1989

Feature films

 * January 27 - Three Fugitives (Touchstone)
 * March 10 - New York Stories (Touchstone)
 * March 17 - The Rescuers (re-issue)
 * April 14 - Disorganized Crime (Touchstone)
 * June 9 - Dead Poets Society (Touchstone)
 * June 23 - Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
 * July 14 - Peter Pan (re-issue)
 * July 28 - Turner & Hooch (Touchstone)
 * August 18 - Cheetah
 * October 6 - An Innocent Man (Touchstone)
 * November 13 - The Little Mermaid premiered in New York City.
 * November 17 - The Little Mermaid was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews and was a major box office hit, restoring critical and public interest in Disney and initiating the Disney Renaissance for nearly a decade.

Shorts

 * January 3 - Knick Knack
 * May 1
 * Back to Never Land
 * The Lottery
 * June 23 - Tummy Trouble
 * August
 * Reading Magic with Figment and Alice in Wonderland
 * Reading Magic with Figment and Peter Pan
 * Goofy's Field Trips: Planes
 * August 10 - Goofy's Field Trips: Trains
 * August 18 - Mickey and the Seal (re-release)
 * September - The Case of the Missing Space
 * October 30 - The Making of Me
 * ? - Mickey's Field Trips: The United Nations
 * ? - Mickey's Safety Club: Playground Fun
 * ? - Mickey's Safety Club: What to Do at Home

Events

 * May 31 - The Brave Little Toaster premieres at the USA Film Forum.
 * December - Production begins on The Lion King.

Character debuts

 * March 19 - Fat Cat and his gang
 * March 26 - Fenton Crackshell/Gizmoduck and M'Ma Crackshell
 * April 9 - Jeffrey Wyatt, Lisa Wyatt, Jessie Wyatt, Megan Wyatt
 * June 23 - Wayne Szalinski, Diane Szalinski, Amy Szalinski, Nick Szalinski, Quark, Russ Thompson, Sr., Mae Thompson, Russ Thompson, Jr., Ron Thompson, Professor Brainard, Professor Frederickson, Antie, The Scorpion, Tommy Pervis, Don Forrester, Gloria Forrester
 * August 18 - Ted and Susan Johnson, Morogo, Earl Johnson, Jean Johnson, Kipoin, Mr. Patel, Abdullah, Nigel
 * September 15 - Aldrin Klordane
 * October 30 - General Knowledge, Buzzy, Dr. Cynthia Lair
 * November 17 - Ariel, Prince Eric, Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle, King Triton, Ursula, Flotsam and Jetsam, Glut the Shark, Chef Louis, Grimsby, Carlotta, Max, Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella, Alana, Ursula's Garden, The Seahorse Herald, Merpeople

Theme parks

 * May 1 - Disney-MGM Studios (now known as Disney's Hollywood Studios), the third theme park at the Walt Disney World, opens. Pleasure Island also opens at Walt Disney World.
 * June 1 - Typhoon Lagoon opens at Walt Disney World.
 * July 12 - Star Tours opens at Tokyo Disneyland.
 * July 17 - Splash Mountain opens at Disneyland.
 * October 30 - Wonders of Life opens at Epcot.
 * December 15 - Star Tours opens at Disney-MGM Studios.

Television

 * March 4 - Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers officially premieres on the Disney Channel. It began airing in syndication on September 15.
 * April 24 - A new version of The Mickey Mouse Club debuts on the Disney Channel . It gave popularity and the start of stardom to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Keri Russell,, and Ryan Gosling, among others.

Comics

 * Roger Rabbit: The Resurrection of Doom

Video games

 * September 14 - DuckTales and Who Framed Roger Rabbit for NES.

