1996

Events

 * Disney buys New York-based animation studio Jumbo Pictures. The company would produce three shows for Disney.
 * Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere leave Nickelodeon to pitch Recess to Walt Disney Television. The show would premiere a year later.
 * February 2 - Gerry Laybourne, former president of Nickelodeon, is hired as the new president of the newly founded Disney/ABC Television Networks.
 * March 21 - Disneyland unveils its plans to renovate Tomorrowland. The project would be completed in 1998.
 * March 23 - Disney and McDonald's sign a 10-year national promotion alliance, which begin in January 1997.

Feature Films

 * February 16 - Muppet Treasure Island is released to positive reviews.
 * March 8 - Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
 * March 29 - Oliver & Company (re-issue)
 * April 12 - James and the Giant Peach
 * May 3- Last Dance
 * June 21 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame is released to positive reviews.
 * August 30 - First Kid
 * October 4 - D3: The Mighty Ducks is released to negative reviews.
 * November 22 - The War at Home
 * November 27 - 101 Dalmatians (live-action) is released to mixed reviews and becomes a box office hit.

Theme parks

 * January 2 - World of Motion closes at Epcot.
 * January 21 - Universe of Energy closes at Epcot.
 * January 27 - Toy Story Funhouse opens in Disneyland.
 * April 15 - Toontown opens at Tokyo Disneyland
 * September 1 - Captain EO at Tokyo Disneyland closes.
 * September 6 - Night of Joy 1996 begins at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
 * September 15 - Ellen's Energy Adventure opens at Epcot
 * September 21 - IllumiNations 25 opens at Epcot
 * September 28 - Walt Disney World's Grand Prix Speedway is renamed Tomorrowland Speedway.
 * October 1 - Walt Disney World celebrates its 25th anniversary. Also, Mickey's Starland is renamed Mickey's Toontown Fair.

Television

 * The Disney Channel Premiere Film, Susie Q, premieres on the Disney Channel. The Bug Hunt is released on the Disney Channel for the "Create a Great Story" Contest.
 * March 8 - Muppets Tonight premieres on ABC
 * September 3 - Quack Pack premieres in syndication
 * September 5 - Brand Spanking New Doug (formerly on Nickelodeon), Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series, and Jungle Cubs premiere on ABC.
 * September 7 - Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles premieres on ABC

Comics

 * December - Marvel Comics files for bankruptcy, and as a result, Disney Comic Hits! is cancelled.

Video games

 * April 11 - Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow for Super NES
 * September - Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow for PC
 * November - Pinocchio for Super NES

VHS releases

 * January 10 - Sweetheart Stories
 * January 31 - A Kid in King Arthur's Court, The Big Green, Three Little Pigs 
 * February 21 - Heavyweights
 * February 28 - Pocahontas
 * March 27 - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
 * April 24 - The Sword in the Stone (re-issue), The Aristocats
 * May 1 - Tom and Huck
 * June 26 - Disney Sing Along Songs: Topsy Turvy, Let's Go to the Circus!, Campout at Walt Disney World and Beach Party at Walt Disney World
 * July 31 - Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
 * September 11 - Muppet Treasure Island
 * September 25 - Oliver & Company
 * October 15 - James and the Giant Peach
 * October 29 - Toy Story
 * November 26 - Disney Sing Along Songs: Pongo and Perdita
 * December 24 - Mickey's Christmas Carol

Direct-to-video releases

 * August 14 - Aladdin and the King of Thieves

Albums

 * March 5 - Oliver & Company (re-release; some songs rearranged)
 * March 26 - Songs from the AristoCats and Bibbidi Bobbidi Bach

Births

 * January 6 - Oana Gregory (Romanian actress)
 * January 15 - Dove Cameron (actress and singer)
 * January 18 - Sarah Gilman (actress)
 * February 9 - Jimmy Bennett (voice actor); Kelli Berglund (actress and dancer)
 * March 18 - Madeline Carroll (actress)
 * April 10 - Audrey Whitby (actress and comedienne)
 * April 14 - Abigail Breslin (actress)
 * April 25 - Allisyn Ashley Arm (actress and comedienne)
 * May 9 - Noah Centineo (actor)
 * May 15 - Birdy (singer)
 * May 17 - Ryan Ochoa (actor)
 * June 12 - Anna Margaret (actress and singer)
 * July 20 - Joey Bragg (actor)
 * July 23 - Rachel G. Fox (actress, singer, musician)
 * July 30 - Austin North (actor)
 * July 31 - Blake Michael (actor and director)
 * August 1 - Cymphonique Miller (actress and singer)
 * September 1 - Zendaya (actress and singer)
 * September 6 - Alex Christian Jones (actor)
 * September 12 - Colin Ford (actor, voice actor and model)
 * September 17 - Ella Purnell (English teen actress and model)
 * October 5 - Mary Gibbs (voice actress)
 * December 6 - Stefanie Scott (actress and singer)
 * December 8 - Teala Dunn (actress and singer)
 * December 29 - Dylan Minnette (actor)

Deaths

 * February 2 - Shamus Culhane (animator, director and producer); Gene Kelly (dancer, actor, singer, director, producer and choreographer)
 * March 9 - George Burns (comedian, actor and writer)
 * April 6 - Greer Garson (actress)
 * April 23 - P.L. Travers (author)
 * May 1 - Luana Patten (actress)
 * May 6 - Ed Love (animator)
 * May 10 - Ethel Smith (organist)
 * May 24 - John Abbott (character actor)
 * June 5 - Vito Scotti (veteran character actor)
 * June 12 - Mary Field (actress)
 * July 15 - Dana Hill (actress and voice actor)
 * August 18 - Al Bertino (animator)
 * September 14 - Juliet Prowse (dancer)

Characters Debuts

 * June 21 - Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Judge Claude Frollo, Phoebus, Clopin, Archdeacon, Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, Djali