Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois, the fourth child of Elias Disney and Flora Call Disney. His early years were spent in a modest upbringing.

The Disney family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. This period profoundly influenced Walt's imagination, with the rural setting and animals providing early inspiration for his later works.

The family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where Elias Disney bought a newspaper delivery route. Walt and his brother Roy helped with the deliveries.

Walt attended Benton Grammar School in Kansas City and took art classes at the Kansas City Art Institute on Saturdays. His early artistic inclinations began to develop.

The Disney family moves back to Chicago where Walt enrolls at McKinley High School.

Walt dropped out of high school to join the army but was rejected for being underage. He joined the Red Cross and was sent to France as an ambulance driver after World War I.