Theatrical releases
Feature films
- March 17 - The Barefoot Executive
- June 22 - Scandalous John
- June 23 - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (re-issue)
- June 30 - The Million Dollar Duck
- July 7 - Pinocchio (re-issue)
- September 1 - The Million Dollar Duck (New York City, New York)
- November 11 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (New York City, New York)
- December 13 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks
- December 17 - Lady and the Tramp (re-issue)
Shorts
Business
- The Disney studio purchases the screen rights to Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain book series, which would be adapted into the film The Black Cauldron.
Character debuts
- June 30 - Albert Dooley, Katie Dooley, Jimmy Dooley
- November 11 - Miss Eglantine Price, Professor Emelius Browne, Charlie Rawlins, Carrie Rawlins, Paul Rawlins, Mrs. Hobday, General Teagler, Captain Greer, Bookman, Swinburne, Mr. Jelk, Cosmic Creepers, Colonel Heller, Nazis, Astoroth, King Leonidas, Secretary Bird, Knights
Events
- The Mickey Mouse balloon was removed from his 1971 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade debut due to bad weather.
- The 1962 Donald Duck balloon was removed from his 10th appearence in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Theme parks
- October 1 - The Walt Disney World Resort opens in Florida with the Magic Kingdom, Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Polynesian Resort.
- October 2 - The Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat opens at Magic Kingdom.
- October 3 - Peter Pan's Flight opens at Magic Kingdom.
- October 14 - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage opens at Magic Kingdom.
- November 19 - Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground opens at the Walt Disney World Resort.
- November 25 - America the Beautiful opens at Magic Kingdom.
- December 24 - Flight to the Moon opens at Magic Kingdom.
Books
- Surprise for Mickey Mouse
- Big Albert Moves In
People
Births
- January 2 - Renée Elise Goldsberry (actress, singer, and songwriter)
- January 7 - Jeremy Renner (actor, singer-songwriter, film producer, musician, and former makeup artist)
- January 8 - Zac Moncrief (producer and director)
- January 15
- Regina King (actress)
- Eric Jacobson (puppeteer)
- January 25 - Ana Ortiz (actress and singer)
- February 1 - Hynden Walch (voice actress, actress, and singer)
- February 4 - Rob Corddry (actor and comedian)
- February 6 - Brian Stepanek (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- February 12 - Scott Menville (actor, voice actor, and musician)
- February 22 - Lea Salonga (singer and actress)
- February 25 - Sean Astin (actor, voice actor, director, and producer)
- March 5 - Yuri Lowenthal (voice actor, actor, and writer)
- March 7 - Kali Troy (voice actress)
- March 10 - Jon Hamm (actor, comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter)
- March 13 - Annabeth Gish (actress)
- March 16 - Alan Tudyk (actor and voice actor)
- March 22 - Keegan-Michael Key (actor, comedian, and writer)
- March 27 - Nathan Fillion (actor and voice actor)
- March 29
- Michael-Leon Wooley (actor, voice actor, singer, and activist)
- Monica Richardson (actress and producer)
- March 31
- Ewan McGregor (actor, singer, and director)
- Craig McCracken (animator, director, and producer)
- April 12 - Nicholas Brendon (actor, voice actor, and writer)
- April 15 - Andy Daly (actor, comedian, and writer)
- April 18 - David Tennant (actor and voice actor)
- April 19 - Scott McCord (actor, voice actor, musician, composer, producer, filmmaker, and Co-Artistic Director of Criminal Theatre)
- April 23 - Teresa Gallagher (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- April 26 - Jay DeMarcus (singer-songwriter and musician)
- May 14 - Sofia Coppola (screenwriter, director, producer, and actress)
- May 27 - Paul Bettany (actor and voice actor)
- May 30
- Idina Menzel (actress, voice actress, singer, and songwriter)
- John Ross Bowie (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- June 2 - Espen Sandberg (film director and advertising producer)
- June 3 - Benedict Wong (actor and voice actor)
- June 5 - Mark Wahlberg (actor, comedian, producer, businessman, and former model and rapper)
- June 24 - Christopher Showerman (actor, screenwriter, and producer)
- July 1 - Melissa Peterman (actress, comedian, and television host)
- July 12 - Kristi Yamaguchi (figure skater)
- July 16 - Corey Feldman (actor, voice actor, and singer)
- July 20
- Sandra Oh (actress and voice actress)
- Josh Lucas (actor)
- July 30 - Christine Taylor (actress and voice actress)
- August 4 - Jeff Gordon (racing driver and philanthropist)
- August 6 - Merrin Dungey (actress)
- August 10 - Justin Theroux (actor, comedian, film producer, and screenwriter)
- August 12 - Yvette Nicole Brown (actress, voice actress, singer, and comedian)
- August 15 - Roy Conli (producer and voice actor)
- August 29 - Carla Gugino (actress)
- September 1 - Dave Wittenberg (voice actor)
- September 8
- David Arquette (actor, voice actor, comedian, film director, producer, screenwriter, and fashion designer)
- Martin Freeman (actor)
- September 9 - Eric Stonestreet (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- September 14 - Kimberly Williams-Paisley (actress and voice actress)
- September 15 - Colleen O'Shaughnessey (voice actress)
- September 16 - Amy Poehler (actress, voice actress, comedian, director, producer, and writer)
- September 18 - Jada Pinkett Smith (actress, voice actress, and comedian)
- September 21 - Luke Wilson (actor and comedian)
- September 27 - Amanda Detmer (actress)
- September 29 - Mackenzie Crook (actor and comedian)
- September 30 - Jenna Elfman (actress)
- October 2 - Chris Savino (storyboard artist, writer, producer, and director)
- October 13 - Sacha Baron Cohen (comedic actor, writer, and voice actor)
- October 20
- Rachel House (actress, voice actress, and director)
- Kenneth Choi (actor)
- October 22 - Jennifer Lee (director, screenwriter, and producer)
- October 26 - Phil Johnston (animator, producer, director, storyboard artist, and voice actor)
- October 29 - Winona Ryder (actress, voice actress, and producer)
- November 11 - David DeLuise (actor, voice actor, comedian, and television director)
- November 20 - Joel McHale (stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television producer, television personality, and voice artist)
- November 24 - Lola Glaudini (actress)
- November 25 - Christina Applegate (actress and dancer)
- December 1 - Emily Mortimer (actress and voice actress)
- December 3 - Keegan Connor Tracy (actress)
- December 7 - Stephanie D'Abruzzo (actress and puppeteer)
- December 18 - Lucy Deakins (actress)
- December 24 - Ricky Martin (singer, songwriter, actor, and author)
Deaths
- February 20 - William Lava (composer and arranger)
- July 7 - Ub Iwerks (animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and special effects technician)
- July 8 - Bill Thompson (voice artist)
- July 17 - Cliff Edwards (singer, actor, and voice actor)
- September 20 - James Westerfield (actor)
- September 23 - Billy Gilbert (voice actor)
- December 20 - Roy Oliver Disney (co-founder of the Walt Disney Company)
1971