What started as a humble animation venture in Los Angeles on October 16, 1923, would grow into something no one could have predicted—one of the most powerful entertainment empires on the planet. But back then, it went by a far simpler name: the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio.
The Beginning
The studio was the brainchild of two brothers, Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney, and it came into existence only after Walt had weathered a series of painful early failures. In Kansas City, Missouri, he had previously launched Laugh-O-Gram Studio, where he and animator Ub Iwerks produced early animated shorts. Among them was Alice's Wonderland, an inventive blend of live-action and animation that demonstrated Walt's creative ambitions. But innovation alone couldn't pay the bills—Laugh-O-Gram went bankrupt, and Walt packed up and headed to California to start over.
In California, he reconnected with Roy, who at the time was recovering from tuberculosis. Things moved quickly from there. New York film distributor Margaret J. Winkler signed a contract with the brothers to produce a series of Alice Comedies inspired by Alice's Wonderland. Almost immediately after securing that deal, Walt and Roy made it official—on October 16, 1923, the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio opened its doors in a modest Hollywood office.
The Early Years
Those first years were a whirlwind of creative experimentation, big dreams, and no shortage of obstacles. The Alice Comedies found an audience and built momentum, but the real breakthrough came in 1927 with the creation of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. That triumph proved short-lived, though. Distributor Charles Mintz seized the rights to Oswald and lured away most of Disney's animators, leaving Walt to rebuild from nearly nothing.
Yet that devastating loss gave rise to something iconic: Mickey Mouse. Walt had initially wanted to call the character Mortimer, but his wife, Lillian, talked him into the catchier alternative. Then, in 1928, Mickey burst onto the scene in Steamboat Willie, the first synchronized sound cartoon. Audiences were electrified—and just like that, both Mickey Mouse and Disney became household names.
The Evolution
Over the decades, the studio reinvented itself multiple times, even in name. It became Walt Disney Studio in 1926, shifted to Walt Disney Productions in 1929, and was ultimately rebranded as The Walt Disney Company in 1986. What began with scrappy animated shorts blossomed into an empire spanning full-length feature films, theme parks, television, music, and far beyond. Today, Disney's portfolio includes some of the most iconic brands anywhere—Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Studios among them.
A full century after its founding, The Walt Disney Company stands as an enduring testament to the power of imagination and storytelling—all tracing back to that fateful October day in 1923.