The Wonderful World of Disney

Walt Disney hosts a look at his plans for a brand new documentary on Antarctica.

Walt talks about the cat family, primarily focusing on lions and domestic cats. It is explained particularly on the cats' importance to ancient Egypt and how some people would respect them, and others would fear them as superstitious beings.

Once again, Disneyland plays host to Winston Hibler, the familiar narrator (and sometimes writer/director) of Disney's ""True-Life Adventures"" short subject series. Hibler describes the various techniques used for making such up-close-and-personal nature documentaries as the then-upcoming Disney theatrical feature Secrets of Life, including the development of miniature lense and stroboscopic ""cold"" light. Highlights include a foray into a beehive and a visit to an ant colony, and a time-lapse-photography sequence of blossoming plant life to the tune of Maurice Ravel's ""Bolero"". Searching for Nature's Mysteries originally aired 2 months before the official November 20, 1956 release of Secrets of Life.

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953) re-edited into a two-part television presentation.

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953) re-edited into a two-part television presentation.

Walt explains a principle of his style of animation called ""the plausible impossible,"" in which things that cannot be done in reality can be done in animation if there is a plausible basis for it. He uses clips from several cartoons and features to demonstrate.

Walt takes us on the famous Oregon Trail, a pathway from Kansas City to Oregon, where the settlers moved westward. And speaking of westward, We also go behind the scenes of the new Disny feature Westward Ho the Wagons! with the famous Fess Parker himself.

It's Donald's birthday, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie are thrown a party by their uncle in honor of his own birthday! He treats the boys to special home screenings of his own movies on 8mm film reels, but they want to watch the Mickey Mouse and Goofy cartoons. Adding insult to injury, the boys would rather watch the Mickey Mouse Club on TV.

Donald Duck convinces Walt Disney to let him take over the hosting duties for one episode. Then he goes on to host an episode that he calls "The Duckland Four-In-One Show", where he goes through his own versions of the lands of Disneyland.

"Our Friend the Atom" is a 1957 episode of the television series Disneyland describing the benefits of atomic power.

Walt Disney explores the Basement of the Disney Studios to show us the art of magic with the help of the magic Mirror from Snow White.

Walt explains the methods by which motion picture animation is made, using recreations of studio study sessions, clips from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi, and Fantasia and some new footage of Mickey Mouse.

Goofy? An Adventure Story? That's the theme for today's episode.

Walt finds himself troubled by Donald Duck's constant outbursts; he then promises his feathered star a medal if an entire week passes without any complaints about his behavior.

Walt treats the audience to a tour of Disneyland, followed by the Pecos Bill segment of Melody Time (1948), which had been re-edited for television presentation.

The first half of this story is an excerpt from the upcoming theatrical release ""Johnny Tremain."" The second half is an airing of the 1953 cartoon ""Ben and Me,"" in which a church mouse named Amos befriends Benjamin Franklin.