2001

Business

 * Disney Interactive acquires Saban Interactive.
 * Buena Vista Games is founded, with Disney Interactive being a children's division of BVG.
 * Disney loses the rights to King Louie involving a lawsuit with Gia Prima for not paying royalties and impersonation of her husband's voice.
 * October 24 - Disney purchases Fox Family Worldwide and renames it ABC Family Worldwide. 17 days later, FOX Family became ABC Family.

Feature films

 * January 5 - Chocolat (Miramax Films)
 * January 12 - Double Take (Touchstone Pictures)
 * February 9 - The Taste of Others (Miramax Films)
 * February 16 - Recess: School's Out was released to favorable to mixed reviews and becomes a box office failure.
 * March 7 - Blow Dry (Miramax Films)
 * March 9 - Get Over It (Mirmax Films)
 * March 30 - Spy Kids (Dimension Films)
 * April 6 - Just Visiting (Hollywood Pictures) was released to negative reviews from critic and it was final production work from Hollywood Pictures before it fold to Touchstone Pictures.
 * April 13 - Bridget Jones's Diary (Mirmax Films)
 * May 11 - Calle 54 (Miramax Films)
 * May 18 - About Adam (Miramax Films)
 * May 25 - Pearl Harbor (Touchstone Pictures)
 * June 15 - Atlantis: The Lost Empire was released to mixed reviews and moderate commercial success.
 * June 29 - Crazy/Beautiful (Touchstone Pictures)
 * July 4 - Scary Movie 2 (Dimension Films)
 * August 3 - The Princess Diaries was released to mixed reviews, but becomes a box office success.
 * August 10 - The Others (Miramax Films)
 * August 24 - Bubble Boy (Touchstone Pictures) and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (Dimension Films)
 * September 7 - New Port South (Touchstone Pictures)
 * October 5 - Max Keeble's Big Move was released to negative reviews and bombs at the box office.
 * October 12 - Corky Romano (Touchstone Pictures)
 * October 26 - High Heels and Low Lifes (Touchstone Pictures)
 * November 2 - Monsters, Inc. was released as a box office hit and receives universal acclaim.
 * November 16 - Amélie (Miramax Films)
 * November 21 - Out Cold (Touchstone Pictures)
 * November 30 - Texas Rangers (Dimension Films)
 * December 7 - 'Twas the Night
 * December 14 - The Other Side of Heaven and The Royal Tenenbaums (Touchstone Pictures)

Shorts

 * November 2 - For the Birds

Television

 * January 11 - House of Mouse premieres on ABC; Buzz Lightyear of Star Command airs its final episode on ABC.
 * January 12 - Lizzie McGuire premieres on the Disney Channel.
 * January 22 - The Book of Pooh premieres on Playhouse Disney.
 * February 3 - Lloyd in Space premieres on ABC.
 * April 5 - The Disney Channel debuts in Brazil.
 * April 13 - Hounded, a Disney Channel Original Movie, premieres.
 * June 8 - Jett Jackson: The Movie, a Disney Channel Original Movie, premieres.
 * July 13 - The Jeannie Project, a Disney Channel Original Movie, premieres.
 * September 1 - The Legend of Tarzan premieres in syndication.
 * September 15 - The Proud Family premieres on the Disney Channel and Stanley premieres on Playhouse Disney.
 * September 30 - Alias airs on ABC.
 * October 2 - Bob Patterson premieres on ABC.
 * October 3 - According to Jim premieres on ABC.
 * November 21 - Recess, after four years as one of the most popular shows on ABC's One Saturday Morning, airs its final episode "Mundy, Mundy/Lost Leader". It would remain in reruns on ABC until fall 2004. A direct-to-video epilogue and prequel are released two years later.
 * November 28 - Pepper Ann airs its final episode on UPN.

Video games

 * March 15 - Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge for PlayStation (North America only)
 * April 27 - Disney's Phonics Quest
 * November 6- Rolie Polie Olie: Search For Spot for PC
 * November 14 - Tarzan Untamed for PlayStation 2
 * November 15 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for Game Boy Color
 * November 17 - Tarzan Untamed for GameCube

VHS & DVD Releases

 * January 9 - Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You
 * January 16 - Pete's Dragon and Mission to Mars (VHS only)
 * January 23 - The Kid and The Thirteenth Year
 * January 30 - Dinosaur
 * February 2 - Clerks: The Animated Series Uncensored (VHS only; Miramax Home Entertainment)
 * February 20 - Clerks: The Animated Series Uncensored (DVD only; Miramax Home Entertainment)
 * March 1 - Alley Cats Strike
 * March 13 - The Crew
 * March 20 - The Sword in the Stone, Bedknobs and Broomsticks: 30th Anniversary Edition and Remember the Titans
 * March 27 - Reindeer Games - Director's Cut
 * April 3 - 102 Dalmatians
 * April 10 - The Love Bug
 * May 1 - The Emperor's New Groove
 * July 3 - Dracula 2000
 * July 17 - Flash, My Date with the President's Daughter and Double Take
 * August 7 - Recess: School's Out
 * September 11 - The Book of Pooh: Fun with Words and Fun with Friends
 * September 18 - Principal Takes a Holiday and Spy Kids
 * October 9 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Platinum Edition (DVD only)
 * October 23 - Dumbo: 60th Anniversary Edition and Whispers: An Elephant's Tale
 * November 6 - Sister Act and Santa Who?
 * November 27 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Platinum Edition (VHS only)
 * December 4 - Pearl Harbor
 * December 18 - The Princess Diaries and Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story
 * December 18 - Scary Movie 2

