Disney Shelved 'Disneyland Handcrafted' Documentary for Years

Filmmaker Leslie Iwerks says she thought the film would "never see the light of day."

Jan. 27, 2026 at 1:55pm

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A new documentary film about how Disneyland almost never happened sat on the shelf collecting dust for years and nearly never made it off the cutting room floor, according to the filmmaker. The 70-minute rough cut of 'Disneyland Handcrafted' was put on hold indefinitely by Disney in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was later rescued and championed by Disney Experiences Vice President Jason Recher.

Why it matters

The documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and obstacles Walt Disney faced in bringing his vision for Disneyland to life in the mid-1950s. The film's release offers a rare glimpse into the early days of one of the world's most iconic theme parks.

The details

Filmmaker Leslie Iwerks used hundreds of hours of behind-the-scenes footage that she had previously used in the making of 'The Imagineering Story' docuseries to create 'Disneyland Handcrafted.' The rough cut of the film sat on the shelf in 2020 as Disney put the project on hold indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It wasn't until Disney Experiences Vice President Jason Recher watched the rough cut and championed the project that the film was eventually completed and released on Disney+ and YouTube.

  • The 70-minute rough cut of 'Disneyland Handcrafted' sat on the shelf in 2020.
  • 'Disneyland Handcrafted' debuted last week on the Disney+ streaming service and YouTube.

The players

Leslie Iwerks

The documentary filmmaker who created 'Disneyland Handcrafted.'

Jason Recher

The Disney Experiences Vice President of Content Creation and Digital Integration who rescued and championed the 'Disneyland Handcrafted' project.

Tony Baxter

A Disney Legend who regularly hosted Disneyland Movie Nights where unedited and silent reels of Disneyland construction from the mid-1950s were screened.

Don Hahn

A Disney Legend who played the role of 'story carpenter' and helped Iwerks weave the human story of Walt's relentless creativity into the framework of the 'Disneyland Handcrafted' rough cut.

Pete Docter

The Pixar Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer who watched the 'compelling and revelatory' low-resolution footage of Disneyland construction with his fellow animation studio employees.

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What they’re saying

“I was thinking this would never see the light of day,”

— Leslie Iwerks, Filmmaker (Los Angeles Times)

“This is amazing. We should be making this film. This is history right here,”

— Jason Recher, Disney Experiences Vice President of Content Creation and Digital Integration (Fantasyland News)

“Leslie used this same footage to assemble a visual stopwatch of Disneyland being built,”

— Pete Docter, Pixar Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer (Disney press release)

“My job was to walk the beam with her and help refine the emotional architecture,”

— Don Hahn, Disney Legend (Disney press release)

What’s next

The documentary 'Disneyland Handcrafted' is now available to stream on Disney+ and YouTube.

The takeaway

This documentary provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and obstacles Walt Disney faced in bringing his vision for Disneyland to life, offering valuable insights into the early days of one of the world's most iconic theme parks.