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120 Walt Disney Quotes To Dare You To Dream Big

120 Walt Disney Quotes To Dare You To Dream Big

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” — Albert Einstein

One of those who were brave to dream big and use their imagination is Walt Disney.

His brilliant creative work has entertained the world for almost a century now, but Walt Disney is more than just an animator. He’s inspired us to dream, follow our imagination and discover a world that can’t be grasped by logic.

Below you’ll find 120 Walt Disney quotes that offer wisdom unlike anything else, wisdom that will inspire you to dream big and without fear.

Let’s unlock your potential!

10 Most Iconic Walt Disney Quotes

1. “First, think. Second, believe. Third, dream. And finally, dare.” — Walt Disney

Image of Walt Disney representing the best Walt Disney quote.

2. “Dreams only exist to be made to come true.” — Walt Disney

3. “If you can visualize it, if you can dream it, there’s some way to do it.” — Walt Disney

4. “One day I learned that dreams exist to come true. And since that day I do not sleep for rest. I sleep just to dream.” — Walt Disney

5. “That’s the real trouble with the world. Too many people grow up.” — Walt Disney

Image of Walt Disney representing the most iconic Walt Disney quote.

6. “If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started by a mouse.” — Walt Disney

7. “Dreams, ideas, and plans not only are an escape, they give me purpose, a reason to hang on.” — Walt Disney

8. “Everyone falls down. Getting back up is how you learn how to walk.” — Walt Disney

9. “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” — Walt Disney

10. “Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse representing the best quote by Walt Disney.

See also: 90 Choose Happiness Quotes To Encourage And Inspire You

Inspirational Disney Quotes About Life

1. “Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.” — Walt Disney

Image of Walt Disney representing Walt Disney inspirational quote.

2. “Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows.” — Walt Disney

3. “People often ask me if I know the secret of success and if I could tell others how to make their dreams come true. My answer is, you do it by working.” — Walt Disney

4. “I think it’s important to have a good hard failure when you’re young. I learned a lot out of that. Because it makes you kind of aware of what can happen to you.” — Walt Disney

5. “The worst of us is not without innocence, although buried deeply it might be.” — Walt Disney

Image of Walt Disney's joyful expression.

6. “I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.” — Walt Disney

7. “To the youngsters of today, I say believe in the future, the world is getting better; there still is plenty of opportunity.” — Walt Disney

8. “A man should never neglect his family for business.” — Walt Disney

9. “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” — Walt Disney

10. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney posing for the camera representing Walt Disney motivational quote.

See also: 120 Follow Your Dreams Quotes To Keep You On The Track

11. “I could never convince the financiers that Disneyland was feasible, because dreams offer too little collateral.” — Walt Disney

12. “When people laugh at Mickey Mouse it’s because he’s so human; and that is the secret of his popularity.” — Walt Disney

13. “I have never been interested in personal gain or profit. This business and this studio have been my entire life.” — Walt Disney

14. “Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the children’s approach to life…They are not afraid to be delighted with simple pleasures, and they have a degree of contentment with what life has brought – sometimes it isn’t much, either.” — Walt Disney

15. “The human species, although happily ridiculous at times, is still reaching for the stars.” — Walt Disney

Wholesome grin from legendary Walt Disney.

16. “A man should never neglect his family for business.” — Walt Disney

See also: Top 80 Family First Quotes That Emphasize Its Power

17. “You’re dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.” — Walt Disney

18. “Never get bored or cynical. Yesterday is a thing of the past.” — Walt Disney

19. “Everyone needs deadlines. Even the beavers. They loaf around all summer, but when they are faced with the winter deadline, they work like fury. If we didn’t have deadlines, we’d stagnate.” — Walt Disney

20. “Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney's iconic presence framed in time.

21. “Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature.” — Walt Disney

22. “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all the troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” — Walt Disney

23. “The era we are living in today is a dream of coming true.” — Walt Disney

24. “Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.” — Walt Disney

25. “I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true.” — Walt Disney

Posing Walt Disney a glimpse into history.

See also: 150 Best Taking Risk Quotes To Embrace Courageous Choices

Walt Disney Quotes About Love

1. “I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman I have ever known.”Walt Disney

Walt Disney's timeless smile representing Walt Disney love quote.

