Forbes.com readers and editors rank Walt Disney as the eighth most influential businessman of all time. Walt Disney founded the first modern media conglomerate, exploiting the ripeness of the children's market as no one had before. Like today, where the latest computer animations are more important in selling a movie than the story line, Disney made bold, expensive risks to add impressive technological achievements to each film. Example? Steamboat Willie, which introduced America to Mickey Mouse. Disney also pioneered the use of sound and color in motion pictures. His stable of fictional characters, which included Mickey, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck, generated additional profit by appearing in advertisements, books and merchandise. Disney fare next appeared on television, another profit engine. In 1955, he launched Disneyland, the first theme park. Walt Disney World followed in 1971. The theme parks were a brilliant, natural extension: They boosted profit, boosted the brand and served as a platform to promote the other media. 　　　　

　　福布斯网站（Forbes.com）的读者和编辑将沃尔特•迪斯尼列为第8位有史以来最有影响力的商人。
　　沃尔特•迪斯尼创立了第一个现代娱乐媒体的联合大企业，开发了以前从没有人涉足的儿童市场，并从中获益。
　　迪斯尼做了大胆的、昂贵的冒险，他将能给人以深刻印象的技术成就应用到每一部影片。今天，在推销电影时，最新的电脑动画已经比故事情节更重要。比如将美国介绍给米奇老鼠的《汽船威利号》。
　　迪斯尼也领先将声音和色彩用于动画。他的一组虚构人物，包括米奇老鼠、米妮老鼠和唐老鸦，由于在广告、书籍和商品上的使用带来了额外的利润。下一个出现的是迪斯尼的电视节目，这是另一个利润增长点。
　　1955年，他开办了迪斯尼乐园，这是第一个主题公园。紧接着迪斯尼世界在1971年诞生。主题公园是一个有光明前途的、自然的延伸：它们带来了丰厚的利润，提高了品牌的知名度，并且为其它娱乐媒体的促销提供了一个平台。