The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company , also known as Disney Enterprises , Inc . or simply Disney , is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world and the current owner of the " Star Wars " franchise . Founded on October 16 , 1923 by brothers and as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio , the company was reincorporated as Walt Disney Productions in 1929 . Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live - action film production , television , and travel . Taking on its current name in 1986 , The Walt Disney Company expanded its existing operations and also started divisions focused upon theater , radio , publishing , and online media . In addition , it has created new divisions of the company in order to market more mature content than it typically associates with its flagship family - oriented brands . The company is best known for the products of its film studio , the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group , today one of the largest and best - known studios in Hollywood . Disney also owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network ; cable television networks such as Disney Channel , ESPN , and ABC Family ; publishing , merchandising , and theater divisions ; and owns and licenses eleven theme parks around the world . The company has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since May 6 , 1991 . An early and well - known cartoon creation of the company , , is the official mascot of The Walt Disney Company . On October 30 , 2012 , Disney announced that it had agreed to purchase Lucasfilm Ltd . for $ 4 . 05 billion from George Lucas and revealed its plans to release in 2015 , followed by and . Lucas did this because his three adoptive children did not wish to take over Lucasfilm , and so that he would have enough time to evade tax penalties that were enacted in 2013 . On December 21 , 2012 , The Walt Disney Company officially completed the acquisition of Lucasfilm . Despite the Walt Disney Company ' s 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd . and the release rights to all future " Star Wars " films , Fox was to retain original distribution rights to , which they co - produced and co - financed , in perpetuity in all media worldwide . Fox was also to retain theatrical , nontheatrical , and home video rights worldwide for the franchise ' s five subsequent films , which Lucasfilm produced and financed independently , through May 2020 , at which time ownership was to transfer to Disney . This complex relationship between Fox and Disney , particularly in regards to Fox ' s perpetual rights to Episode IV , was to create an obstacle for any future boxed set comprising all nine films . On December 14 , 2017 , the Walt Disney Company announced that it is acquiring most of Fox ' s parent company , , including the film studio and all distribution rights to " A New Hope " . Company divisions and subsidiaries . The Walt Disney Company operates as five primary units and segments : The Walt Disney Studios , which includes the company ' s film , recording label , and theatrical divisions ; Parks and Resorts , featuring the company ' s theme parks , cruise line , and other travel - related assets ; Disney Consumer Products , which produces toys , clothing , and other merchandising based upon Disney - owned properties ; Media Networks , which includes the company ' s television properties ; and Disney Interactive , which includes Disney ' s Internet , mobile , social media , virtual worlds , and computer games operations . Its main entertainment features and holdings include Walt Disney Studios , Disney Music Group , Disney Theatrical Group , Disney - ABC Television Group , Radio Disney , ESPN Inc . , Disney Interactive Media Group , Disney Consumer Products , Disney India Ltd . , The Muppets Studio , Pixar Animation Studios , Marvel Entertainment , UTV Software Communications , and Lucasfilm . Its resorts and diversified holdings include Walt Disney Parks and Resorts , Disneyland Resort , Walt Disney World Resort , Tokyo Disney Resort , Disneyland Paris , Euro Disney S . C . A . , Hong Kong Disneyland Resort , Disney Vacation Club and Disney Cruise Line . Disney Media Networks . Disney Media Networks is a reporting segment and primary unit of The Walt Disney Company that contains the company ' s various television networks , cable channels , associated production and distribution companies and owned and operated television stations . Media Networks also manages Disney ' s interest in its joint venture with Hearst Corporation , A + E Networks and ESPN Inc . . Disney Press . Disney Press is a book publishing company that oversees the duties of publishing children ' s books for a variety of Disney products . In August 2014 , as Disney – Lucasfilm Press , they began publishing a variety of content such as early reader books and sticker books for " Star Wars Rebels " and titles based on the original films , such as " Escape from Darth Vader " . Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is the theatrical film distribution subsidiary of Disney . The division handles marketing and distribution for all theatrical releases from every Disney studio , including Lucasfilm Ltd . The division will distribute all future " Star Wars " films worldwide , beginning with . Disney Interactive . Disney Interactive is the video - game development wing of the Walt Disney Company and oversees the production and development of any " Star Wars " games outside of the ten - year Electronic Arts video game development contract . The contract states that Electronic Arts will be the primary developer of " Star Wars " games , launching them on a variety of console and PC platforms . Disney Interactive will develop mobile , social , and online video games . Currently , Disney Interactive has been involved in variety of " Star Wars " games including Club Penguin Star Wars Takeover , and . Marvel Entertainment . Marvel Entertainment is a comic book , film , and television subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company . Acquired by Disney in 2009 , Marvel is one of the biggest comic book producers , and has taken over publishing rights from Dark Horse Comics as of early 2015 . Marvel previously worked with Lucasfilm to produce the first " Star Wars " comic series . Marvel is additionally known for their highly successful " Cinematic Universe " in which movies based on their most famous superhero characters form a " shared universe " of narrative storytelling . Buena Vista Records . Long prior to acquiring Lucasfilm Ltd . , Disney published a number of releases of " Star Wars " titles under the Buena Vista Records label , part of the . Links to " Star Wars " . Theme - park attractions . " Star Tours " , a " Star Wars " – themed motion simulator ride developed by Lucasfilm and Disney , opened at in in 1987 . The ride later opened at ( now Disney ' s Hollywood Studios ) in , in , and in . The ride was superseded in 2011 by " " , an all - new version of the ride . Disney ' s Hollywood Studios has hosted " " once a year , since the summer of 2000 . The event includes appearances by actors involved in the " Star Wars " films and animated series and a number of events . Disney ' s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland in California also feature a " Jedi Training Academy " attraction , at which a Jedi instructor teaches " younglings " lightsaber techniques to utilize in battle against either Darth Maul or Darth Vader . In both parks , this show is held near the " Star Tours " ride . On August 15 , 2015 , an announcement at Disney ' s D23 EXPO revealed that " Star Wars " – themed lands would be coming to Disneyland and Disney ' s Hollywood Studios , consisting of fourteen acres featuring additional attractions , stores , and a restaurant . The name of the land - - - - was revealed at the D23 Expo in July of 2017 . On February 27 , 2018 , it was revealed that the Walt Disney Studio ' s Park in Paris , would have a Star Wars themed ' area ' . Exclusive merchandise . In conjunction with " Star Tours " and " Star Wars Weekends " , a number of " Star Wars " toys have been developed for and released exclusively at Disney theme parks . This Hasbro included a collection of action figures based on the characters seen in the Star Tours attraction , as well as previously released toys in new packaging . Other toys include figures of Disney characters dressed as " Star Wars " characters . In 2005 , the toy line included a set that featured a Yoda action figure alongside a figure of Mickey Mouse dressed as a Jedi Knight ( aka " Jedi Mickey " ) , with his trademark gloves and yellow clothes under the robes . According to the text on the package , " Mickey takes up his lightsaber and joins forces with the other Jedi Knights in their battles to fight evil , " suggesting that Mickey " is " a Jedi Knight . In StarWars . com ' s " Star Wars Weekends " coverage , Mickey is given the title of honorary member of the Jedi Council , and in Spring 2010 , Disney released a figure of R2 - MK , promoted as Jedi Mickey ' s astromech droid . Disney - developed " Star Wars " projects . " Star Wars Rebels " . On May 20 , 2013 , Lucasfilm announced its first project under the Disney banner : the animated TV series " Star Wars Rebels " , from executive producers Simon Kinberg , Greg Weisman , and former " " supervising director Dave Filoni . Disney Channel , the company ' s flagship television property , will broadcast the premiere episode of " Rebels " , after which the series will move to sister network Disney XD for its regular run . " Phineas and Ferb : Star Wars " . " " , a one - hour special episode of the animated Disney television series " " , aired in summer 2014 on the Disney Channel and Disney XD . The " Star Wars " – themed crossover was first announced at the annual San Diego Comic - Con International on July 19 , 2013 . " Star Wars " Games . After the closure of LucasArts in 2013 , the " Star Wars " gaming license was dispersed among Disney Interactive and Electronic Arts . Electronic Arts became responsible for larger - scale games , which would be released on mainstream video - game platforms . Disney Interactive assumed responsibility for creating casual " Star Wars " games among mobile and PC platforms . Disney Interactive ' s largest division , Disney Mobile , has created a variety of " Star Wars " mobile apps such as " " , " " , " Star Wars Scene Maker " , and " " . Disney Mobile has also partnered with other game - development studios to create " " and to release " " on iOS platforms . While Disney Mobile is the primary source of Disney ' s " Star Wars " games , other divisions of Disney Interactive have contributed to the " Star Wars " brand as well . Disney Canada , primarily responsible for Disney ' s " Club Penguin " franchise , released a " Star Wars " – themed event on the " Club Penguin " virtual world . Disney Interactive Worlds , which is responsible for creating MMORPGs directed at children , was developing " " , a multiplayer space combat game , for PC . The game was canceled in May 2014 , but the studio confirmed that they are working on other " Star Wars " games . " Star Wars " Comics . It was announced in January 2014 that Marvel Entertainment , a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company , would take over comic - book and graphic - novel publishing rights from Dark Horse Comics in 2015 . Three comics to be published by Marvel were announced , each taking place shortly after " " . The first to be released was " Star Wars " , which chronicles the adventures of the characters introduced in " A New Hope " as a whole . The series is ongoing , with new issues being released frequently . Two other comics , focusing on specific characters from the original trilogy , were released early in the year . " " followed the titular Sith Lord shortly after the destruction of the Death Star . The series ran through 2016 . One limited series , " " , followed Leia Organa on her search for survivors of the destruction of Alderaan .