Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series
Toontown opens at Tokyo Disneyland.
Muppets Tonight
PKNA begins publication in Italy.
Events
- Disney buys New York-based animation studio Jumbo Pictures. The company would produce three shows for Disney.
- Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere leave Nickelodeon to pitch Recess to Walt Disney Television. The show would premiere a year later.
- February 2 - Gerry Laybourne, former president of Nickelodeon, is hired as the new president of the newly founded Disney/ABC Television Networks.
- March 21 - Disneyland unveils its plans to renovate Tomorrowland. The project would be completed in 1998.
- March 23 - Disney and McDonald's sign a 10-year national promotion alliance, which begin in January 1997.
- October - Production begins on Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
Theatrical releases
Feature films
- January 12 - Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
- January 19 - French Twist and From Dusk till Dawn
- February 2 - White Squall
- February 9 - Beautiful Girls
- February 16 - Muppet Treasure Island is released to positive reviews. and Mr. Wrong is released to negative reviews.
- February 23 - Before and After
- March 1 - Up Close & Personal
- March 8 - Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
- March 22 - Flirting with Disaster
- March 29 - Oliver & Company is re-released to theaters.
- April 12 - James and the Giant Peach is released to positive reviews.
- April 19 - Celtic Pride
- May 3 - Last Dance
- May 10 - Boys
- May 24 - Spy Hard
- May 31 - Eddie
- June 7 - The Rock
- June 21 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame is released to positive reviews.
- July 5 - Phenomenon
- July 17 - Kazaam
- August 2 - Emma
- August 9 - Jack
- August 30 - First Kid and The Crow: City of Angels
- September 13 - The Rich Man's Wife
- September 27 - Curdled
- October 4 - D3: The Mighty Ducks is released to negative reviews.
- October 18 - Swingers
- October 25 - The Associate
- November 8 - Ransom
- November 22 - The War at Home
- November 27 - The live-action remake of 101 Dalmatians is released to mixed reviews and becomes a box office hit. (with Great Oaks Entertainment)
- December 6 - The English Patient
- December 13 - The Preacher's Wife
- December 18 - Marvin's Room
- December 20 - Scream
- December 25 - Evita
Theme parks
- January 2 - World of Motion closes at Epcot.
- January 21 - Universe of Energy closes at Epcot.
- January 27 - Toy Story Funhouse opens in Disneyland.
- April 15 - Toontown opens at Tokyo Disneyland.
- September 1 - Captain EO at Tokyo Disneyland closes.
- September 6 - Night of Joy 1996 begins at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
- September 15 - Ellen's Energy Adventure opens at Epcot.
- September 21 - IllumiNations 25 opens at Epcot.
- September 28 - Walt Disney World's Grand Prix Speedway is renamed Tomorrowland Speedway.
- October 1 - Walt Disney World celebrates its 25th anniversary. Also, Mickey's Starland is renamed Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Television
- The Disney Channel Premiere Film, Susie Q, premieres on the Disney Channel. The Bug Hunt is released on the Disney Channel for the "Create a Great Story" Contest.
- March 8 - Muppets Tonight premieres on ABC.
- June 6 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Festival of Fun Musical Spectacular premieres.
- September 3 - Quack Pack premieres in syndication.
- September 5 - Brand Spanking New Doug (formerly on Nickelodeon), Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series, and Jungle Cubs premiere on ABC.
- September 7 - Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles premieres on ABC.
- October 25 - Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh premieres on ABC
Comics
- December - Marvel Comics files for bankruptcy, and as a result, Disney Comic Hits! is cancelled.
