1981

Feature films

 * March 6 - The Devil and Max Devlin
 * March 20 - Amy
 * April 3 - Alice in Wonderland (re-issue)
 * June 12 - Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (re-issue)
 * June 19 - Swiss Family Robinson (re-issue)
 * June 26 - Dragonslayer (coproduction with Paramount)
 * July 10 - The Fox and the Hound
 * August 7 - Condorman
 * October 9 - The Watcher in the Woods
 * November 20 - The Watcher in the Woods (Los Angeles, California)
 * December 18 - Cinderella (re-issue)

Shorts

 * ? - Smoking: The Choice is Yours
 * July 10 - Once Upon a Mouse
 * September
 * 101 Dalmatians: A Lesson in Self-Assertion
 * Cinderella: A Lesson in Compromise
 * Dumbo: A Lesson in Being Prepared
 * The Fox and the Hound: A Lesson in Being Careful
 * The Jungle Book: A Lesson in Accepting Change
 * September 6 - Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons

Events

 * After 26 years, the last Disney animated feature to use the Buena Vista logo was The Fox and the Hound.
 * Walt Disney Pictures purchases the rights to Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, the basis for the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

Character debuts

 * July 10 - Tod, Copper, Big Mama, Dinky and Boomer, Squeaks, Widow Tweed, Amos Slade, Chief, Abigail, Chicken, Mr. Digger, Porcupine, Vixey, The Bear, Tod's mother
 * August 7 - Woodrow Wilkins, Natalia Rambova, Morovich

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
 * Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck Cartoon Collections Volumes 1, 2, and 3
 * October 15
 * 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
 * A Tale of Two Critters
 * The Watcher in the Woods
 * A Dream Called Walt Disney World

Births

 * January 1 - Eden Riegel (actress)
 * January 4 - Aaron Schwartz (actor)
 * January 5 - deadmau5 (musician)
 * January 22 - Beverley Mitchell (actress and singer)
 * January 24 - Carrie Coon (actress)
 * January 25 - Alicia Keys (philanthropist, pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress)
 * January 28 - Elijah Wood (actor, voice actor, producer, and DJ)
 * January 31 - Justin Timberlake (actor and singer)
 * February 8 - Dawn Olivieri (actress)
 * February 9 - Tom Hiddleston (actor)
 * February 14 - Erin Torpey (actress and singer)
 * February 17 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt (actor)
 * February 22 - Élodie Yung (actress)
 * February 23 - Josh Gad (actor, comedian, and singer)
 * February 27 - Josh Groban (actor, singer, songwriter, recording artist, and record producer)
 * March 2 - Bryce Dallas Howard (actress, writer, and director)
 * March 29 - Megan Hilty (actress)
 * April 8 - Taylor Kitsch (actor and model)
 * April 10 - Laura Bell Bundy (actress and singer)
 * April 13 - Courtney Peldon (actress and voice actress)
 * April 19 - Hayden Christensen (actor)
 * May 5 - Danielle Fishel (actress)
 * May 28 - Laura Bailey (voice actress)
 * June 1 - Johnny Pemberton (actor and comedian)
 * June 4 - T. J. Miller (actor and comedian)
 * June 9 - Natalie Portman (actress)
 * June 13 - Chris Evans (actor)
 * July 26 - Sarah Burns (actress)
 * July 30 - Lisa Wilhoit (actress)
 * August 3 - Travis Willingham (voice actor)
 * August 4
 * Abigail Spencer (actress)
 * Meghan Markle (actress, model, and royal)
 * August 8 - Roger Federer (tennis player)
 * August 14 - Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah (professional wrestler and actor)
 * 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 9 - Julie Gonzalo (actress)
 * September 12 - Jennifer Hudson (actress and singer)
 * September 15 - Ben Schwartz (actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer)
 * September 16 - Alexis Bledel (actress and producer)
 * September 22
 * Ashley Eckstein (actress)
 * Katie Lowes (actress)
 * September 26 - Christina Milian (singer and actress)
 * October 16 - Caterina Scorsone (actress)
 * November 11 - Amy Rutberg (actress)
 * November 14 - Russell Tovey (actor)
 * November 18 - Christina Vidal (actress)
 * November 23 - John Lavelle (actor)
 * December 2 - Britney Spears (singer)
 * December 3 - Brian Bonsall (actor)
 * December 11 - Hamish Blake (actor, comedian, and writer)
 * December 15 - Victoria Summer (actress, model, and singer-songwriter)
 * December 16 - Krysten Ritter (actress, musician, writer, and model)
 * December 18 - Josh Dallas (actor)

Deaths

 * January 16 - Bernard Lee (actor)
 * November 25 - Jack Albertson (actor)