The Walt Disney Company owns and operates a series of resorts around the world including the Walt Disney World Resort, the largest vacation resort in the world. These resorts are managed by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division. These are:
Year |
Notable Business Events |
Notable Releases
(See List of Disney feature films for complete film listing) |
1923 |
- Walt Disney signed a contract with M.J. Winkler to produce a series of Alice Comedies, beginning the Disney company under its original name Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, with brothers Walt and Roy Disney, as equal partners.[1]
|
|
1924 |
|
- First Alice comedy, Alice's Day at Sea, released.
|
1926 |
- Company changed name to The Walt Disney Studio shortly after moving into the new studio on Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district.
|
|
1927 |
|
|
1928 |
- Walt loses the Oswald series contract
|
|
1929 |
- On December 16, the original partnership formed in 1923 is replaced by Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. Three other companies, Walt Disney Enterprises, Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Realty and Investment Company, are also formed.
|
|
1932 |
|
|
1937 |
|
|
1938 |
- On September 29, Walt Disney Enterprises, Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Realty and Investment Company are merged into Walt Disney Productions.
|
|
1940 |
- Studio moves to Burbank, California
|
|
1941 |
|
|
1942 |
|
|
1943 |
|
|
1944 |
- The company is short on money; a theatrical re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs generates much-needed revenue and begins a reissue pattern for the animated feature films.
|
|
1945 |
|
The Three Caballeros
|
1946 |
|
Song of the South
|
1947 |
- Signs their first independent studio, The Byrnest Studio in Orlando[citation needed]
|
|
1949 |
- The studio begins production on its first all-live action feature, Treasure Island
|
- The True-Life Adventures series begins
|
1950 |
|
|
1951 |
|
Alice in Wonderland |
1952 |
|
|
1953 |
|
|
1954 |
|
|
1955 |
|
|
1957 |
- Walt Disney Productions goes public
|
|
1959 |
|
|
1961 |
|
|
1963 |
|
|
1964 |
|
|
1966 |
|
|
Year |
Notable Business Events |
Notable Releases
(See List of Disney feature films for complete listing) |
1984 |
|
1985 |
|
|
1986 |
- The company's name is changed on February 6 from Walt Disney Productions to The Walt Disney Company.
- Disney's first R-rated film, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, is released under the Touchstone banner.
|
|
1987 |
|
|
1988 |
|
|
1989 |
- Disney offers a deal to buy Jim Henson's Muppets and have the famed puppeteer work with Disney resources.
- Disney-MGM Studios opens at Walt Disney World.
|
|
1990 |
- Jim Henson's death sours the deal to buy his holdings.
- The anthology series is canceled for the second time. The Disney Afternoon block debuts.
|
|
1991 |
|
|
1992 |
|
|
1993 |
- Disney acquires independent film distributor Miramax Films.
- Winnie the Pooh merchandise outsells Mickey Mouse merchandise for the first time.
- The policy of periodic theatrical re-issues ends with this year's re-issue of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but is augmented for video.
|
|
1994 |
|
|
1995 |
- In October, the company hires Hollywood super agent Michael Ovitz to be president.
- Disney purchases DiC Entertainment, and owned rights to shows, including Inspector Gadget (which eventually would be made into a live-action film in 1999) and dubbing of the first two seasons of Sailor Moon.
|
|
1996 |
- The company takes on the Disney Enterprises name and acquires the Capital Cities/ABC group, renaming it ABC, Inc.
- To celebrate the pairing, ABC's first Super Soap Weekend is held at Walt Disney World.
- Disney makes deal with Tokuma Shoten for dubbing and releasing of Studio Ghibli films in the U.S. In December, Michael Ovitz, president of the company, leaves "by mutual consent".
|
|
1997 |
- The anthology series is revived again.
- The home video division releases its first DVDs.
- Disney takes control of the Major League Baseball franchise the California Angels of the American League, renaming the team the Anaheim Angels in order to coincide with Disney's hockey team the Mighty Ducks and to draw more tourism to Anaheim and nearby Disneyland.
|
|
1998 |
|
|
1999 |
|
|
2000 |
- Robert Iger becomes president.
- Disney-owned TV channels are pulled from Time Warner Cable briefly during a dispute over carriage fees.
- Disney begins its Gold Classic Collection DVD line.
|
|
2001 |
- Disney's California Adventure and Tokyo DisneySea open to the public.
- Disney buys Fox Family Network for $3 billion in July, giving Disney programming and cable network reaching 81 million homes.
- Disney changes Fox Family Network to ABC Family.
- Fort Worth billionaire Sid Bass is forced to sell his Disney holdings due to a margin call caused partially by the stock market fall that followed the 9/11 attacks.
- The fact that Bass had bought his shares on margin was a shock when it was revealed.
- Losing Bass was a blow to Eisner; Bass was one of his major backers and had recruited Eisner to Disney.
- Disney begins its Platinum Edition DVD line with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as the Walt Disney Treasures DVD box set line for the collector's market.
|
|
2002 |
|
|
2003 |
- Roy E. Disney resigns as the chairman of Feature Animation and from the board of directors, citing similar reasons to those that drove him off 26 years earlier. Fellow director Stanley Gold resigns with him. They establish a group called "Save Disney" to apply public pressure to oust Michael Eisner.
- Pixar ends distribution agreement with Disney.[5]
- Disney buys the Power Ranger franchise from Saban.
|
|
2004 |
- Comcast makes an unsuccessful hostile bid for the company.
- Eisner is replaced by George J. Mitchell as chairman of the board after a 43% vote of no confidence.
- Disney turns down distributing controversial documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11, which ends up making $100 million.
- On February 17, Disney buys the Muppets, excluding the Sesame Street characters.
- Disney creates Jetix the children's block that mainly consists of Fox Kids shows and original programming on ABC Family and Toon Disney.
- Disney Store chain licensed to The Children's Place.
|
|
Disney's media releases and company practices, have prompted action, including from activists, artists and causes around the world.