Accounting Research Project: Walt Disney
| 2012 | | Acc: Research Project |
[The Walt Disney Company] | Ticker Symbol: NYSE:DIS A brief summary of the company’s products, history, and financial operations over the last year. |
General Overview
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is one that I have been familiar with my entire life. However, I have never known much about the business side of the company. It was founded in 1923 by Roy and Walt Disney, who came to Hollywood from Kansas City, Missouri. Walt and Roy produced a short animated film series that became known as the Alice Comedies. The small studio in which they worked was outgrown and replaced by a larger facility, where they became Disney Bros. Studio (Disney Archives). In 1928, Mickey Mouse was born, followed by Pluto, Goofy, and the rest of the Disney gang, and the Disney Brothers Studio became the Walt Disney Studio. Disney’s first full-length animated film came out in 1937. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became the highest grossing film by 1939 and the first animated feature film ever produced (studioservices.go.com). During World War II, production was slow, and Disney was contracted into creating propaganda films to endorse the war and boost morale on the home front. However, in 1950, Cinderella revived the company and the Walt Disney Productions theme park plan was set in motion, opening Disneyland in 1955. Walt Disney died in 1966 of lung cancer (age 66), and his brother Roy took over as chairman, CEO and president. The Walt Disney World Resort opened in Orlando, Florida in 1971, and Disney began to make its way into live-action films.
Since then, the Walt Disney Company has made its name in the family and entertainment business, becoming one of the largest and most influential companies worldwide, owning markets in China, Japan, North
[The Walt Disney Company] | Ticker Symbol: NYSE:DIS A brief summary of the company’s products, history, and financial operations over the last year. |
General Overview
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) is one that I have been familiar with my entire life. However, I have never known much about the business side of the company. It was founded in 1923 by Roy and Walt Disney, who came to Hollywood from Kansas City, Missouri. Walt and Roy produced a short animated film series that became known as the Alice Comedies. The small studio in which they worked was outgrown and replaced by a larger facility, where they became Disney Bros. Studio (Disney Archives). In 1928, Mickey Mouse was born, followed by Pluto, Goofy, and the rest of the Disney gang, and the Disney Brothers Studio became the Walt Disney Studio. Disney’s first full-length animated film came out in 1937. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became the highest grossing film by 1939 and the first animated feature film ever produced (studioservices.go.com). During World War II, production was slow, and Disney was contracted into creating propaganda films to endorse the war and boost morale on the home front. However, in 1950, Cinderella revived the company and the Walt Disney Productions theme park plan was set in motion, opening Disneyland in 1955. Walt Disney died in 1966 of lung cancer (age 66), and his brother Roy took over as chairman, CEO and president. The Walt Disney World Resort opened in Orlando, Florida in 1971, and Disney began to make its way into live-action films.
Since then, the Walt Disney Company has made its name in the family and entertainment business, becoming one of the largest and most influential companies worldwide, owning markets in China, Japan, North
Cited: “A History of The Walt Disney Company.” Disney 23. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://d23.disney.go.com/archives/a-history-of-the-walt-disney-company/> Aranda, Ramon. "Netflix Announces Multi-Year Agreement with The Walt Disney Company." examiner.com(2012): n.pag. Web. 13 Dec 2012. <http://www.examiner.com/article/netflix-announces-multi-year-agreement-with-the-walt-disney-company>. Disney Studio Services. “The Walt Disney Studios History.” Web. 12 Dec. 2012. <http://studioservices.go.com/disneystudios/history.html> Krantz, Matt, Mike Snider, Marco Della Cava, and Bryan Alexander. "Disney buys Lucasfilm for $4 billion."USA Today. 30 2012: n. page. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/30/disney-star-wars-lucasfilm/1669739/>. The Walt Disney Company. Annual Report: The Walt Disney Company Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Earnings for Fiscal 2012. Burbank: The Walt Disney Company, 2012. 15 Dec. 2012. <http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/>