Far more than a mere cartoonist. (Apic/Getty Images)

When you hear the name “Walt Disney,” chances are you think of cartoon animals, amusement parks and maybe an urban legend about a frozen head from the 1960s. But do you really know the score on Walt Disney the futurist?

In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and I examine Disney’s dreams for a technologically-enhanced future and his “conditional optimism” for the human race. From manned Mars missions to sustainable cities, this was a man ahead of his time.

Plus, if you’ve ever been to EPCOT, you’ve probably noticed that it’s not a livening city completely enclosed in an enormous geodesic dome. So throw on a pair of mouse ears and prepare to learn all about Walt Disney’s original dream for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

If you still need a little pumping up, watch this excellent “Disney’s Mars and Beyond Remix,” mashing footage from one of Walt’s space specials with some electronic beats:

And if you want more videos like this, you can also find Disney’s original EPCOT pitch right here (skip to the four-minute mark).

So there you have it! You can find the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast on iTunes, Zune and the RSS feed. And don’t forget the free HowStuffWorks App!

Skull still intact? Follow Stuff to Blow Your Mind on Twitter and Facebook.