1981

Theatrical releases

 * March 6 - The Devil and Max Devlin
 * March 20 - Amy
 * April 3 - Alice in Wonderland (re-issue)
 * June 26 - Dragonslayer
 * June 26 - The Great Muppet Caper is released in theaters. The movie was not created by Disney, but has been owned along with The Muppets themselves by Disney since 2004.
 * July 10 - The Fox and the Hound
 * August 7 - Condorman
 * September 6 - Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons
 * December 18 - Cinderella (re-issue)

Books

 * The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation

Home video releases

 * June 26 - Dumbo (rental only), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (rental only), The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates, The Absent-Minded Professor, Gus, The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, Snow White Live at Radio City Music Hall, and Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck Cartoon Collections Volumes 1, 2, and 3.
 * October 15 - A Dream Called Walt Disney World, Alice in Wonderland (rental only), Old Yeller, Darby `O Gill and the Little People, Amy, Treasure Island, Herbie Rides Again, The Shaggy Dog, Goofy Over Sports, Pollyanna, A Walt Disney Christmas, The Sign of Zorro, Condorman, Blackbeard's Ghost, The Devil and Max Devlin, and The Watcher in the Woods.

Events

 * After 26 years, the last Disney animated feature to use the Buena Vista logo was The Fox and the Hound.

Births

 * January 1 - Eden Riegel (actress)
 * January 5 - deadmau5 (music producer and performer)
 * January 28 - Elijah Wood (actor)
 * January 26 - Colin O'Donoghue (actor)
 * January 31 - Justin Timberlake (actor and singer)
 * February 9 - Tom Hiddleston (actor)
 * February 14 -  Erin Torpery (voice actor)
 * February 17 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt (actor)
 * February 23 - Josh Gad (actor)
 * March 29 - Megan Hilty (stage and television actress)
 * April 8 - Taylor Kitsch (actor)
 * May 28 - Laura Bailey (voice actress, actress, adr director, line producer)
 * June 4 - T. J. Miller (actor and stand-up comedian)
 * June 9 - Natalie Portman (actress)
 * June 13 - Chris Evans (actor)
 * July 15 - Josh Dallas (actor)
 * August 3 - Travis Willingham (actor and voice actor)
 * August 4 - Abigail Spencer (actress)
 * August 8 - Roger Federer (tennis player)
 * August 20 - Ben Barnes (actor)
 * August 24 - Chad Michael Murray (actor)
 * September 4 - Beyoncé Knowles (singer and actress)
 * September 8 - Jonathan Taylor Thomas (actor)
 * September 12 - Jennifer Hudson (actress, singer, and spokesgirl)
 * September 15 - Ben Schwartz (actor, comedian, and writer)
 * September 16 - Alexis Bledel (actress, model and producer)
 * September 22 - Ashley Eckstein (film and television actress)
 * September 22 - Katie Lowes (actress and voice artist)
 * September 26 - Christina Milian (singer and actress)
 * November 14 - Russell Tovey (English actor)
 * December 2 - Britney Spears (singer)
 * December 3 - Brian Bonsall (actor)
 * December 15 - Victoria Summer (actress, model, and singer-songwriter)
 * December 27 - Emilie de Ravin (actress)

Deaths

 * January 16 - Bernard Lee (actor)
 * March 16 - Bill Baucom (actor)
 * April 16 - Berneice Hansell (cartoon voice actor)
 * November 25 - Jack Albertson (actor)