Walt Disney's Last (Projects) By (Film) Historian: J.P.L. Lubek
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On Monday November 21 1966, Walt Disney phoned Tommy Wilck to pick him up from the hospital and take him to his office where he read reports 
of the company's projects and had a few conferences. He met with Winston Hibler about the script of "The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit." 
He went to the Coral Room for lunch and sat with some Cast Members at the WED table where he told them about how he had his left lung 
removed because it was cancerous but soon turned the conversation to the current projects at WED. After lunch he went to the WED building 
where he talked with Roger Broggie about progress on Pirates of the Caribbean and sat down with Marc Davis, who showed him drawings 
of the Bear Band he was creating for entertainment at Mineral King Ski Resort (which never came to fruition but the bear band was 
used in the Country Bear Jamboree). Dick Irvine and John Hench came over and they all looked at a mock-up of a moon-ride show that 
Davis was working on. He then asked Dick Irvine to take him back to the studio because he was tired 
(this was when he famously turned and said "Goodbye Marc" to Marc Davis who had never heard him say goodbye to him before 
and it was the last time he ever saw Walt). He also came in on the 22nd and 23rd to hold meetings and visit departments
(but it doesn't appear that any filming was done, and by all accounts, Walt appearance wouldn't have lent itself to filming), 
dropping in on the set of "Blackbeard's Ghost" and talking with Bill Walsh, Robert Stevenson and actor Peter Ustinov. 
His last goodbye at the Studio was saved for Hazel George, perhaps Walt's best friend there, 
who had been treating Walt for years for a Polo injury Walt suffered in 1938. 
But as far as I can tell from everything I've read, Walt would have been in no shape to have filed anything remotely as important as a 
World of Color episode at this time, suggesting to me that it would have been filmed before November 1966 (he went into the hospital on the 7th of November for surgery).

While Walt was alive and visited the set of Blackbeard's Ghost (released in 1968) in early filming, 
he really wasn't involved with the final product since he died relatively early on in the filming process (this movie misses narrator badly, especially in the beginning).
Bill Walsh is the one more responsible for the way it turned out. From what I've read, the animated movie that is attributed to being Walt's last movie he produced 
was The Jungle Book and the live action movie that honor would go to is a lesser-known movie called The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, released in 1967.

November 30th - he went back to the hospital for the last time. He collapsed in his home in Los Angeles earlier that day 
and was revived by the fire department before being rushed to the hospital. Walt Disney Presents aired on ABC. 
In 1961, the name of the show Walt Disney changed to Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and began being shown on NBC due to their ability to air the show in color.


Walt Disny completed hosting all 25 episodes of his 1966/1967 show:

311.	13-1	11 Sep 66	Emil and the Detective (1)
312.	13-2	18 Sep 66	Emil and the Detective (2)
313.	13-3	25 Sep 66	The Legend of El Blanco
314.	13-4	02 Oct 66	Savage Sam (1)
315.	13-5	09 Oct 66	Savage Sam (2)
316.	13-6	16 Oct 66	The 101 Problems of Hercules
317.	13-7	23 Oct 66	Showdown with the Sundown Kid
318.	13-8	30 Oct 66	Crusading Reporter
319.	13-9	13 Nov 66	A Ranger's Guide to Nature
320.	13-10	20 Nov 66	The Moon-Spinners (1)
321.	13-11	27 Nov 66	The Moon-Spinners (2)
322.	13-12	04 Dec 66	The Moon-Spinners (3)
323.	13-13	11 Dec 66	Joker, the Amiable Ocelot
324.	13-14	18 Dec 66	Disneyland Around the Seasons
325.	13-15	08 Jan 67	Willie and the Yank (1)
326.	13-16	15 Jan 67	Willie and the Yank (2)
327.	13-17	22 Jan 67	Willie and the Yank (3)
328.	13-18	29 Jan 67	Tragedy on the Trail
329.	13-19	05 Feb 67	Trial by Terror
330.	13-20	19 Feb 67	The Boy Who Flew With Condors
331.	13-21	05 Mar 67	Atta Girl, Kelly! (1)
332.	13-22	12 Mar 67	Atta Girl, Kelly! (2)
333.	13-23	19 Mar 67	Atta Girl, Kelly! (3)
334.	13-24	26 Mar 67	Man on Wheels
335.	13-25	02 Apr 67	Salute to Alaska, A
 

