Walt Disney Company

US entertainment and media corporation. Begun as a film studio called the Disney Brothers Studio by Walt Disney in 1923, the company has continued to produce films but has also diversified into television and radio, magazine and book publications, and theme parks and holiday resorts.

Films, television, and radio Disney owns the US ABC television and radio networks, and cable companies such as the Disney Channel, the sports channel ESPN, the History Channel, and the Fox Channel. The company also has several television stations and more than 50 radio stations. Disney's film companies include Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Films, and Buena Vista Home Video.

Magazines, books, and retail The company owns numerous magazines and publishing companies, including Hyperion, as well as news and entertainment Web sites. It produces music under four labels: Walt Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Mammoth Records, and Lyric Street Records. The Disney Store retail chain, in shopping malls around the world, sells Disney-themed merchandise targeted to children.

Theme parks and holiday resorts Theme parks and resorts include Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, California; Walt Disney World, Epcot Center, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom, all in Orlando, Florida; Disneyland Paris (also known as Euro Disney) with Walt Disney Studios next to it, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland. The Disney Cruise Line operates seven-day cruises from Florida through the Caribbean on its Disney Magic and Disney Wonder ships.