Star Tours opens at Disneyland.
"The Son of the Sun", Don Rosa's first Uncle Scrooge story, is published.
Big Thunder Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland.
Theatrical releases
Feature films
- January 30 - Outrageous Fortune (Touchstone Pictures)
- March 6 - Tin Men (Touchstone Pictures)
- April 10 - The Aristocats (re-issue)
- May 22 - Ernest Goes to Camp (Touchstone Pictures)
- June 4 - Benji the Hunted (Dallas, Texas)
- June 5 - Benji the Hunted (limited)
- June 12 - Sleeping Beauty (re-issue)
- June 19
- Benji the Hunted
- The Brave Little Toaster (Hyperion Pictures; premiered in Orlando, Florida)
- July 3 - Adventures in Babysitting (Touchstone Pictures)
- July 10 - The Brave Little Toaster (Hyperion Pictures)
- July 13 - The Brave Little Toaster (Hyperion Pictures; Los Angeles, California)
- July 15 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (New York City, New York; 50th anniversary re-issue)
- July 17 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (general; 50th anniversary reissue)
- July 31 - The Brave Little Toaster (Hyperion Pictures; Erie, Pennsylvania)
- August 5 - Stakeout (Touchstone Pictures)
- August 14 - Can't Buy Me Love (Touchstone Pictures)
- November 6 - Hello Again (Touchstone Pictures)
- November 20 - Cinderella (re-issue)
- November 25 - Three Men and a Baby (Touchstone Pictures)
- December 23 - Good Morning, Vietnam (Touchstone Pictures; limited)
Shorts
- ? - Courtesy is Caring
- ? - Time for Table Manners
- January 1 - Crack: The Big Lie (Houston Film Festival)
- February 19 - Crack: The Big Lie
- May 1 - A Story
- July 6 - Red's Dream
- July 10 - Luxo, Jr.
- July 28 - Oilspot and Lipstick
- August - Goofy's Hygiene Game
- September
- December 15 - Working for Peanuts (Walt Disney World)
Theme parks
- January 9 - Star Tours opens at Disneyland.
- March 20 - Captain EO opens at Tokyo Disneyland.
- July 4 - Big Thunder Mountain opens at Tokyo Disneyland.
- December 15 - Magic Journeys opens at the Magic Kingdom.
Television
- March 22 - Down and Out with Donald Duck
- May 27 - Sport Goofy in Soccermania
- September 18 - DuckTales premieres in syndication. Based largely on the comic books written by Carl Barks, the show tells of the adventures of Uncle Scrooge and his grand-nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The animation is leaps and bounds ahead of similar animated programs of the time and becomes an instant success, paving the way for many future Disney animated TV programs.
Books
- DuckTales: The Hunt for the Giant Pearl
- Mickey Mouse Heads for the Sky
- Some Ducks Have All the Luck
Home video releases
VHS & Laserdisc releases
- January 27
- Flight of the Navigator
- Child of Glass
- Five Mile Creek: Volume 15
- Johnny Shiloh
- A Walt Disney Christmas (re-issue)
- Babes in Toyland (re-issue)
- Tron (re-issue)
- February 24
- Ruthless People (Touchstone Home Video)
- The Littlest Outlaw
- March 3
- April 14 - Tough Guys (Touchstone Home Video)
- May 19
- Walt Disney Cartoon Classics (5 tapes: Here's Mickey!, Here's Donald!, Here's Goofy!, Silly Symphonies!, and Here's Pluto!)
