously that original founding of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey Mouse and Oswald. And.

And it was funny because I've always thought it'd be fun to bring Alice in. Cartoonland back is live action animation and something I had been working on. And then this comes out. I'm like, oh my God, he just did it.

So anyway, but Oswald is such a beloved character since Bob Iger brought him back into the Disney fold. They were such a smart idea to bring that character so charming and quirky. I love Oswald.

Lou Mongello: 00:24:10

Well, and it's interesting too, when you think about that time and everything that happened and how it sort of even it's very sort of running in parallel to what happens throughout all the years and even currently, because your family story really sits at the intersection of artistry and emerging technology.

And after making this film and talking to these creators, do you feel like technology drives imagination forward or does it imagination create the need for technology to start catching up?

Leslie Iwerks: 00:24:40

It's both. It's absolutely both. And as I said earlier, I felt like from the very beginning, E.B. And Walt were two sides of the same coin.

It was basically when Walt had an idea that they couldn't figure out technically. UB would figure out a way to make it happen.

And when UB would come up with something that was technologically really interesting and inventive, Walt would find a way to put it to use. And that was their continued continuation all their lives. And UB was extremely pioneering. I mean, he did the first color cartoon.

He also did the first multi plane camera. And, you know, even though Walt did both of those shortly thereafter and Won Academy Awards for both. You know, UB was always a tinker.

tal multi plane camera in the: 1930

And then Walt ultimately did the vertical version and you know, and, and so that they were. UB was such a technical genius that. But he didn't really care about the fame or the financial rewards or what have you.

He just wanted to create to move the industry forward. And then if somebody else like Walt came in and said, hey, I can do that, but I can do it vertically and it'll be even better, great. Ub was happy.

So he was just one of those guys that he'd invent something and then he'd move on to the next thing. He'd invent something and he'd move on to the next thing. And that's where he got his greatest joy.

And I think seeing how imagining what that must have felt like for ub, which was, let's work together to create, you know, the traveling map process, allow for animation in Mary Poppins and the Birds.

And then to be able to create something like that and then see it on film, work and scare people and delight people and take you into a world that you hadn't been able to go into before on film is amazing. And so that's cool. Like, I've thought a lot about that of just. How do you. One of the greatest things.

I say one of the greatest things is to create something out of nothing. Right? It's simple, but it's true.

If you can create something out of nothing, whether it be a recipe or it be a just whatever you can invent that wasn't there before, is an amazing achievement in this world. And people have been doing it from time immorial.

But when you think about Walt MEB and what they did in their early years and how that set the ball in motion for all this other amazing creativity and innovation 100 years later at the Disney Company. It's pretty remarkable.

Lou Mongello: 00:27:26

Yeah, it reminds me of this idea.

Lou Mongello: 00:27:29

Of creating something and then it continuing on. And legacy.

Dave Filoni talks about this very particular kind of world building where you inherit something that is beloved and you have to move it forward without disturbing what made it meaningful. And this idea of the balance of world building being primarily an act of creation. Or is it maybe also sometimes an act of stewardship as well?

Leslie Iwerks: 00:27:54

Yeah, I think it's both.

You know, I think the one thing about all these filmmakers is that they do feel a sense of stewardship for the heritage of Disney and the quality and the placemaking and the story and the characters and the themes. And I think that stewardship is what makes these stories great and work in the parks.

That there is a respect for the past, but there's also respect for the future and for innovating and constantly evolving. And, you know, Walt Disney had one step, one foot in the past and one foot in the future. And these people do, too.

And that's what was cool, is to just to really see their respect for the lineage and for what Walt set in motion way back when and how they. And the humility that they feel for being a part of it. As you saw with Jen Lee, I mean, she's. Can't believe she's standing in Land of Frozen.

And that she would even have some part of it was so emotional to her. And that was really special for me to film her on her first walk and seeing it for the first time. She had not been to that. That park before, so.

And not been part of the building of the. You know, seeing it as it was being made.

were shooting back in time in: 1955

You know, imagine if he had walked through something and, you know, he hadn't been rolled up his sleeves and helped build, but if he had just seen it for the first time based on one of his ip, I don't know, it just. It was a cool experience. It felt really good for her.

Lou Mongello: 00:29:32

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 00:29:32

And when you talk about it, but Jennifer's story and your story and this idea of looking forward and building new things, it reminds me of the story that Kevin Feige told, which was that his favorite detail in any land is a construction wall, because it means something new, something more is coming. And that the park, like Walt said with Disneyland, is never finished.

