Walt Disney Co is on track to open its first store in China in fall 2012, and is committed to opening 25 to 40 stores in the world's most populous country over the next three years, a top company executive told Reuters.

The news comes as the world's largest media conglomerate, home to iconic brands such as Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh, looks beyond mature markets such as the US and Europe for new sources of revenue.

Disney has signed a lease for its first store in Shanghai and is looking at sites in other top tier cities such as Beijing, according to Jim Fielding, president of Disney Stores Worldwide.