VHS releases

 * April 18 - Cocktail (Touchstone Home Video)
 * May 30 - Walt Disney Mini Classics: Ben and Me and Bongo
 * June 28 - Heartbreak Hotel (Touchstone Home Video)
 * August 23
 * Beaches (Touchstone Home Video)
 * Disorganized Crime (Touchstone Home Video)
 * August 31
 * Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Mickey & The Gang and Nuts About Chip 'n Dale
 * Disney Sing Along Songs: Fun with Music
 * September 8 - The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (3 VHS)
 * September 28
 * Bambi
 * DuckTales: Duck to the Future, Lost World Wanderers, Accidental Adventures and Seafaring Sailors
 * Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers: Double Trouble, Undercover Critters and Crimebusters
 * Dumbo (re-issue)
 * The Sword in the Stone (re-issue)
 * Walt Disney Mini Classics: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! and Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
 * Walt Disney Mini Classics: Mickey's Christmas Carol
 * October 12
 * Bedknobs and Broomsticks
 * The Boatniks
 * Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Touchstone Home Video)
 * November 1
 * Ernest Saves Christmas (Touchstone Home Video)
 * Three Fugitives (Touchstone Home Video)

Laserdisc releases

 * ? - The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Newfound Friends/The Great Honey Pot Robbery
 * DuckTales: Accidental Adventurers/Seafaring Sailors
 * DuckTales: Daredevil Ducks/High-Flying Hero
 * DuckTales: Fearless Fortune Hunters/Masked Marauders
 * DuckTales: Lost World Wanderers/Duck to the Future
 * DuckTales: Raiders of the Lost Harp/Space Invaders
 * September 28 - Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Mickey & The Gang/Nuts About Chip 'n Dale
 * September 28 - Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Mickey & The Gang/Nuts About Chip 'n Dale

In fiction

 * (exact date unknown) - Kevin Flynn disappears. (Tron: Legacy)

Births

 * January 16 - Yvonne Zima (actress)
 * January 17 - Kelly Marie Tran (actress)
 * February 3 - Ryne Sanborn (actor)
 * February 16 - Elizabeth Olsen (actress and singer)
 * February 21 - Corbin Bleu (actor)
 * March 1 - Daniella Monet (actress and singer)
 * March 3 - Andrea Brooks (actress)
 * March 15 - Caitlin Wachs (actress)
 * March 25 - Alyson Michalka (actress, singer, and songwriter)
 * April 5 - Lily James (actress)
 * May 29 - Brandon Mychal Smith (actor, comedian, singer, dancer, and rapper)
 * June 9 - Chloë Agnew (singer)
 * June 14 - Lucy Hale (actress and singer)
 * June 18 - Mallory Jansen (actress)
 * June 28 - Mark Edward Fischbach (YouTube personality)
 * July 11 - David Henrie (actor)
 * July 21 - Juno Temple (English actress)
 * July 25 - Andrew Caldwell (film and television actor)
 * August 15 - Joe Jonas (actor and singer)
 * August 21 - Hayden Panettiere (voice actress)
 * September 5 - Kat Graham (actress, model, singer, and dancer)
 * September 6 - Hannah John-Kamen (actress)
 * October 1 - Brie Larson (actress and singer)
 * October 4 - Dakota Johnson (actress and model)
 * October 5 - Kenshō Ono (Japanese actor and voice actor)
 * October 14 - Mia Wasikowska (actress)
 * December 13 - Taylor Swift (singer, songwriter, musician, and occasional actress)
 * December 18 - Ashley Benson (actress, dancer, and model)
 * December 22 - Jordin Sparks (singer, songwriter, and actress)
 * December 28 - Bridget Shergalis (actress)

Deaths

 * April 24 - Clyde Geronimi (animation director)
 * April 30 - Guy Williams (actor and fashion model)
 * July 3 - Jim Backus (radio, television, film, and voice actor)
 * July 9 - Ben Wright (actor)
 * July 10 - Mel Blanc (voice actor, actor, radio comedian, and recording artist)
 * August 4 - Paul Murry (cartoonist and comics artist)
 * August 6 - Robert Jani (creative director)
 * October 12 - Jay Ward (animator)
 * November 17 - Billy Lee (actor)

1989