Do you find, or did you sort of find through all these conversations that all of these creators share that same temperament?

And I think, again, I think there's so many takeaway lessons for us as viewers, like, because they have this comfort with the unfinished, they have the comfort with the unknown and what is coming next and what is behind that literal and metaphorical construction wall?

Leslie Iwerks: 00:30:17

Yeah, I think. I mean, everybody's. Well, first and foremost, they were so excited to be a part of imagineering. To work with the imagineers.

To be invited in and say they want to make a park based on your movie is like the ultimate success story in their minds. Like it doesn't get any better than that. And so that enthusiasm and excitement and kid like attitude and enthusiasm really goes a long way.

And I think when you're used to certain, they're used to certain ways of telling stories in the film world, right? Animation, cgi, live action filmmaking, virtual production.

ou go into, you step into the: 1401

And I think all these people want to be stretching themselves, they want to be learning, they want to be figuring out how they can take their film and work with the imagineers and bring it to life. And Pete Docter being one is so cool to. He's so excited about the doorbell, right.

And so that's fun for him because he's learning about a new technology and he's bringing what was in his head back in the day that he came up with on paper. And it's now going to be a physical experience.

And so that's really what's fun about this whole story is that they're all experiencing it just as enthusiastically as we are.

Lou Mongello: 00:31:54

And they all.

And the film sort of repeatedly returns to this, I think sometimes challenging balance between futurism and looking ahead and nostalgia and having to.

Lou Mongello: 00:32:09

Sort of navigate that.

Lou Mongello: 00:32:10

Delicate emotional balance between and I think connection that people have between what came before without allowing nostalgia to limit what is coming next.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:32:21

Right. And of course, you know, I think they all respect the past. They also know that, you know, these characters are beloved around the world.

And so we've got to bring in fresh characters just as much as we wanna keep the legacy characters. Right. And so how do you do that? How do you.

I think, you know, when I've walked these parks, especially like being in Shanghai with Jared and Bob Iger and watching them walk through it, walk through Zootopia, I mean, and then seeing the fans experience Zootopia, I mean it was unlike anything I've ever seen. And you know, it's so emotional. It's like wow, how you can live your life day in and day out.

But then you can go into this make believe world of Zootopia and feel blown away and mystified and just wondrous about like what is all this.

And then you make sure want to go see the film again or it makes you want, you know, you get connected to these characters in ways that everyone's wearing the hats and the, you know, the cosplay so to speak. You know, just the T shirts and the whatever. It's just amazing that people want to be a part of it. And I think that's.

I'm always just blown away by just the overall ecosystem of these films. And when they get into the theme.

Lou Mongello: 00:33:44

Park, you know, I think referencing the Jared Bush Zootopia story is interesting because as I said, I think this, and I watched it twice, because I think there are so many life lessons that we can take away as well. Because the film doesn't just show only the finished successes and all of the amazing.

We hear about things like rejection and projects that almost failed and stories that had to be rebuilt from the ground up. Right.

You know, Zootopia's point of view having to change from Nick to Judy and some of these ideas you mentioned that had to wait, sometimes decades for the technology to catch up. And I think it's.

And so maybe explain why it was so important to not just preserve, but make sure you articulate that struggle rather than just sort of celebrating the result and the finished product that we get to see.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:34:39

Yeah, I mean, for sure. I mean, all my films, I've got it. You gotta have the struggle. Otherwise if you don't have the conflict, then you're creating a puff piece.

And that's not what I aim to go out to make. It's the human story. It's what do we all have to go through and what can we all relate to? And nothing is anywhere is perfect.

Nothing is a straight line from ideation to completion. So these are stories that most people don't know, I think. And some stories people will know.

But overall, as a collective whole, I think that you're seeing this. Each person's story is told as a collective whole. And the whole is. This is about somebody who.

People who dream something in their heads or they inherited something and they continue to iterate on it and evolve it. And to do that takes struggle. To do that, that is not an easy task. It's a sometimes insurmountable task.

But at some level they believe in themselves to push it through, to make it happen, to not give up. And I think that reflects what Walt Disney did too, with Disneyland.

The irony of all this is that they're doing mini versions of what Walt did from the very beginning, which was to build something out from the earth, from the dirt, rise up from the orange groves and. And to create what he quoted as the happiest place on earth.

