The Muppet Show Comic Book
Waking Sleeping Beauty premieres at the Telluride Film Festival.
Little Einsteins airs its final episode.
Theatrical releases
Feature films
- February 13 - Confessions of a Shopaholic (Touchstone Pictures)
- February 27 - Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience was released to negative reviews.
- March 13 - Race to Witch Mountain
- April 3 - Adventureland (Miramax Films)
- April 4 - Fantasia is re-issued in Buffalo, New York.
- April 10 - Hannah Montana: The Movie
- April 22 - Disneynature's Earth
- May 22 - The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story
- May 29 - Up is released to universal acclaim.
- June 19 - The Proposal (released under the Touchstone Pictures Banner)
- July 24 - G-Force is released to negative reviews.
- August 14 - Ponyo
- September 6 - Waking Sleeping Beauty premieres at the Telluride Film Festival.
- September 9 - Walt & El Grupo
- September 25 - Surrogates (Touchstone Pictures)
- October 2 - Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are re-issued as a 3D double feature.
- October 23 - The Nightmare Before Christmas (re-issued in 3D)
- November 6 - A Christmas Carol
- November 25 - Old Dogs is released to universal panning.
- December 11 - The Princess and the Frog is released to positive reviews.
Shorts
Events
- After Walt Disney Pictures left the Narnia franchise, and the failure of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian destroyed it, 20th Century Fox enters the Narnia franchise with Walden Media.
- After 8 years, Pinocchio is the last DVD and Blu-ray to be released with the Platinum Edition label.
- February 9 - Disney signs a distribution deal with Dreamworks Pictures to distribute around 30 movies for over 5 years under Touchstone Pictures.
- May 12 - SIP Animation, minorty owned by Disney, files for liquidation and closes down.
- May 18 - Bret Iwan is first called in to be the voice of Mickey Mouse shortly after the death of Wayne Allwine.
- August 30 - Due to disappointing advanced ticket sales for the rest of the year, as well as to make room for The Addams Family, The Little Mermaid closes.
- August 31 - The Walt Disney Company announces a deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4.24 billion.
- November 21 - Up premieres at the Starz Denver Film Festival.
- November 26 - The Sailor Mickey Mouse balloon appears in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
- December 1 - The creators of Disney's upcoming Tron Legacy boards The Black Hole.
- The release of The Princess and the Frog marks the beginning of the Modern Age of Disney Animation.
- December 31 - Disney completes its acquisition of Marvel Entertainment.
Character debuts
- February 19 - Bob Webber
- April 18 - Meap, Mitch
- May 29 - Carl Fredricksen, Russell, Dug, Charles F. Muntz, Alpha
- May 30 - Xion
- July 11 - The Regurgitator
- July 18 - Irving
- October 12 - Candice, Stinger
- October 24 - Jerry the Platypus
- December 8 - Lanny, Wayne, Magee
- December 11 - Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis, Ray, Doctor Facilier, Mama Odie, Juju, Charlotte La Bouff, Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff, Stella, James, Shadow Demons, Firefly family, Reggie, Darnell and Two Fingers
- November 24 - Stan Cruge, Eli the Elf, Santa Paws, Eddy, Tiny
Theme parks
- February 14
- The American Idol Experience opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
- Sweet Duffy 2009 begins at Tokyo DisneySea.
- March 14 - Sweet Duffy 2009 ends.
- April 14 - The Tokyo Disney Resort's 25th anniversary celebration ends.
- April 15 - Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek opens at Tokyo Disneyland.
- May 4 - Mickey's Fun Wheel opens in Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure.
- May 25 - The Mickey Mouse Revue closes at Tokyo Disneyland.
- June 12 - The Summer Nightastic! promotion begins at the Disneyland Resort, highlighting the return of Fantasmic! and an updated Disney's Electrical Parade.
- July 4 - The Hall of Presidents reopens with a new Barack Obama animatronic, voiced by Obama himself.
- September 25 - Edelweiss Snacks opens at Disneyland.
- October 9 - Turtle Talk opens at Tokyo DisneySea.
Television
- January 18 - Desperate Housewives airs its 100th episode on ABC.
- February 8 - Sonny with a Chance premieres on the Disney Channel.
- February 13 - Toon Disney ceases broadcast and is replaced by Disney XD on Eastern at midnight.
- March 30 - The Replacements airs its final episodes.
- April 4 - Special Agent Oso premieres on Playhouse Disney, and The Doodlebops and The Wiggles are cancelled.
- May 2 - Jonas premieres on the Disney Channel.
- June 26 - Stitch! airs its final episode.
- July 17 - Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana premieres on the Disney Channel.
- September 5 - Imagination Movers Season 2 premieres on Playhouse Disney.
