For those you who think that an article titled “Disney Family Tree” is going to be an article on the birth of Minnie and Mickey Mouse, you'll be disappointed.  Although I have to admit, I've always wondered where Donald's nephews came from.  Did we ever meet their mom, presumably Donald's sister?  Another thought that has often plagued my mind as I wandered through the “happiest place on earth” is whether or not Goofy and Pluto are related.  I mean, think about it, they kind of look alike don't they?  But that's a different article entirely.  However, if you've ever wondered about the birth of Walt Disney, the grand master of creating and maintaining happy, you're in luck.  Let me tell you how it all began.

                The Disney family tree starts with Elias Disney.   Elias Disney was born in Ontario, Canada on February 6^th, 1859.  In 1888 he married a lovely young lady named Flora Call, born April 22, 1868 and hailed from Greenfield, OH.  The Disneys went on the have five children, four boys and one girl.  The girl was Ruth, born in Chicago in 1903.  The four boys were Herbert  who was born in Kissimmee, Fl in 1888, Raymond, born in Chicago in 1889, Roy, born in Chicago in 1893 and last but most importantly Walt was born in Chicago in 1901. 

Walt married a lady named Lillian Bounds in July of 1925 and together the pair had two daughters Diane and Sharon.  Both girls married but Diane was the one to bear more grandchildren for good old Walt.  She was mother to four sons and three daughters while Sharon only gave birth to one child. 

                Let's not forget about Roy.  Roy had one son who he named Roy Jr.  Roy Jr. proceeded to marry a woman named Patricia and had two sons and two daughters. 

                We all know about Walt and his contributions to American society but what about the rest of the Disney family tree?  Did they contribute to the magic and bumper to bumper traffic that now surrounds Kissimmee and Burbank? 

                If you didn't know, another important part of the Disney family tree was Roy.  Roy co-founded Disney Corporation with Walt and after Walt's death, became the chairperson of Disney.  Walt was the creative one but it was Roy that dealt with the finance and business side of things.  He retired shortly after Disney World opened in the 70's but remains an important part of pop culture alongside his brother Walt.  Since Walt believed that it really is small world after all, maybe we can all be a part of the Disney family tree.