The Walt Disney Company facts for kids
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Walt Disney Studios, the company's headquarters in Burbank, California, 2016
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Formerly
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| Public | |
| Traded as | |
| ISIN | ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=US2546871060 US2546871060] |
| Industry |
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| Predecessor | Laugh-O-Gram Studio |
| Founded | October 16, 1923 |
| Founders | |
| Headquarters | Walt Disney Studios,
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U.S.
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Revenue |  US$88.898 billion (FY23) |
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Operating income
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US$12.863 billion (FY23) |
 US$2.354 billion (FY23) |
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| Total assets | US$205.579 billion (FY23) |
| Total equity | US$103.957 billion (FY23) |
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Number of employees
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225,000 (FY23) |
| Divisions |
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| Footnotes / references Financials as of September 30, 2023[update]. References: |
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The Walt Disney Company is a huge American company that creates movies, TV shows, and theme parks. It's based in Burbank, California. Brothers Walt Disney and Roy Disney started it on October 16, 1923. Back then, it was called Disney Brothers Studio. Later, it became Walt Disney Productions before changing to The Walt Disney Company in 1986.
In 1928, Disney became famous in the animation world with the short film Steamboat Willie. This cartoon was special because it used synchronized sound, meaning the sounds matched the actions on screen. It also made Mickey Mouse super popular. Mickey Mouse quickly became Disney's main character and symbol.
By the 1940s, Disney was very successful. In the 1950s, the company started making live-action movies, TV shows, and theme parks. After Walt Disney passed away in 1966, the company's profits, especially in animation, went down. In 1984, Michael Eisner became CEO. He helped Disney grow again by building more theme parks around the world. He also brought back amazing animated movies in the 1990s, a time known as the Disney Renaissance.
In 2005, Bob Iger became the new CEO. Under his leadership, Disney grew even bigger. It bought Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios. In 2020, Bob Chapek took over as CEO, but Iger returned in 2022.
Today, Disney is known for its film studios like Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios. Disney also owns the ABC television network. It has cable channels like Disney Channel, ESPN, Freeform, and National Geographic. Disney also has streaming services like Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. Plus, it runs Disney Experiences, which includes theme parks, hotels, and cruise ships worldwide.
Disney is one of the largest and most famous companies globally. It has won 135 Academy Awards, with 26 of them going to Walt Disney himself. Many people believe Disney has made some of the greatest films ever. The company also changed the theme park industry forever. Disney celebrated its 100th anniversary on October 16, 2023.
Contents
- History
- Early Years: Founding and First Characters (1923–1934)
- Golden Age of Animation and Wartime (1934–1949)
- Theme Parks and Walt Disney's Vision (1950–1967)
- Roy O. Disney's Leadership and Growth (1967–1984)
- Michael Eisner's Era and the Disney Renaissance (1984–2005)
- Bob Iger's First Time as CEO and Major Acquisitions (2005–2020)
- Recent Years: New Leadership and Challenges (2020–Present)
- Company Units
- Leadership
- Awards and Nominations
- Legacy
- Images for kids
- See also
History
Early Years: Founding and First Characters (1923–1934)
In 1921, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks started Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City, Missouri. They made several short films there. Their last film, Alice's Wonderland (1923), mixed a real child actress with animated characters. The studio went bankrupt, and Walt moved to Los Angeles to join his brother Roy.
Soon after, a New York film distributor named Margaret J. Winkler bought Alice's Wonderland. It became popular. Walt signed a deal with Winkler to make more Alice Comedies. On October 16, 1923, Walt and Roy Disney founded Disney Brothers Studio to produce these films. In 1926, they moved to a new studio and changed the name to Walt Disney Studio.
After making many Alice films, Winkler's husband, Charles Mintz, took over distributing the shorts. In 1927, Mintz asked for a new series. Disney created his first fully animated shorts with a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
In 1928, Disney and Mintz had a disagreement about money. Disney found out that Universal Pictures owned the rights to Oswald. Mintz threatened to make the cartoons without Disney. Walt refused, and many animators left, except for Ub Iwerks.
Disney and Iwerks then created a new mouse character. Walt's wife suggested the name Mickey Mouse. In May 1928, Mickey Mouse first appeared in test screenings of Plane Crazy and The Gallopin' Gaucho. Later that year, the studio made Steamboat Willie. This was its first sound film and the third Mickey Mouse short. It was the first cartoon to use synchronized sound, making it a huge hit.
