The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment resort complex located about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Orlando,Florida,United States. Opened on October 1,1971,the resort is operated by Disney Experiences,a division of The Walt Disney Company. The property covers nearly 25,000 acres,of which half has been developed. Walt Disney World contains numerous recreational facilities designed to attract visitors for an extended stay,including four theme parks,two water parks,four golf courses,conference centers,a competitive sports complex and a shopping,dining,and entertainment complex. Additionally,there are 19 Disney-owned resort hotels and one camping resort on the property,and many other non-Disney-operated resorts on and near the property.
The Walt Disney Company,commonly referred to as simply Disney,is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank,California. Disney was founded on October 16,1923 as an animation studio,by brothers Walt Disney and Roy Oliver Disney as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio;it also operated under the names Walt Disney Studio and Walt Disney Productions before changing it to its current name in 1986. In 1928,Disney established itself as a leader in the animation industry with the short film Steamboat Willie. The film used synchronized sound to become the first post-produced sound cartoon,and popularized Mickey Mouse,who became Disney's mascot and corporate icon.
The Tokyo Disney Resort (東京ディズニーリゾート) is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu,Chiba,Japan,just east of Tokyo. The resort is fully owned and operated by The Oriental Land Company under a license from The Walt Disney Company,which constructed and designed the resort and its various attractions through its Imagineering research &development arm.
Disney California Adventure is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim,California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The 72-acre (29 ha) park is themed after Disney's interpretation of California,by the use of Disney,Pixar and Marvel properties. The park opened on February 8,2001,and is the second of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort complex,after Disneyland.
The Walt Disney Travel Company is the company name for the services The Walt Disney Company employ to help guests book tickets and reservations for the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts around the world. Travel agencies currently book their vacation packages through the Walt Disney Travel Company.
The World of Disney is the flagship chain of specialty retail stores owned and operated by the merchandise division of Disney Experiences,a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Currently,there are four locations that sell Disney products.
Walt Disney Imagineering Research &Development,Inc.,commonly referred to as Imagineering,is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company,responsible for the creation,design,and construction of Disney theme parks and attractions worldwide. The company also operates Disney Live Entertainment and The Muppets Studio and manages Disney's properties,from Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to New Amsterdam Theatre and Times Square Studios Ltd. in New York City. Founded by Walt Disney to oversee the production of Disneyland,it was originally known as Walt Disney,Inc.,then WED Enterprises,from the initials meaning "Walter Elias Disney",the company co-founder's full name. Headquartered in Glendale,California,Imagineering is composed of "Imagineers",who are illustrators,architects,engineers,lighting designers,show writers and graphic designers.
Disney Experiences,commonly known as Disney Parks,is one of the three major divisions of The Walt Disney Company. It was founded on April 1,1971,exactly six months before the opening of Walt Disney World Resort.
Paul S. Pressler is an American business executive. He is currently the chairman of the board of directors of eBay. He was previously held executive positions at companies such as Gap,Inc.,The Walt Disney Company,and was a partner at the private equity firm Clayton,Dubilier &Rice.
Martin A. "Marty" Sklar was a scriptwriter and construction developer. He was The Walt Disney Company's international ambassador for Walt Disney Imagineering,the subsidiary of the company which designs and constructs Disney theme parks and resorts across the world. He was formerly vice president of Concepts and Planning for the company,before being promoted to president,then vice chairman and principal creative executive before his final role. Disney honored him with a Disneyland window dedication ceremony on his date of retirement,July 17,2009.
The Disney International Programs is an international internship program operated by the Disney Programs division of The Walt Disney Company at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista,Florida,in the United States. These programs recruit participants and college students from outside the United States and its territories for year-long cultural exchanges with paid positions and summer-long paid internships,working at the Walt Disney World Resort. The programs are designed to attract international workers and students and share many similarities with the US-based Disney College Program and its philosophy of Living,Learning and Earning.
"I'm going to Disney World!" and "I'm going to Disneyland!" are advertising slogans used in a series of television commercials by The Walt Disney Company that began airing in 1987. Used to promote the company's theme park resorts in Florida and California,the commercials most often are broadcast following the Super Bowl and typically feature an NFL player shouting the phrase while celebrating the team's victory immediately after the championship game. These commercials have also promoted champions from other sports,athletes setting records,and winners of non-sport competitions such as American Idol.
Edward Arthur Grier is the dean of the Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business. Before coming to SCU,he was the dean at VCU,and before that he was an executive at The Walt Disney Company.
Meg Gilbert Crofton is an American businesswoman,who served as president of Walt Disney Parks &Resorts in the United States and France. She was named to the position on August 7,2006,replacing Al Weiss,who had been promoted to president of worldwide operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in November 2005.
Disneyland is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim,California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney,and opened on July 17,1955.
Shanghai Disney Resort is a themed resort in Pudong,Shanghai,China. The resort opened to the public on June 16,2016. It is the first Disneyland in mainland China. It is also the sixth Disney resort worldwide,after Disneyland Resort,Walt Disney World Resort,Tokyo Disney Resort,Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. On December 20,2023,Shanghai Disney Resort officially opened Zootopia,Disney's first Zootopia-themed area.
The Disney College Program (DCP) is a United States national internship program operated by the Disney Programs division of The Walt Disney Company,located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando,and formerly at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. The program recruits college students of all majors for a semester-long paid work experience program at either the Orlando or Anaheim resorts,with the option of extending to almost a full year.
George Anthony Kalogridis is an American corporate executive. Kalogridis is the former president of the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista,Florida. Kalogridis became president of Disney Segment Development and Enrichment for Disney Parks,Experiences and Products in November 2019.
Robert Alan Chapek is an American businessman and former media executive who was the chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company from 2020 to 2022. He joined Masimo's board of directors in 2024.
The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries have been variously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic;the company has business interests in areas that involve mass gatherings and isolation.
