Since the creation of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, the Walt Disney Company has provided cartoon lovers with hundreds of animated characters to cherish through movies, merchandise, and amusement parks. Walt Disney established a business empire based upon fantasy and what he considered to be good, old-fashioned fun. Disney’s imagination and determination helped his company to grow and prosper through several initial setbacks, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. His brand of fun continues to entertain today.