In order to produce the series, the two brothers officially establish Disney on October 16, 1923, originally as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, with both Walt and Roy as equal partners.[1][3][4] This studio is based in the back half of a real estate office on Kingswell Avenue in Hollywood.[4]
The brothers then persuade both Virginia Davis (who played Alice) and their collaborator Ub Iwerks to join them in Hollywood.[1]
On December 16, The Walt Disney Studio is renamed to Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. Three other companies are also renamed to Walt Disney Enterprises, Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Realty and Investment Company.
Mickey speaks for the first time in The Karnival Kid; his words were "Hot dog, hot dog."[6]
Unhappy with how Mickey sounded, Walt Disney himself would provide the voice of Mickey until 1947.[5]
It wins the 1932 Academy Award for Short Subjects, Cartoons, the first year that such a category was offered by the academy. (Disney would win in this category every year for the rest of the decade.)[4][6]
Following the success of the Mickey Mouse shorts, Walt begins producing a feature-length film. Some would dub this project as “Disney’s Folly,” as it went 400% over budget and required more than 300 animators, artists, and assistants. (The resulting 1937 film would later be heralded as groundbreaking.)[1]
On September 29, Walt Disney Productions, Ltd., along with Walt Disney Enterprises, Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Realty and Investment Company, are merged to form Walt Disney Productions.
Short on money, the company re-releases Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, generating much-needed revenue and beginning a reissue pattern for their animated films.
Walt Disney lends his voice to Mickey Mouse for the last time in the "Mickey and the Beanstalk" segment of Fun and Fancy Free. Disney claims he has become too busy to continue voicing Mickey.[5]
Walt hires a research firm to find the ideal location in southern California for a large-scale theme park.[6]
Walt Disney Inc. is renamed WED Enterprises, controlling the rights to Disney and holding the Disneyland design team (the "Imagineers"). Disney's idea to make moving figures of people that could also talk, would be used by WED to create Audio-Animatronics.[5]
Disney debuts its anthology TV series, initially named Disneyland (before 6 title changes), on October 27. The show would run for 29 years, making it the longest-running primetime television series ever.[4]
The story of Davy Crockett is told on the show on December 15.
In an October 1966 interview, Walt Disney described his vision of creating a planned community called the "City of Tomorrow;" "a showcase for American industry and research, schools, cultural and educational opportunities." Disney called this idea the "Environmental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT). Disney World's EPCOT would pay tribute to this idea.[5]
Walt Disney dies on December 15.
His comments on EPCOT would be among the last public statements he ever made.[5]
Released on December 24, 1968, The Love Bug becomes 1969's biggest box office hit and the second-highest-grossing film in Disney history after Mary Poppins.[2]
The release of The Black Hole marks the first Disney film to be rated PG. Costing $20 million to produce, the film would also be Disney's most expensive film ever up to that point.[15]
The film would ultimately get lost in the wide success of Star Wars (1977) and its 1979 re-release.[2]
Don Bluth and 12 fellow animators left Disney to found their own studio.
Eisner became the first person with no personal connection to Walt Disney to lead Walt Disney Productions.[5] His first 4 years as CEO would see Disney surge from last place to first in box-office receipts among the 8 major studios.[2]
Hyperion Books publishes its first book on September 26.
The studio's 30th feature-length animated film, Beauty and the Beast, breaks the record for the most successful opening of an animated film, as well as becoming the highest-grossing picture of its genre. Accordingly, the film would go on to win the Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Score, and become the first-ever animated feature to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.[2]
The company commits to a record-high 25 new films in 1992, after Disney studios surpassed the theme parks in profitability by the second quarter of 1991.[2]
Walt Disney Pictures releases Toy Story, which would be the first feature-length film of Pixar Animation Studios and the first completely computer-animated feature film ever.[20]
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 match the Mighty Ducks and to draw more tourism to Anaheim and nearby Disneyland.
Disney purchases Fox Family Worldwide for $3 billion in October. The purchase of the franchise included the Fox Family Channel, the library assets of Saban Entertainment and Fox Kids' brand name, the Fox Children's Productions library of shows, and its European and Latin American channels. Fox Family is renamed ABC Family shortly after the purchase.
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 and the two establish a group called "Save Disney" to apply public pressure to oust Michael Eisner.
Talks to extend distribution agreement with Pixar break down, and Pixar announces plans to seek a new distribution partner.[22]
Comcast makes an unsuccessful and hostile $54.1-billion bid in stock for the company, plus the assumption of $11.9 billion in Disney debt, $66 billion in total.
ABC Family Worldwide, Fox Kids Europe, and Fox Kids Latin America launch Jetix, a brand name that would be used as a block for Toon Disney in the United States and as a rebranding of the Fox Kids channels in Latin America and Europe. Fox Kids Europe is renamed to Jetix Europe in the process.
Disney acquires Pixar for $7.4 billion on January 24, before their latest contract could expire in June.[20]
The deal is formally completed on May 5, after which Steve Jobs would serve as a director on Disney's board, while Pixar's leading creative John Lasseter would become COO of Pixar Studios, as well as the principal creative adviser at Walt Disney Imagineering.[20]
In November, John Lasseter announces that he is taking a 6-month leave of absence from the company, after acknowledging "missteps" in his behavior with employees. Media outlets report that Lasseter had a history of alleged sexual misconduct towards employees.[32]
Toy Story Land opens at Shanghai Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios; Pixar Pier debuts at Disney California Adventure; and the Tropical Hideaway opens in Disneyland's Adventureland.[4]
In June:
Disney announces that John Lasseter would leave the company, with Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee assuming the roles of chief creative officers for Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, respectively.
Comcast announces a $65 billion all-cash counter-offer to acquire the Fox assets that Disney was set to purchase. Disney counterbids with a $71.3 billion offer.
Comcast drops offer in pursuit of Sky Group and Disney is free to acquire 21st Century Fox and most of their assets.
Disney is majorly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in multiple delays in film and television production and distribution, temporary closure of all of its theme parks and cruise lines, massive layoffs, and billion-dollar losses in revenue.
Future World was permanently closed and it was divided into four different lands: World Celebration, World Nature, World Discovery, and World Showcase at EPCOT.
Iger's contract expires, with Susan Arnold replacing him as chair.
^Barnes, Brooks (September 18, 2008). "Fuzzy Renaissance". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
Lucas, Christopher (2019). Top Disney: 100 Top Ten Lists of the Best of Disney, from the Man to the Mouse and Beyond (1st ed.). Lyons Press. ISBN978-1493037711.
