Hong Kong has yet to acquire its own Disneyland

In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the company says that the worldwide reluctance to travel amid safety fears could become much worse thanks to the Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome, as the virus is called.

"This tends to adversely affect our resort locations and in particular our largest resort location, Walt Disney World, where our guests tend to travel from farther away," Disney said in its filings.

The firm has already warned investors that the continuing downturn in the world economy and the shadow of the war in Iraq means its profits will grow rather slower than predicted this year.

And the war is having effects elsewhere in the Disney empire too.

Extra news coverage on Disney's ABC TV network means "increased costs and a reduction in advertising revenues", the company said.

Next in line

Disney's theme parks - two in the US, one in Tokyo and one in Paris - have yet to experience a case of Sars, the company said.

Hong Kong, one of the places hardest hit by Sars, is to host the next Disneyland.

"If this thing (Sars) keeps going, of course it will have an impact on travel to the theme parks," said Tom Wolzien, analyst with Sanford C Bernstein.

"It's all unknowable right now."

Sars has thus far infected some 3,000 people across the world, predominantly in Asia, triggering symptoms including fever, coughing, aches and shortness of breath.