2. “The important thing is the family.” — Walt Disney

3. “We share, to a large extent, one another’s fate. We help create those circumstances which favor or challenge us in meeting our objectives and realizing our dreams.” — Walt Disney

4. “The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.” — Walt Disney

5. “I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.”Walt Disney

Walt Disney's iconic smile captures his creative spirit

6. “It’s a mistake not to give people a chance to learn to depend on themselves while they are young.” — Walt Disney

7. “The greatest moments in life are not concerned with selfish achievements but rather with the things we do for the people we love and esteem, and whose respect we need.” — Walt Disney

8. “I don’t like formal gardens. I like wild nature. It’s just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess.” — Walt Disney

9. “There is great comfort and inspiration in the feeling of close human relationships and its bearing on our mutual fortunes – a powerful force, to overcome the “tough breaks” which are certain to come to most of us from time to time.” — Walt Disney

10. “Disneyland is a work of love. We didn’t go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money.” — Walt Disney

Heartwarming smile from Walt Disney representing Disneyland quote.

See also: 190 Super Cute Disney Captions For A Magical Instagram Post

Walt Disney Quotes About Imagination

1. “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, dreams are forever.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney shares a joyful moment with Mickey.

2. “Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive.” — Walt Disney

3. “I resent the limitations of my own imagination.” — Walt Disney

4. “Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.” — Walt Disney

5. “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, forever united in joy.

6. “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” — Walt Disney

7. “When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.” — Walt Disney

8. “Fantasy and reality often overlap.” — Walt Disney

9. “It’s always a challenge bringing a great story classic to the screen. Giving visual form to the characters and places that have only existed in the imagination. But it’s the kind of challenge we enjoy.” — Walt Disney

10. “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.” — Walt Disney

I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.

11. “Fantasy, if it’s really convincing, can’t become dated, for the simple reason that it represents a flight into a dimension that lies beyond the reach of time.” — Walt Disney

12. “I don’t want the public to see the world they live in while they’re in Disneyland. I want them to feel they’re in another world.” — Walt Disney

13. “Every child is born blessed with a vivid imagination.” — Walt Disney

14. “What seems real to the mind can be as important as any material fact. We live by the spirit and the imagination as well as by our senses. Cartoon animation can give fantasy the same reality as those things we can touch and see and hear.” — Walt Disney

15. “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” — Walt Disney

Iconic duo Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse smile.

See also: 120 Reading Quotes For Kids That’ll Impress Adults Too

16. “Disneyland would be a world of Americans, past and present, seen through the eyes of my imagination – a place of warmth and nostalgia, of illusion and color and delight.” — Walt Disney

17. “My imagination creates my reality.” — Walt Disney

18. “In our animation we must show only the actions and reactions of a character, but we must picture also with the action. . . the feeling of those characters.” — Walt Disney

19. “Here is the world of imagination, hopes, and dreams. In this timeless land of enchantment, the age of chivalry, magic and make-believe are reborn – and fairy tales come true. Fantasyland is dedicated to the young-in-heart, to those who that when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.” — Walt Disney

20. “That’s what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney and Mickey's smiles symbolize timeless creativity.

Walt Disney Quotes To Broaden Your Perspective

1. “I decided to see every problem as the opportunity to find a solution.” — Walt Disney

Creative spirit shines as Walt Disney strikes pose.

2. “Mickey Mouse is, to me, a symbol of independence. He was a means to an end.” — Walt Disney

3. “Crowded classrooms and half-day sessions are a tragic waste of our greatest national resource – the minds of our children.” — Walt Disney

4. “Laughter is America’s most important export.” — Walt Disney

5. “I don’t make pictures just to make money. I make money to make more pictures.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney's pose embodies his visionary personality

6. “I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.” — Walt Disney

7. “I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things.” — Walt Disney

8. “Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.” — Walt Disney

9. “Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards – the things we live by and teach our children – are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings.” — Walt Disney

10. “Adults are only kids grown up.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney's enduring smile preserved in photograph.

11. “You reach a point where you don’t work for money.” — Walt Disney

12. “By nature I’m an experimenter. To this day, I don’t believe in sequels. I can’t follow popular cycles. I have to move on to new things. So with the success of Mickey, I was determined to diversify.” — Walt Disney

13. “What I have learned from the animal world, and what anyone will learn who studies it, is a renewed sense of kinship with the earth and all its inhabitants.” — Walt Disney

14. “I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty.” — Walt Disney

15. “When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.”  — Walt Disney

Walt Disney's joyful charisma captured in pose.

