Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)
| Walt Disney Studios | |
|---|---|
Main entrance to The Walt Disney Studios on W. Alameda Ave. | |
Interactive map of the Walt Disney Studios area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Film and television complex |
| Location | 500 South Buena Vista Street Burbank, California 91521 |
| Coordinates | 34°09′25″N 118°19′30″W / 34.15694°N 118.32500°W |
| Inaugurated | February 23, 1940 |
| Owner | Disney Worldwide Services (The Walt Disney Company) |
| Design and construction | |
| Developer | |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Walt Disney Studios, located in Burbank, California, United States, serves as the corporate headquarters for the Walt Disney Company. The 51-acre (20.6 ha) studio lot also contains several sound stages, a backlot, and other filmmaking production facilities for Walt Disney Studios's motion picture production. The complex also houses the offices for many of the company's units, including the film and TV studios Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, ABC, Disney Channel, Freeform, Marvel Studios, 20th Century Studios, 20th Television, Searchlight Pictures, 20th Century Animation, 20th Television Animation, FX Networks and Disney Channel Movies.
Walt Disney used the earnings from the successful release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to finance the construction of the Burbank studio. Designed by industrial architect Kem Weber in the Streamline Moderne style, the lot opened in early 1940. It was uniquely functional, featuring a central "double-H" Animation Building with eight wings to maximize natural light for artists. In the 1950s, the studio added massive soundstages. Stage 2 (1949) was built in partnership with Jack Webb (Dragnet), and Stage 3 (1953) was specifically designed with a deep water tank for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. As of early 2026, Disney has completed the relocation of employees from the former Fox lot in Century City to the main Burbank campus following the expiration of their lease. In summer 2026, a new "Walt Disney Studios" themed land is scheduled to open at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida, featuring replicas of the Burbank lot’s architecture, including the original Animation Building and the iconic water tower.
The Studio's production services are managed by Walt Disney Studios's Disney Studio Services unit – along with Golden Oak Ranch, The Prospect Studios, and KABC-7 Studio B. Disney has a secondary location at Grand Central Creative Campus, where Walt Disney Imagineering and some other units are located. Disney Imagineering manages the studio.