1986

The Great Mouse Detective poster — *The Great Mouse Detective*

Ruthless people poster — *Ruthless People*

Living seas entrance sign — The Living Seas

Singalong1 — "Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah", the first *Disney's Sing-Along Songs* video to be released.

Flight of the Navigator Poster 2 — *Flight of the Navigator*

Country-bears-hoedown — Country Bear Vacation Hoedown

MickeyMouseAndFriends Issue 219 — Gladstone Publishing begins publishing Disney comic books.

An overview of all Disney-related events that occurred in the year 1986.

Theatrical releases[]

Feature films[]

January 31 - Down and Out in Beverly Hills (Touchstone Pictures; first R-rated release under that label)
March 7 - Sleeping Beauty (re-issue)
April 11 - Off Beat (Touchstone Pictures)
June 23 - The Great Mouse Detective premieres in New York City, New York.
June 27 - Ruthless People (Touchstone Pictures)
July 2 - The Great Mouse Detective is released to positive reviews and is a commercial success.
July 30 - Flight of the Navigator (limited)
August 1 - Flight of the Navigator
September 9 - Tough Guys (Touchstone Pictures; ShowEast)
September 22 - Tough Guys (Touchstone Pictures; Miami Film Festival)
September 23 - Tough Guys (Touchstone Pictures; Baltimore, Maryland)
September 24 - Tough Guys (Touchstone Pictures; Boston Film and Video Festival)
September 30
- Tough Guys (Touchstone Pictures; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
- Tough Guys (Touchstone Pictures; San Luis Obispo, California)
October 3 - Tough Guys (Touchstone Pictures)
October 17 - The Color of Money (Touchstone Pictures)
November 21 - Song of the South (re-issue)
December 19 - Lady and the Tramp (re-issue)

Shorts[]

January 15 - The Animated Atlas of the World
June 25 - Somewhere in the Arctic
July 2 - Clock Cleaners (re-issue)
August 17 - Luxo, Jr. (SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater)
September 12 - Captain EO (Florida)
September 13
- How to Catch a Cold (remake version)
- I'm No Fool with Fire (revised version)
September 18 - Captain EO (California)
September 19 - Pooh's Great School Bus Adventure

Theme parks and resorts[]

January 15 - The Living Seas opens in Future World at Epcot.
February - The Country Bear Vacation Hoedown debuts in Critter Country at Disneyland, replacing the original Country Bear Jamboree show.
March 8 - Alice's Tea Party opens in Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland.
May 17 - American Journeys debuts in Tomorrowland at Tokyo Disneyland.
May 26 - Spaceship Earth reopens for the second renovation in Future World at EPCOT with a new narrator, Walter Cronkite, replacing the original narrator, Vic Perrin.
June 20 - Disney's River Country celebrates its 10th anniversary at Walt Disney World Resort.
July 11 - Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour opens in Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland.
September 12 - Captain EO opens in Journey into Imagination Pavilion at Epcot.
September 18 - Captain EO opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland.
October 1 - Walt Disney World Resort and the Magic Kingdom celebrates its 15th anniversary, which runs until September 30, 1987.

Television[]

February 2 - After 3 years of being off the air, the Walt Disney anthology series returns to TV under the name The Disney Sunday Movie. It airs on Sunday nights on ABC. It had not had a host since the passing of Walt Disney himself in 1966, but as of this incarnation, Michael Eisner takes over the hosting duties. The first installment is a TV-movie comedy entitled Help Wanted: Kids, featuring Cindy Williams and Micheal McKean. [1]
February 14 - DTV Valentine airs on NBC.
September 13 - Adventures of the Gummi Bears begins airing its second season.
October 9 - The Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX for short) launches as the fourth major broadcast television network in the United States.
October 18
- The Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears episode "The Crimson Avenger" premieres on NBC.
- The Disney Channel Premiere Film Spot Marks the X premieres on Disney Channel.
December 25 - The fourth annual Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade premieres on CBS.

