1978

Feature films

 * March 10 - Return from Witch Mountain
 * June 9 - The Jungle Book (re-release) and The Cat from Outer Space
 * July 5 - Hot Lead and Cold Feet
 * December 16 - Pinocchio (re-release)

Shorts

 * December 16 - The Small One

Theme parks

 * June - Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland re-opens after improvements have been made to the interior, adding the Yeti (three of them), an ice cavern with glowing crystals and snow storms
 * July 14th - The American Egg House restaurant opens on Main Street at Disneyland
 * September 1 - The Stage Door Cafe restaurant opens in Frontierland at Disneyland.

Books

 * Donald Duck, Instant Millionaire

Births

 * ggJanuary 2 - Megumi Toyoguchi (voice actress)
 * January 24 - Kristen Schaal (actress and comedian)
 * February 7 - Ashton Kutcher (actor)
 * March 17 - Patrick Seitz (voice actor)
 * April 9 - Veronica Taylor (voice actress)
 * April 19 - James Franco (actor)
 * May 10 - Kenan Thompson (actor and comedian)
 * May 22 - Ginnifer Goodwin (actress)
 * April 29 - Tyler Labine (actor)
 * May 1 - James Badge Dale (actor)
 * June 7 - Bill Hader (actor, voice actor, comedian, producer, and writer)
 * June 8 - Maria Menounos (actress, television presenter, and journalist)
 * June 13 - Ethan Embry (actor)
 * June 16 - Daniel Brühl (actor)
 * June 18 - Tara Platt (voice actress and actress)
 * June 19 - Zoe Saldana (actress)
 * July 6 - Tamera Mowry (actress) and Tia Mowry (actress)
 * July 12 - Topher Grace (actor)
 * July 19 - R.J. Williams (actor, television host, television producer, and entrepreneur)
 * August 18 - Andy Samberg (actor, comedian, and writer)
 * August 22 - James Corden (actor, comedian, writer, producer, and presenter)
 * September 23 - Anthony Mackie (actor)
 * October 7 - Omar Benson Miller (actor) and Alesha Dixon (singer, dancer, rapper, model and television presenter)
 * October 14 - Usher (singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor)
 * November 17 - Rachel McAdams (actress) and Tom Ellis (actor)
 * November 24 - Katherine Heigl (actress and producer)
 * November 30 - Clay Aiken (singer, actor, and television personality)
 * December 29 - Ali Hillis (actress and voice actress)
 * Gwendoline Christie (British actress)
 * Edan Gross (former child actor)

Deaths

 * January 18 - Junius Matthews (voice artist)
 * January 23 - Kelly Thordsen (actor)
 * February 7 - Harry Stanton (actor)
 * April - Thelma Boardman (voice artist)
 * July 26 - Mary Blair (artist)
 * August 24 - Louis Prima (musician)
 * August 26 - Charles Boyer (actor)
 * September 30 - Edgar Bergen (ventriloquist)
 * October 8 - Karl Swenson (actor)
 * November 5 - Denis O'Dea (stage and film actor)

Artists Joined

 * Chris Buck - Director/Animator who worked on Frozen, Tarzan and The Little Mermaid.
 * Phil Nibbelink - Animator on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
 * Darrell Van Citters - Animator who worked on The Fox and the Hound and directed the shorts Fun with Mr. Future and Sport Goofy in Soccermania.
 * Michael Peraza Jr. - Art Director/Layout Artist on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Fox and the Hound.
 * Glenn Vilppu - Layout Artist on The Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron.
 * Ben Burgess - Assistant Animator who worked on The Fox and the Hound, Mickey's Christmas Carol and The Black Cauldron.
 * Ray Harris - Assistant Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.

Home video

 * MCA releases several Disney laserdiscs.