And to me, that's another amazing story is like, how do you, in your mind Think that you're going to take this huge plot of land that's completely barren in this relatively far away place at that point and think you're gonna. That spot on the globe is gonna be the happiest place on Earth. It's a big sweet. It is, right? That's a brazen business, as far as I'm concerned.

It's pretty awesome. And so. And it worked. You know, it could have.

That park could have just risen, been built, and then went away like many other amusement parks back in the day. And I say amusement parks because a lot of amusement parks were a little bit shoddy and, you know, whatever, right? And they failed.

They died a slow death. But Disneyland continued to grow and get more alive with every passing year.

And ultimately with Walt Disney World and then Tokyo and then the international parks, I mean, it was just this amazing idea that just was like a seed that sprouted. And it took Walt and it took leadership to really get it and not blow it.

And it took ultimately Eisner and Wells and then Iger and now Josh to keep that ship going in the right direction and stay afloat and pave new waters. Right.

And no pun intended, create new business models, create new cruise ships and other business entities that can keep it going, keep that original DNA going, which was to create happiness.

Lou Mongello: 00:38:09

And I think, too, Leslie, all of the creators, in their own ways, in their own words, talked about the reverence and the respect for the legacy and what Walt built and what came before.

Like, I love the fact that Kevin Feige talks about how Disneyland was dismissed as Walt's folly, or really, I think, sort of the next in line of Walt's Follies after Snow White, because it received that same criticism and skepticism.

And I was thinking as I was watching, is that willingness to risk failure and failure on a grand scale, is that one of the essential ingredients of truly meaningful world building?

Leslie Iwerks: 00:38:52

Absolutely. You've got to. If you don't try, you don't fail. And everyone's. As Walt Disney said, you got to have a good early failure early in your life.

And he had many failures, many bankruptcies. And as you see in Handcrafted, it was like, oh, what will happen if I fail this time?

Well, it'll only be like the seventh or eighth or whatever his quote was.

His idea was, you create things, and if they're successful and you make money on them, the goal is to make that money and not save it, put it away, but to reinvest it and reinvest it in things that can make a difference. In the world. And so he was not afraid of failure. He might not have enjoyed the process of getting close to it, but he succeeded.

And I think that is the ultimate hero's journey, so to speak, is the founder of the Walt Disney Company is Walt Disney, who was the ultimate hero. And all of these stories within this world builders are many hero's journey stories. And then you've got the Iger hero's journey story.

And that he also, with Shanghai Disney, built a world, built Shanghai Disneyland, which is a world that he risked so much on. And that was a long time coming. And it was successful.

And 10 years later, it's hugely successful and only getting more so and so everything takes risk. And if you're not risking, you're not living. That's how I feel.

Lou Mongello: 00:40:27

Yeah.

Lou Mongello: 00:40:28

Speaking of bomb, I love the fact that he acknowledges his role as not being the storyteller, but like you said earlier, enabling the storyteller. It made me think of the Walt being the bumblebee. Right. Going and pollinating all of the animators and the storytellers.

What do you think the film and these conversations, not just with him, but with these storytellers and the creators themselves taught you, teaches us about the role that leadership plays in protecting some of that creative risk. Especially when the investment and the expectations and the stages are so enormous.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:41:06

You know, that's one of the things that I really wanted to understand too was just what does it feel like for these folks to be the stewards of these major brands, coming up with something, not knowing whether the story is going to work on screen and hearing their stories. Like Jared talking about he built a world, a script in Zootopia that wasn't quite working. And he thought it was until he took it up to Pixar.

And then basically they said, I think you've created a world we don't want to live in. And that's like getting punched in the face. And he realizes that those are the lowest lows for a person in a creative world of any world.

When you've been working on something for a year and a half and all of a sudden you realize your script's not working. But then to have mentors, to have collaborators who can help you see the light again and help you figure out a solution to that.

And the major money is on the line here. And so that's a lot of pressure to figure out, how do I solve something that you don't know the solution to?

And it's all because these are all creatives you gotta come up with the answer in your head, creatively, and that's creativity is not easy. It's emotions. It's also what makes sense in the real world and what will people gravitate towards and relate to.

And there's just so many iterations to making a great story, and especially in the world of Disney, because you want it to hit certain themes and certain emotional beats and inspirational and all these things.

And so I think it's hard, but what I just come away with is that everyone feels like the leadership supported them and that certainly Bob supported them through that. And I think great leadership is.

