An overview of all Disney-related events that occurred in the year 1988.
Theatrical releases
Feature films
- January 15
- The Brave Little Toaster (Hyperion Pictures; Sundance Film Festival)
- Good Morning, Vietnam (Touchstone Pictures; wide release)
- February 12 - Shoot to Kill (Touchstone Pictures)
- March 18 - D.O.A. (Touchstone Pictures)
- March 25 - The Fox and the Hound (re-issue)
- April 15 - Return to Snowy River
- April 16 - My Neighbor Totoro (original Japanese release)
- June 21 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Touchstone Pictures) premiered in New York City, New York
- June 22 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Touchstone Pictures)
- July 15 - Bambi (re-issue)
- July 29 - Cocktail (Touchstone Pictures)
- August 5 - The Rescue (Touchstone Pictures)
- September 30 - Heartbreak Hotel (Touchstone Pictures)
- November 4 - The Good Mother (Touchstone Pictures)
- November 11 - Ernest Saves Christmas (Touchstone Pictures)
- November 13 - Oliver & Company premiered in New York City, New York
- November 18 - Oliver & Company
- December 21 - Beaches (Touchstone Pictures; limited)
Shorts
- April 2 - Somewhere in the Arctic (International Tournee of Animation)
- June 19 - Winter
- August 2 - Tin Toy premiered in Siggraph Conference
- September
- November - Disney's Countdown
- December 30 - Tin Toy
- Unknown date - Disney's Animated Alphabet
Television
- January 1 - DuckTales concludes its first season.
- January 17 - The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh premieres on the Disney Channel.
- February 25 - Totally Minnie airs on NBC.
- March 6 - 14 Going on 30 (Buena Vista Television)
- July 4 - Walt Disney World 4th of July Spectacular, an Independence Day special, is broadcast on television.
- August 6 - Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss premieres on the Disney Channel.
- August 27 - Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers airs its first episode as a preview on the Disney Channel.
- September 10 - Adventures of the Gummi Bears begins airing its fourth season.
- November 13 - Mickey's 60th Birthday airs on NBC.
- November 24 - DuckTales begins its second season with the 2-hour special episode "Time is Money".
- December 25 - The sixth annual Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade premieres on CBS.
Home media
- March 15 - Stakeout
- April 13 - Adventures in Babysitting
- May 31
- DuckTales: Daredevil Ducks, High Flying Hero and Fearless Fortune Hunter
- Mickey and the Beanstalk
- Mickey's Magical World
- The Reluctant Dragon
- Donald in Mathmagic Land
- Disney's Sing-Along Songs: You Can Fly!
- June 14 - Benji the Hunted
- August 2 - Good Morning Vietnam (Touchstone Home Video)
- October 4
- Cinderella
- Alice in Wonderland (re-issue)
- Dumbo (re-issue)
- The Sword in the Stone (re-issue)
- Lady and the Tramp (re-issue)
- DuckTales: Masked Marauders
- The Three Caballeros (re-issue)
- Mary Poppins (re-issue)
- Walt Disney Mini Classics: The Wind in the Willows
- Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Special Edition
- Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Very Merry Christmas Songs
- November 1 - Return to Snowy River
- November 15 - Three Men and a Baby
- December 20 - The Rescue
Events
- Walt Disney Computer Software is founded as a video game division of The Walt Disney Company.
- Cinderella is the first release to use the Sorcerer Mickey Walt Disney Classics logo.
Theme parks
- Bear Country is renamed Critter Country at Disneyland.
- January 30 - IllumiNations debuts in World Showcase at Epcot.
- April 10 - America Sings closes in Tomorrowland at Disneyland.
- April 15 - Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort celebrates its 5th anniversary.
- June 3 - The Norway pavilion opens in World Showcase at Epcot.
- June 18 - Mickey's Birthdayland opens at Magic Kingdom.
- June 28 - Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opens at Walt Disney World Resort.
