- February 16
- Turks and Caicos Islands issues three postage stamps marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of Pluto. [617.641]
- February 25
- CBS and Walt Disney Productions agree to move Disney's shows to CBS for the 1981-82 season. [131.C20]
- March 7
- The first murder at Disneyland is recorded. James O'Driscoll stabs and kills Mel Yorba, after accusing him of touching his girlfriend. (O'Driscoll is convicted of second degree murder, and sentenced to sixteen years in prison. Over five years later, a jury finds Disney negligent in not getting emergency help quickly enough, and awards US$600,000 to Yorba's family. Disney appeals, and settles out of court.) [163] [450.142]
- March 20
- Turks and Caicos Islands issues five postage stamps with various Disney characters. [617.640]
- Buena Vista releases the live-action feature film Amy to theaters. [370.316] [1378.30] (April [23] [67.111])
- March 30
- Anguilla issues ten postage stamps depicting various Disney characters in Easter outfits. [629.355]
- April 7
- Grenada issues five postage stamps depicting various Disney characters and Easter baskets. [653.416]
- April 14
- Grenada Grenadines issues four postage stamps depicting various Disney characters coloring Easter eggs. [653.452]
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- April
- Construction work begins on Tokyo Disneyland. [55.37]
- April 16
- Disney shows the live-action feature film The Watcher in the Woods at special preview screenings. (Due to the poor audience response, the film is withdrawn from distribution, allowing time for a proper ending of the film to be shot.) [23] [102.37] [112.506] [501.599] (1980 [370.273,316])
- April 26
- The NBC TV network airs the Disney's Wonderful World show, entitled Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life. [228.128]
- April 30
- Dominica issues two postage stamps marking the 50th anniversary of Pluto. [648.749]
- (month unknown)
- NBC announces the cancellation of the Disney's Wonderful World TV show. [56.78] [84.899] [381.73]
- May 15
- Barbuda issues ten postage stamps depicting various Disney characters at sea. [629.656]
- May
- Animation work begins on the film The Black Cauldron. [97.291]
- May 25
- The Kindercare Center child-care facility opens at Walt Disney World. [228.275]
- June 1
- The EPCOT Preview Center in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World begins showing the film A Dream Called EPCOT. [23] [228.151]
- June
- Disney releases the film Dumbo on videocassette, for rental only. [1] [228.154] [501.587] (1980 [11])
- Disney releases the film A Dream Called Walt Disney World as a souvenir. [228.151]
- Paramount Pictures releases the live-action feature film Dragonslayer in theaters in the US. Disney and Paramount co-produced the film. Disney releases it to theaters outside the US. [23] [15] [67.169] [228.151]
- June 29
- The Broadway at the Top show opens in the Top of the World at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. [1378.99]
- (month unknown)
- Disney releases the film Candleshoe on videocassette. [228.77]
- West Germany names Sport Goofy as the spokesman for the German Sportlife Fund. [97.50]
- Walt Disney Productions decides to give the film Fantasia a new digitally recorded score. [35]
- Disney releases the feature film The Reluctant Dragon on videocassette. [370.49]
- Disney releases the film The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again on videocassette. [228.28]
- Disney releases the 16-mm film The Sorcerer's Apprentice. [23]
- Disney releases the 16-mm film A Lesson in Self-Assertion. [23]
- Disney releases the film Amy on videocassette. [228.23]
- Discovery Island is made an accredited zoological park. [6]
- Disney releases the 16-mm film Amy On the Lips. [23]
- Disney releases the live-action feature film The Watcher in the Woods to theaters outside the US. [15] [23]
- Disney releases the film The Absent Minded Professor on videocassette in black and white. [228.1]
- Disney releases the animated film compilation Donald Duck's Cartoon Medley to theaters in Denmark. [23]
- Disney releases the film Gus on videocassette. [228.223]
- Disney re-releases the film Cinderella to theaters. [25] [85.96] [1378.137]
- Disney re-releases the film Alice in Wonderland to theaters. [25] [228.15]
- Disney releases the animated film compilation Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Cartoon Collection Volume 1 on laserdisc in the US, for US$25. It includes: Through the Mirror, The Sleepwalker, Donald's Golf Game, Pluto and the Gopher, Dragon Around, The Whalers, Society Dog Show, Pluto's Sweater, Donald Applecore, The Little Whirlwind, Donald's Diary, Pluto's Blue Note. [15]
- Disney releases the animated film compilation Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Cartoon Collection Volume 3 on laserdisc for US$25. It includes The Boat Builders, Pluto's Quin-Puplets, Chef Donald, The Moose Hunters, Working for Peanuts, Lend a Paw. [15]
- Disney releases the film Darby O'Gill and the Little People on videocassette. [1378.172]
- Buena Vista re-releases the film Herbie Goes Bananas to theaters. [228.232]
- Disney releases the film Davy Crockett and the River Pirates on videocassette. [228.118]
- Disney releases the film The Devil and Max Devlin on videocassette. [228.124]
- Manuel Gonzales retires from Disney. He drew the Mickey Mouse comic strip for the Sunday newspaper page since 1938. [228.209]
- Disney releases the film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on videocassette. [228.310]
- Disney releases the film Old Yeller on videocassette. [228.367]
- Disney releases the film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band on videocassette. [228.370]
- Disney releases the film The Shaggy Dog on videocassette. [501.494]
- Buena Vista re-releases Disney's film Swiss Family Robinson to theaters. [501.534]
- Disney releases the film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day on videocassette. [501.616]
- Disney releases the film Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree on videocassette. [501.616]
