1988

Events

 * Walt Disney Computer Software is founded as a video game division of The Walt Disney Company.
 * Cinderella is the first release to use the Sorcerer Mickey Walt Disney Classics logo.

Feature films

 * January 15
 * Good Morning, Vietnam (Touchstone; wide release)
 * The Brave Little Toaster (re-issue in Sundance Film Festival)
 * February 12 - Shoot to Kill (Touchstone)
 * March 18 - D.O.A. (Touchstone)
 * March 25 - The Fox and the Hound (re-issue)
 * April 15 - Return to Snowy River
 * June 21 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Touchstone; premiered in New York City, New York)
 * June 22 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Touchstone)
 * July 15 - Bambi (re-issue)
 * July 29 - Cocktail (Touchstone)
 * August 5 - The Rescue (Touchstone)
 * September 30 - Heartbreak Hotel (Touchstone)
 * November 4 - The Good Mother (Touchstone)
 * November 11 - Ernest Saves Christmas (Touchstone)
 * November 13 - Oliver & Company premiered in New York
 * November 18 - Oliver & Company
 * December 21 - Beaches (Touchstone)

Shorts

 * April 2 - Somewhere in the Arctic (International Tournee of Animation)
 * June 19 - Winter
 * August - Disney's Animated Alphabet
 * September
 * Do Dragons Dream?
 * How Does It Feel to Be an Elephant?
 * How Does It Feel to Fly?
 * How Does Sound Sound?
 * What Can You See by Looking?
 * November - Disney's Countdown
 * December 30 - Tin Toy

Television

 * January 17 - The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh premieres on the Disney Channel
 * July 4 - Walt Disney World 4th of July Spectacular, an Independence Day special, is broadcast on television.
 * August 27 - Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers airs its first episode as a preview on the Disney Channel
 * November 13 - Mickey's 60th Birthday airs on NBC
 * November 24 - DuckTales begins its second season with the 2-hour special episode "Time is Money" on NBC

Theme park happenings

 * January 30 - IllumiNations debuts at Epcot.
 * April 10 - America Sings closes at Disneyland.
 * June 3 - The Norway pavilion opens at Epcot.

Video games

 * Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Commodore 64)

Books

 * DuckTales: The Secret City Under the Sea

VHS releases

 * February 2
 * Benji the Hunted
 * Disney Sing Along Songs: You Can Fly!
 * April 13 - Adventures in Babysitting
 * August 2 - Good Morning Vietnam (Touchstone Home Video)
 * October 4
 * Cinderella
 * Alice in Wonderland (re-issue)
 * Dumbo (re-issue)
 * DuckTales: Daredevil Ducks, Fearless Fortune Hunters, Masked Marauders, and High-Flying Hero
 * The Three Caballeros
 * Mary Poppins
 * Donald in Mathmagic Land
 * Mickey and the Beanstalk
 * The Reluctant Dragon (re-issue as part of the Walt Disney Mini Classics series)
 * Mickey's Magical World


 * November 1 - Return to Snowy River


 * November 15
 * Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Special Edition
 * Walt Disney Mini Classics: The Wind in the Willows
 * Three Men and a Baby
 * December 20 - Disney Sing Along Songs: Very Merry Christmas Songs

Births

 * January 12 - Andrew Lawrence (voice actor)
 * January 15 - Skrillex (DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter)
 * February 4 - Dallas Lovato (actress)
 * February 18 - Maiara Walsh (actress and singer)
 * February 19 - Miyu Irino (voice actor and singer)
 * February 20 - Rihanna (recording artist, actress, and fashion designer)
 * February 22 - Marieve Herington (actress, voice actress, and singer)
 * March 24 - Finn Jones (actor)
 * March 27
 * Holliday Grainger (actress)
 * Brenda Song (actress and singer)
 * April 7 - Ed Speleers (English actor and producer)
 * April 10 - Haley Joel Osment (voice actor)
 * April 25 - Sara Paxton (actress and singer)
 * June 9 - Mae Whitman (voice actress)
 * June 10 - Kelly Vitz (actress)
 * June 30 - Sean Marquette (actor and voice actor)
 * July 12 - Christine Marie Cabanos (voice actress and production assistant)
 * July 15 - Aimee Carrero (actress)
 * July 19 - Cherami Leigh (actress)
 * August 12 - Leah Pipes (actress)
 * August 16 - Marcella Lentz-Pope (actress)
 * August 27 - Alexa Vega (actress and singer)
 * September 15 - Chelsea Kane (actress and singer)
 * October 3 - Lauren McKnight (actress)
 * October 10 - Rose McIver (actress)
 * October 14 - Mackenzie Mauzy (actress)
 * October 24 - Daniel and Joshua Shalikar (twin actors)
 * October 30 - Janel Parrish (actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter)
 * November 6 - Emma Stone (actress)
 * November 9 - Nikki Blonsky (actress, singer, and dancer)
 * November 15 - Zena Grey (actress)
 * November 24 - Elena Satine (actress)
 * December 14 - Vanessa Hudgens (actress and singer)
 * December 16 - Anna Popplewell (actress)
 * December 28 - Brenda Grate (actress)

Deaths

 * February 1 - Heather O'Rourke (actress)
 * April 29 - Andrew Cruickshank (Scottish supporting actor)
 * May 18 - Daws Butler (voice actor)
 * June 22 - Dennis Day (singer and radio, television, and film actor)
 * July 22 - Larry Clemmons (voice actor, animator, and story supervisor)
 * August 7 - Wilfred Jackson (animator, arranger, composer, and director)
 * August 17 - Jack Cutting (animator)
 * September 7 - Vivi Janiss (actress, former Ziegfeld girl, and nightclub performer)
 * September 20 - Roy Kinnear (British character actor)
 * October 25 - Eric Larson (animator)
 * October 30 - T. Hee (animator, director, and teacher)
 * December 8 - Anne Seymour (film and television character actress)

Character debuts

 * June 22 - Roger Rabbit, Baby Herman, Jessica Rabbit, Benny the Cab, Toon Patrol, Judge Doom, Eddie Valiant, Dolores, Marvin Acme, R.K. Maroon, Lt. Santino, Baby Herman's Mother, Bongo the Gorilla, Toon Bullets, Lena Hyena, Angelo
 * August 27 - Monterey Jack, Zipper, Gadget Hackwrench, Professor Norton Nimnul
 * November 18 - Oliver, Dodger, Tito, Francis, Einstein, Rita, Fagin, Jenny Foxworth, Georgette, Bill Sykes, Roscoe and DeSoto, Winston, Louie the Hot Dog Man, Alley dogs
 * November 24 - Bubba the Cave Duck, Tootsie the Triceratops

1988