Celebrate Disney100 with Westfield
Enter a world of endless possibilities and excitement as Westfield and Disney come together to celebrate The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary.
February 23, 2023 will mark the beginning of a yearlong celebration of Disney100, here at Westfield. Expect lots of exciting events and immersive experiences brought to life across Westfield centres in Australia and New Zealand to delight and capture the imagination of the whole family.
Keep up to date with the latest Disney100 news and offers via our website or the Westfield app. Not a member? Join now by downloading the free app – you won’t want to miss out on the exciting member exclusives coming up.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at the amazing Disney milestones over the last 100 years, and where it all began…
“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse.” – Walt Disney
The Walt Disney Company's journey through the years
1901 December 5 – Walter Elias Disney is born in Chicago, Illinois.
1923 October 16 - Walt and his brother Roy sign a contract with M.J. Winkler to produce a series of Alice Comedies, officially founding The Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, now The Walt Disney Company.
1928 November 18 – Steamboat Willie debuts at the Colony Theatre in New York, introducing Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse to the world.
1932 November 18 – The Company wins its first competitive Oscar for the Silly Symphony short Flowers and Trees, as well as a special award to Walt Disney for the creation of Mickey Mouse.
1937 December 21 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premieres at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles.
1952 December 16 – Walt Disney founds WED Enterprises, now known as Walt Disney Imagineering.
1955 July 17 – Disneyland in Anaheim, opens to the world.
1964 April 22 – Four ground-breaking Disney attractions open at the New York World’s Fair, including “it’s a small world”.
1966 December 15 – The passing of Walt Disney.
1982 October 1 – EPCOT Center becomes the second theme park at Walt Disney World Resort.
1983 April 15 – Tokyo Disneyland opens in Japan. It's the first Disney theme park outside the United States.
1989 May 1 – Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park, now Disney’s Hollywood Studios, debuts at Walt Disney World Resort.
1991 May 6 – The Walt Disney Company joins the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
1992 April 12 – Euro Disneyland, now Disneyland Paris, opens in Marne-la-Vallée, France.
1994 April 18 – Beauty and the Beast opens on Broadway, the first show from Disney Theatrical Productions.
1995 July 31 – Disney announces its acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC.
1998 April 22 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park roars to life at Walt Disney World Resort.
1998 July 30 – The Disney Magic cruise ship sets sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, on its maiden voyage.
2005 September 12 – Hong Kong Disneyland opens its gates in Hong Kong SAR.
2006 May 5 – Disney acquires Pixar Animation Studios.
2009 August 31 – TWDC announces a deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment.
2012 October 30 – Disney announces its agreement to purchase Lucasfilm Ltd.
2016 June 16 – Shanghai Disney Resort opens in China.
2017 December 14 – Disney announces the acquisition of most of the assets of 21st Century Fox, including the storied 20th Century Fox film studio.
2019 November 12 – Disney+ launches, with 10 million sub-scribers on its first day of operation.
2019 November 22 – Frozen 2 is released, becoming the top-grossing animated feature of all time.
2023 October 16 – Disney celebrates its 100-year anniversary.
Keep up to date with all our Disney100 events, offers and retailer merchandise here.
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