Walt and Roy Disney began their partnership on October 16, 1923 when they signed a contract to produce the Alice Comedies, a series of six- to eight-minute animated films, or "shorts," combining live-action and animation. What began as the Disney Brothers Studio evolved into The Walt Disney Company.
Throughout the decades, the company has expanded worldwide from shorts to feature-length animated and live-action films and television production; character merchandise licensing; consumer products retailing; book, magazine and music publishing; Internet activities; television and radio broadcasting; cable television programming; and the operation of theme parks and resorts.