2001

Theatrical releases

Feature films

• February 16 - Recess: School's Out is released to favorable to mixed reviews and becomes a box office failure.
• April 6 - Just Visiting (Hollywood Pictures) is released to negative reviews from critic and it was final production work from Hollywood Pictures before it folded to Touchstone Pictures.
• June 15 - Atlantis: The Lost Empire is released to mixed reviews and moderate commercial success.
• August 3 - The Princess Diaries is released to mixed reviews, but becomes a box office success.
• October 5 - Max Keeble's Big Move is released to negative reviews and bombs at the box office.
• November 2 - Monsters, Inc. is released as a box office hit and receives universal acclaim.
• November 21 - Out Cold (Touchstone Pictures)
• December 7 - 'Twas the Night
• December 14 - The Other Side of Heaven (Touchstone Pictures)

Shorts

• November 2 - For the Birds

Business

• Buena Vista Games is founded, Disney Interactive and Buena Vista Interactive being subsidiaries in the process.
• Disney loses the rights to King Louie following a lawsuit with Gia Prima for not paying royalties and impersonation of her husband's voice.
• October 24 - Disney purchases Fox Family Worldwide from News Corporation and Saban Entertainment. The buyout included the Fox Family channel, rights to Fox Kids shows and channels in Europe and Latin America (including their stake in Fox Kids Europe N.V.), the Saban Entertainment library, Saban International Paris and other subsidiaries. Fox Family Worldwide is renamed ABC Family Worldwide. 17 days later, Fox Family became ABC Family. Saban Entertainment is renamed to BVS Entertainment and Saban International Paris was sold off to become an independent studio.

Character debuts

• February 27 - Angel, Annette, Collette, and Danielle, Buster, Reggie, Francois, Sparky, Mooch, Ruby, Scratchy, Otis, the Dogcatcher
• June 15 - Milo Thatch, Kida Nedakh, Lyle Tiberius Rourke, Gaetan Molière, Helga Sinclair, Preston B. Whitmore, Joshua Sweet, Kashekim Nedakh, Vincenzo Santorini, Audrey Ramirez, Wilhelmina Packard, Fenton Q. Harcourt, Jebidiah Allardyce "Cookie" Farnsworth
• August 3 - Mia Thermopolis, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, Lana Thomas, Helen Thermopolis, Josh Bryant
• September 15 - Penny Proud, Dijonay Jones, Zoey Howzer, LaCienega Boulevardez, Suga Mama, Oscar Proud, Trudy Proud, BeBe & CeCe Proud, Puff, Sticky Webb, Felix Boulevardez, Sunset Boulevardez, Papi Boulevardez, the Gross Sisters
• October 5 - Max Keeble, Megan, Troy McGinty, Don Keeble, Lily Keeble, Evil Ice Cream Man, Principal Elliot T. Jindrake, Jenna, Chelsea
• November 2 - James P. Sullivan, Mike Wazowski, Boo, Randall Boggs, Henry J. Waternoose, Celia Mae, Roz, Yeti, Fungus, Flint, Thaddeus Bile, Needleman and Smitty, George Sanderson

Theme parks

• January 9 - Downtown Disney opens at the Disneyland Resort.
• January 14 - Collector pins begin to be given out at the Disney Parks.
• February 8 - Disney's California Adventure opens at Disneyland Resort.
• February 8 - Muppet*Vision 3D opens at Disney's California Adventure.
• March 28 - The Sorcerer's Hat opens at Disney-MGM Studios and becomes the park's icon, replacing the Earful Tower.
• April 1 - The Main Street Electrical Parade ends its run at the Magic Kingdom.
• April 2 - SpectroMagic returns to the Magic Kingdom.
• April 7 - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It! debuts at Disney-MGM Studios.
• April 16 - Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge opens.
• April 27 - The Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register reports that the Rocket Rods at Disneyland will never reopen due to many factors.
• May 1 - The Disney's Animal Kingdom attraction Countdown to Extinction changes its name to DINOSAUR.
• May 6 - A tree in Frontierland at Disneyland, which had been there since the park opened, falls over, injuring 29 people.
• May 12 - Doug Live! closes at the Disney-MGM Studios, due to the show's cancellation from ABC.
• May 24 - The Magic Carpets of Aladdin opens at the Magic Kingdom.
• July 4 - Disney's Electrical Parade begins performing at Disney's California Adventure.
• July 17- Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln receives an upgrade.
• July 27 - The Disney Resort Line of the Tokyo Disney Resort goes into service.
• September 4 - Tokyo DisneySea opens at the Tokyo Disney Resort.
• September 9 - The Country Bear Jamboree closes at Disneyland.
• September 11 and 12 - Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World close due to the terrorist attacks in the northeast. Hotels in both resorts remained open.
• September 13 - Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It! premieres at Disney's California Adventure to very low crowds, due to the terrorist attacks halting travel two days before.
• October 1
  • Cinderella's Surprise Celebration premiered at the Magic Kingdom
  • Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage begins at Disney's MGM Studios
• October 3 - Haunted Mansion Holiday, the seasonal overlay of The Haunted Mansion, debuts at Disneyland.
• November 2 - Disney's River Country closes.

