An overview of all Disney-related events that occurred in the year 1989.
Theatrical releases
Feature films
- January 27 - Three Fugitives (Touchstone Pictures)
- March 1 - New York Stories (Touchstone Pictures; New York City, New York)
- March 10 - New York Stories (Touchstone Pictures)
- March 17 - The Rescuers (re-issue)
- April 14 - Disorganized Crime (Touchstone Pictures)
- May 31 - The Brave Little Toaster (Hyperion Pictures; USA Film Forum)
- June 2 - Dead Poets Society (Touchstone Pictures; limited)
- June 9 - Dead Poets Society (Touchstone Pictures) was released to positive reviews and becomes a commercial success.
- June 23 - Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was released to positive reviews and becomes a huge box office success.
- July 14 - Peter Pan (re-issue)
- July 22 - Kiki's Delivery Service (original Japanese release)
- July 28 - Turner & Hooch (Touchstone Pictures)
- August 18 - Cheetah
- October 6 - An Innocent Man (Touchstone Pictures)
- October 20 - Gross Anatomy (Touchstone Pictures)
- November 13 - The Little Mermaid premiered in New York City.
- November 17 - The Little Mermaid was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews and was a major box office hit, restoring critical and public interest in Disney.
- December 13 - Blaze (Touchstone Pictures)
Shorts
- May 1
- June 23 - Tummy Trouble
- July 27 - Mickey's Field Trips: The United Nations
- August 7 - Writing Magic with Figment and Alice in Wonderland
- August 10 - Goofy's Field Trips: Trains
- August 12 - Reading Magic with Figment and Peter Pan
- August 18
- Goofy's Field Trips: Planes
- Mickey and the Seal (re-issue)
- September - What's An Abra Without A Cadabra?
- September 1 - Knick Knack (Siggraph Conference)
- September 9 - The Case of the Missing Space
- September 18 - Mickey's Safety Club: What to Do at Home
- September 22 - Knick Knack (Chicago, Illinois)
- September 23 - Mickey's Safety Club: Playground Fun
- October 30 - The Making of Me
Theme parks and resorts
- May 1
- Disney-MGM Studios, the third theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort, opens.
- Pleasure Island, also opens at Walt Disney World Resort.
- June 1 - Typhoon Lagoon opens at Walt Disney World Resort.
- July 12 - Star Tours opens in Tomorrowland at Tokyo Disneyland.
- July 17 - Splash Mountain opens in Critter Country at Disneyland.
- October 19 - Wonders of Life opens in Future World at Epcot
- Body Wars opens in Wonders of Life Pavilion at Epcot.
- Cranium Command opens in Wonders of Life Pavilion at Epcot.
- December 15 - Star Tours opens in Echo Lake at Disney-MGM Studios.
Television
Specials
- December 25 - The seventh annual Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade premieres on CBS.
Shows
- March 4 - Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers officially premieres on the Disney Channel. It began airing in syndication on September 15.
- April 24 - A new version of The Mickey Mouse Club debuts on the Disney Channel. It gave popularity and the start of stardom to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Keri Russell, JC Chasez, and Ryan Gosling, among others.
- July 9 - Great Expectations premieres on Disney Channel as a three part miniseries, finishing its run two days later.
- September 9 - Adventures of the Gummi Bears moves to ABC and begins airing its fifth season there in an hour-length block with The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
- September 18 - DuckTales begins airing its third season in an hour-length weekday-afternoon syndicated block with Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers.
- October 30 - The Secret of Lost Creek premieres in syndication.
Comics
Video games
- September 14 - DuckTales and Who Framed Roger Rabbit for NES.