Comics[]

July - Gladstone Publishing obtains the Disney comic license and starts publishing Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Uncle Scrooge, and Walt Disney's Comics and Stories.

Video games[]

Winnie the Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood (Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS)
The Black Cauldron (video game) (Apple II, Atari ST, Amiga, DOS)

Home media[]

January 7
- My Science Project (Touchstone Home Video)
- The Blue Yonder
- Five Mile Creek: Volume 11
- Disney's Greatest Lullabies (original)
- Walt Disney Video-A-Longs
- Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Fanciful Fables and Animal Tales
January 28 - Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Fanciful Fables and Animal Tales
February 25
March 25
- Greyfriars Bobby
- The Ugly Dachshund
- Charley and the Angel
- The Monkey's Uncle
- The Misadventures of Merlin Jones
- The Living Desert
- Jungle Cat
- The Horsemasters
- Lots of Luck
- The Sword in the Stone
April
- Return from Witch Mountain
- The Million Dollar Duck
- Almost Angels
- Scandalous John
- The Journey of Natty Gann
- Spring 1986 trailer reel for The Journey of Natty Gann
May 28
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks (re-issue)
- Alice in Wonderland
- Mickey Knows Best
- The Importance of Being Donald
- 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
- The Absent-Minded Professor (colorized version)
June 10
July 29
August 19
- King of the Grizzlies
- The Light in the Forest
- Treasure of Matecumbe
- The Mooncussers
- Savage Sam
- The Wild Country
September 23
- Down and Out in Beverly Hills (Touchstone Home Video)
- No Deposit, No Return
- The World's Greatest Athlete
- Ten Who Dared
- Third Man on the Mountain
October 14
- Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
- Sleeping Beauty
- Robin Hood (re-issue)
- Pinocchio (re-issue)
- Dumbo (re-issue)
- The Sword in the Stone (re-issue)
- Alice in Wonderland (re-issue)
- Mary Poppins (re-issue)
- Old Yeller (re-issue)
- Pete's Dragon (re-issue)
- Pollyanna (re-issue)
- Treasure Island (re-issue)
- A Walt Disney Christmas (re-issue)
- A Disney Christmas Gift (re-issue)
- Canine Commando
- A Tale of Two Chipmunks
- The Unsinkable Donald Duck with Huey, Dewey, and Louie
- Jiminy Cricket's Christmas
- Mickey's Christmas Carol (re-issue)
November 18
- One Magic Christmas
- Menace on the Mountain
- The Waltz King
- The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin
- Five Mile Creek: Volume 14
- The Small One (re-issue)
December 16

Events[]

February 3 - Pixar is founded by Edwin Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith.
February 6 - Walt Disney Productions changes its name to The Walt Disney Company, after a massive corporate restructuring. Its feature animation division is split off into Walt Disney Feature Animation.
After 8 years, Treasure of Matecumbe, King of the Grizzlies, and Moon Pilot are the last videos to use the 1978 Walt Disney Home Video Logo (Neon Mickey). After this, Walt Disney Home Video starts using the "Sorcerer Mickey" logo in May with its first appearance on Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, and its second appearance in September on Ten Who Dared. The Neon Mickey logo was surprisingly seen on the October 14, 1986 re-releases of Old Yeller and Pollyanna, and the November 18, 1986 re-release of The Small One.
After 4 years, The Sword in the Stone, The Living Desert, Jungle Cat, The Ugly Dachshund, Charley and the Angel, Lots of Luck, and Greyfriars Bobby are the last videos to use the 1982 Walt Disney and You Promo.
Starting in 1986, Moon Pilot, King of the Grizzlies, Ten Who Dared One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, and Treasure of Matecumbe are the first videos to use the Walt Disney World: The Magic That Moves The World promo.
Walt Disney is inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame on April 21.

