Yesterday was December 5th, basically an unofficial Disney fan holiday. Why? Well, it was Walt's 114th Birthday. As we watched the Birthday Wishes roll through Twitter, it made us think...just why are we all so eager to celebrate this day? I mean, Walt is no longer with us. Why are hundreds and hundreds of people wishing him well on is day?Because we all have so much to be grateful for when it comes to this man's remarkable life! If you are reading this blog, you no doubt agree that his impact is still being felt. We thought we would try and list a few things that we are grateful for from Walt's life.1.) Growing up in Marceline - I am so glad that the Disney family had their farm in Marceline, for however short a time. Because of this period in Walt's life, much of his imaginative flair and sense of wonder was born. Also, because of Marceline, we have Main Street, U.S.A. 2.) Walt's Joy in Being a Father - Walt was a ridiculously busy man. It would have been very easy for him to let his sense of duty to his family fall to the wayside. But not Walt! He loved his dear Lilian and two daughters and would not let his work get in the way of being a good daddy. Just think, if Walt had not set aside Saturday as Daddy's day with the girls, then he would not have been sitting on that bench, watching the girls ride the carousel. No idea for Disneyland would have been born. And if he hadn't loved being with his girls, then he would not have yearned for a place where families could go and have fun together. 3.) Walt's Purchase of a Mechanical Bird in New Orleans - Sounds odd, right? But stay with me. If Walt had not purchased this curiosity, he would probably never have encouraged his earliest Imagineers to create their own mechanical, but lifelike dancing man and birds. Yes, here comes the creation of the Enchanted Tiki Room and thus the creation of Audio Animatronics! Without Walt's inventive curiosity, we wouldn't have this now Disney Parks staple. Honestly, this is one that theme parks around the world should stop and thank Walt for, as many of Walt's competitors would have very different parks if they hadn't tried to emulate Walt's wonderful Audio Animatronics.4.) Walt's Belief in Animation as a Storytelling Medium - We live on the other side of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, so it is hard for us to imagine a world where animated features are not a staple of childhood and even earn major awards during the movie award season. But it was Walt Disney who saw animation as something more than a cheap series of gags for momentary entertainment. He believed animated characters could have developed personalities and that their stories could intrigue and touch audiences' lives. I know my childhood (okay, and adulthood) would be utterly different if Walt had not pioneered the animated feature film. Would someone else have finally thought of this idea? I am not sure they really would have done so. It was Walt Disney who had the courage to follow a mad belief in a little regarded entertainment medium.5.) The Loss of Oswald - Don't get me wrong! I am so thrilled that Oswald is back in the Disney family and would love to see him come to Walt Disney World, but that doesn't alter the fact that losing the rights to Oswald brought about the greatest ultimate triumph in Walt's career. Only in the total defeat of seeing Oswald and his artists slip through his fingers could Walt have started fresh with a brand new idea - a brand new character to pin his hopes upon. Without losing Oswald, I think it is safe to say, Mickey would never have been created. And losing Oswald taught Walt a lot about how to protect his own interests in the future. The success of Mickey (and how he finally made money for the Walt Disney Brothers to finance their dreams) was only possible through Oswald's passing into other hands. So thanks Oswald for taking one for the team!