disneypixar.jpgVarious outlets are reporting that Disney has confirmed that it will buy Pixar. As part of the deal, Disney will shell out the nice round number of $9.85 billion to hand over control of their existing animation division to Pixar's Ed Catmull and John Lasseter. In addition to taking over Disney Animation, Lasseter will also become the principal creative director of  the Imagineering group – which presumably means we can look forward to The Incredibles House at Disneyland sometime in 2012. Apple/Pixar mastermind Steve Jobs, who owns 50 percent of Pixar shares, will take a stake in Disney worth about $3.7 billion. He'll also join the Disney board.

Though the deal is not exactly a surprise, it still qualifies as another bold move from new Disney chairman Robert Iger, who will seemingly stop at nothing to distance himself from his ousted predecessor, new CNBC personality Michael Eisner. Disney stock rose a whopping 1 cent this afternoon after the announcement.