Upon returning from Europe, Walt began working at the Kansas City Film Ad Company, where he created animated advertisements and experimented with animation techniques.

Walt founded his first animation company, Laugh-O-Gram Films, which produced short animated fairy tales and newsreels. However, the company faced financial difficulties and eventually went bankrupt.

Walt moved to Hollywood with only $40 in his pocket and his unfinished "Alice Comedies" film reel. He joined forces with his brother Roy and formed the Disney Brothers Studio (later The Walt Disney Company).

Following a dispute with his distributor over the rights to his previous character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt created Mickey Mouse. Mickey's debut in "Steamboat Willie" (the first cartoon with synchronized sound) revolutionized animation.

Disney received his first Academy Award for the short film "Flowers and Trees", the first cartoon to be produced in full-color Technicolor.

Disney released "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first full-length cel-animated feature film. This landmark achievement proved the viability of feature-length animation and cemented Disney's reputation.

Disney released two ambitious and innovative films: "Pinocchio," a classic adaptation of the Italian tale, and "Fantasia," an experimental film that combined animation with classical music.

The 1950s saw the release of several beloved animated classics, including "Cinderella" (1950), "Alice in Wonderland" (1951), "Peter Pan" (1953), "Lady and the Tramp" (1955), and "Sleeping Beauty" (1959), solidifying Disney's dominance in animation.