Is letting creators do their thing and then gently being able to tell them it's not quite there yet, but we're with you to make sure it's going to be, and giving the filmmakers and the creators a safe place to work in and a creative space to have enough time and space to. To do what you do best and to come up with these ideas. You have to let it percolate.

You have to have room for things to percolate and gel and bake and then pull it all apart and create a new recipe and bake it again. So all that, and same with imagineering. I think there's a certain room for things to grow, and I think that's helpful big time.

Lou Mongello: 00:43:56

So, Leslie, a number of words that you just said prompted me to think about something that I was considering as I was watching it. You talk about a script and growth and story, because as a filmmaker, especially for something like this, you are the storyteller, right?

You have to pull these disparate stories together and create something that is logical and flows.

And I have to imagine for something like this where it's not a scripted movie, where you have literal and figurative storyboards up on the screen or up in your head, but you know that you want to lay this out and take us as viewers on a journey.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:44:39

Right?

Lou Mongello: 00:44:39

You want to take the interviewee on that journey.

You know, sort of the stories you want to pull out from them and the journey you want to take us on, both in the individual stories, I think, collectively with world builders.

But as you're going through this and as you're conducting these interviews, I have to imagine, or was there something or more than one of these moments or stories that genuinely surprised you and maybe took you on this wonderful tangent that you weren't expecting?

Leslie Iwerks: 00:45:07

Yeah, I would say Jen Lee's story was very inspirational to me.

I think her vulnerability and telling about growing up and with divorced parents and her sister taking care of her and her sister being sort of her inspiration and how she was an awkward child and a kid and was just always trying to find her way and figure things out. And that honesty was very moving to me because not everybody has to say that or share that.

And yet she found strength in the Disney fantasy stories of Cinderella, and Cinderella in particular.

And that you can overcome your odds, you can overcome your personal insecurities, you can believe in yourself in many ways through just believing in your own talents and your own, I don't know, all these things that Cinderella stands for.

But then, surprisingly, when we were in Disneyland Paris, we were in World of Frozen, and I'm filming with her and she's seeing this for the first time. And all this was kind of quick. Like we knew we were going to film with her, but then I didn't know her sister was coming.

And so I said, are you kidding? Your sister's going to be here in like an hour. Amazing. So that became like a quick pivot of we want to get them together.

And then I said, we'd like to. I said, can we ride the ride with you both?

And they're like, sure, you know, and that's when I was riding that ride with them and I was in the vehicle right behind him as we were filming with them. I was just like, this is gold. Because they're seeing their characters, Anna and Elsa, that are based on them in the ride.

And she's seeing Let It Go, the pivotal scene when she too had to let it go early in her career, meaning Bob Iger told her to kind of let it go. Like, don't get caught up in the no's and the can'ts. And I'm not sure, but just let it go and believe that you can do it.

And I think that that whole multi layered story was what was so emotional for me. And then for her to come out of the ride and they're like, wow, that was really fun. And I want to do it again.

And just like kids experiencing their own ride based on the film that they wrote, but she wrote, but that all these folks at Disney Animation created. I don't know, just the whole thing felt really good. And then coming out and then all that they wanted to do was shop in the store.

And when you exit through the attraction into the gift shop, they just wanted to shop. And they were like, we gotta buy this, we gotta buy this, we gotta buy this, we gotta buy this. And it was just darling.

And then she was just so refreshing to be with and so touched by the whole thing. And then coming out to see Olaf and she hadn't seen Olaf walk around like that before and that made her cry.

And the whole thing was very fresh for her and it was just pretty sweet.

Lou Mongello: 00:48:22

And that's what I love, just even about the title of World Builders, because it is so personal and so granular and so intimate. But it also suggests, you know, there's something so much larger than designing attractions.

And it is looking forward not just to the individual storytellers, but the storytelling locations.

Lou Mongello: 00:48:40

Right.

Lou Mongello: 00:48:41

When Disney enters a new place like Abu Dhabi and starts to create a new world there, like, you can't sort of fathom the massive responsibility of these world builders have to not just the stories, but the culture and the audience and the generations that are come and experience it and experience the things that they are laying the groundwork for right now.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:49:04

Yeah, no, it's true. I mean, it's, you know, just being in Abu Dhabi was exciting.

It was just to be there on the ground as something a new world is about to get built, is about to get ideated, is being ideated. That was another great vantage point for me to be a part of some very high level meetings. And I think that's exciting for everybody.

