On Thursday, January 8, 2026, the world premiere of Disneyland Handcrafted was held at the Walt Disney Studios. This new documentary from Leslie Iwerks chronicles the year leading up to the opening of Disneyland. On hand for this special evening were Disney Legends, celebrities, members of the media, and D23 members.

Blue Carpet

Ahead of the start of this documentary, the atmosphere in the air was celebratory. Favorite Disney music could be heard playing as photos were taken along the blue carpet. Friends old and new chatted on the cool evening outside of the theater at the Walt Disney Studios, just steps from the legendary Animation Building, where Walt Disney once worked and dreamed about Disneyland in his office… which has since been restored.

Conversation with Leslie Iwerks

The highlight of the evening was the actual premiere of Disneyland Handcrafted. This was preceded by a question-and-answer session with director Leslie Iwerks, with Juju Green (aka Straw Hat Goofy) leading the questions. The conversation was both fun and interesting. For example, it turns out that all of the video that was taken of Disneyland used in this documentary did not have ANY audio. Because of this, Iwerks and her team went up to Skywalker Sound were all of the sound effects were created to bring the film to life aurally. Having now seen this, I can attest that it was masterfully done!

Iwerks shared how Walt Disney “really wanted to create The Happiest Place on Earth. He wanted people to leave the world of today, and he wanted to make people leave… as a better person than when they arrived. He wanted to elevate.” She continued and shared how emotional it was to her that “His vision was in his head. The magic was in his head, and he mobilized all these people, all these engineers and craftspeople, to follow him, to do everything they could to bring his dream to fruition when something like this was unheard of, and people were doubting him left, right, and center. I think it’s a truly inspirational story that we can continue to build happiness… that happiness is not an unforeseen ideal… especially in today’s world… and I think we need it more than ever.”

There were several other fascinating moments had throughout the interview. Near the end, Iwerks shared how making the film brought a whole new appreciation for what Walt Disney went through. She said, “I personally felt a whole new, renowned appreciation for what Walt’s vision was, what he wanted, to all the adversity that he went through. To think that this was just a dirt lot, and then now there’s 12 theme parks around the world, and this was the blueprint, this was the DNA, for all those places.”

The full interview between Leslie Iwerksand Juju Green can be seen here:

Disneyland Handcrafted First Thoughts

There will be a much more in-depth review of Disneyland Handcrafted coming in the near future. At this point, there are a few things to note about this new documentary:

• This film includes a LOT of footage Disney fans have never seen before. I have watched a lot of documentaries that are both official and not. There was a lot of stuff I hadn’t seen before. It was really impressive to see. It was also fun to see the wider context of some short clips I HAD seen before. Simply seeing this new footage makes this film worth watching, but there is so much more.
• Disneyland Handcrafted was about an hour and a half, and I didn’t look at my watch once. As those who have read my reviews in the past know, one of the things I take into account when reviewing a movie is if I look at my watch at some point during the film. I was glued to my seat with my eyes glued to the screen throughout the entire film.
• The story that is told in Disneyland Handcrafted comes from the people who were there, and not just Walt. Instead of having a narrator, Walt really fills that role (as he should, right!?). Other voices from those who were around him helped bring Disneyland to life, and they also added to the story. This really was a great move as it gave different points of view on what it was like to undertake this dream project.
• At the core of this film, Disneyland Handcrafted is about heart. This was a labor of love from Leslie Iwerks and her team, and this is very clearly evident. This labor of love showcases how Disneyland really was a passion project for so many people over 70 years ago. Throughout the documentary, there is a theme of passion and love that is very evident. There is the love Walt Disney has for his daughters that when he shared about spending time, he noted it was some of the best times of his life. That love can be seen in the people around Walt who gave their all to make his dream come true. This then expanded to the people who physically built this first-of-its-kind park. Disneyland Handcrafted truly lives up to its name. It shows how Disneyland really was handcrafted (sometimes in some fairly eye-opening ways!) and how much love, sacrifice, and dedication went into making it happen.
• Finally (for now), this documentary really shows how the making of Disneyland was yet another Walt Disney underdog story. Many people around Walt didn’t believe it was possible, not just the banks. Speaking of banks, the budget kept growing and growing. This got to the point where Walt Disney mentions that he had been broke before, and he could survive being broke again. There was no promise of success, and most people didn’t think that would be the outcome. Walt, however, believed in this dream, and people believed in and loved Walt… even if they didn’t completely comprehend the dream.

After Party

After the premiere of the film, people poured out into the studio grounds for a cocktail hour. They could meet with Mickey Mouse, enjoy snacks from Disneyland or beverages, take pictures, or even visit Walt Disney’s office in the old Animation Building. This is an opportunity that is usually reserved for the Walt Disney Studios tour that is offered by D23. The whole area was buzzing as people talked about what they had seen. The general consensus is that this film is an instant treasure. Many said it is Leslie Iwerks’ best film to date. Both of these sentiments are accurate, at least from my perspective.

Disneyland Handcrafted will be released on Disney+ and the Disney YouTube on January 22, 2026. This is a film that I wish would also be released physically with bonus features (or just with bonus features) that could be added to every Disney fan’s library. It will be one of those “must-see” films for Disney fans. I also will guess this will become one that, as the years go by, will be referenced by Disney fans and historians in conversations, school projects, and future historical projects. This is a gift to Disney fans around the world, and selfishly, it makes me hope that Leslie Iwerks has more gifts of Disney projects coming in the future!