16. “I don’t believe in playing down to children, either in life or in motion pictures. I didn’t treat my own youngsters like fragile flowers, and I think no parent should.” — Walt Disney

17. “I’d say it’s been my biggest problem all my life… it’s money. It takes a lot of money to make these dreams come true.” — Walt Disney

18. “I am corny, you know? But I think there are just about 140 million people in this country who are just as corny as I am.” — Walt Disney

19. “I wanted to retain my individuality. I was afraid of being hampered by studio policies. I knew if someone else got control, I would be restrained.” — Walt Disney

20. “We are not trying to entertain the critics. I’ll take my chances with the public.” — Walt Disney

Endearing smile Walt Disney's influence frozen in time.

21. “Childishness? I think it’s the equivalent of never losing your sense of humor. I mean, there’s a certain something that you retain. It’s the equivalent of not getting so stuffy that you can’t laugh at others.” — Walt Disney

22. “Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal.” — Walt Disney

23. “Until a character becomes a personality it cannot be believed. Without personality, the character may do funny or interesting things, but unless people are able to identify themselves with the character, its actions will seem unreal. And without personality, a story cannot ring true to the audience.” — Walt Disney

24. “Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards – the things we live by and teach our children – are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings.” — Walt Disney

25. “I never called my work an ‘art’. It’s part of show business, the business of building entertainment.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney's radiant smile graces the frame.

See also: 120 Inspirational Art Quotes To Awaken The Divine In You

Walt Disney Quotes To Ignite Your Inner Spark

1. “In bad times and in good, I’ve never lost my sense of zest for life.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney's captivating smile shines in portrait.

2. “Do a good job. You don’t have to worry about the money; it will take care of itself. Just do your best work – then try to trump it.” — Walt Disney

3. “I believe in being a motivator.” — Walt Disney

4. “My greatest reward is that I have been able to build this wonderful organization.” — Walt Disney

5. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney's iconic smile framed in portrait.

See also: 100 Actions Speak Louder Than Words Quotes To Live By

6. “I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it.” — Walt Disney

7. “Money doesn’t excite me, my ideas excite me.” — Walt Disney

8. “I do not like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things.” — Walt Disney

9. “I am in no sense of the word a great artist, not even a great animator; I have always had men working for me whose skills were greater than my own. I am an idea man.” — Walt Disney

10. “Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it’s done right.” — Walt Disney

Portrait of a visionary Walt Disney's joyful pose.

11. “Whatever you do, do it well.” — Walt Disney

12. “A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there.” — Walt Disney

See also: 170 Genius Goal Achievement Quotes To Help You Succeed

13. “We evolved by necessity. We did not sit down and say to ourselves, ‘How can we make a big pile of dough?’ It just happened.” — Walt Disney

14. “Whenever I go on a ride, I’m always thinking of what’s wrong with the thing and how it can be improved.” — Walt Disney

15. “Most of my life I have done what I wanted to do. I have had fun on the job.” — Walt Disney

Portrait of a genius Walt Disney's joyful charisma.

See also: Ultimate Collection Of 60 Do What Makes You Happy Quotes

16. “Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four Cs. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy.” — Walt Disney

16. “I am interested in entertaining people, in bringing pleasure, particularly laughter, to others, rather than being concerned with ‘expressing’ myself with obscure creative impressions.” — Walt Disney

17. “Courage is the main quality of leadership, in my opinion, no matter where it is exercised. Usually it implies some risk – especially in new undertakings. Courage to initiate something and to keep it going, pioneering and adventurous spirit to blaze new ways, often, in our land of opportunity.” — Walt Disney

18. “I take great pride in the artistic development of cartoons. Our characters are made to go through emotions.” — Walt Disney

19. “We did it Disneyland, in the knowledge that most of the people I talked to thought it would be a financial disaster – closed and forgotten within the first year.” — Walt Disney

20. “The difference in winning and losing is most often not quitting.” — Walt Disney

Walt Disney's legacy glows in posed portrait.

See also: 160 Winning Quotes To Celebrate Your Achievements

The End

Do you dare to dream?

I hope these Walt Disney quotes have inspired you to, at least for a moment, forget logic and surrender to your imagination.

And remember, if you can dream it, you can achieve it!

120 Walt Disney Quotes To Dare You To Dream Big