And so I think for me, I love the vantage. I love seeing Disney in a variety of vantage points because I'm at the heart of what I do.

I'm just passionate about business, I'm passionate about innovation and I'm passionate about creativity. And so all those three vantage points are where I point my camera and try to gain insight that can inspire people.

And that's really what fuels me, I suppose. And then in my mind, I'm always trying to do something a little different. I'm trying to tell a story a little different if I can.

Documentaries is always challenging, but. But at the end of the day, it's who's in it? How are you telling it? Where are you going? What unprecedented access can I get?

What will excite the viewers? Because they could never get access like this in the real world.

And so to me, that trust that I have with Disney and the trust they have with me to share their stories in a gentle way, in a way that's trustworthy, is very important.

And then at the end of the day, once we capture it all and we sit with it, it's like, okay, I think this is the best way to present this so that everyone's happy.

Lou Mongello: 00:50:50

Leslie, what should we, who watch this film? What should we be paying attention to when we're watching it that we might Otherwise, Miss.

And when somebody's done, what do you hope they carry into the way that they experience Disney or the parks or even imagine and start to build their own worlds?

Leslie Iwerks: 00:51:16

Well, gosh. Well, I don't know what to say about what people should see that they're not seeing, if that was your question.

But you're seeing everything that I feel was important to get on the screen for the timeframe that we had, to put it bluntly. But there's also so much that happened off screen that I will always cherish.

You know, riding Haunted Mansion with Jared Bush, the stretching room with him, is really fun. And I'm just.

There was things that we shot that we weren't able to include just for story, linear story purposes, to get to the beats that we want to get to.

But just walking around with these folks, I think to me was what I set out to achieve was these very personable, personal, I should say, moments with them, very.

Just how do they feel when they walk through the park, when they walk through their own lands and how, you know, and so that footage that we shot of them walking around was really just B roll to their interviews for them to reflect on what this all meant to them and then how exciting it is to now walk in their own lands. And that, again, that sort of circular storyline is what I was. Full circle storyline is what I was trying to achieve.

And then I think the takeaway is if I can just inspire one person out there to say the aspiring creators to believe in themselves and go for what they dream, go for what they want to do and create characters that create worlds that maybe someday will be part of the Disney World pantheon here. It's like, if I can inspire one person to do that, then I've done my job.

Lou Mongello: 00:53:10

I love that. I love that.

And look, Leslie, I think you so beautifully and brilliantly and eloquently were able to pull such wonderful stories, such wonderful personal stories from everyone that you spoke to. So I want to now do the same. I want to ask. I want to finish off by. By presenting one of those to you.

We talked about your grandfather and your dad, and if your grandfather and your father were able to watch Disney World Builders with you, what do you think each of them might recognize in the craters and the world that they saw? Or what would you want them to take away from their viewing when they're done?

Leslie Iwerks: 00:53:52

I would probably say, and my dad did see a draft of this before he passed away.

But I think for them, I mean, I can't say, because what do I Know what they would think, but I would think they would relate to the fact that this is a collaborative process because they, too, were part of something. They were a major part of something. And.

And ub being somebody who was very humble, but was, you know, very instrumental in the early Mickey Mouse cartoons and the building of the studio and then ultimately the technology that came, you know, in the 40s and 50s, 60s, and then my dad as well, being a part of the film world of Disney and coming up with projection system, camera systems, countless things that they were part of building worlds, too. They were creating the technology that helped filmmakers achieve their dreams and fulfill their visions.

And so I think they would relate to the fact that this idea of story and technology continuing to work together, collaborate and push the envelope to do new things, to constantly innovate, is a. Is a story they could relate to and a story that is continuing on and hopefully will continue on forever with Disney.

Lou Mongello: 00:55:27

I love that.

Leslie, thank you again for being so generous with your time to not only share this story, but to continue to preserve not only Disney history, but the people and the choices and the risks and the creative courage behind it. What I love about Disney World Builders is that reminds us of that these places are more than attractions and environments.

They are living stories that are built by. By generations of people who believe in what was possible and understood the responsibility of carrying that work forward.

And for every kid that walks through the gate of a Disney park, it is that reminder or the encouragement that anything is possible and dreams really do come true.

Lou Mongello: 00:56:06

I cannot wait to see the film at D23, the ultimate Disney fan experience in. Yikes.

