While media companies have been quick to jump on the application bandwagon, Disney (NYSE: DIS) reported today that its focus on the mobile web has started to pay off—traffic to its mobile Disney.com site increased by a record-breaking 38 percent in the first quarter.

The company reported that mobile page views in the first quarter of 2009 jumped a 38 percent, compared to the previous quarter. Likewise, SMS messages were up nearly 600 percent. A spokeswoman declined to provide specific numbers, however, Disney did say it has streamed more than 2 million minutes of audio and generated more than 135,000 personalized voice greetings recorded by Disney characters since launching its mobile-specific site in late 2007.

Disney said the spike was fueled by recent mobile web promotions, such as a “Magical Celebrations Sweepstakes with Disney Parks.” It also launched a specific iPhone version of the site that works in the Safari browser. It also made crucial upgrades to the site over the last year, so that users can login on the mobile site, and still earn points while playing mobile web-based games on the go. Paul Yanover, EVP and managing director of Disney Online: “The growth and strength of our mobile site has really taken off as guests actively seek out exclusive offerings and uniquely integrated mobile features.”