Direct-to-video Releases

 * February 27 - Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
 * July 17 - The Book of Pooh: Stories from the Heart
 * November 6 - Disney Sing Along Songs: The Twelve Days of Christmas (re-issue), Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse and Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street

DVD exclusives

 * May 1 - The Emperor's New Groove: The Ultimate Groove Edition
 * December 4 - Walt Disney Treasures Wave 1

Theme park happenings

 * January 9 - Downtown Disney opens at the Disneyland Resort.
 * January 14 - Collector pins begin to be given out at Disney Parks.
 * February 8 - Disney's California Adventure opens at Disneyland Resort.
 * February 8 - Muppet*Vision 3D opens at Disney's California Adventure.
 * March 28 - The Sorcerer's Hat opens at the Disney-MGM Studios and becomes the icon of the park, replacing the Earful Tower.
 * April 1 - The Main Street Electrical Parade ends its run at the Magic Kingdom.
 * April 2 - SpectroMagic returns to the Magic Kingdom.
 * April 7 - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! - Play It! debuts at Disney-MGM Studios.
 * April 16 - Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge opens.
 * April 27 - The Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register report that Disneyland's Rocket Rods will never reopen due to many factors.
 * May 1 - The Disney's Animal Kingdom attraction Countdown to Extinction changes its name to DINOSAUR.
 * May 6 - A tree in Disneyland's Frontierland, which had been there since the park opened, falls over, injuring 29 people.
 * May 12 - Doug Live! closes at the Disney-MGM Studios, due to the show's cancellation from ABC.
 * May 24 - The Magic Carpets of Aladdin opens at the Magic Kingdom.
 * July 4 - Disney's Electrical Parade begins performing at Disney's California Adventure.
 * July 17- Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln receives an upgrade.
 * July 27 - The Disney Resort Line of the Tokyo Disney Resort goes into service.
 * September 4 - Tokyo DisneySea opens at the Tokyo Disney Resort.
 * September 9 - The Country Bear Jamboree closes at Disneyland.
 * September 11 and 12 - Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World close due to the terrorist attacks in the northeast. Hotels in both resorts remained open.
 * September 13 - Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It! premieres at Disney's California Adventure to very low crowds, due to the terrorist attacks halting travel two days before.
 * October 1
 * Cinderella's Surprise Celebration premiered at the Magic Kingdom
 * Playhouse Disney: Live on Stage begins at Disney's MGM Studios
 * October 3 - Haunted Mansion Holiday, the seasonal overlay of The Haunted Mansion, debuts at Disneyland.
 * November 2 - Disney's River Country closes.

Albums

 * January 23 - Recess: School's Out
 * March 27 - Cruella's Favorite Villain Songs
 * May 22 - Atlantis: The Lost Empire
 * September 11 - Playhouse Disney
 * October 23 - Monsters Inc.

Characters Debut

 * June 15 - Milo Thatch, Kida
 * September 15 - Penny Proud, Dijonay Jones, Zoey Howzer, LaCienega Boulevardez, Suga Mama, Oscar Proud, Trudy Proud, BeBe & CeCe Proud, Puff, Sticky Webb
 * November 2 - James P. Sullivan, Mike Wazowski, Randall Boggs

Births

 * February 15 - Haley Tju (actress)
 * February 21 - Isabella Acres (actress)
 * April 15 - Django Marsh (voice actor)
 * June 1 - Ed Oxenbould (actor)
 * August 6 - Harley Graham (actress)
 * August 8 - Aubrey K. Miller (actress, singer, model, dancer)
 * September 4 - Tenzing Norgay Trainor (actor)
 * October 12 - Raymond Ochoa (actor)
 * October 14 - Rowan Blanchard (actress, singer, model, dancer)
 * December 2 - Dusan Brown (actor)
 * December 14 - Joshua Rush (actor)
 * December 28 - Madison De La Garza (actress)

Deaths

 * January 8 - Don Brodie (performance model, voice actor)
 * January 10 - Jacques Marin (actor)
 * January 26 - Thor Putnam (layout artist)
 * February 7 - Dale Evans (writer, movie star actress of B-movie westerns, singer-songwriter)
 * February 17 - John Sutherland (producer, writer, animator, voice actor)
 * May 10 - Deborah Walley (actress)
 * May 11 - Douglas Adams (writer, humorist, dramatist)
 * June 26 - Paul Berry (stop-motion animator, director)
 * July 15 - Ted Berman (animator, director, writer)
 * August 4 - Lorenzo Music (actor, writer, television producer, musician)
 * August 23 - Kathleen Freeman (actress)
 * September 13 - Dorothy McGuire (actress)
 * September 23 - Elton Hayes (British actor, guitarist)
 * November 29 - George Harrison (singer)
 * December 26 - Nigel Hawthorne (actor)
 * December 30 - Ray Patterson (animator, producer, director)
 * December 31 - David Swift (screenwriter, animator, director, producer)