Lou Mongello: 00:56:11

Just a matter of hours with you.

Lou Mongello: 00:56:13

And thousands of our closest Disney lovers.

Lou Mongello: 00:56:16

And I hope to have the pleasure and privilege of seeing and speaking to you again soon. Leslie Iwerks, thank you so very much.

Leslie Iwerks: 00:56:21

Thank you, Lou. Appreciate it very much.

Lou Mongello: 00:56:31

That's gonna do it for this week's show. Thank you so very much once again for joining me this week.

Before I let you go, I want to thank Leslie Iwerks also, not only for being so generous with their time and stories, but continuing. Continuing to preserve the people and choices and risks and failures and creative courage behind the worlds that we love.

And that idea of preservation of these stories is especially meaningful to me because for more than 20 years, I have tried to do that on the show.

And I've had such a gift and privilege and pleasure of being able to capture stories like Leslie's and so many people who have come before her on the show, show in their own words and in their own voices. And this interview today.

And the idea of capturing and preserving these stories is especially meaningful to me, especially this week, because I teased at the beginning of the show that I've been keeping a bit of a secret from you. And I can finally share it because this week I'm releasing a brand new book called the Disney Interviews Disney Legends Edition.

ney Interviews book back from: 2020

This is a completely new standalone collection.

Because for more than two decades, one of the greatest gifts of doing this show has not just been able to meet and get to know you and share what I love with you, but the opportunity to sit down with extraordinary people who didn't just witness Disney history history, they help create it.

So for this book, I went back through all of the conversations and curated 18 in depth interviews with Disney legends, preserving their stories and memories and voices and wisdom and insight all in one place. And that preservation, I think means even more because half of those legends in the book have since passed away.

And I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to sit with the them and hear and share their stories in their own words and now help make sure those voices and those memories continue to live on.

Some of the conversations from the original book return because I simply could not imagine telling this story without them, including Dame Julie Andrews, Marty Sclar, Richard Sherman, Alice Davis, Dave Smith and others.

But there's also eight legends who were not in the first book, including Tony Baxter, Alan Menken, Joe Rogan, Brody, Bob Gurr, Don Hahn, Jody Benson, Paige o' Hara, and Jack Lindquist. And I really wanted this to be more than transcripts on a page.

So I wrote all new introductions to every conversation to give you context about who these people are, why they matter, and a lot of cases, what this conversation meant to me personally, how maybe they came about. And it also includes artwork and images created specifically for this edition.

And the result is more than 450 pages covering everything from imagineering to animation, movies, music, the parks performance, Disney history, and most importantly, the people behind it.

And there really could not be a better place and time to introduce the Disney Legends edition than at D23, the ultimate Disney fan experience where Disney legends are inducted. So the book is going to be available this week on Amazon and both paperback and Kindle edition.

And if you're going to be at D23 this week in Anaheim, please come find me over at the WW radio booth at the entrance to Hall D because we're gonna be giving away copies throughout the weekend as part of our prize wheel and giveaways. I have been working on this very quietly for a very long time, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally put it in your hands.

Because these aren't just interviews. They are the voices and stories that I feel deserve to be remembered, remembered, preserved and shared with generations of Disney fans to come.

Lou Mongello: 01:00:21

And again, it is an honor and.

Lou Mongello: 01:00:22

Privilege to be able to put them together and finally share them with you. And if you read it, and if you dig it, please leave a review on Amazon.

And if you don't enjoy it, please don't leave a review, but email me or DM me and tell me why. Because I generally want to listen, learn and improve.

And I also, also very importantly, want you to know that this book and the conversations inside it would not have happened without you. Your friendship and trust and encouragement and support through the years have made these opportunities possible for me for more than two decades.

So this is not something just for me to celebrate, it's something for you.

Lou Mongello: 01:01:01

To celebrate as well.

Lou Mongello: 01:01:02

So thank you, thank you, thank you. And maybe that's part of the common thread through Leslie's film and this book. And so much of what we talk about here.

Here, every world begins with an idea.

Something unfinished, something uncertain, something that exists only in one person's imagination until they find the courage, the collaborators, and sometimes the belief to begin building it.

And I keep coming back to something that Leslie said during our conversation that really sticks with me, which is if you're not risking, you're not living. And it made me think and sort of connect the dots and really the through throughput.

Because if you have an idea that you can't stop thinking about or you are trying to build a podcast, a brand, a business, or a book around something that you love. My Momentum Weekend workshop might be exactly what you've been waiting for.

