853 · Disneyland Handcrafted Review and Interview with Leslie Iwerks

Disneyland has been analyzed and celebrated for decades. But Disneyland Handcrafted shows us something far more rare. How the park was actually built.

This week, I sit down with Academy Award nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks for a deep conversation about her new documentary, Disneyland Handcrafted, followed by my review and thoughtful discussion with Adam Bankhurst from IGN after attending the world premiere on the Walt Disney Studios lot.

We talk about unseen archival footage, Walt, the pressure of building Disneyland in less than a year, and the craftsmen and builders whose hands shaped the park we know today.

This is not nostalgia. It’s history, risk, and belief in motion.

🎧 What you’ll hear:

1. How Disneyland was literally built by hand
2. Why this story changes how you experience the park today
3. The human side of Walt Disney’s greatest risk
4. Lessons in leadership, creativity, and perseverance

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