- The Reluctant Dragon
- Disney Sing Along Songs: Heigh-Ho
- The Apple Dumpling Gang (re-issue)
- July 7
- October 6
- Lady and the Tramp
- Dumbo (re-issue)
- A Dream Called Walt Disney World (re-issue)
- Flight of the Navigator (re-issue)
- Mary Poppins (re-issue)
- Old Yeller (re-issue)
- Pete's Dragon (re-issue)
- Walt Disney Cartoon Classics (5 tapes: Starring Mickey & Minnie, Starring Donald & Daisy, Starring Silly Symphonies: Animals Two by Two, Starring Chip `n Dale, and Starring Pluto & Fifi)
- Disney Sing Along Songs: The Bare Necessities
Character debuts
- January 9 - RX-24
- June 19 - Toaster, Radio, Lampy, Kirby, Blanky, Air Conditioner, Elmo St. Peters, Hanging Lamp, T.V., Cutting-Edge Appliances, Plugsy, Rob McGroarty, Chris McGroarty, Junkshop Appliances, Blender, Giant Magnet, Crusher, Junkyard Cars, Evil Clown, Zeke, Quadruped
- July 3 - Brad Anderson, Sara Anderson, Daryl Coopersmith, Brenda, Mike Todwell
- July 6 - Red, Lumpy the Clown
- September 12 - Tadpole
- September 18 - Duckworth, Admiral Grimmitz, Big Time Beagle, Burger Beagle, Bouncer Beagle, Bentina Beakley, Webby Vanderquack, Launchpad McQuack, El Capitan, Joaquin Slowly, Skittles
- September 19 - Marzipan
- September 21 - Poe De Spell, Babyface Beagle
- September 22 - Sarkus, The Garbled One, Ka-Hoo-Fu
- September 23 - Doofus Drake, Major Courage, Overlord Bulovan
- September 24 - Armstrong
- September 25 - Ma Beagle, Bankjob Beagle
- September 28 - Magica's Shadow
- October 2 - Mad Dog McGurk
- October 5 - Baggy Beagle
- October 8 - Bugle Beagle
- October 10 - Aquarianne, Finwithit
- October 14 - Bomber Beagle, Ripcord McQuack, Birdie McQuack, Loopey McQuack
- October 23 - King Blowhard, Circe, The Sirens, Yuckalinda, Queen Ariel, King Homer
- November 20 - Harp of Troy
- November 25 - Dr. NoGood, Feathers Galore
- December 23 - Shedlock Jones
People
Births
- January 12 - Naya Rivera (actress and singer)
- January 20 - Madhur Mittal (actor)
- February 1 - Heather Morris (actress, singer, dancer, and model)
- February 9 - Michael B. Jordan (actor)
- February 12 - Gary LeRoi Gray (actor and voice actor)
- February 28 - Michelle Horn (actress)
- March 19 - Josie Loren (actress)
- April 7 - Jack Johnson (actor)
- April 9 - Jesse McCartney (actor, singer-songwriter, and voice actor)
- April 10 - Hayley Westenra (singer, songwriter, classical crossover artist, and UNICEF Ambassador)
- April 12 - Mike Manning (actor, producer, writer, television personality, and activist)
- April 17 - Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (actress)
- April 27
- William Moseley (actor)
- Laura Ortiz (actress and voice actress)
- April 29 - Alicia Morton (actress and singer)
- May 21 - Ashlie Brillault (actress and lawyer)
- May 29 - Joseph Haro (actor and voice actor)
- May 31 - Shaun Fleming (actor, voice actor, and musician)
- June 3 - Lalaine (actress, singer-songwriter, and spokesperson)
- June 16 - Abby Elliott (actress, voice actress, and comedian)
- July 3 - Sebastian Vettel (German racing driver)
- July 7 - Julianna Guill (actress)
- July 11
- Cristina Vee (voice actress, singer, voice director, and television host)
- A.J. LoCascio (actor, voice actor, film, director, and film producer)
- July 24
- Mara Wilson (writer and actress)
- Adam Rose (dancer, actor, voice actor, and blogger)
- July 25 - Michael Welch (actor and voice actor)
- July 29 - Genesis Rodriguez (actress and voice actress)
- August 18 - Mika Boorem (actress)
- August 25 - Liu Yifei (actress, singer, and model)
- August 30 - Johanna Braddy (actress)
- September 7 - Evan Rachel Wood (actress, voice actress, fashion model, and singer)
- September 11 - Elizabeth Henstridge (actress and voice actress)
- September 13 - Erin Way (actress)
- September 19 - Danielle Panabaker (actress)
- September 23 - Skylar Astin (actor, voice actor, singer, and model)
- September 24 - Brit Morgan (actress)
- September 28 - Hilary Duff (actress)
- October 1 - Matthew Daddario (actor)
- October 9 - Melissa Villaseñor (actress, comedian, and voice actress)
- October 15 - Chantal Strand (actress, voice actress, singer, and writer)
- October 18 - Zac Efron (actor, voice actor, and singer)
- November 5 - Kevin Jonas (singer, musician, and actor)
- November 7 - Gemma Ward (actress and model)
- November 24 - Elena Satine (actress)
- November 28 - Karen Gillan (actress, voice actress, and former model)
- December 3 - Michael Angarano (actor)
- December 4 - Orlando Brown (actor, voice actor, rapper, singer, and radio personality)
- December 8 - Aria Curzon (actress and voice actress)
- December 13 - Michael Socha (actor)
- December 16 - Michael Lohan Jr. (actor)
- December 28 - Thomas Dekker (actor, director, producer, singer, and musician)
Deaths
- January 15 - Ray Bolger (actor, singer, and dancer)
- February 9 - Don Griffith (animator)
- March 3 - Danny Kaye (actor, singer, dancer, and comedian)
- April 19 - Milt Kahl (animator)
- July 20 - Richard Egan (actor)
- July 26 - Kenneth Muse (animator)
- December 22 - José Oliveira (voice actor)
Artists joined
- Nik Ranieri - Supervising animator on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Hercules.
- Russ Edmonds - Supervising animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Tarzan.
- Tony Fucile - Animator on The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Incredibles, and The Little Mermaid.
1987