Theatrical releases
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 (co-production 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
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
Video games
- Mickey Mouse (Nintendo Game & Watch) (Widescreen variety)
People
Births
- January 1 - Eden Riegel (actress and voice 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 (singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer)
- February 1 - John Gemberling (actor and comedian)
- February 8 - Dawn Olivieri (actress)
- February 9 - Tom Hiddleston (actor)
- February 14 - Erin Torpey (actress and singer)
- February 17 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt (actor)
- 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)
- April 28 - Jessica Alba (actress, model, and businesswoman)
- May 5 - Danielle Fishel (actress, voice actress, screenwriter, director, and television personality)
- May 11 - J.P. Karliak (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- May 15 - Jamie-Lynn Sigler (actress and singer)
- May 28 - Laura Bailey (actress, voice actress, and voice director)
- June 1 - Johnny Pemberton (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- June 4 - T.J. Miller (actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, producer, and writer)
- June 7 - Larisa Oleynik (actress)
- June 9 - Natalie Portman (actress)
- June 13 - Chris Evans (actor, voice actor, director, and producer)
- July 14 - Teri Reeves (actress)
- July 26 - Sarah Burns (actress and comedian)
- August 3 - Travis Willingham (actor and voice actor)
- August 4
- Meghan Markle (actress and model)
- Abigail Spencer (actress)
- August 8 - Roger Federer (professional tennis player)
- August 20 - Ben Barnes (actor)
- August 24 - Chad Michael Murray (actor, spokesperson, and former fashion model)
- September 4 - Beyoncé Knowles (singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actress)
- September 8 - Jonathan Taylor Thomas (actor and voice actor)
- September 9 - Julie Gonzalo (actress and producer)
- September 12 - Jennifer Hudson (actress and singer)
- September 15 - Ben Schwartz (actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer)
- September 16 - Alexis Bledel (actress, model, and producer)
- September 22
- Ashley Eckstein (actress and voice actress)
- Katie Lowes (actress, voice actress, and theater director)
- September 25 - Stuart Minkus (actor)
- September 26 - Christina Milian (singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model)
- October 16 - Caterina Scorsone (actress)
- November 18 - Nasim Pedrad (actress and comedian)
- November 23 - John Lavelle (actor and voice actor)
- December 2 - Britney Spears (singer)
- December 11 - Hamish Blake (actor, comedian, and writer)
- December 10 - Nicole Perlman (screenwriter)
- December 16 - Krysten Ritter (actress, musician, writer, and model)
- December 18 - Josh Dallas (actor)
Deaths
- November 25 - Jack Albertson (actor, voice actor, comedian, dancer, and singer)
1981