Television

• January 12 - Lizzie McGuire premieres on the Disney Channel.
• January 13 - House of Mouse premieres on ABC; Buzz Lightyear of Star Command airs its final episode on ABC.
• January 22 - The Book of Pooh premieres on Playhouse Disney.
• February 3 - Lloyd in Space premieres on ABC.
• April 5 - The Disney Channel debuts in Brazil.
• April 13 - Hounded, a Disney Channel Original Movie, premieres.
• June 8 - Jett Jackson: The Movie, a Disney Channel Original Movie, premieres.
• July 13 - The Jeannie Project, a Disney Channel Original Movie, premieres.
• September 1 - The Legend of Tarzan premieres in syndication.
• September 15 - The Proud Family premieres on the Disney Channel and Stanley premieres on Playhouse Disney.
• September 28 - So Weird airs its final episode on the Disney Channel.
• September 30 - Alias airs on ABC.
• October 2 - Bob Patterson premieres on ABC.
• October 3 - According to Jim premieres on ABC.
• November 21 - Recess, after four years as one of the most popular shows on ABC's One Saturday Morning, airs its final episode. It would remain in reruns on ABC until fall 2004. A direct-to-video epilogue and prequel are released two years later.
• November 28 - Pepper Ann airs its final episode on UPN.

Books

• October 21 - The Book of Pooh: Rhyme Time

Video games

• January 24 - Winnie the Pooh Baby for PC
• March 15 - Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge for PlayStation (North America only)
• April 27 - Disney's Phonics Quest and Winnie the Pooh Kindergarten for PC
• June 1 - Mickey Saves the Day 3D Adventure
• October 2 - Winnie the Pooh: ABC's and Winnie the Pooh: 123's Disney Learning Toddler and Preschool for PC
• October 25 - Monsters, Inc. Scream Team Training for PC
• November 6 - Rolie Polie Olie: The Search For Spot for PC
• November 14 - Tarzan Untamed for PlayStation 2
• November 15 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for Game Boy Color
• November 17 - Tarzan Untamed for GameCube

Home video releases

VHS & DVD releases

• January 9 - Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You
• January 16
  • Pete's Dragon
  • Mission to Mars (VHS only)
• January 23
  • The Kid
  • The Thirteenth Year
• January 30 - Dinosaur
• February 27 - Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
• March 1 - Alley Cats Strike
• March 20
  • The Sword in the Stone
  • Bedknobs and Broomsticks: 30th Anniversary Edition
  • Remember the Titans
  • Toy Story
  • Toy Story 2
• April 3 - 102 Dalmatians
• April 10 - The Love Bug
• May 1
  • The Emperor's New Groove
  • The Emperor's New Groove: The Ultimate Groove Edition (DVD only)
• July 17
  • The Book of Pooh: Stories from the Heart
  • My Date with the President's Daughter
• August 7 - Recess: School's Out
• September 11
  • The Book of Pooh: Fun with Words
  • Fun with Friends
• September 18 - Principal Takes a Holiday
• October 9 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Platinum Edition (DVD only)
• October 23
  • Dumbo: 60th Anniversary Edition
  • Whispers: An Elephant's Tale
• November 6
  • Disney Sing Along Songs: The Twelve Days of Christmas (re-issue)
  • Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse
  • Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street
  • Sister Act
  • Santa Who?
• November 27 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Platinum Edition (VHS only)
• December 4 - Walt Disney Treasures Wave 1 (DVD only)
• December 18
  • The Princess Diaries
  • Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story

Albums

• January 23 - Recess: School's Out
• March 27 - Cruella's Favorite Villain Songs
• May 22 - Atlantis: The Lost Empire
• September 11 - Playhouse Disney
• October 23 - Monsters Inc.

People

Births

• February 15 - Haley Tju (actress)
• February 21 - Isabella Acres (actress and voice actress)
• February 23 - Lilla Crawford (actress, singer, and dancer)
• April 15 - Django Marsh (actor and voice actor)
• August 5 - Josie Totah (actress)
• August 6 - Harley Graham (actress)
• August 8 - Aubrey K. Miller (actress, singer, model, and dancer)
• August 30 - Sean Ryan Fox (child actor and voice actor)
• September 4 - Tenzing Norgay Trainor (actor)
• October 9 - Joshua Carlon (actor and voice actor)
• October 12 - Raymond Ochoa (actor)
• October 14 - Rowan Blanchard (actress, singer, model, and dancer)
• December 2 - Dusan Brown (actor)
• December 14 - Joshua Rush (actor)
• December 28 - Madison De La Garza (actress)

Deaths

• January 26 - Thor Putnam (layout artist)
• February 17 - John Sutherland (producer, writer, animator, and voice actor)
• May 10 - Deborah Walley (actress)
• May 11 - Douglas Adams (writer)
• June 26 - Paul Berry (stop-motion animator and director)
• July 15 - Ted Berman (animator, director, and writer)
• August 4 - Lorenzo Music (actor, writer, television producer, and musician)
• August 23 - Kathleen Freeman (actress)
• September 13 - Dorothy McGuire (actress)
• September 23 - Elton Hayes (actor and guitarist)
• November 29 - George Harrison (singer)
• December 26 - Nigel Hawthorne (actor)
• December 31 - David Swift (screenwriter, animator, director, and producer)