The Disney Story

The Walt Disney Company (also known as "Disney") is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. Founded on October 16, 1923 by Walt Disney and his brother Roy Oliver Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, it is today the number two media company in the United States. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Burbank, California. Disney had revenues of 30.8 billion USD in 2004, and it is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. For much of its history, the company was known as Walt Disney Productions, until February 6, 1986, when it was rechristened with its current name. An alternate corporate name, Disney Enterprises, Inc. has been used interchangibly with "The Walt Disney Company" since 1996.

Parks and Resorts

Disney operates ten theme parks at the Disneyland Resort, the Walt Disney World Resort, the Disneyland Resort Paris, and the Tokyo Disney Resort. An eleventh is under construction at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, which is set to open in 2005. The company also owns through Anaheim Sports, Inc. the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim hockey club, which it recently agreed to sell to Broadcom executive Henry Samueli, and owned the Anaheim Angels baseball team, which was later sold to advertising magnate Arturo Moreno. The Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, and the chain of ESPN Zone sports-themed restaurants also operate as a part of the Parks & Resorts unit.

Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, USA is home to four theme parks, two water parks, over 20 resort hotels and golf courses, and various shopping and entertainment areas. Most of the Walt Disney Company's Central Florida land, and all of the public areas, are located in the Cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, which are both contained in the Reedy Creek Improvement District. These governmental entities, controlled by the Walt Disney Company, are located southwest of Orlando and a few miles northwest of Kissimmee. The Walt Disney World Resort opened on October 1, 1971. It is the largest theme park resort in the world, although Dubai Land, twice its size, is planned to open in 2006.