Disney Regional Entertainment was formed in 1996 to develop locally based entertainment concepts. Soon after the purchase of
Capital Cities/ABC Inc., Disney CEO
Michael Eisner moved forward with his idea of having local entertainment based on Disney brands in metropolitan and suburban areas. Several concepts were placed in the planning stage. Club Disney was the first to be launched, with birthday party reservations for its first location opening on January 15, 1997. Twenty Ventura County sheriff's deputies were on hand as Disney expected tens of thousands to show up. While the lines were long to get in, the expected turnout did not materialize with 1,000 waiting at the 10 AM opening.
Wunderman Cato Johnson’s San Francisco office handled the advertising for the first location, while Club Disney put out a request for bids for the launch of its second location in
West Covina, California, which was expected to open in December 1997. A complaint was filed in March 1997 over the coloring of the Thousand Oaks location. A report indicated that it met design guidelines but the checkerboard paint pattern on top of the club was not approved. In August 1998, Disney Regional announced an expansion for Club Disney in late 1998 and early 1999. By December 1998, a location in
Chandler, Arizona, near Phoenix was expected to open, while locations in
Lone Tree, Colorado,
Glendale, Arizona, and others were planned for 1999. The Glendale, Arizona Club opened in February 1999. ==Operations==