Character debuts[]

January 15 - Atlas, Jason
February - Randy the Skunk, Dolores the Octopus
July 2 - Basil of Baker Street, Bartholomew, David Q. Dawson, Ratigan, Olivia Flaversham, Mr. Flaversham, Fidget, Queen Mousetoria, Felicia, Miss Kitty, Thugs, Toby, Mrs. Judson, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Lady Mouse
July 11 - Dragon
July 26 - Brian Carey
July 30 - David Freeman, Max, Dr. Louis Faraday, Carolyn McAdams, R.A.L.F., Bruiser, Puckmaren, Jeff Freeman, Larry Howard, Janet Howard
August 17 - Luxo, Sr., Luxo, Jr.
September 13 - Chummi Gummi
September 20 - Flint Shrubwood
October 4 - Sir Gawain, Trolls
October 25 - Zorlock and Grot
November 29 - Gusto Gummi, Artie Deco

People[]

Births[]

January 4 - Charlyne Yi (actor, voice actor, comedian, writer)
January 6 - Shane Sweet (actor, voice actor, and musician)
January 24 - Ricky Ullman (actor, musician, and singer)
February 2 - Gemma Arterton (actress)
February 14 - Tiffany Thornton (actress, radio personality, and singer-songwriter)
February 19 - Ophelia Lovibond (actress)
February 25
- Justin Berfield (actor, writer, and producer)
- Jameela Jamil (actress, activist, and presenter)
February 26 - Teresa Palmer (actress and model)
February 28 - Kingsley Ben-Adir (actor)
March 4 - Margo Harshman (actress)
March 6 - Eli Marienthal (actor)
March 9 - Brittany Snow (actress, voice actress, and singer)
March 16 - Alexandra Daddario (actress and model)
March 23 - Steven Strait (actor, singer, musician, and model)
March 28 - Lady Gaga (singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, activist, businesswoman, fashion designer, actress, and philanthropist)
May 2 - Emily Hart (actress)
May 3 - Pom Klementieff (actress)
May 6 - Sasheer Zamata (actress and comedian)
May 12
- Emily VanCamp (actress)
- Eugene Cordero (actor, writer, and comedian)
- Leonard Wu (actor)
May 13 - Lena Dunham (actress, author, writer, director, and producer)
May 16 - Megan Fox (actress and model)
May 17 - Tahj Mowry (actor, voice actor, dancer, and singer)
May 23 - Ryan Coogler (director, screenwriter, and producer)
June 3 - Brenden Jefferson (actor and songwriter)
June 11 - Shia LaBeouf (actor and voice actor)
June 13 - Kat Dennings (actress)
June 18 - Richard Madden (actor)
June 27 - Drake Bell (actor, voice actor, comedian, singer, songwriter, and musician)
June 29 - David Errigo Jr. (actor, voice actor, and editor)
July 2 - Lindsay Lohan (actress, singer, fashion designer, model, and recording artist)
July 8 - Jake McDorman (actor)
July 9 - Kiely Williams (actress, singer, songwriter, and dancer)
July 10 - Wyatt Russell (actor and former hockey player)
July 15 - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (actor)
July 21 - Diane Guerrero (actress, voice actress, and author)
August 28 - Armie Hammer (actor and voice actor)
August 29 - Nicole Byer (actress, voice actress, comedian, and writer)
August 31 - Rachelle Ann Go (singer and actress)
September 4 - Charlotte Le Bon (actress)
September 14 - A.J. Trauth (actor, voice actor, and musician)
September 16 - Kyla Pratt (actress, voice actress, comedian, and singer)
October 1 - Jurnee Smollett-Bell (actress and voice actress)
October 2 - Camilla Belle (actress)
October 15 - Paul Walter Hauser (actor)
October 23 - Emilia Clarke (actress and voice actress)
October 28 - May Calamawy (actress)
November 10 - Josh Peck (actor, voice actor, comedian, and YouTube personality)
November 15 - Winston Duke (actor)
December 23 - Noël Wells (actress and comedian)
December 29 - Ally Maki (actress and voice actress)