Mickey Mouse became incredibly popular after Steamboat Willie. In 1929, the company started the Silly Symphony cartoon series. These cartoons featured music and often told a story without much dialogue. On December 16, 1930, the company changed its name to Walt Disney Productions, Limited. It also created a division for selling merchandise.
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The Mickey Mouse comic strip started in 1930. By 1931, it was in 60 newspapers in the U.S. and 20 other countries. Disney realized that selling merchandise based on characters could make a lot of money. Mickey Mouse became the first licensed character. In 1933, Kay Kamen took over Disney's merchandising. Within a year, he had 40 licenses for Mickey Mouse. By 1934, Disney made more money from Mickey Mouse merchandise than from his films.
The Waterbury Clock Company made a Mickey Mouse watch. It was so popular it saved the company from going out of business during the Great Depression. Disney needed a new character for funny situations. So, Donald Duck first appeared in 1934 in The Wise Little Hen. He later got his own cartoon series.
In 1932, Disney signed a deal with Technicolor to make cartoons in color. The Silly Symphony short Flowers and Trees (1932) was the first full-color cartoon. It won an Academy Award for Best Cartoon. In 1933, The Three Little Pigs was released. Its song, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?", became very famous.
Golden Age of Animation and Wartime (1934–1949)
In 1934, Disney announced a full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This was the first cel animated feature film in the U.S. It was a big risk, and some critics called it "Disney's Folly". Walt wanted the film to look realistic. The company invented the multiplane camera to create depth in the backgrounds. Snow White cost $1.5 million to make, much more than planned.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered on December 12, 1937. It was a huge success, earning $8 million. Disney used the profits to build a new 51-acre studio in Burbank. The company still has its headquarters there today.
Work began on Pinocchio and Bambi before Snow White was released. Pinocchio came out in February 1940. It won Academy Awards for Best Song and Best Score. However, it didn't do well at the box office because of World War II.
The company's third film, Fantasia (1940), introduced Fantasound, an early surround sound system. This made it the first commercial film shown in stereo. But Fantasia also didn't make much money.
In 1941, 300 of Disney's 800 animators went on strike for better pay. Walt Disney accused them of being part of a communist plot. He fired many animators. To help the company, Walt and some animators went on a goodwill trip to South America. This trip led to films like Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944). These were "package films" with several short cartoons grouped together.
After the U.S. entered World War II, many animators joined the army. The United States Navy asked Disney to make propaganda films to support the war. Disney agreed, as the studio needed money. Most employees worked on these films.
Bambi was finally released in August 1942. It didn't do well financially. Disney continued to release package films to recover from losses. The studio also started making live-action films mixed with animation, like Song of the South (1946). In 1948, Disney started the nature documentary series True-Life Adventures, which won eight Academy Awards. In 1949, the Walt Disney Music Company was founded to help with profits from merchandise.
Theme Parks and Walt Disney's Vision (1950–1967)
In the 1950s, Disney returned to making full-length animated films. Cinderella (1950) was a big success. It helped save the studio after the tough wartime years. Walt Disney started focusing less on animation. He focused more on live-action films, television, and amusement parks.
In 1950, Disney first entered television with "One Hour in Wonderland" on NBC. This show promoted Disney's next animated film, Alice in Wonderland (1951). Alice was not a financial success. In 1953, Peter Pan was released and did well. It was the last Disney film distributed by RKO. Disney then created its own distribution company, Buena Vista Distribution.
Walt Disney had the idea for an amusement park after visiting Griffith Park with his daughters. He wanted a place where parents and children could have fun together. He first planned a small Mickey Mouse Park. Then he changed the name to Disneyland. A new company, WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering), was formed in 1952 to design the park. Walt focused on storytelling and cleanliness for the park.
The plan for Burbank was too small. So, Disney bought 160 acres in Anaheim, southeast of Los Angeles. Construction on Disneyland began in July 1954.
To pay for Disneyland, Disney sold his home. The company promoted the park with a TV series called Disneyland on ABC. This show was very popular. In October, ABC allowed Disney to produce The Mickey Mouse Club, a variety show for children. It featured daily cartoons, news, and a talent show. Over 10 million children watched it daily. Two million Mickey Mouse ears were sold.
In December 1954, the miniseries Davy Crockett premiered. It starred Fess Parker as the title character. It became a national sensation. Ten million Davy Crockett coonskin caps were sold. The theme song, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett", sold 10 million records.
Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. The opening was a huge media event, broadcast live on ABC. It had over 90 million viewers. The first day had some problems, like food running out and rides breaking down. But the park quickly became a major success. In its first week, it had 161,657 visitors. After one year, 3.6 million people had visited.
Disney continued to make animated films with its top animators, known as the Nine Old Men. Films from this time included Sleeping Beauty (1959) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). Sleeping Beauty was expensive and lost money. One Hundred and One Dalmatians used a new animation technique called xerography.
In 1956, the Sherman Brothers, Robert and Richard, started writing songs for Disney. They wrote many famous songs for films and theme parks. In the late 1950s, Disney also made live-action comedies like The Shaggy Dog (1959).
Disney also made live-action films based on children's books. These included Pollyanna (1960) and Swiss Family Robinson (1960). Child actor Hayley Mills starred in Pollyanna and won an Academy Juvenile Award. She also starred in The Parent Trap (1961). Another child actor, Kevin Corcoran, appeared in many Disney films.
In 1964, the musical film Mary Poppins was released. It was a huge success and won five Academy Awards. Julie Andrews won Best Actress for playing Poppins. The Sherman Brothers won Best Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee".
Throughout the 1960s, Dean Jones starred in ten Disney films. Kurt Russell was another child actor who signed a ten-year contract with Disney.
In 1959, Walt had an idea for another park in Florida. He wanted to build a "City of Tomorrow." In 1964, the company bought 27,000 acres of land southwest of Orlando, Florida. On November 15, 1965, Walt, Roy, and Florida's governor announced plans for Disney World. It would include Magic Kingdom (a bigger Disneyland) and the City of Tomorrow.
Walt Disney had been a heavy smoker and his health got worse. He was diagnosed with lung cancer. He passed away on December 15, 1966, at age 65.
Roy O. Disney's Leadership and Growth (1967–1984)
In 1967, the last two films Walt worked on were released: The Jungle Book and The Happiest Millionaire. After Walt's death, the company made fewer animated films. The animation staff became much smaller.
Roy O. Disney, Walt's brother, became the CEO and chairman. He wanted to keep Walt's dream alive. In 1967, Roy got a law passed in Florida. This law gave Disney World its own special government agency. Roy also changed the park's name to Walt Disney World to honor Walt.
After 18 months of building, Walt Disney World's first park, the Magic Kingdom, opened on October 1, 1971. It had 10,400 visitors on opening day. The park's main symbol was the Cinderella Castle.
On December 21, 1971, Roy O. Disney passed away. Donn Tatum became the first CEO who was not a Disney family member. Card Walker became president. By 1973, Disney had over 23,000 employees. In 1973, Disney released the animated film Robin Hood, which was a big international success.
Throughout the 1970s, Disney released more live-action films. In 1976, Card Walker became CEO. In 1977, Roy E. Disney, Roy O. Disney's son, left his job because he disagreed with the company's decisions.
In 1977, Disney released the successful animated film The Rescuers. In 1979, Disney released The Black Hole. It was Disney's first PG-rated film and most expensive film at the time.
In 1981, Disney started releasing its films on VHS. This led to all its films eventually being available for home viewing. In 1981, The Fox and the Hound was released. It was the highest-grossing animated film at that time. It was also the first major film without Walt's direct involvement.
As company profits declined, Epcot, then called EPCOT Center, opened on October 1, 1982. It was the second theme park in Walt Disney World. It cost over $900 million to build. Epcot had Future World and World Showcase, representing different countries. In 1982, Disney lost $27 million overall.
On April 15, 1983, Tokyo Disneyland opened in Japan. It cost about $1.4 billion. Within ten years, over 140 million people visited the park. On April 18, Disney started a pay-TV channel called Disney Channel. It showed Disney films and programs for 16 hours a day.
In 1983, Walt's son-in-law Ron W. Miller became CEO. Miller wanted the studio to make content for older audiences. So, Disney started Touchstone Pictures in 1984. This label produced movies for adults and teenagers. Splash (1984) was the first film from Touchstone and was a big success.
Michael Eisner's Era and the Disney Renaissance (1984–2005)
In 1984, shareholders brought in Michael Eisner as CEO. He was a former president of Paramount Pictures. Frank Wells became president. Eisner wanted Disney to become a major film studio. He appointed Jeffrey Katzenberg as head of the animation division. Eisner wanted a new animated film every 18 months.
