Equity Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss, Before Tax (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Beginning Balance	$ (4,849)	$ (5,522)	$ (6,374)
Unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period	(3,680)	258	641
Reclassifications of realized net (gains) losses to net income	93	415	211
AOCI reclassifications to retained earnings, before tax	(23)
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Ending Balance	(8,459)	(4,849)	(5,522)
Market Value Adjustments, Investments
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Beginning Balance	24	15	44
Unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period	0	9	(2)
Reclassifications of realized net (gains) losses to net income	0	0	(27)
AOCI reclassifications to retained earnings, before tax	(24)
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Ending Balance	0	24	15
Market Value Adjustments, Cash Flow Hedges
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Beginning Balance	177	(108)	(38)
Unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period	136	250	124
Reclassifications of realized net (gains) losses to net income	(185)	35	(194)
AOCI reclassifications to retained earnings, before tax	1
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Ending Balance	129	177	(108)
Unrecognized Pension and Postretirement Medical Expense
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Beginning Balance	(4,323)	(4,906)	(5,859)
Unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period	(3,457)	203	521
Reclassifications of realized net (gains) losses to net income	278	380	432
AOCI reclassifications to retained earnings, before tax	0
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Ending Balance	(7,502)	(4,323)	(4,906)
Foreign Currency Translation and Other
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Beginning Balance	(727)	(523)	(521)
Unrealized gains (losses) arising during the period	(359)	(204)	(2)
Reclassifications of realized net (gains) losses to net income	0	0	0
AOCI reclassifications to retained earnings, before tax	0
AOCI before Tax, Attributable to Parent, Ending Balance	$ (1,086)	$ (727)	$ (523)

AOCI reclassifications to retained earnings, before tax

No definition available.

Name:	dis_AOCIreclassificationstoretainedearningsbeforetax
Namespace Prefix:	dis_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before tax of increase (decrease) in accumulated equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, attributable to parent. Excludes net income (loss), and accumulated changes in equity from transactions resulting from investments by owners (distributions to owners).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AociBeforeTaxAttributableToParent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before tax and reclassification adjustments of other comprehensive income (loss).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossBeforeReclassificationsBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before tax of reclassification adjustments of other comprehensive income (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114867106&loc=SL7669686-108580

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 17B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114867106&loc=SL34724394-108580

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationFromAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeCurrentPeriodBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedNetGainLossFromDesignatedOrQualifyingCashFlowHedgesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedTranslationAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: