Walt Disney's full name was Walter Elias Disney. He was born in the US of an Irish Canadian father and a mother of German and English descent. In fact, though, the family name Disney goes back to a very old Norman family, d'Isigny, and one of Walt Disney's ancestors was among the Normans who conquered England in 1066.
However, his parents were not wealthy. His father tried to make money in the 19th century gold rush, but as this didn't succeed he turned to farming and at one time worked for the railways.
When Walt was born in 1902, they returned to farming and he spent his early years on a farm in Missouri. One of the earliest signs of his talent was in drawing pictures of a neighbour's horse.
When Walt was 9 the family moved to Kansas city and he and his younger sister went to school there. Later he went to an art institute and this was the start of his career.