The Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment powerhouse, known for its iconic films, theme parks, and beloved characters. But how much do you know about the people behind the company? Who founded the Walt Disney Company? In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the founders of the Walt Disney Company and their legacy. From their humble beginnings in the animation industry to the creation of some of the most recognizable characters in the world, we’ll explore the fascinating story of how Disney became the entertainment giant it is today. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the world of Disney, read on to learn more about the people who started it all.
About the Walt Disney Company (Disney)
The Walt Disney Company is a multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate with about 220,000 employees as of 2022 headquartered in Burbank, California. It was founded on October 16, 1923, as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio and has since grown into one of the largest media companies in the world. The company is known for its production and distribution of film and television content, as well as its theme parks and resorts.
The Walt Disney Company operates several divisions, including Walt Disney Studios, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Disney Media Networks, and Disney Streaming Services. Its subsidiaries include Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios. The company is also the majority owner of Hulu and operates the streaming platform Disney+, which offers a library of Disney-owned content, including movies and TV shows from franchises like Star Wars and Marvel.
Disney is a major player in the entertainment industry, and its brand is recognized worldwide. Its theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Disneyland, draw millions of visitors each year, and its films and television shows continue to be popular with audiences of all ages.
| Products | Amusement parks Comic Books Films Music Television program Video games Web portals |
|---|---|
| Services | Broadcasting Licensing Publishing Radio Streaming Television |
Who is the current CEO of Disney?
Robert Allen Iger is an American media business executive who currently serves as the chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company. He was born on February 10, 1951 (age 72 years), in New York, New York, United States
Who founded the Walt Disney Company?
The Walt Disney Company was founded by two brothers, Walt Disney, and Roy O. Disney. Walt Disney was the creative force behind the company, with a passion for animation and storytelling that drove many of the company’s early successes. He was born in 1901 in Chicago, Illinois, and began his career as an artist and animator in Kansas City, Missouri. In the early 1920s, he moved to Hollywood to pursue his dream of creating animated films.
Roy O. Disney, Walt’s older brother, was the business-minded partner in the company. Born in 1893 in Chicago, Roy worked as a banker before joining his brother in Hollywood. He was responsible for securing financing and managing the company’s finances, allowing Walt to focus on the creative side of things.
Together, the brothers founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923, which later became the Walt Disney Company. Their first successful animated character was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but after a dispute with their distributor, the rights to Oswald were lost. This setback led to the creation of Mickey Mouse, who would become the company’s most iconic character and a symbol of American popular culture.
The legacy of Walt and Roy Disney continues to shape the Walt Disney Company today. While Walt passed away in 1966, Roy continued to lead the company as CEO until his own death in 1971. Their commitment to creativity, innovation, and storytelling has made Disney one of the most beloved and recognizable brands in the world.
History of the company
The history of the Walt Disney Company dates back to the early 1920s when Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Hollywood ↗. Over the years, the company has grown to become one of the largest media and entertainment conglomerates in the world, with a rich history of innovation and creativity.
Here’s a more detailed look at the history of the Walt Disney Company:
1923-1937: The Early Years
Walt and Roy Disney founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923, with the goal of creating animated films. Their first successful character was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but after losing the rights to Oswald, Walt, and his team created Mickey Mouse in 1928. Mickey Mouse quickly became a sensation, and the company continued to produce successful animated shorts and feature films throughout the 1930s, including “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937.
1937-1954: Expansion and Growth
In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Walt Disney Company continued to expand, producing classic films like “Pinocchio,” “Fantasia,” and “Bambi.” In 1955, the company opened Disneyland, its first theme park, in Anaheim, California. Disneyland was an instant success, and it paved the way for future Disney theme parks around the world.
1955-1984: Television and Film Dominance
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Walt Disney Company became a major force in television and film production. The company produced popular TV shows like “The Mickey Mouse Club” and “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color,” and continued to produce successful feature films like “Mary Poppins” and “The Jungle Book.” In 1966, Walt Disney passed away, leaving a legacy of creativity and innovation that would continue to shape the company for decades to come.
1984-2005: Expansion and Diversification
In 1984, the Walt Disney Company was acquired by Michael Eisner, who became CEO and led the company through a period of expansion and diversification. The company acquired ABC in 1995 and launched Disney Cruise Line in 1998. In the early 2000s, the company acquired Pixar Animation Studios and launched the Disney Channel and Disney XD.
2005-Present: Acquisitions and Streaming Services
In the 2010s, the Walt Disney Company continued to grow through a series of acquisitions, including Marvel Entertainment in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012. In 2019, the company launched its own streaming service, Disney+, which quickly became a major player in the streaming wars.
Bob Chapek became CEO of Disney in February 2020 after Bob Iger ↗ resigned, but continued to serve as executive chairman until December 2021. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney closed all its theme parks, delayed movie releases, and stopped operations on its cruise line, resulting in a $1.4 billion loss in the second fiscal quarter of 2020.
Disney dismissed 28,000 employees in September 2020, and another 4,000 in November, due to the pandemic. The company closed its animation studio Blue Sky Studios in February 2021 and launched a new division called 20th Television Animation in March.
In April 2021, Disney agreed to a licensing deal with Sony. Bob Iger resigned as chairman of the board on December 31 and was replaced by Susan Arnold as Disney’s first female chairperson. Disney ceased all operations in Russia in March 2022, and Chapek was given a three-year contract extension in June. In August 2022, Disney Streaming exceeded Netflix in total subscriptions.
In November 2022, Bob Iger returned as Disney’s CEO for two years after Bob Chapek was dismissed due to poor earnings performance. In February 2023, Disney announced it would cut $5.5 billion in costs and eliminate 7,000 jobs while reorganizing into three divisions: Entertainment, ESPN ↗, Parks, Experiences, and Products. In 2023, Disney launched its “100 Years of Wonder” campaign to celebrate the company’s centennial anniversary, which included various events and a new animated logo intro for Walt Disney Pictures.
Today, the Walt Disney Company is a global entertainment powerhouse, with a portfolio of brands and properties that includes Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and more.
