An overview of all Disney-related events that occurred in the year 1979.
Theatrical releases
Films
- January 19 - The Love Bug (re-issue)
- February 9 - The North Avenue Irregulars
- March 2 - Take Down (American Film Consortium)
- April 13 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (re-issue; 96-minute edited)
- June 7 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians (re-issue)
- June 22 - The Muppet Movie (Associated Film Distribution)
- June 27 - The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
- July 6 - The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (Bismarck, North Dakota)
- July 26 - Unidentified Flying Oddball
- August 3 - Unidentified Flying Oddball (Bismarck, North Dakota)
- September 28 - Sleeping Beauty (re-issue)
- December 20 - The Black Hole (premiere)
- December 21 - The Black Hole
Shorts
- May 1 - Understanding Alcohol Use and Abuse
- June 7 - The Footloose Fox (New York City, New York)
- September - The Footloose Fox
- December 31 - Cosmic Capers
Events
- September 13 - Dissatisfied in the direction of the Disney studio, Don Bluth and eight other animators left Disney in protest to ultimately start their own animation studio on Bluth's 42nd birthday. Bluth's already completed work for The Fox and the Hound would be his last for the studio.
- November 22 - The Mickey Mouse balloon makes its ninth appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Character debuts
- June 22 - Xenomorph
- September 2 - Billy the Disney Goat, Vultures
- December 20 - Hans Reinhardt, Dan Holland, Charlie Pizer, Harry Booth, S.T.A.R., V.I.N.CENT, B.O.B., Maximilian, Sentry Robots, Humanoids
- Snow White (musical)
Theme parks and resorts
- August 14 - Sherrill Anne Hoffman slips into a coma after riding Space Mountain in Tomorrowland.
- September 2 - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opens in Frontierland at Disneyland.
- October 1 - Groundbreaking begins on EPCOT Center.
Albums
People
Births
- January 6 - Cristela Alonzo (stand-up comedian, actress, screenwriter, and producer)
- January 25 - Christine Lakin (actress)
- February 7 - Cerina Vincent (actress)
- February 8 - Josh Keaton (actor, voice actor, singer, and music producer)
- February 11 - Brandy Norwood (actress and singer)
- February 21
- Tituss Burgess (actor and singer)
- Jennifer Love Hewitt (actress, producer, author, television director, and singer-songwriter)
- Jordan Peele (actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer)
- March 1 - Claire Keane (illustrator and visual development artist)
- March 5 - Riki Lindhome (actress, voice actress, comedian, and musician)
- March 9 - Oscar Isaac (actor and singer)
- March 10 - Danny Pudi (actor, voice actor, and director)
- March 19 - Dan Fogelman (producer, screenwriter, and director)
- March 24 - Lake Bell (actress, director, producer, and screenwriter)
- March 25 - Lee Pace (actor)
- April 4
- Natasha Lyonne (actress)
- Heath Ledger † (actor)
- April 7 - Nico Santos (actor)
- April 12 - Jennifer Morrison (actress, model, and film producer)
- April 15 - Luke Evans (actor and singer)
- April 19 - Kate Hudson (actress)
- April 21 - James McAvoy (actor and voice actor)
- April 22 - Laura Williams (actress and singer)
- April 23 - Jaime King (actress and model)
- May 1 - Kevin MacLean (animator)
- May 4 - Lance Bass (singer, dancer, actor, voice actor, and film and television producer)
- May 9 - Rosario Dawson (actress, voice actress, singer, and writer)
- May 23 - Josh Cooley (director, animator, producer, and storyboard artist)
- May 26 - Elisabeth Harnois (actress)
- June 5 - Pete Wentz (bassist)
- June 21 - Chris Pratt (actor and voice actor)
- June 24 - Mindy Kaling (actress, voice actress, comedian, director, producer, author, and writer)
- June 25
- Busy Philipps (actress and voice actress)
- Hong Chau (actress)
- June 28 - Felicia Day (actress and voice actress)
- June 29 - Stephanie Lemelin (actress and voice actress)
- July 12 - Omid Abtahi (actor)
- July 14 - Scott Porter (actor)
- July 15 - Laura Benanti (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- July 18 - Jason Weaver (actor, voice actor, and singer)
- July 22 - Parvesh Cheena (actor and voice actor)
- August 3 - Evangeline Lilly (actress and author)
- August 8 - Mary Faber (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- August 10 - JoAnna Garcia (actress and voice actress)
- August 12 - Vladimir Caamaño (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- August 22 - Brandon Adams (actor)
- August 23 - Clare Grant (actress, voice actress, producer, model, and singer)
- September 15 - Amy Davidson (actress)
- September 24 - Ramón Rodríguez (actor)
- September 28 - Anndi McAfee (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- October 4 - Rachael Leigh Cook (actress, model, voice artist, and producer)
- October 7 - Shawn Ashmore (actor)
- October 9 - Chris O'Dowd (actor and voice actor)
- October 20 - John Krasinski (actor, voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter)
- November 5 - Romi Dames (actress and voice actress)
- November 6 - Michel den Dulk (designer)
- November 14 - Olga Kurylenko (actress)
- December 3 - Tiffany Haddish (actress, comedian, and author)
- December 7 - Eric Bauza (voice actor, animator, and comedian)
- December 11 - Rider Strong (actor, voice actor, director, producer, and screenwriter)
- December 17 - Lil Rel Howery (actor and comedian)
- December 28 - André Holland (actor)
- December 29 - Diego Luna (actor, director, and producer)
- December 30 - Catherine Taber (actress and voice actress)
Deaths
- January 5 - Billy Bletcher (actor and voice actor)
- January 27 - Dick Wesson (announcer)
- April 1 - Barbara Luddy (actress and voice actress)
- April 6 - Norman Tokar (director)
- May 29 - Mary Pickford (Canadian-American motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists, and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
- September 12 - Les Clark (animator)
- November 30 - Dick Huemer (animator, writer, and director)
- December 9 - James Neilson (director)
Artists joined
- Tim Burton - Director for The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, and Alice in Wonderland.
- John Lasseter - Current CEO for Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios. Has directed films, such as Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Cars.
- Mike Gabriel - Director/Animator on Oliver & Company, The Rescuers Down Under, and Pocahontas.
- Doug Krohn - Animator on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Tarzan.
- Jay Jackson - Animator for The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Tarzan, and Treasure Planet.
- Shawn Keller - Animator on The Little Mermaid, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
- Michael Cedeno - Animator on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
- Hendel Butoy - Animator on The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective, and Oliver & Company. Director of The Rescuers Down Under.
- Cyndee Whitney - Animator on The Great Mouse Detective, Oliver & Company, and The Little Mermaid.
- Patricia Peraza - Effects Animator on The Fox and the Hound, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
- Don Paul - Effects Animator on The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Pocahontas.
- Guy Vasilovich - Art Director/Layout Artist on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
- Kathleen Swain - Background Designer on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
- Gilda Palinginis - Animator on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
- Joe Lanzisero - Animator on The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
- Fujiko Miller - Assistant Animator on The Fox and the Hound, Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective.
- Bill Berg - Lead Key Assistant on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
- Jane Baer - Assistant Animator on Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Black Cauldron, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Cofounder of Baer Animation Studios and spouse of animator Dale Baer.
- Rusty Stoll - Assistant Animator on The Fox and the Hound, Mulan, and Lilo & Stitch.
1979