Video games
- April 11 - Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow for Super NES
- September - Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow for PC
- November - Pinocchio for Super NES
Home video releases
VHS releases
- January 8 - Sweetheart Stories and Mickey Loves Minnie
- January 15 - Aladdin & Jasmine's Moonlight Magic
- January 29 - A Kid in King Arthur's Court, The Big Green, and Three Little Pigs
- February 12 - Heavyweights
- February 19 - Jasmine's Enchanted Tales: Magic and Mystery
- February 26 - Pocahontas
- March 5 - Houseguest
- March 26 - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- April 9 - Aladdin's Arabian Adventures: Fearless Friends, Team Genie and Jasmine's Enchanted Tales: True Hearts
- April 23 - The Sword in the Stone (re-issue), Dumbo (re-issue), Alice in Wonderland (re-issue), So Dear to My Heart, Bedknobs and Broomsticks (re-issue), Mary Poppins (re-issue) and The Aristocats
- April 30 - Tom and Huck
- July 9 - Nixon
- July 30 - Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
- September 10 - Muppet Treasure Island
- September 25 - Oliver & Company
- October 15 - James and the Giant Peach
- October 29 - Toy Story
- November 12 - Father of the Bride Part II
- December 17 - Life with Mikey
- December 24 - Mickey's Christmas Carol
Direct-to-video releases
- June 25 - Disney Sing Along Songs: Topsy Turvy, Let's Go to the Circus!, Campout at Walt Disney World and Beach Party at Walt Disney World
- August 13 - Aladdin and the King of Thieves
- November 26 - Disney Sing Along Songs: Pongo and Perdita
Albums
- March 5 - Oliver & Company (re-release; some songs rearranged)
- March 26 - Songs from the AristoCats and Bibbidi Bobbidi Bach
People
Births
- January 6 - Oana Gregory (Romanian actress)
- January 15 - Dove Cameron (actress and singer)
- January 18 - Sarah Gilman (actress)
- February 9 - Jimmy Bennett (voice actor); Kelli Berglund (actress and dancer)
- February 17 - Sasha Pieterse (actress)
- March 18 - Madeline Carroll (actress)
- April 6 - Miranda May (actress)
- April 10 - Audrey Whitby (actress and comedienne)
- April 14 - Abigail Breslin (actress)
- April 25 - Allisyn Ashley Arm (actress and comedienne)
- April 28 - Tony Revolori (actor)
- May 9 - Noah Centineo (actor); Mary Mouser (actress)
- May 15 - Birdy (singer)
- May 17 - Ryan Ochoa (actor)
- June 12 - Anna Margaret (actress and singer)
- July 20 - Joey Bragg (actor)
- July 23 - Rachel G. Fox (actress, singer, musician)
- July 30 - Austin North (actor)
- July 31 - Blake Michael (actor and director)
- August 1 - Cymphonique Miller (actress and singer)
- September 1 - Zendaya (actress and singer)
- September 6 - Alex Christian Jones (actor)
- September 12 - Colin Ford (actor, voice actor and model)
- September 17 - Ella Purnell (English actress and model)
- October 5 - Mary Gibbs (voice actress)
- December 6 - Stefanie Scott (actress and singer)
- December 8 - Teala Dunn (actress and singer)
- December 11 - Hailee Steinfeld (actress, singer, and model)
- December 21 - Kaitlyn Dever (actress)
- December 29 - Dylan Minnette (actor)
Deaths
- January 31 - Beth Amos (actress)
- February 2 - Shamus Culhane (animator, director and producer); Gene Kelly (dancer, actor, singer, director, producer and choreographer)
- March 9 - George Burns (comedian, actor and writer)
- April 6 - Greer Garson (actress)
- April 23 - P.L. Travers (author)
- May 1 - Luana Patten (actress)
- May 6 - Ed Love (animator)
- May 10 - Ethel Smith (organist)
- May 24 - John Abbott (character actor)
- June 5 - Vito Scotti (veteran character actor)
- June 12 - Mary Field (actress)
- July 15 - Dana Hill (actress and voice actor)
- August 18 - Al Bertino (animator)
- September 14 - Juliet Prowse (dancer)
Character Debuts
- June 21 - Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Judge Claude Frollo, Phoebus, Clopin, Archdeacon, Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, Djali, Frollo's soldiers, Quasimodo's father, Snowball, Quasimodo's mother, Achilles
- August 13 - Sa'Luk, Cassim
1996