Theatrical releases
- January 1 - Take Down
- February 9 - The North Avenue Irregulars
- April 13 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (re-issue)
- June 7 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians (re-issue)
- June 22 - The Muppet Movie (released by Jim Henson Productions/ITC Entertainment; later acquired by Disney)
- June 27 - The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
- July 6 - The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (Bismarck, North Dakota)
- July 26 - Unidentified Flying Oddball
- August 3 - Unidentified Flying Oddball (Bismarck, North Dakota)
- September 28 - Sleeping Beauty (re-issue)
- December 20 - The Black Hole (premiere)
- December 21 - The Black Hole
Shorts
Events
- September 13 - Dissatisfied in the direction of the Disney studio, Don Bluth and eight other animators left Disney in protest to ultimately start their own animation studio on Bluth's 42nd birthday. Bluth's already completed work for The Fox and the Hound would be his last for the studio.
- November 22 - The Mickey Mouse balloon makes it's 9th appearence in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Character debuts
- December 20 - Hans Reinhardt, Dan Holland, Charlie Pizer, Kate McCrae, Harry Booth, S.T.A.R., V.I.N.CENT, B.O.B., Maximilian, Sentry Robots, Humanoids
Theme parks
- August 14 - Sherrill Anne Hoffman slips into a coma after riding Space Mountain.
- September 2 - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opens at Disneyland.
- October 1 - Groundbreaking begins on EPCOT Center.
Albums
People
Births
- January 6 - Cristela Alonzo (comedian, actress, screenwriter, and producer)
- January 25 - Christine Lakin (actress)
- January 26 - Sara Rue (actress)
- February 5 - Gil McKinney (actor)
- February 7 - Cerina Vincent (actress)
- February 8 - Josh Keaton (actor, voice actor, singer, and music producer)
- February 11 - Brandy Norwood (actress and singer)
- February 21
- Tituss Burgess (actor and singer)
- Jennifer Love Hewitt (actress, producer, author, television director, and singer-songwriter)
- Jordan Peele (actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer)
- March 1 - Claire Keane (illustrator and visual development artist)
- March 5 - Riki Lindhome (actress, voice actress, comedian, and musician)
- March 9 - Oscar Isaac (actor and singer)
- March 10 - Danny Pudi (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- March 14 - Chris Klein (actor and comedian)
- March 19 - Dan Fogelman (producer, screenwriter, and director)
- March 24 - Lake Bell (actress, comedian, director, and screenwriter)
- March 25 - Lee Pace (actor)
- April 4 - Natasha Lyonne (actress)
- April 12
- Claire Danes (actress and producer)
- Jennifer Morrison (actress, model, and film producer)
- April 15 - Luke Evans (actor and singer)
- April 19 - Kate Hudson (actress)
- April 21 - James McAvoy (actor and voice actor)
- April 22 - Laura Williams (actress and singer)
- April 23 - Jaime King (actress and model)
- May 1 - Kevin MacLean (animator)
- May 4 - Lance Bass (singer, actor, and voice actor)
- May 9 - Rosario Dawson (actress, voice actress, singer, and writer)
- May 26 - Elisabeth Harnois (actress)
- May 28 - Nonso Anozie (actor)
- June 5 - Pete Wentz (bassist)
- June 20 - Julie Fowlis (singer and broadcaster)
- June 21 - Chris Pratt (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- June 24 - Mindy Kaling (actress, voice actress, comedian, director, producer, author, and writer)
- June 25 - Busy Philipps (actress and voice actress)
- July 14 - Scott Porter (actor)
- July 15 - Laura Benanti (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- July 18 - Jason Weaver (actor, voice actor, and singer)
- August 3 - Evangeline Lilly (actress and spokesperson)
- August 10 - JoAnna Garcia (actress and voice actress)
- August 23 - Clare Grant (actress, voice actress, producer, model, and singer)
- August 27 - Aaron Paul (actor and voice actor)
- September 9 - Nikki DeLoach (actress and singer)
- September 15 - Amy Davidson (actress)
- September 18 - Alison Lohman (actress and voice actress)
- September 23 - Laura Dickinson (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- September 24 - Erin Chambers (actress and voice actress)
- September 28 - Anndi McAfee (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- October 4 - Rachael Leigh Cook (actress, model, voice artist, and producer)
- October 7 - Shawn Ashmore (actor)
- October 9 - Chris O'Dowd (actor and voice actor)
- October 20 - John Krasinski (actor, voice actor, comedian, film director, and writer)
- November 5 - Romi Dames (actress and voice actress)
- November 28 - Daniel Henney (actor, voice actor, and model)
- December 5 - Nick Stahl (actor)
- December 7 - Eric Bauza (voice actor and animation artist)
- December 11 - Rider Strong (actor, voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter)
- December 12 - Sandro Corsaro (animator, writer, storyboard artist, and producer)
- December 28 - André Holland (actor)
- December 29 - Diego Luna (actor, producer, and director)
- December 30 - Catherine Taber (actress and voice actress)
Deaths
- January 5 - Billy Bletcher (voice actor)
- January 27 - Dick Wesson (film and television announcer)
- April 1 - Barbara Luddy (actress and voice actress)
- April 6 - Norman Tokar (director)
- May 29 - Mary Pickford (Canadian-American motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists, and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
- July 2 - Anthony Eustrel (actor)
- September 12 - Les Clark (animator)
- November 30 - Dick Huemer (animator)
Artists joined
- Tim Burton - Director for The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, and Alice in Wonderland.
- John Lasseter - Current CEO for Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disneytoon Studios. Has directed films such as Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Cars.
- Mike Gabriel - Director/Animator on Oliver & Company, The Rescuers Down Under, and Pocahontas.
- Doug Krohn - Animator on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Tarzan.
- Jay Jackson - Animator for The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Tarzan, and Treasure Planet.
- Shawn Keller - Animator on The Little Mermaid, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
- Michael Cedeno - Animator on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
- Hendel Butoy - Animator on The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective, and Oliver & Company and Director on The Rescuers Down Under.
- Cyndee Whitney - Animator on The Great Mouse Detective, Oliver & Company, and The Little Mermaid.
- Patricia Peraza - Effects Animator on The Fox and the Hound, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
- Don Paul - Effects Animator on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Pocahontas.
- Guy Vasilovich - Art Director/Layout Artist on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
- Kathleen Swain - Background Designer on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
- Gilda Palinginis - Animator on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
- Joe Lanzisero - Animator on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
- Fujiko Miller - Assistant Animator on The Fox and the Hound, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
- Bill Berg - Lead Key Assistant on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
- Jane Baer - Assistant Animator on Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Cofounder of Baer Animation Studios and spouse of animator Dale Baer.
- Rusty Stoll - Assistant Animator on The Fox and the Hound, Mulan, and Lilo & Stitch.
1979