Books
Video games
- Mickey Mouse: The Computer Game (Commodore 64, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Sinclair ZX81/Spectrum)
- Mickey & Minnie's Fun Time Print Kit (DOS)
- Donald's Alphabet Chase (DOS, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum)
- Donald the Hero (Commodore 64)
- June - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (DOS, Commodore 64, Amiga)
- September 22 - Donald Duck (Famicom) (Released in the US as Snoopy's Silly Sports Spectacular)
- October - Mickey Mousecapade (NES)
- Matterhorn Screamer (DOS, Apple II, Commodore 64)
- The Jungle Book (Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC)
- The Chase on Tom Sawyer's Island (Apple II, Commodore 64, DOS)
Character debuts
- January 1 - Millionara Vanderbucks
- January 17 - Christopher Robin's Mother
- January 31 - Mama Heffalump, Papa Heffalump, Junior Heffalump
- February 7 - Kessie
- February 14 - Pygmy Piglets
- February 21 - Crud
- February 25 - Maxwell Dweeb
- February 28 - Stan Woozle and Heff Heffalump, Wooster
- March 3 - Christopher Robin's Babysitter
- March 20 - The Toy Villains
- April 3 - Nasty Jack, Nasty Jack's Gang
- April 15 - Jim Craig, Alistair Patton, Harrison
- April 16 - Mei Kusakabe, Satsuki Kusakabe, Totoro, Catbus
- June 15 - Tri-Crested Tittertwill
- June 22 - Roger Rabbit, Baby Herman, Jessica Rabbit, Benny the Cab, Toon Patrol, Judge Doom, Eddie Valiant, Dolores, Marvin Acme, R.K. Maroon, Lt. Santino, Baby Herman's Mother, Bongo the Gorilla, Toon Bullets, Lena Hyena, Angelo
- July 5 - Odin, Maelstrom Polar Bears, Puffin Colony, The Nokk
- August 27 - Monterey Jack, Zipper, Gadget Hackwrench, Professor Norton Nimnul, Officer Kirby and Officer Muldoon, Sergeant Spinelli, Spunky
- September 10 - Prince Yen Moon
- September 24 - Sir Gallant
- October 15 - Lord Willoughby
- November 11 - Harmony Starr
- November 12 - Victor Igthorn
- November 13 - The Sorcerer
- November 18 - Oliver, Dodger, Tito, Francis, Einstein, Rita, Fagin, Jenny Foxworth, Georgette, Bill Sykes, Roscoe and DeSoto, Winston, Louie the Hot Dog Man, Alley Dogs
- November 24 - Bubba the Cave Duck, Tootsie the Triceratops, Sen-Sen
- December 3 - The Squires
- December 10 - Airiels
- December 30 - Tinny, Billy, Billy's Toys
- Injun Joe
People
Births
- January 12 - Andrew Lawrence (actor and singer)
- January 15 - Skrillex (DJ, musician, record producer, singer, and songwriter)
- February 2 - Zosia Mamet (actress and musician)
- February 18 - Maiara Walsh (actress and singer)
- February 20 - Rihanna (singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman)
- February 22 - Marieve Herington (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- March 2 - Myrna Velasco (actress and voice actress)
- March 10 - Ego Nwodim (actress, comedian, writer, and singer)
- March 27
- Holliday Grainger (actress)
- Brenda Song (actress, voice actress, singer, film producer, and model)
- Piotr Michael (voice actor and comedian)
- April 2 - Jesse Plemons (actor)
- April 10 - Haley Joel Osment (actor and voice actor)
- April 18 - Vanessa Kirby (actress)
- April 25 - Sara Paxton (actress, model, and singer)
- May 1 - Nicholas Braun (actor)
- May 23 - Chris Houghton (animator, writer, director, producer, storyboard artist, designer, and voice actor)
- June 2 - Awkwafina (actress, voice actress, rapper, and comedian)
- June 9 - Mae Whitman (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- June 14 - Dayo Okeniyi (actor)
- July 7 - Jack Whitehall (comedian, actor, voice actor, and television presenter)
- July 15 - Aimee Carrero (actress and voice actress)
- July 19 - Cherami Leigh (actress and voice actress)
- August 6 - Dane DiLiegro (actor and former basketball player)
- September 12 - Carlos López Estrada (music video, commercial, and film director)
- September 15 - Chelsea Kane (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- September 18 - Lukas Forchhammer (musician, signer-songwriter, actor, and voice actor)
- October 10 - Rose McIver (actress)
- October 14 - Max Thieriot (actor)
- November 6
- Emma Stone (actress)
- Mamoudou Athie (actor)
- November 8 - Matt Braly (writer, animator, storyboard artist, director, and voice actor)
- December 14 - Vanessa Hudgens (actress and singer)
Deaths
- January 30 - Homer Brightman (screenwriter and story artist)
- February 27 - Gene de Paul (pianist, composer, and songwriter)
- May 18 - Daws Butler (voice actor)
- May 24 - Tom Adair (songwriter, lyricist, composer, and screenwriter)
- June 22 - Dennis Day (singer and actor)
- July 22 - Larry Clemmons (animator, screenwriter, and voice actor)
- August 7 - Wilfred Jackson (animator, arranger, composer, and director)
- September 20 - Roy Kinnear (actor)
- October 25 - Eric Larson (animator)
- October 30 - T. Hee (animator, director, and teacher)
- December 8 - Anne Seymour (film and television character actress)
1988