In 1986, the company changed its name from Walt Disney Productions to The Walt Disney Company. This showed it was more than just a film company. The animated film The Great Mouse Detective (1986) was a success, earning $25 million. To make more money from merchandise, Disney opened its first retail store, Disney Store, in Glendale in 1987. By 1990, there were 215 stores.
In 1987, Disney signed a deal with the Government of France to build Euro Disneyland in Paris. It would have two theme parks, a golf course, and six hotels.
In 1988, Disney's Oliver & Company was released. It was the first animated film to earn over $100 million. Disney became the top Hollywood studio for the first time. On May 1, 1989, Disney opened Disney-MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) at Walt Disney World. This park showed visitors how movies were made.
On November 17, 1989, Disney released The Little Mermaid. This film is seen as the start of the Disney Renaissance. This was a time when Disney released many hugely successful and acclaimed animated films. The Little Mermaid earned $233 million and won two Academy Awards.
During the Disney Renaissance, composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman wrote many Disney songs. They wrote six songs nominated for Academy Awards. To produce music for movies, Disney founded Hollywood Records in 1990.
Disney's first animated sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, was released in 1990. It was the first feature film created entirely digitally. In 1991, Disney and Pixar agreed to make three films together, starting with Toy Story.
In May 1991, Disney was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. This showed the importance of entertainment in the economy. Disney's next animated film, Beauty and the Beast (1991), earned nearly $430 million. It was the first animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.
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In 1992, Disney founded the National Hockey League team The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Disney's Aladdin (1992) earned $504 million. It was the highest-grossing animated film at that time. Its song "A Whole New World" was the first Disney song to win a Grammy for Song of the Year. In 1993, Disney bought independent film distributor Miramax Films for $60 million.
On April 3, 1994, Frank Wells died in a helicopter crash. On June 15, The Lion King was released. It was a massive success, earning $968.5 million. It became the highest-grossing animated film ever. Soon after, Jeffrey Katzenberg left Disney. He then co-founded DreamWorks SKG.
In 1995, Disney announced it would buy television network Capital Cities/ABC Inc. for $19 billion. This was the second-largest corporate takeover in U.S. history at the time. Through this deal, Disney gained ABC, an 80% stake in ESPN, and other networks. Disney launched its official website, disney.com, in 1996.
Pixar's and Disney's first co-release was Toy Story (1995). It was the first fully computer-generated film. It earned $361 million and was critically acclaimed.
At Disney World, the company opened Disney's Animal Kingdom on April 22, 1998. It is the largest theme park in the world, covering 580 acres. It has six animal-themed lands and over 2,000 animals. The Tree of Life is at its center.
Disney's animated film Mulan and Disney-Pixar film A Bug's Life were released in 1998. Mulan earned $304 million, and A Bug's Life earned $363 million. In 1998, Disney also launched its own Disney Cruise Line. The first ship, Disney Magic, set sail on July 30, 1998.
Tarzan (1999) marked the end of the Disney Renaissance. It earned $448 million and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Toy Story 2 (1999) also received praise and earned $511 million. In 2000, Bob Iger became Disney's president and chief operating officer.
Disney had another big success with Pixar when they released Monsters, Inc. in 2001. Disney also bought children's cable network Fox Family Worldwide for $3 billion. In 2001, Disney had a net loss of $158 million. This was due to lower TV viewership and less tourism after the September 11 attacks. To save money, Disney laid off 4,000 employees and closed many Disney Store outlets.
In 2003, Disney became the first studio to earn $3 billion in a year at the box office. The same year, Roy E. Disney retired. He called for Eisner to retire too. Roy and Stanley Gold started the "Save Disney" campaign.
In 2004, shareholders voted Eisner out of his position as chairman. George J. Mitchell replaced him. In April, Disney bought The Muppets franchise for $75 million. This led to the creation of Muppets Holding Company, LLC.
Bob Iger's First Time as CEO and Major Acquisitions (2005–2020)
In March 2005, Bob Iger became CEO of Disney. Disney's eleventh theme park, Hong Kong Disneyland, opened on September 12, 2005. It cost $3.5 billion to build. In 2006, Disney bought Pixar from Steve Jobs for $7.4 billion. Iger appointed Pixar's chief creative officer (CCO) John Lasseter and president Ed Catmull to lead Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Disney's 2006 live-action film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was Disney's biggest hit at that time. It earned over $1 billion. The Disney Channel movie High School Musical aired and its soundtrack sold very well. The sequel, High School Musical 2, broke cable rating records in 2007.