- September 8 - My Friends Tigger & Pooh Season 3 premieres on Playhouse Disney.
- October 13 - Stitch! ~Itazura Alien no Daibōken~ (Stitch! ~The Mischievous Alien's Great Adventure~) premieres on TV Asahi and Disney Channel Japan.
- December 6 - Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation! premieres on Disney XD.
- December 8 - Prep & Landing premieres on ABC.
- December 22 - Little Einsteins airs its final episode.
Albums
Comics
- March - Boom! Studios begins publishing comic books based on The Muppet Show and the Pixar movies
- September - Boom! Studios acquires the publishing rights for Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Mickey Mouse and Friends, Donald Duck and Friends, and Uncle Scrooge
Video games
- February 3 - Phineas and Ferb on Nintendo DS
- April 7 - Hannah Montana: The Movie
- May 30 - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Japan)
- September 29 - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (North America)
- October 12 - Cars: Race-O-Rama (North America)
- October 30 - Cars: Race-O-Rama (Europe)
Live shows
- Disney On Ice: Let's Celebrate! began touring.
Home video releases
DVD and Blu-ray releases
- January 13
- Swing Vote (Touchstone Home Entertainment)
- Geppetto (DVD only)
- Smart House (DVD only)
- January 27 - Mary Poppins: 45th Anniversary Edition (DVD only)
- February 3
- Oliver & Company: 20th Anniversary Edition (DVD only)
- Space Buddies
- February 10
- Miracle at St. Anna (Touchstone Home Entertainment)
- Pretty Woman
- Phineas and Ferb: The Daze of Summer (DVD only)
- Wizards of Waverly Place: Supernaturally Stylin (DVD only)
- February 17 - High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- March 3
- Beverly Hills Chihuahua
- Air Bud: Special Edition (DVD only)
- March 10
- Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition
- Escape to Witch Mountain (DVD only)
- Return from Witch Mountain (DVD only)
- March 24
- Bolt
- Lilo & Stitch: 2-Disc Big Wave Edition (DVD only)
- March 31
- Schoolhouse Rock! Earth (DVD only)
- Hannah Montana: Keeping it Real (DVD only)
- April 7
- Bedtime Stories
- My Friends Tigger & Pooh: Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too (DVD only)
- Walt Disney Animation Collection: Classic Short Films Volumes 1-3 (DVD only)
- May 5
- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Big Splash
- Imagination Movers: Warehouse Mouse Edition
- May 12
- Hatching Pete
- Dadnapped
- Walt Disney Animation Collection: Classic Short Films Volumes 4-6
- May 19 - A Bug's Life
- June 30 - Princess Protection Program (DVD only)
- August 4 - The Tigger Movie: 10th Anniversary Edition (DVD only)
- August 18 - Pete's Dragon: High-Flying Edition (DVD only)
- September 8
- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks: Enchanted Musical Edition
- Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Rocket's Blastoff
- Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams
- September 22 - Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana
- September 29
- Walt Disney Animation Collection: Classic Shorts, Volume 7 - Mickey's Christmas Carol
- A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa: Extended Edition
- Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving: 10th Anniversary Edition
- October 6 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition
- October 27 - Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
- November 3
- Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse )DVD only)
- Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro - The Complete First Season (DVD only)
- Zorro: The Complete Second Season (DVD only)
- November 10
- November 24
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition (DVD only)
- Santa Buddies
- December 1 - Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Choo-Choo Express (DVD only)
- December 15
- G-Force
- Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie: Extended Edition
People
Deaths
- January 6 - Cheryl Holdridge (actress and Mouseketeer)
- January 13 - Patrick McGoohan (actor)
- January 14 - Ricardo Montalbán (actor)
- March 18 - Natasha Richardson (actress)
- May 4 - Dom DeLuise (actor, voice actor, comedian, director, producer, chef, and author)
- May 18 - Wayne Allwine (voice of Mickey Mouse)
- June 23 - Ed McMahon (comedian, game show host, and announcer)
- June 25
- Farrah Fawcett (actress)
- Michael Jackson (singer and actor)
- June 28 - Billy Mays (television actor)
- July 3 - David Carradine (actor, director, and martial artist)
- July 14 - Dallas McKennon (actor and voice actor)
- July 17 - Walter Cronkite (broadcast journalist)
- August 6 - John Hughes (producer, director, and screenwriter)
- August 15 - Virginia Davis (child actress)
- September 14
- Henry Gibson (actor, voice actor, comedian, singer, and songwriter)
- Patrick Swayze (actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter)
- December 3 - Richard Todd (soldier, stage and film actor, and film director)
- December 16 - Roy E. Disney (son of Roy O. Disney and nephew of Walt Disney)
- December 20 - Brittany Murphy (actress, singer, and voice artist)
2009