An overview of all Disney-related events that occurred in the year 1938.
Theatrical releases
Feature films
- January 1 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Washington, D.C.)
- January 13
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Miami, Florida)
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (New York City, New York)
- January 31 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Baltimore, Maryland)
- February 4 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is released nationwide.
Shorts
- February 11 - Self Control
- February 25 - Boat Builders
- March 11 - Donald's Better Self
- April 1 - The Moth and the Flame
- April 15 - Donald's Nephews
- May 6 - Mickey's Trailer
- May 27 - Wynken, Blynken and Nod
- June 17 - Polar Trappers
- July 8 - Good Scouts
- July 29 - The Fox Hunt
- August 19 - The Whalers
- September 9 - Mickey's Parrot
- September 23 - Brave Little Tailor
- October 14 - Farmyard Symphony
- November 4 - Donald's Golf Game
- November 25 - Ferdinand the Bull
- December 9 - Merbabies
- December 23 - Mother Goose Goes Hollywood
Events
- The Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air, a musical-variety radio show for children, broadcast on NBC radio stations from January 2 to May 15 to promote the February 1938 release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
- September 29 - Subsidiaries of Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. merge with the main company to form Walt Disney Productions.
Character debuts
- March 11 - Angel Donald, Devil Donald
- April 1 - Boy Moth, Girl Moth, The Flame, Moth Army
- May 27 - Wynken, Blynken and Nod, Star-fish
- August 19 - Whale
- September 9 - Parrot
- September 14 - Detective Casey, Joe Piper
- September 23 - The King, Gustav the Giant
- October 14 - Farmyard Symphony Animals
- November 25 - Ferdinand the Bull, Ferdinand's Mother, Big Bulls, The Matador
- December 9 - Merbabies, Sea Circus Animals, Whale
People
Births
- January 1 - Frank Langella (actor)
- January 2 - Mickie McGowan † (voice actress, casting agent, and ADR director)
- January 9 - Robert F. Brunner † (composer and songwriter)
- February 1 - Sherman Hemsley † (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- February 22 - Barry Dennen † (actor, voice actor, singer, and writer)
- April 28
- Madge Sinclair † (actress and voice actress)
- Pete Henderson † (comedian)
- May 24 - Tommy Chong (comedian, actor, screenwriter, director, activist, and musician)
- June 27 - Kathryn Beaumont (actress, voice actress, singer, and school teacher)
- June 28 - John Byner (actor, comedian, and impressionist)
- July 6 - Luana Patten † (actress and model)
- July 9 - Brian Dennehy † (actor and voice actor)
- July 25 - Renée Victor † (actress, voice actress, dance instructor, singer, and choreographer)
- July 30 - Michael Bell (actor, voice actor, voice director, and animal rights activist)
- August 15 - Lucille Soong (Chinese-American actress)
- August 29 - Elliott Gould (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- August 30 - Don Pedro Colley † (actor, voice actor, director, and producer)
- September 2 - Mary Jo Catlett (actress and voice actress)
- October 22 - Christopher Lloyd (actor and voice actor)
- December 29 - Jon Voight (actor)
Deaths
- November 11 - Fred Spencer (animator)
1938