1985

Feature films

 * February 8 - Fantasia (re-issue) (digitally re-recorded release)
 * March 22 - Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (Touchstone Pictures)
 * June 21 - Return to Oz is released to mixed reviews and is a box-office bomb.
 * July 24 - The Black Cauldron is released to mixed reviews and is a box-office bomb like Return to Oz.
 * July 26 - The Black Cauldron (New York City, New York)
 * August 9 - My Science Project (Touchstone Pictures)
 * September 27 - The Journey of Natty Gann
 * November 22 - One Magic Christmas
 * December 20 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians (re-issue)

Shorts

 * Advice on Lice
 * July 24 - Chips Ahoy (re-issue)

Events

 * June 21 - Walt Disney Pictures introduces its logo.

Character debuts

 * June 21 - Dorothy Gale, Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik-Tok, Billina, Dr. Worley, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, Tin Woodman, Toto, Nome King, Nurse Wilson, Ozma, Scarecrow, Mombi, The Gump, Cowardly Lion
 * July 24 - Taran, Eilonwy, Dallben, Fflewddur Fflam, King Eidilleg, Gurgi, Doli, Hen Wen, Horned King, Horned King's guards, Creeper, Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch, Cat, Dog, Moose, Dallben's Farm Animals, Cauldron Born, Gwythaints, Fair Folk
 * September 14 - Cubbi Gummi, Sunni Gummi, Grammi Gummi, Tummi Gummi, Zummi Gummi, Gruffi Gummi
 * Bumblelion, Butterbear, Eleroo, Moosel, Hoppopotamus, Rhinokey, Tycoon, Crocosaurus, Brat, Flizard, Transylvia
 * November 22 - Jack Grainger, Ginny Grainger, Cal Grainger, Abbie Grainger, Caleb Grainger, Molly Monaghan, Gideon, Herbie Conklin, Harry Dickens

Theme parks

 * Disneyland celebrates its 30th anniversary.
 * January 17 - Magic Journeys opens at Tokyo Disneyland.
 * September 2 - Adventure Thru Inner Space closes at Disneyland.

Television

 * September 14 - The Wuzzles on CBS and Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears premieres on Saturday mornings on NBC. Though Disney had a presence on TV since 1954, the company had never attempted to create its own animated shows due to the high cost of animation. With some computer assistance and other techniques that saved time and money, Disney finally entered the field with this venture. The animation was still of a remarkably higher quality than most other animated offerings of the time, and this show helped pave the way for Disney shows that would air daily instead of just weekly, such as DuckTales.

Movies

 * January 5 - Black Arrow
 * February 3 - Lots of Luck
 * April 1 - The Undergrads
 * November 15 - The Blue Yonder

Storybooks

 * Detective Mickey Mouse

VHS releases

 * January - The Prince and the Pauper (Live Action), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo,
 * February
 * Love Leads the Way: A True Story
 * The Gnome-Mobile
 * April
 * Walt Disney Cartoon Classics Vol. 11: The Continuing Adventures of Chip 'n' Dale Featuring Donald Duck and Vol. 12: Disney's Tall Tales
 * Welcome to Pooh Corner: Volume 3
 * Summer Magic
 * Mousercise
 * Country
 * DTV: Love Songs
 * Candleshoe
 * May 21 -​​ Walt Disney Cartoon Classics Limited Gold Edition II: Donald's Bee Pictures, The World According to Goofy, The Disney Dream Factory: 1933-1938, An Officer and a Duck, How the Best Was Won: 1933-1960, Life with Mickey! and From Pluto with Love
 * June
 * Never A Dull Moment
 * Falling For The Stars
 * Five Mile Creek Volume 6
 * Paddington Bear Volume 1
 * Welcome to Pooh Corner Volume 4
 * July 16
 * Pinocchio
 * Too Smart for Strangers
 * The Sword and the Rose
 * Gus
 * DTV: Groovin' for the '60s Afternoon
 * September
 * The Shaggy D.A.
 * Bedknobs and Broomsticks
 * The One and Only Family Genuine Original Band
 * Amy
 * The North Avenue Irregulars
 * Escape to Witch Mountain
 * Superdad
 * The Moon Spinners
 * October 23
 * The Walt Disney Comedy and Magic Revue
 * Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (Touchstone Home Video)
 * The Barefoot Executive
 * Those Calloways
 * Now You See Him, Now You Don't
 * Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue
 * The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
 * The Three Lives of Thomasina
 * Five Mile Creek Volume 8 & 9
 * November 6
 * Dumbo
 * The Black Hole
 * Mary Poppins
 * Old Yeller
 * Pete's Dragon
 * The Love Bug
 * Herbie Rides Again
 * The Gnome-Mobile (re-issue)
 * Tron
 * Babes in Toyland
 * Swiss Family Robinson
 * Pollyanna
 * Darby O'Gill and the Little People (re-issue)
 * A Disney Christmas Gift (re-issue)
 * Mickey's Christmas Carol (re-issue)
 * November 20
 * Legend of Lobo
 * Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar
 * The Vanishing Prairie
 * White Wilderness
 * The Bears and I
 * Secrets of Life
 * December 10
 * The Mickey Mouse Club Volumes (1-5)
 * Five Mile Creek Volume 10
 * Return to Oz
 * The Small One