ALTERNATIVE INFO:

OCTOBER 1966:
Walt’s doctor suggested that he have cervical vertebrae surgery to relieve the pain his body was going through 
after a polo incident. He scheduled a pre-surgery check up for October 25th 1966 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, 
which luckily for him was right across the street from the studio, so he didn’t have to stray too far from home. 
He didn’t like leaving the studio or the parks, especially for a health issue. He was always determined not to get run down.

2 days later on October 27th, Walt had filmed and aired “An Evening with Walt Disney”, in which he talked about the studio 
filming “Black Beard’s Ghost”. He also spoke about “The Happiest Millionaire” film, detailing the plot.

During that October, Lillian paid a visit to Dianne, Disney’s eldest daughter, and stood in her kitchen doorway.

Your father had an x-ray the other day, and they found a spot the size of a walnut on his left lung. – Lillian Disney

At the end of the month, Walt, Sharon, and Sharon’s husband Bob went to Williamsburg as Walt recieved an award 
from the American Association of Forestry on November 1st. They made it into a ski trip, spent Halloween there, and made it back by November 2nd.

NOVEMBER 1966:
On November 3rd, he had an appointment with Doctor Bert Cotton, a pulmonary surgeon, and they set up a date for his surgery. It would be on November 7th.

The day before his surgery, November 6th, he decided to drive up to visit Dianne and her children and just spend some time with them. 
He sat outside and watched the grandchildren play football, and eventually drove off, making his way to the hospital to prepare for his surgery. He didn’t think much of this visit.

On November 7th, Sharon, Dianne and Lillian were waiting in the waiting room at the hospital while Walt had his surgery. After it was over, Dr. Cotton came out to update them.

It was just as I suspected, the tumor has metastasized. I give him six months to two years. – Dr. Cotton

Walt stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks after his surgery, and was itching to get out. Just by being across from his studio made him anxious 
and eager to go back to work. He barely had time in his life to take a break and this wasn’t how he wanted to spend it. Once the 2 weeks were up, 
he was up and out and on the grounds of Disneyland working again. He was determined to work another 15 years, making him 80 years old, 
because he felt that was an ample amount of time to finish EPCOT.

It was November 24th and it was Thanksgiving time. The Disney’s had their annual family dinner at Dianne’s house. Walt spent some time with 
Ron, Dianne’s husband, and admitted some things to him about his condition. He wasn’t one to talk about it much or bring it up, 
but it seemed as though he knew what his fate was going to be. Ron was working at the studio at the time as a producer. He told Ron:
I never thought this would happen to me. I am going to turn over the picture-making to you producers. 
I think you can work as a team because you have been showing the past three years. I am going to devote all my time to Disney World and Epcot… 
but that does not mean I’m not going to read those scripts! – Walt Disney

Right after Thanksgiving, Walt left for Palm Springs because he felt he’d be more comfortable there, and he had a home there as well. 
He was taking a lot of pain medication, was becoming weaker everyday, and didn’t have the same focus that he used to. 
Because of this pain he was enduring, he had to return home and back to St. Joseph’s Hospital.

DECEMBER 1966:
This next part of the story is best quoted by Dianne Disney Miller from the Walt Disney Family Museum. It hits a soft spot in the heart for me.

On the evening of December 14th, mother called to tell me, “He got out of bed. He kept putting his arms around me and his grip was so strong. 
I know he is going to be well!” Roy, too, was encouraged by his visit that day. He told of how dad used the ceiling of his room which 
was covered with twelve inch acoustical tiles as a grid, and he pointed out the whole layout of Disney World!

Dad died the following day at about 9:35am. – Dianne Disney Miller