- Disney releases the film Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too on videocassette. [501.616]
- Nintendo releases the Mickey Mouse Game & Watch handheld game. [1335.17]
- July 2
- Disney releases the live-action feature film Condorman to theaters in the UK. [23] [51.21] [370.316] [1378.150]
- July 9
- Walt Disney Productions acquires Retlaw Enterprises for US$46.2 million in Disney stock. The deal gives Disney the rights to the Walt Disney name and Disneyland's monorail and steam railroad. [128.D4] [1073.133] [1364.62] (1982 [34.293] [108.49])
- July 10
- Disney releases the animated short film compilation Once upon a Mouse to theaters. [23] [85.325] [228.370]
- Buena Vista releases the animated feature film The Fox and the Hound to theaters in the US. This is the first major animated film effort of the "new generation" of Disney artists. [8] [11] [14] [23] [25] [67.47] [97.285] [112.461] [191] [228.193] [245.34] [246.92] [370.316] (July 1 [15])
- July 14
- The ice skating show Walt Disney's World on Ice premieres in East Rutherford, New Jersey. [501.620]
- July 23
- Disney releases the film Herbie Goes Bananas to theaters in the UK. [51.34]
- (month unknown)
- Disney and the China Film Co-Production Company begin filming in China, for a CircleVision film for EPCOT Center. [36.207]
- August 7
- Buena Vista releases the film Condorman to theaters in the US. [23] [67.210] [112.451] [246.93] [370.316] [1378.150]
- August 17
- A WEDWay PeopleMover opens at the Houston International Airport in Houston, Texas. The system was sold and constructed by Disney's Community Transportation Services division. This is the first use of a Disney system outside of Disney's entertainment parks. [5] [6] [228.244]
- August 20
- Walt Disney Productions raises US$100 million with the issue of a 5-year Eurobond, the first public debt for the company. [129.D5]
- September 15
- Disney releases the 16-mm film Popeye. [228.397]
- September
- Disney releases the live-action film Smoking: The Choice is Yours for educational use. [23] [501.508]
- Disney releases the 16-mm film Jungle Book: A Lesson in Accepting Change for educational use. [23] [228.268]
- Disney releases the live-action film Reaching Out: A Story About Mainstreaming for educational use. [23] [228.409]
- Disney releases the animated film Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons. [23] [97.125] [501.616]
- Disney releases the film One Hundred and One Dalmatians: A Lesson in Self-Assertion for educational use. [228.372]
- Disney releases the 16-mm educational film Dumbo: A Lesson in Being Prepared. [23] [228.154]
- Disney releases the 16-mm film Cinderella: A Lesson in Compromise for educational use. [23] [1378.138]
- Disney releases the live-action 16-mm film The Cookie Kid for educational use. [23] [1378.153]
- Disney releases the 16-mm film The Fox and the Hound: A Lesson in Being Careful for educational use. [23] [228.194]
- Disney releases the live-action and animated film Comets: Time Capsules of the Solar System for educational use. [23] [1378.148]
- September 26
- Disney's weekly TV show moves to CBS, making it the first prime-time series to have appeared on all three major networks. The show is renamed Walt Disney, airing on Saturdays from 8:00 to 9:00. [5] [57.48] [58.45] [59.165] [83.698] [84.899] [381.661] [501.592]
- October 1
- Ten years after opening, total attendance at Walt Disney World is 126 million. [36.27]
- The Tencennial Parade begins performances in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [501.545]
- The TV special Florida's Disney Decade airs, in Florida. [228.188]
- October 2
- The live stage show Disney World is Your World begins performances on the Tomorrowland Stage in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. [228.132]
- October
- Disney releases the film Alice in Wonderland on videocassette, for rental only. [1] [228.15] [501.587] (1980 [11])
- October 7
- Disney releases the live-action feature film The Watcher in the Woods to theaters in the US. The film is based on the novel A Watcher in the Woods by Florence Engel Randall. [370.316] [501.599]
- October 22
- Disney releases the film The Fox and the Hound to theaters in the UK. [51.29]
- October 24
- The CBS TV network airs the Walt Disney show, entitled A Disney Halloween. [228.130]
- (month unknown)
- Disney releases the film Condorman on videocassette. [228.101]
- November 2
- Anguilla issues ten postage stamps depicting scenes from Walt Disney's The Night Before Christmas film. [629.355]
- Dominica issues ten postage stamps depicting scenes from Walt Disney's Santa's Workshop film. [648.749]
- Grenada issues ten postage stamps depicting scenes from Cinderella. [341.416]
- Grenada Grenadines issues ten postage stamps depicting scenes from Lady and the Tramp. [653.453]
- Turks and Caicos Islands issues ten postage stamps with Walt Disney's Uncle Remus characters. [617.641]
- November 10
- Walt Disney Productions and Westinghouse Broadcasting announce an agreement to produce a family-oriented cable television service. [130.C26]
- November 14
- The CBS TV network airs the Walt Disney show, entitled A Disney Storybook part one. It features the films Mickey and the Beanstalk, Dumbo, and Working for Peanuts. [228.132]
- November
- Disney releases the animated film compilation Mickey's Golden Jubilee to theaters in England. [96.89]
- November 21
- The CBS TV network airs the Walt Disney show, entitled A Disney Storybook part two. [228.132]
- November 28
- The CBS TV network airs the Walt Disney show, entitled The Cherokee Trail, a pilot for a proposed new series. [1378.130]
- December 5
- The CBS TV network airs the Walt Disney show, entitled A Magical Disney Christmas. [228.305]
- December 12
- The CBS TV network airs the Walt Disney show, entitled Walt Disney ... One Man's Dream. The show is a two-hour documentary. [386.425] [501.593]
- December 20
- The Fantasyland Theater at Disneyland closes. [228.175,323] [1300.280]
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