Period : World War II and beyond: 1941–1950

Shortly after the release of Dumbo in October 1941, the U.S. entered World War II.
Disney formed the Walt Disney Training Films Unit within the company to produce
instruction films for the military. In 1948, Disney initiated a series of popular live-action
nature films. And in 1949, Disney and his family moved to a new home in the Holmby
Hills district of Los Angeles. With the help of his friends Ward and Betty Kimball, who
already had their own backyard railroad, Disney developed blueprints and immediately
set to work on creating a miniature live steam railroad for his backyard.

Period : Theme parks, television and other interests: 1950–1966

In early 1950, Disney produced Cinderella, his studio's first animated feature in eight
years. It was popular with critics and theater audiences. Costing $2.2 million to produce,
it earned nearly $8 million in its first year. Also, for several years, Disney had been
considering building a theme park and finally it was first opened in July 1955 . Although
there were early minor problems with the park, it was a success, and after a month's
operation, Disneyland was receiving over 20,000 visitors a day; by the end of its first
year, it attracted 3.6 million guests.

Success
Disney won 26 Academy Awards out of 59 nominations, including a record four in one
year, giving him more awards and nominations than any other individual. He is also the
namesake for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in the United
States, as well as the international resorts in Japan, France, and China.