Q : Disney on Ice is celebrating 100 years is the teaser we are seeing here in Colorado. I researched that Disney was founded in 1928. How can that be 100 years?
Ernie, Thornton, Colorado
A: You are correct that the number does not apply to Disney company history. Disney on Ice:  100 Years of Magic started in 2001 when we were celebrating the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney’s birth. The first Disney ice show, Walt Disney’s World on Ice, debuted in 1981, though there were earlier ice shows, more than 60 years ago, from the Ice Capades which had segments featuring Disney characters. The Disney Company was founded in 1923 (hence D23).
Q : I am a volunteer fireman and we had several of the 16mm films on Fire Safety. The years have not been good on the films, and most of them have deteriorated beyond repair. The kids actually learned more on the films than any made today. Does Disney still have this type of film/DVD that we could purchase? Contact Information?
Terry, Pensacola, Florida
A: Disney Educational Productions still has fire safety films available for schools. You can check out their catalog here: http://dep.disney.go.com/index.html.
Q : Is there an archive of The Walt Disney Company’s annual reports from early in the organization’s history? I am doing a research project on the company, and it would help me immensely be able to review the annual reports.
Margie, Midland, Virginia
A: The company’s first annual report was issued in 1940. The Disney Web site has the reports back to 1995. The earlier ones are harder to come by, though some research libraries have full sets. One Internet seller has a CD with the reports back to 1954.
Q : My question pertains to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. I have been there several times, and have always left wondering why San Francisco was chosen as the site for the museum. I saw an episode of Eye on the Bay, which told about the museum and the artifacts in it, and how there was a warehouse in San Francisco that housed some of the artifacts, but this still has me wondering how those pieces ended up in San Francisco. I feel like something is missing as to why San Francisco was chosen to house these special items. I am glad that they are here, and love going to the museum. I am just curious how it ended up here.
Jennifer, Fremont, California
A: The museum is a project not of the Disney Company but of the Disney family, spearheaded by Walt’s daughter Diane Disney Miller who lives in the San Francisco area. Having the museum in her backyard, so to speak, enables her to keep close tabs on it.
Q : I’m not sure of another way to contact you, so I’m using this. I’m a current student in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College. I was in the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World. I am fascinated by the Disney Company and the Archives. I wish I could get a job with the Archives. I just wanted to tell you that I think you’re a great person and an amazing leader in the library and information science field. Thank you for being such a positive influence in our field.
Lindsey, Boston, Massachusetts
A: Thank you, Lindsey; I appreciate the kind words.
Q : Is there a version of Disney A to Z available that can be downloaded? Is the third edition available on PDF format? Will there be a fourth edition available?
Georgina, Kissimmee, Florida
A: The third edition of Disney A to Z was complete at the time of its compilation, which was 2005-2006. Everything from the two previous editions was included, plus new information. There are no current plans for a fourth edition, and as of now, the third edition is not available electronically.  The encyclopedia is updated monthly on the Disney website by clicking here. [Note: A fourth edition was published in 2015 as a Sam's Club exclusive.]
Q : I’ve long been a fan of archives and history, especially that of Disney (which means, naturally, owning multiple editions of Disney A to Z). I’m curious about what sort of various job opportunities ever open up in the Archives or similar sorts of departments at the Disney Company, and what sort of experience and knowledge they might require?
Alissa, Des Moines, Iowa
A: The Walt Disney Archives is a small department, and employees tend to stay a long time.  These days the staff includes not only trained archivists but those who have studied library science, business, history, and other fields. A comprehensive knowledge of Disney is a major plus.
Q : At Christmastime in 1972, my family brought a limestone block to Disneyland. The block was salvaged from an old house on our farm in Ellis, Kansas. The house was once owned by Walt Disney’s grandfather and had the initials of Roy Disney carved into it. Roy and Walt had spent time at this farm when they were younger. I am curious about the pictures of our farm that are in the archives in Disneyland. I would like to bring my children and grandchildren to Disneyland to see these sometime soon. My wife and I now live on this farm and are proud to still have it in our family. A little bit of history and a lot of pride! Could you please let me know if the stone and pictures are still in Disneyland?
Dennis, Ellis, Kansas
A: In the fall of 1912, Roy O. Disney traveled to the home of his uncle, William Harvey Disney, in Ellis to help with the harvest. Six decades later, I visited the farm and noticed the initials, and when I told Roy about them, he indeed recalled carving them. A few years later, when the building on the farm was being demolished, I requested the block of stone with the initials for the Walt Disney Archives. The family brought it with them on a driving trip to California, and it is in the Archives’ collection in Burbank, California. They also have a few photographs of the farm. You can contact the Archives directly.