Laserdisc releases

 * July 16 - Pinocchio

Births

 * January 1 - Sophie McShera (actress)
 * January 7 - Lewis Hamilton (English racing driver)
 * January 24 - Frankie J. Galasso (musician and actor)
 * January 28 - Warrick Brownlow-Pike (puppeteer)
 * January 31
 * Tyler Ritter (actor)
 * Rasmus Hardiker (actor, voice actor)
 * February 4 - Bug Hall (actor)
 * February 6 - Spencer Liff (choreographer and actor)
 * February 7 - Deborah Ann Woll (actress)
 * February 9
 * David Gallagher (actor)
 * Rachel Melvin (actress)
 * February 19 - Haylie Duff (actress, singer-songwriter, producer, and food blogger)
 * March 3 - Toby Turner (YouTube personality)
 * March 4 - Scott Michael Foster (actor)
 * March 13 - Emile Hirsch (actor)
 * March 21 - Sonequa Martin-Green (actress)
 * March 26
 * Jonathan Groff (actor, singer, and songwriter)
 * Keira Knightley (actress, singer, and model)
 * April 1 - Josh Zuckerman (actor)
 * April 20 - Billy Magnussen (actor and musician)
 * April 28 - Brandon Baker (actor)
 * May 10 - Odette Annable (actress)
 * May 27 - Andrew Francis (actor and voice artist)
 * June 18 - Alex Hirsch (voice actor, executive producer, creator, and director)
 * June 22 - Lindsay Ridgeway (child actress)
 * June 29 - Sancha Baucom (actress)
 * June 30 - Michael Phelps (swimmer)
 * July 2 - Ashley Tisdale (actress)
 * July 21 - Vanessa Lengies (actress, dancer, and singer)
 * August 9 - Anna Kendrick (actress and singer)
 * August 16 - Agnes Bruckner (actress)
 * August 21 - Laura Haddock (actress)
 * September 3 - Yūki Kaji (voice actor)
 * September 16 - Madeline Zima (actress)
 * October 11 - Michelle Trachtenberg (actress)
 * October 27 - Briana Lane (actress, producer, and writer)
 * November 7 - Paul Terry (actor)
 * November 21 - Carly Rae Jepsen (Canadian singer and songwriter)
 * November 27 - Alison Pill (actress)
 * November 30 - Kaley Cuoco (actress)
 * December 2 - Jenelle Brook Slack (voice actress)
 * December 5 - Frankie Muniz (actor, musician, writer, producer, race car driver, and band manager)
 * December 10 - Raven-Symoné (actress, comedian, model, singer, songwriter, dancer, television producer, and television host)
 * December 11 - Karla Souza (actress)
 * December 26 - Beth Behrs (actress)

Deaths

 * January 25 - Paul Smith (music composer)
 * February 20 - Clarence Nash (original voice of Donald Duck)
 * February 27 - J. Pat O'Malley (singer and actor)
 * March 8 - Edward Andrews (actor)
 * March 24 - Dick Kinney (animator and comic book writer)
 * May 9 - Edmond O'Brien (actor)
 * May 11 - Chester Gould (cartoonist)
 * August 29 - Patrick Barr (film and television actor)
 * October 10 - Orson Welles (actor, director, writer, and producer)
 * October 16 - Peter Young (screenwriter)
 * November 29 - Bill Scott (voice actor, writer, and producer)

Artists joined

 * Duncan Marjoribanks - Supervising animator for Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Pocahontas.
 * Ellen Woodbury
 * Kevin Lima - Animator/Director for Tarzan, A Goofy Movie, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Enchanted.
 * Anthony DeRosa - Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Princess and the Frog.
 * Gary Trousdale - Director/Screenwriter who worked on Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and The Lion King.

1985