1981

An overview of all Disney-related events that occurred in the year 1981.
==Theatrical releases==
===Feature films===
*March 6 - The Devil and Max Devlin
*March 20 - Amy
*April 3 - Alice in Wonderland (re-issue)
*June 12
**Freaky Friday (re-issue)
**Herbie Goes Bananas (re-issue)
**Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (re-issue)
*June 19
**Herbie Rides Again (re-issue)
**Swiss Family Robinson (re-issue)
*June 26 - Dragonslayer (co-production with Paramount)
*July 10 - The Fox and the Hound
*August 7 - Condorman
*October 9 - The Watcher in the Woods
*November 20 - The Watcher in the Woods (Los Angeles, California)
*December 18 - Cinderella (re-issue)
===Shorts===
*June 1
**A Dream Called Walt Disney World
**The Dream Called EPCOT
*June 21 - Smoking: The Choice is Yours
*July 10 - Once Upon a Mouse
*September - Comets: Time Capsules of the Solar System
*September 6 - Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons
*September 23 - Dumbo: A Lesson in Being Prepared
*September 24 - 101 Dalmatians: A Lesson in Self-Assertion
*September 25 - Cinderella: A Lesson in Compromise
*September 27 - The Jungle Book: A Lesson in Accepting Change
==Theme Parks and resorts==
*June 20 - Disney's River Country celebrates its 5th anniversary at Walt Disney World Resort.
*October 1 - Walt Disney World Resort and the Magic Kingdom celebrates its 10th anniversary.
==Events==
*July 29 - Disney on Ice is founded under the name of Walt Disney's World on Ice.
*After 26 years, the last Disney animated feature to use the Buena Vista logo was The Fox and the Hound.
*Walt Disney Productions purchases the rights to Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, the basis for the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
*Halyx, a sci-fi themed rock band created by Disneyland Records, performs at Disneyland's Tomorrowland during the summer as an experiment to try and generate interest in a full album that ultimately never materializes.
*November 26 - The Mickey Mouse balloon makes its 11th appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
==Character debuts==
*May - Della Duck, Daphne Duck, Matilda McDuck, Luke the Goose, Fanny the Goose, Goostave Gander
*June 26 - Tyrian, Vermithrax Pejorative
*July 10 - Tod, Copper, Big Mama, Dinky and Boomer, Squeaks, Widow Tweed, Amos Slade, Chief, Abigail, Mr. Digger, Porcupine, Vixey, The Bear
*August 7 - Woodrow Wilkins, Natalia Rambova, Morovich
==Books==
*Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life
==Home video releases==
===VHS releases===
*June 1
**The Absent-Minded Professor
**The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
**Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
**A Dream Called Walt Disney World
**Dumbo (rental only)
**Escape to Witch Mountain (reissue)
**Gus
**The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (rental only)
**Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Cartoon Collections Vols. 1, 2, and 3
**The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band
**Pete's Dragon (reissue)
**Snow White Live at Radio City Music Hall
*October 15
**Alice in Wonderland (rental only)
**Amy
**Darby O'Gill and the Little People
**Dumbo (sale) (limited release)
**Kids is Kids (reissue)
**The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Reissue)
**Old Yeller
**On Vacation with Mickey Mouse and Friends (reissue)
**A Walt Disney Christmas
===Laserdisc releases===
*October 15
**Alice in Wonderland
**Old Yeller
**Pollyanna
==Video games==
*Mickey Mouse (Nintendo Game & Watch) (Widescreen variety)
==People==
===Births===
*January 1 - Eden Riegel (actress and voice actress)
*January 4 - Aaron Schwartz (actor)
*January 13 
**Shad Gaspard † (professional wrestler and actor)
**Ginger Zee (actress, television personality, and meteorologist)
*January 22 - Beverley Mitchell (actress and singer)
*January 23 - Julia Jones (actress)
*January 28 - Elijah Wood (actor, voice actor, producer, and DJ)
*January 31 - Justin Timberlake (actor, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer)
*February 1 - John Gemberling (actor and comedian)
*February 2 - Nathan Barnatt (actor, comedian, and dancer)
*February 3 - Alisa Reyes (actress and voice actress)
*February 8 - Dawn Olivieri (actress)
*February 9 - Tom Hiddleston (actor)
*February 10 - Stephanie Beatriz (actress and voice actress)
*February 14 - Erin Torpey (actress and singer)
*February 17 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt (actor, filmmaker, singer, and entrepreneur)
*February 23 - Josh Gad (actor, voice actor, comedian, and singer)
*February 27 - Josh Groban (singer-songwriter and actor)
*March 2 - Bryce Dallas Howard (actress, writer, and director)
*March 29
**Megan Hilty (actress)
**PJ Morton (musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer)
*March 30 - Katy Mixon (actress and voice actress)
*April 10 - Laura Bell Bundy (actress and singer)
*April 19 - Hayden Christensen (actor and producer)
*April 27 - Bonnie Morgan (actress and contortionist)
*May 5 - Danielle Fishel (actress, voice actress, screenwriter, director, and television personality)
*May 11 - J.P. Karliak (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
*May 18 - Daniel "Desus Nice" Baker (actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, and internet personality)
*May 23 - Tim Robinson (comedian, actor, writer, producer, and voice actor)
*May 26 - Eric "Ty" Hodges (actor, director, and screenwriter)
*May 28 - Laura Bailey (actress, voice actress, and voice director)
*June 1
**Johnny Pemberton (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
**Brandi Carlile (musician, songwriter, and producer)
*June 4 - T.J. Miller (actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, producer, and writer)
*June 9 - Natalie Portman (actress, producer, writer, director, and model)
*June 13 - Chris Evans (actor, voice actor, director, and producer)
*June 28 - Jon Watts (director, producer, and screenwriter)
*August 3 - Travis Willingham (voice actor)
*August 4
**Meghan Markle (actress and model)
**Abigail Spencer (actress)
*August 20 - Ben Barnes (actor and singer)
*August 22 - Ross Marquand (actor and voice actor)
*August 24 - Chad Michael Murray (actor, writer, and former fashion model)
*September 4 - Beyoncé (singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actress)
*September 8 - Jonathan Taylor Thomas (actor and voice actor)
*September 9 - Julie Gonzalo (actress and producer)
*September 12 - Jennifer Hudson (recording artist, actress, and spokesperson)
*September 15 - Ben Schwartz (actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer)
*September 16 - Alexis Bledel (actress, model, and producer)
*September 22 - Ashley Eckstein (actress, voice actress, and fashion designer)
*September 25 - Lee Norris (actor)
*September 26 - Christina Milian (singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model)
*November 1 - Matt Jones (actor and voice actor)
*November 18
**Nasim Pedrad (actress, writer, and comedian)
**Christina Vidal (actress and singer)
*December 2 - Britney Spears (singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress)
*December 11 - Hamish Blake (actor, comedian, writer and author)
*December 15 - Brendan Fletcher (actor)
*December 16 - Krysten Ritter (actress, musician, writer, director, and model)
===Deaths===
*March 26 - Hal Adelquist (animator, assistant director, storyboard writer, and TV producer)
*November 25 - Jack Albertson (actor, voice actor, comedian, dancer, and singer)
pt-br:1981
Category:Years in Disney history
Category:1980s