A Foolish Baby Shower: Disney

There's no reason to doubt that Disney (NYSE: DIS) will be around 18 years from now. Mickey Mouse is two years shy of becoming an octogenarian. Disneyland turns 51 this summer. Disney has made it through thick and thin, surviving everything from the threat of a leveraged buyout in the early 1980s to Michael Eisner's eventual fall from grace last year.

The family entertainment giant bounces back stronger than Tigger, and with a thicker skin than some of the characters strolling through its theme parks. That's why Disney would be the one -- though probably not only -- stock I'd consider giving to a newborn this year. Especially if I wanted him or her to wind up wealthier, more financially savvy, and still a kid at heart in 18 years' time.

When folks think Disney, they naturally think of theme parks and theatrical animation. Of course, Disney is much bigger than that. From the hip-again ABC network to the sporting haven of ESPN, the media conglomerate's always airing something worth watching across the cable spectrum. It's also a major player in live-action movies, cruise ships, and Broadway, to name just a few.

This past fiscal year, the company generated just nearly $2.5 billion in free cash flow. It would have been greater than $3 billion if not for the consolidation of its euro Disney resort in France and its new Hong Kong Disneyland attraction. Revenues grew to a whopping $31.9 billion.

More than half of the company's operating profits came from its media networks division. That's nearly a threefold improvement over that division's performance in fiscal 2002. A lot can happen in just three years. Thanks to hit shows like Lost, Grey's Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives, folks are watching ABC again, instead of General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC. True, today's infant will see networks' fickle ratings come and go between now and adulthood, but I don't think Disney's ESPN will be any worse for wear along the way.

The Disney Channel is a global powerhouse, coexisting with Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Nickelodeon as the one-two programming punch for most younger viewers. (Sorry, PBS.)

More importantly, I really like Robert Iger, the new guy at the helm. Eisner had a rocky tenure over two decades, yet Disney's shares rose significantly enough to beat the market. I can only imagine how the shares will perform with someone like Iger on board.

Iger gets it. He delegates authority. He's a visionary when it comes to the convergence of content creation and digital delivery. And more importantly, he orchestrated the deal to acquire Pixar (Nasdaq: PIXR), instantly restoring Disney's animation pedigree.

So go ahead and hang up those Disney certificates in the nursery room. You'll have more Disney Princesses, Woody dolls and Buzz Lightyear action figures, and "I'm going to my Disney World" chatter than you ever dreamt possible.

A joyful abundance of Foolishness awaits your little tyke. Click here to see what other financial gifts are in our Foolish baby shower basket for your littlest loved ones.

Pixar was recommended to Motley Fool Stock Advisor newsletter subscribers. It is likely to become a Disney position once the House of Mouse absorbs Pixar.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns a townhouse four miles away from Disney's Animal Kingdom. Of course he owns shares in Disney. He also owns shares in Pixar. T he Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.