- Roger Rabbit (Famicom Disk System) (Released in the US as The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle)
- Mickey Mouse (Game Boy) (Released in the US as The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle)
- Mickey Mouse Mahou no Yakata (Epoch Handheld LCD)
- Egg (Mickey Mouse version) (Nintendo Game and Watch) (Widescreen)
- Egg (Big Bad Wolf version) (Nintendo Game and Watch) (Widescreen)
- Oliver and Company (Amiga, Atari ST, DOS)
- Oliver and Company (Epoch Handheld LCD)
- Goofy's Railway Express (Commodore 64)
Home video releases
VHS releases
- January 31 - The Good Mother (Touchstone Home Video)
- February 28 - Big Business (Touchstone Home Video)
- April 18 - Cocktail (Touchstone Home Video)
- May 9 - DuckTales: Duck to the Future and Lost World Wanderers
- May 30 - Walt Disney Mini Classics: Ben and Me and Bongo
- June 28 - Heartbreak Hotel (Touchstone Home Video)
- August 23
- Beaches (Touchstone Home Video)
- Disorganized Crime (Touchstone Home Video)
- August 31
- Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Fun with Music
- Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Mickey & The Gang and Nuts About Chip 'n Dale
- September 28
- Bambi
- Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers: Double Trouble, Undercover Critters, and Crimebusters
- DuckTales: Accidental Adventures and Seafaring Sailors
- Dumbo (re-issue)
- The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Newfound Friends, The Great Honey Pot Robbery, and The Wishing Bear
- Walt Disney Mini Classics: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!, Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, and Mickey's Christmas Carol
- The Sword in the Stone (re-issue)
- October 12
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks
- Mary Poppins
- The Boatniks
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Touchstone Home Video)
- November 1
- Ernest Saves Christmas (Touchstone Home Video)
- Three Fugitives (Touchstone Home Video)
Laserdisc releases
- ? - The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Newfound Friends/The Great Honey Pot Robbery
- ?
- September 28 - Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Mickey & The Gang/Nuts About Chip 'n Dale
Behind the scenes
- Sylvain Caruso is hired to voice Donald Duck in French Dubs.
- August - Jim Henson enters negotiations with Michael Eisner to acquire Henson Associates and the Muppet characters[1]
- December - Production begins on The Lion King.
Character debuts
- March 4 - The Pi-Rats
- March 12 - Bric, Brac, and DTZ
- March 19 - Fat Cat, Fat Cat's Gang, Flash the Wonder Dog, Conrad Cockatoo
- March 26 - Fenton Crackshell/Gizmoduck, M'Ma Crackshell, Gandra Dee, Megabyte Beagle, GICU-2
- April 9 - Tammy
- April 16 - Roger, MacDuff, Lord Howie
- April 23 - Queenie, Irwina Allen
- April 30 - Mrs. Booby, Baby Booby
- May 1 - Merriweather Adam Pleasure, Colonel Critchlow Sunchbench, The Funmeister, Mugsy Toccata, Madame Zarkov, Pamelia Perkins, Samantha Sterling, Hathaway Browne, Emil Bleehall, Otis T. Wren, Fletcher Hodges, Kid Carson
- May 21 - Cheddarhead Charlie and Camembert Kate
- June 23 - Wayne Szalinski, Diane Szalinski, Amy Szalinski, Nick Szalinski, Quark, Russ Thompson, Sr., Mae Thompson, Russ Thompson, Jr., Ron Thompson, Professor Brainard, Professor Frederickson, Antie, The Scorpion, Tommy Pervis, Don Forrester, Gloria Forrester
- July 12 - Tony Solaroni, Mrs. Solaroni, Mr. Foosano
- July 17 - Br'er Gator, Br'er Roadrunner, Br'er Porcupine, Br'er Goat, Br'er Chicken, Pansy, Poppy, and Petunia, Capt. Andy, Sis Vixen, Hitchhiking Alligator, Turtle Drum, Br'er Pig
- July 22 - Kiki, Jiji, Osono, Ursula
- August 18 - Ted and Susan Johnson, Morogo, Earl Johnson, Jean Johnson, Kipoin, Mr. Patel, Abdullah, Nigel
- September 1 - Sunny Florida, Surf Death Valley, Sunny Egypt, Sunny Israel, Sunny Palm Springs, Sunny Jamaica, Sunny Miami, Knick, Sunny Atlantis, C.B. Maroon
- September 9 - Doctor Dexter
- September 14 - Dracula Duck, Snow Monster
- September 15 - Donald Drake and Plato, Aldrin Klordane, Percy, Geegaw Hackwrench
- September 16 - Long John Cottontail, Lady Bane, Troggles, Sir Thornberry, Giant
- October 3 - Spirit of the Lamp
- October 6 - Clyde Cosgrove, Kismet, Mr. Gribbish
- October 11 - Elliott, Captain Colonel, Ting-a-Ling & Ming-Ting, Bruin, Heebee & Jeebee
- October 16 - Sewernose de Bergerac
- October 18 - Hiram the Mummy, Wexler
- October 19 - Harry, Harriet, General Knowledge, Buzzy, Dr. Cynthia Lair
