Behind the Orange Groves: Everything You Need to Know About the New Disneyland Handcrafted Documentary

Behind the Orange Groves: Everything You Need to Know About the New Disneyland Handcrafted Documentary

If you’re the kind of Disney fan who lives for behind-the-scenes magic and rare history, mark your calendars because something special is coming. Innovative, groundbreaking, and relentless, these three words perfectly capture the career of filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, but they also describe the chaotic, high-stakes birth of Disneyland itself. We’re about to see those worlds collide in the new documentary, Disneyland Handcrafted, which officially drops on January 22 on Disney+ and the Disney YouTube channel.

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Leslie Iwerks isn’t just any filmmaker; she basically has Disney magic in her DNA. As the granddaughter of Ub Iwerks (the guy who co-created Mickey Mouse) and the daughter of Don Iwerks (a legendary camera inventor), Leslie has spent her life surrounded by the technological feats that built the company. After giving us hits like The Pixar Story and The Imagineering Story, she’s now diving into the “raw DNA” of the park that started it all.

So, what makes Disneyland Handcrafted different from other history docs? It’s all about the footage. Leslie and her team spent ages digging through the Disney Archives, eventually uncovering over 100 hours of raw material and outtakes that had been sitting in vaults for decades. They even found binders of 16mm film reels that were originally shot for the old Disneyland TV series but were never used. By using a revolutionary scanning process to restore these reels, the documentary offers a high-res, “fly-on-the-wall” look at the park’s construction that we’ve never seen before.

When you tune in, expect to see the real grit and pressure of 1955. This isn’t just a polished promo; it’s an unfiltered look at the “trials and tribulations” of turning orange groves into a kingdom in just one year. You’ll get to see Adventureland and Tomorrowland taking shape through the eyes of the original artists and Imagineers who were actually in the dirt in Anaheim. It captures the sheer risk Walt Disney took when everyone else in Hollywood thought he was heading for a “spectacular failure.”

Ultimately, Disneyland Handcrafted is a love letter to the craftsmanship and focus required to turn a wild dream into reality. Whether you’re a lifelong passholder or just love a good underdog story, this film promises a nostalgic, emotional journey into the heart of the original Magic Kingdom. Don’t miss it when it debuts on January 22!

Credit: Disney Parks

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