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where did walt disney grow up

Walt Disney grew up mainly in the small town of Marceline, Missouri, and later in Kansas City, Missouri, after being born in Chicago, Illinois.

Quick Scoop: Where did Walt Disney grow up?

  • He was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1901.
  • As a young child his family moved to a farm near Marceline, Missouri, where he later said he had his happiest and most formative years.
  • Main Street, U.S.A. in the Disney parks was inspired by Marceline’s downtown streets.
  • In 1911, the Disneys moved again, this time to Kansas City, Missouri, where Walt spent the rest of his childhood and school years before striking out on his own.

So, if you’re wondering “where did Walt Disney grow up,” the short answer is: his childhood was shaped first by Marceline ’s rural small‑town life and then by Kansas City ’s busy city environment, with both places leaving a lasting mark on his imagination.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.