One of the most lucrative companies over the last century has been Disney. Since the early 1900s they have been captivating audiences and reminding everyone that it's nice to dream. The success of the movie studios is only rivaled by that of its theme parks. All in all, Disney is a global wonder, with amusement parks all over the world and annual revenue of over $35 billion.

The triumph of Disney can be traced back to a single man - Walter Elias Disney. From his early days growing up in Missouri, he always had an palpable spark that separated him from the rest. Disney wanted to entertain others through a relatively new form of cinema called animation. He originally got started in the Kansas City area. Disney and a friend talked a local theater owner into letting them make cartoons to play at the beginning of his movies. It became a success and Disney and his partner, Ub Iwerks, started their own studio in Hollywood. After a few years of short projects, Disney and Iwerks came across a hit with their character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. He was a huge commercial success and grew the Disney Company's resources. However, Disney didn't own the rights to Oswald and Universal Studios took over. They hired away most of his staff and claimed the character as their own.

Soon after this, Disney and Iwerks created the most recognizable animated character of all-time. Mickey Mouse helped launch the Disney empire. It wasn't long before there were several spin-offs of all of the Disney characters. Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck all had their own cartoons. Donald Duck, known for his explosive temper and duck voice was their second most popular character. He helped Disney grow through World War II and secured Disney's popularity.

After Disney's unparalleled success with short cartoons and films, he decided to open a theme park. He got the idea after receiving a flood of letters requesting tours of the studio. Instead of letting them tour the studio he came up with the idea of Disneyland. He purchased 160 acres of orange groves in Anaheim, California and built his dream. The first day of Disneyland was a grand event in American history. So many people wanted to get in, that they flooded the park. Even though only 11,000 tickets were printed for members of the media, over 28,000 people got into the park using forged tickets. That day will always live in infamy in Disney lore as "Black Sunday." After Disneyland was completed, Walt came up with the idea for an even grander park, which became Disney World. Disney World is still the number one vacation destination in the United States with Disneyland coming in second.

While the magic of Disney has flourished for almost a century, his greatest works are available for you to see on DVD. In fact, you can see the entirety of the Disney movie collection through the Disney DVD Gift Express. Enjoy the legacy of imagination from the comfort of your own living room.

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