Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Disney Unveils 'Disneyland Handcrafted' Documentary, Coming This Winter to Disney+ and YouTube

Directed by Leslie Iwerks, the film uses newly scanned 16mm reels from the Walt Disney Archives to reveal how Disneyland was built.

Overview

  • Disney premiered the first trailer during the Destination D23 "Creating The Happiest Place on Earth" panel, and it is now available on Disney’s YouTube channel.
  • The release window is winter 2025 for both Disney+ and Disney’s YouTube channel, with an exact premiere date still to be announced.
  • Iwerks’ team located previously unscanned archival reels and produced high‑resolution transfers without timecode to restore long‑stored footage.
  • The documentary spotlights first‑hand views of artists, craftsmen, and Walt Disney Imagineers at work during park construction, including ASMR-style sound moments.
  • Iwerks, known for The Imagineering Story and with deep family ties to Disney, frames the project as part of Disneyland’s 70th celebration.