Valued at more than $1 million, "Celebration Mickey...100 Golden Years of Magic" has been created to observe Walt Disney's 100th birthday this year and will be on public display the weekends of August 25-26 and September 1-2 at the World of Disney shop in the DOWNTOWN DISNEY® District at the DISNEYLAND Resort. Celebration Mickey classically depicts the hallmark Walt Disney character, Mickey Mouse, dressed in his traditional button shorts, gloves, shirt and shoes. The two-foot tall sculpture is molded out of 1,500 troy ounces (more than 100 pounds) of

24-karat gold and was designed by Disney artist Marc Delle and produced by Great Western Mint in Salem, Oregon. A portion of the proceeds from the Celebration Mickey will be donated to The Walt Disney Company's compassion program for children with life-threatening illnesses. The proceeds will be used, in partnership with wish-granting organizations, to provide trips to Disney parks and resorts around the world, including Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Tokyo DISNEYLAND Resort, Disneyland Paris and Disney Cruise Lines, for thousands of children and their families. According to the Make-A-Wish® Foundation, a visit to a Disney theme park was this past year's most requested wish from children around the world.

"The Official Disneyana Convention always provides unique experiences for the Disney faithful," observed Carmen Bauza, Vice President, Merchandise, the DISNEYLAND Resort. "We feel that 'Celebration Mickey' outdoes any previous attempt to create an extraordinary auction item and, of course, we're also proud to be sharing part of the proceeds with the families who benefit from The Walt Disney Company's Compassion Program."

Celebration Mickey, the most valuable auction item to ever appear on Disney Auctions (www.disneyauctions.com) presented by eBay, has already begun to gain worldwide interest as a historic item. The online bidding that commences September 3 will continue until the sale is concluded at the Official Disneyana Convention Auction.

"We are thrilled to offer Disney fans such a truly unique and one-of-a-kind collectible. The excitement surrounding Celebration Mickey is a testament to the broad Disney fan community Disney Auctions serves," stated George Grobar, Vice President, Auctions, Walt Disney Internet Group.

About the 2001 Official Disneyana Convention
The 2001 Official Disneyana Convention, at which the live auction will be held, is a weeklong gathering of Disney fans and collectors, featuring parties and banquets for Disney enthusiasts, sales of Limited Edition merchandise, and in-person seminars and workshops with Disney experts and members of the Disney creative team. The Convention runs September 4 through 8.

About Disney Auctions
Disney Auctions, presented by eBay, is an online marketplace from Walt Disney Internet Group and eBay. Disney Auctions features authentic, rare and one-of-a-kind Disney collectibles and memorabilia from every aspect of Disney's fabled entertainment legacy.

About Walt Disney Internet Group
Walt Disney Internet Group is one of five business units of The Walt Disney Company and manages many of the most popular Web sites and services, including Disney.com, the number one Web site for kids and families; ESPN.com, the leading sports site; ABC.com, the leading broadcast network site; and ABCNEWS.com, one of the leading news sites. Additional properties include Family.com, Mr.Showbiz, Movies.com, DisneyAuctions.com, DisneyStore.com, DisneyVacations.com and Soccernet.com. Walt Disney Internet Group also produces Enhanced TV telecasts in conjunction with select ABC Television and ESPN programming and includes 19 Disney-branded international properties. Steve Wadsworth is the president of Walt Disney Internet Group, which is headquartered in North Hollywood, CA, and has operations in Bristol, CT; Seattle; New York; Tokyo; and London.