853 · Disneyland Handcrafted Review and Interview with Leslie Iwerks
WDW Radio: Your Guide to the Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise and More Disney Magic!
Lou Mongello - Disney Expert
4.8 • 3.2K Ratings
🗓️ 13 January 2026
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
853 · Disneyland Handcrafted Review and Interview with Leslie Iwerks
Disneyland has been analyzed and celebrated for decades. But Disneyland Handcrafted shows us something far more rare. How the park was actually built.
This week, I sit down with Academy Award nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks for a deep conversation about her new documentary, Disneyland Handcrafted, followed by my review and thoughtful discussion with Adam Bankhurst from IGN after attending the world premiere on the Walt Disney Studios lot.
We talk about unseen archival footage, Walt, the pressure of building Disneyland in less than a year, and the craftsmen and builders whose hands shaped the park we know today.
This is not nostalgia. It’s history, risk, and belief in motion.
🎧 What you’ll hear:
- How Disneyland was literally built by hand
- Why this story changes how you experience the park today
- The human side of Walt Disney’s greatest risk
- Lessons in leadership, creativity, and perseverance
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, I'm Jiminy Cricket, and I'm going along with you on one of the most exciting trip you've ever taken. |
| 0:15.8 | A tour of Disneyland, USA. |
| 0:27.6 | This is the Global Broadcasting Service, serving remote outposts since 1928. Welcome to the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland. |
| 0:30.6 | It's five minutes, two minutes. |
| 0:33.6 | One minute to show time. |
| 0:35.6 | Yep, this is it. The showtime. Yep. |
| 0:38.3 | This is it. |
| 0:40.0 | The Golden Horseshoe Review. |
| 0:42.3 | Ladies and gentlemen, showtime. |
| 0:43.4 | W. |
| 0:44.4 | W. |
| 0:45.9 | Radio. |
| 0:48.7 | Your information station. |
| 0:59.3 | Before Disneyland was magical, it was risky, rushed, and unfinished, and before it became a destination, it was built by hand. |
| 1:06.2 | This week, I'm honored to welcome filmmaker Leslie Iworks for a powerful conversation about Disneyland handcrafted, a documentary using only archival footage that lets us experience how Disneyland was built under pressure |
| 1:12.6 | with craftsmanship, belief, and no guarantees. I'll also share my full review and discussion |
| 1:19.3 | with my guest Adam Bankhurst from IGN after attending the world premiere on the Walt Disney |
| 1:24.5 | Studios lot and why this film will change how you walk through Disneyland. |
| 1:29.9 | This isn't just about Disney history or nostalgia. |
| 1:32.8 | It's about the reality of what it took to build Disneyland in less than a year |
| 1:36.5 | and the people who made the dream come to life. |
| 1:39.9 | Hello, my friend, and welcome to W.D.W. Radio, your guide to the Disney parks and experiences from around the world. |
... |
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