Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)

About

The Walt Disney Studios, located in Burbank, California, United States, serves as the global 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 the 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 Television Animation and FX Networks, although Marvel Comics will be relocated to the Disney campus in Burbank from New York.

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.