In 2009, Bob Iger started D23, Disney's official fan club. Disney also bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. This added Marvel's comic-book characters to Disney's merchandise. In December 2009, Roy E. Disney passed away. He was the last Disney family member to work for the company.
In 2010, Disney released the live-action Alice in Wonderland and the Disney-Pixar film Toy Story 3. Both earned over $1 billion. Toy Story 3 was the first animated film to make over $1 billion. That year, Disney was the first studio to release two films that earned over $1 billion in one year.
In 2011, Disney released its last traditionally animated film, Winnie the Pooh. The film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides earned over $1 billion. In April, Disney began building its new theme park, Shanghai Disney Resort, which cost $4.4 billion.
On October 30, 2012, Disney announced it would buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion from George Lucas. This deal gave Disney access to franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Disney said it would make a new Star Wars film every two to three years.
In 2013, the Marvel film Iron Man 3 made over $1.2 billion. Disney's animated film Frozen was released and became the highest-grossing animated film of all time at $1.2 billion. Merchandise for Frozen was so popular it earned $1 billion within a year.
In 2015, Disney released the animated film Inside Out and the Marvel film Avengers: Age of Ultron. Both were very successful. Star Wars: The Force Awakens earned over $2 billion, making it the third-highest-grossing film of all time.
Shanghai Disneyland opened on June 16, 2016. In 2016, four Disney films earned over $1 billion: Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This made Disney the first studio to earn over $3 billion at the domestic box office.
In 2017, Disney announced it would end its deal with Netflix. Disney planned to launch its own streaming platform by 2019. This platform would be built with technology from Bamtech, a company Disney invested in. Disney also planned an ESPN streaming service.
In June 2018, John Lasseter left the company. Jennifer Lee became head of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Pete Docter became head of Pixar. In March 2019, Disney bought most of 21st Century Fox's assets for $71.3 billion. This was the biggest acquisition in Disney's history. Disney gained 20th Century Fox, National Geographic Partners, and a larger stake in Hulu.
On November 12, 2019, Disney launched its streaming service, Disney+. It offered 500 movies and 7,500 TV show episodes from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Within the first day, Disney+ had over 10 million subscribers. By 2022, it had over 135 million subscribers in over 190 countries.
Recent Years: New Leadership and Challenges (2020–Present)
Bob Chapek became CEO of Disney on February 25, 2020, after Bob Iger resigned. Iger stayed on as Executive Chairman to help with creative strategy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney temporarily closed all its theme parks. It also delayed movie releases and stopped cruise line operations.
Due to the closures, Disney stopped paying 100,000 employees. This saved the company $500 million a month. Iger gave up his salary, and Chapek took a 50% pay cut. In the second fiscal quarter of 2020, Disney reported a $1.4 billion loss. By September, the company laid off 28,000 employees from its Parks, Experiences and Products division.
In November 2022, Bob Iger returned as Disney's CEO. Chapek was dismissed after poor earnings and unpopular decisions. Iger's goal was to develop a new growth strategy. In January 2023, Mark Parker replaced Susan Arnold as the company's chairperson.
In February 2023, Disney announced it would cut $5.5 billion in costs. This included eliminating 7,000 jobs, which was 3% of its workforce. Disney also reorganized into three main divisions: Entertainment, ESPN, and Experiences.
In 2023, Disney celebrated its 100th anniversary with the "100 Years of Wonder" campaign. This included a new animated logo, a touring exhibition, and special events at the parks. In October 2023, Disney entered the sports betting market. It partnered with Penn Entertainment to launch the ESPN Bet app. In November 2023, the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products division was renamed Disney Experiences.
Company Units
The Walt Disney Company has three main business parts:
- Disney Entertainment handles all of Disney's movies, TV shows, and content around the world. This includes Walt Disney Studios, Disney General Entertainment Content, and Disney Streaming.
- ESPN manages all of Disney's sports content, products, and experiences globally. This includes its international sports channels.
- Disney Experiences brings Disney's stories and characters to life. It includes theme parks, resorts, cruise lines, and consumer products like toys and books.
