Disney: The Media Empire That Builds a World Through Stories

On 16 October 1923, Walt Disney signed a four-page contract in his uncle’s Los Angeles home. It allowed Walt and Roy Disney to produce the Alice Comedies. Nobody in that house could know that the small signature would lead to a company owning studios, television networks, streaming services, parks, cruise ships, merchandise, and characters recognised by children in many countries before they know the names of their own cities.

The Walt Disney Company now describes itself as an international entertainment group with media, parks, studios, consumer products, and interactive businesses. Its 2025 annual report lists park tickets, hotels, cruise ships, character licences, books, games, and streaming content in one revenue system. Disney does not sell only a film. It sells the character in the film, the place where a visitor can enter the film, the object that brings the film home, and the next story that brings the customer back.