‘Happiness is Future Proof’: Leslie Iwerks Crafts a New Vision From Lost Archives in ‘Disneyland Handcrafted’. Fantasy Land News was recently invited by Disney Experiences to an advanced screening of Director Leslie Iwerks’ new documentary, Disneyland Handcrafted. The preview, held at the AMC 24 in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World, was followed by a Q&A with Iwerks herself.
TL;DR: Director Leslie Iwerks’ new documentary, Disneyland Handcrafted, is a stunning 2K HD restoration of “lost” archival footage documenting the frantic one-year construction of Disneyland. Eschewing traditional narration for the voices of Disney Legends, the film captures the high-stakes risk, 1950s-era “safety-third” grit, and the incredible music score that brings Walt Disney’s original vision to life. It is a must-watch “love letter” to the people who physically built the foundation of Disney Parks.
Disneyland Handcrafted premieres on Disney+ and Disney on YouTube January 22nd, 2026.
Disneyland Handcrafted: It tells a simple story of the creation of The Happiest Place on Earth that took just one year to construct. Told through rare archival footage and thoughtful soundbites, the documentary showcases the ultimate story of risk and captures the ongoing hustle and bustle of Disneyland as it was being built. Disneyland Handcrafted was created from lost & found film that had been sitting in the Disney Archives and the Walt Disney Family Museum for years.
Iwerks explained how the film came together, saying, “I was with Jason Recher, an executive on the Disney Experiences team (Mr. Recher just happens to be the VP of Segment Content Creation & Digital Integration at Disney Parks, Experiences and Products), and I was telling him about the project, and he said, ‘Send me a link.’ He just immediately said, ‘This is amazing. We should be making this film. This is history right here.’ It really took one person’s vision to see the importance of this project and help bring it to life.”
Iwerks doesn’t just credit Jason Recher, who is the Executive Producer of Disneyland Handcrafted, she gives an important detail about an unsung hero of the film to Disney Legend and Imagineer Tony Baxter, Iwerks went onto say during the Q&A “I want to also give credit to Tony Baxter too who really did pull this out from the archives way way back and also just um has shown it around a little bit. But you would only see these pieces in low-resolution film.“
The true magic of this documentary lies in the restoration. By upgrading the original film to 2K HD and layering in audio, Iwerks & Co. has created a “must-watch.” While past documentaries have relied on grainy, silent clips, this footage provides context for the 1954–1955 construction period.
Rather than using a traditional narrator, the film utilizes the voices of Disney Legends to describe Walt’s vision. This is bolstered by a palpable tension that builds throughout the 75-minute runtime. Even though we know Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, the first 60 minutes make it feel as though the project is on the brink of failure.
The score and sound effects deserve special recognition. The production team at Iwerks & Co. and audio team at Skywalker Ranch crafted a soundscape that perfectly matches the visuals; if we had a vote for Best Original Score in a documentary, it would go here. I cannot express how much the music sets the stage.
New things people will learn about in Disneyland Handcrafted are numerous, and as semi-Disney historians ourselves, we walked away with a few thoughts. Like, OSHA? NOPE! If OSHA existed, this would have never been completed on time. We all have this mantra of Safety First. In this doc, Safety is like third, or fourth! Construction vehicles being rolled on their sides, people riding the Mark Twain with no railings, and men hanging on steel beams with no ropes. It is amazing that nothing bad really happened to the workers.
At the heart are the voices of Disney Legends who bought into Walt Disney’s vision. Bob Gurr gives a great story about not understanding why he even left every night, knowing he would be back the next morning early! Art Linkletter, the voice of the Disneyland Opening Day broadcast on ABC, talks about trying to work around the crews who were still building the Park. These voices from the past lend credence to the construction and what Disney was trying to do.
Overall, Disneyland Handcrafted feels like a love letter to Walt. The man who put up everything as collateral to finance a dream and vision that would end up spanning 12 of the most visited theme parks in the world. Viewers will walk away with a new appreciation for the people whose hands physically built our childhood, giving life to something that had never been created before. They gave of themselves, they gave their experiences, their natural gift to create and make something out of nothing!
We recommend watching this on the largest screen you have, along with using a soundbar or good speakers. It is worth it.
‘Happiness is Future Proof’: Leslie Iwerks Crafts a New Vision From Lost Archives in ‘Disneyland Handcrafted
“The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other organization, agency, employer, or company.” – Meaning no one was paid to say this!