- October 20 - Tom
- November 9 - Robotica
- November 11 - King Jean-Claude, Princess Marie
- November 13 - Captain Finn, Nemo, All Hands and Mr. Starfish
- November 15 - Cassandra, Quigley and Abba-Dabba
- November 17 - Ariel, Prince Eric, Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle, King Triton, Ursula, Flotsam and Jetsam, Glut the Shark, Chef Louis, Grimsby, Carlotta, Max, Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella, Alana, Ursula's Garden, The Seahorse Herald, Merpeople, Sea Creatures, Lagoon Residents, Lawrence Loudmouth, El Emenopio
- November 21 - Darby Spree, Banshee
- December 18 - Desiree D'Allure, Erol
- December 19 - Emperor Dim Sun, Chirp Sing
- December 20 - Spy Rats, The Greatest Spy in the World
- December 21 - Lahwhinie
People
Births
- January 3 - Alex D. Linz (actor and voice actor)
- January 8 - Karan Soni (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- January 17 - Kelly Marie Tran (actress and voice actress)
- February 12 - Katy O'Brian (actress and martial artist)
- February 16 - Elizabeth Olsen (actress and singer)
- February 21 - Corbin Bleu (actor, singer-songwriter, model, dancer, and producer)
- February 24 - Daniel Kaluuya (actor and writer)
- March 1 - Daniella Monet (actress and singer)
- March 11 - Anton Yelchin (actor)
- March 15 - Caitlin Wachs (production assistant and former actress)
- March 25 - Alyson Michalka (actress and singer-songwriter)
- April 5 - Lily James (actress)
- April 12 - Alice Lee (actress and singer)
- April 19 - Simu Liu (actor, writer, stuntman, and filmmaker)
- April 24 - Thomas Sanders (singer, musician, actor, voice actor, scriptwriter, and internet personality)
- May 11 - Prince Royce (singer, songwriter, actor, and voice actor)
- May 18 - Jona Xiao (actress and voice actress)
- May 29 - Brandon Mychal Smith (actor, comedian, singer, dancer, and rapper)
- June 9 - Chloë Agnew (singer)
- June 14 - Lucy Hale (actres, voice actress, and singer)
- June 27 - Kimiko Glenn (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- July 11 - David Henrie (actor, television writer, and producer)
- July 25 - Andrew Caldwell (actor)
- August 10 - Brenton Thwaites (actor)
- August 15 - Joe Jonas (actor, singer-songwriter, musician, and dancer)
- August 18 - Anna Akana (actress, voice actress, filmmaker, comedian, entertainer, and producer)
- August 21 - Hayden Panettiere (actress, voice actress, singer, model, and activist)
- September 5 - Kat Graham (actress, singer, dancer, and model)
- September 7
- Hannah John-Kamen (actress)
- Jonathan Majors (actor)
- September 8 - Domee Shi (animator, storyboard artist, and director)
- September 21 - Wichayanee Pearklin (singer, actress, and television host)
- October 1 - Brie Larson (actress, singer-songwriter, musician, producer, and director)
- October 18 - Kahyun Kim (actress and singer)
- October 25 - Mia Wasikowska (actress, voice actress, and director)
- November 10 - Sherry Cola (actress, voice actress, and comedian)
- November 20 - Cody Linley (actor, singer, rapper, and dancer)
- November 22
- Alden Ehrenreich (actor)
- Jon Rudnitsky (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- December 13 - Taylor Swift (singer-songwriter, musician, actress, record producer, director, and businesswoman)
- December 15
- Nichole Sakura (actress and voice actress)
- Isaac Robinson-Smith (actor and voice actor)
- December 21 - Quinta Brunson (actress and comedian)
- December 28 - Bridget Shergalis (actress and comedian)
Deaths
- February 9 - Osamu Tezuka (manga artist, cartoonist, and animator)
- February 10 - Herbert Ryman (artist and Imagineer)
- February 11 - George O'Hanlon (actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, and director)
- April 24 - Clyde Geronimi (animation director)
- April 30 - Guy Williams (actor and former fashion model)
- May 24 - Raymond A. Disney (insurance salesman and older brother of Roy and Walt Disney)
- July 2 - Ben Wright (actor and voice actor)
- July 3 - Jim Backus (radio, television, film, and voice actor)
- July 4 - Vic Perrin (actor)
- July 10 - Mel Blanc (voice actor, actor, radio comedian, and recording artist)
- August 4 - Paul Murry (cartoonist and comics artist)
- August 6 - Robert Jani (creative director of Walt Disney Productions)
- August 27 - Bill Shirley (actor and singer)
- October 6 - Bette Davis (actress)
- November 17 - Billy Lee (actor)
- December 6 - Sammy Fain (composer, vocalist, and pianist)
1989