Momentum is my intimate 4 day, 1 room, 50 person workshop for creators and solopreneurs and entrepreneurs in Walt Disney World this October during the Food and Wine Festival. There are only 50 seats. Everything happens in one room. And the goal is not to just hand you more information.

It's to help give you clarity, help you make the decisions, including the difficult ones, overcome the challenges, build a real plan, and finally move forward.

And you're going to leave with a customized action plan, a workbook that's more than 200 pages, honest feedback, meaningful relationships, and a room full of people who are going to understand exactly what you're trying to build build. Because we're all trying to build something together too. There are now only about 12 seats left and early bird pricing ends soon.

So we've been waiting for the right time, the right people, and the right push. This is it.

Everything is over@lou mongello.com momentum or just email me louwwradio.com directly if you're not sure if momentum is the right fit at the right time for you. And to you, my one friend who is listening right now, whether you're on a run, walking the dog, driving, or on your couch watching Disney.

Thank you, thank you, thank you again. I know you can spend your time anywhere and that you chose to spend it this week again with me really means more than you know.

So if this episode helped you, inspires you, made you think, or made you smile, or simply reminded you that you are capable of more than you believe, please do me a favor and share it with someone else who needs to hear. Maybe it's the friend who keeps talking about the idea that they are going to pursue, quote unquote someday.

Maybe it's somebody who needs to be reminded that failure is not the end of the story, or that nothing meaningful is ever built in a straight line. This is how the community grows. It's how we continue to find one another. And I want to hear from you.

Which Disney legend or world builder has inspired you most? And what is the world, the dream or idea that you are trying to build build right now?

Come let me know by joining the community and conversation over in the clubhouse@www.radio.com clubhouse. Be part of our live show every Wednesday night at 7:30pm Eastern. And stay tuned to D23 live.

-: 9391

And once again, I'd love to connect with you on social I am Lou Mangello on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn because I really do want to hear your story.

And when you're ready to plan your trip, whether it's a race, weekend, family vacation or one of our WW Community adventures, which you can find over at www.radio.com events including our Disneyland Haunts and Heroes event in October with our Oogie Boogie Bash special event and VIP area and or our pre opening special event Breakfast in Avengers Campus. The next morning before the park opens we will have Avengers Campus and webslingers all to ourselves.

ve our WW cruise to Alaska in: 2027

Again you can find out all these things over at www.comevents and reach out to our friends over at mousefantravel.com. So until next time or until later this week, I hope to see you on the show floor at D23 or in the booth cam.

Please remember to be kind, choose the good and keep moving forward one step at a time. I love and appreciate you so very much. So have an amazing day and even better tomorrow. See ya.

Voicemail - Patrice Roberti: 01:05:49

Hey Lou, it's Patrice Roberti from Metro Boston. It is Monday, it's the 3rd of August and I just got a box from you.

I mean, Bill and I got the box from you, but I'm opening the box and I, you know, you have made me. I know nothing about the Mystic Manor, but I have seen it on YouTube because of you. And I do like Albert the Monkey.

So they have this little bag charm that is so sweet. And these coins are so gorgeous. And this a wooden postcard with the, with the cherry blossoms. You are always so amazing.

The boxes are always a real treat. You say thank. Thank you. Thank us for allowing you to do this. Well, we are. It is our pledge to support you.

We would support you with our enthusiasm and listening to the podcast, but we're glad that we can support you a little more directly. Not because it's about the money, but just to say, hey, what you're doing is great. We really enjoy it.

And as we would pay to support a restaurant or an event, it's our pleasure. It's our pleasure to feel like we're encouraging you to enjoy what you're doing in the way you share it. So thank you very much. Thank you.

They're always so beautifully packaged. I don't think you see them. They always come so nicely. And it's like, what's this box? I didn't.

And then I see who it's from and I'm like, oh, an exciting box. So thank you for sharing your trip to Asia. You said here you are one of only four people in the domestic media to get to go.

Well, I am glad if you were invited by Disney that they value your contributions too, because you do a nice job. You do a nice job. You are not. You never. You're always appropriate. Doesn't mean you always love everything you see, but you're never inappropriate.

And if they. They see that and they value that, well, then credit to them. So I'm glad you got to go. Have fun at D23 if you're not already there.

I don't think it's for a couple weeks yet, but thank you for this lovely box of things. Take care. Bye.