Leadership
Current
- Board of directors
- Mark Parker (Chairman)
- Mary Barra
- Safra Catz
- Amy Chang
- Jeremy Darroch
- Carolyn Everson
- Michael Froman
- James P. Gorman
- Bob Iger
- Maria Elena Lagomasino
- Calvin McDonald
- Derica W. Rice
- Executives
- Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer
- Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer
- Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment
- Sonia Coleman, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
- Josh D'Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences
- Horacio Gutierrez, Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer
- Hugh Johnston, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
- James Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN
- Kristina Schake, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer
- Dana Walden, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment
Past leadership
- Executive chairmen
- Bob Iger (2020–2021)
- Chairmen
- Walt Disney (1945–1960)
- Roy O. Disney (1964–1971)
- Donn Tatum (1971–1980)
- Card Walker (1980–1983)
- Raymond Watson (1983–1984)
- Michael Eisner (1984–2004)
- George J. Mitchell (2004–2006)
- John E. Pepper Jr. (2007–2012)
- Bob Iger (2012–2021)
- Susan Arnold (2022–2023)
- Mark Parker (2023–present)
- Vice chairmen
- Roy E. Disney (1984–2003)
- Sanford Litvack (1999–2000)
- Presidents
- Walt Disney (1923–1945)
- Roy O. Disney (1945–1968)
- Donn Tatum (1968–1971)
- Card Walker (1971–1980)
- Ron W. Miller (1980–1984)
- Frank Wells (1984–1994)
- Michael Ovitz (1995–1997)
- Michael Eisner (1997–2000)
- Bob Iger (2000–2012)
- Chief executive officers (CEO)
- Roy O. Disney (1929–1971)
- Donn Tatum (1971–1976)
- Card Walker (1976–1983)
- Ron W. Miller (1983–1984)
- Michael Eisner (1984–2005)
- Bob Iger (2005–2020; 2022–present)
- Bob Chapek (2020–2022)
- Chief operating officers (COO)
- Card Walker (1968–1976)
- Ron W. Miller (1980–1984)
- Frank Wells (1984–1994)
- Thomas O. Staggs (2015–2016)
Awards and Nominations
As of 2022, The Walt Disney Company has won 135 Academy Awards. 32 of these were awarded to Walt Disney. The company has won many awards for its animated short films, original songs, animated features, and visual effects. Disney has also won 29 Golden Globe Awards, 51 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, and 36 Grammy Awards.
Legacy
The Walt Disney Company is one of the world's largest entertainment companies. It is known for being a leader in the animation industry. Disney has produced 790 feature films, with 122 of them being animated. Many of their films, like Pinocchio, Toy Story, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, are considered some of the greatest of all time. Disney has also created many famous characters, such as Mickey Mouse, Woody, Captain America, and Elsa.
Disney is recognized for changing the animation industry. The risk of making the first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, "changed cinema." The company, especially through Walt, introduced new technologies and advanced animation techniques. Some of Disney's animation innovations include the multiplane camera, xerography, and CAPS. Many songs from Disney films have become very popular.
Disney is ranked highly on lists of the largest and most admired companies in the U.S. The company's name and Mickey Mouse are "household names." Disney is a major player in the theme park industry with 12 parks. All of them were among the most visited parks in 2018. Disney theme parks worldwide had over 157 million visitors. This makes it the most-visited theme-park company in the world. When Disney first entered the theme park industry, it "changed the entire theme park industry."
Images for kids
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Cast for The Mickey Mouse Club, which over 10 million children would watch every day.
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Fess Parker as Davy Crockett in the show of the same name.
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The Sherman Brothers, who composed many of the Disney songs throughout the 1960s (pictured in 2002).
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Hayley Mills, one of Disney's most prominent child actors in the 1960s.
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Kurt Russell, one of Disney's most prominent child actors in the 1960s.
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Dean Jones, who was considered "the figure who most represented Walt Disney Productions in the 1960s".
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Fred MacMurray, who starred in several of Disney's comedies in the 1960s.
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Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle, a main icon.
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Magic Kingdom's Cinderella Castle, a main icon.
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Epcot's Spaceship Earth, a main icon.
See also
In Spanish: The Walt Disney Company para niños
- Lists of films released by Disney
- List of Disney television series
- Disney University
- Disneyfication
- Buena Vista
- Mandeville-Anthony v. Walt Disney Co., a federal court case in which Mandeville claimed Disney infringed on his copyrighted ideas by creating Cars
- List of conglomerates
- List of acquisitions by Disney
