Big Thunder Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland.
"The Son of the Sun", Don Rosa's first Uncle Scrooge story, is published.
Events
- March 28 - The first Disney Store opens at the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California.
Theatrical releases
- January 30 - Outrageous Fortune (Touchstone Pictures)
- March 6 - Tin Men (Touchstone Pictures)
- April 10 - The Aristocats (re-issue)
- May 22 - Ernest Goes to Camp (Touchstone Pictures)
- June 5 - Benji the Hunted
- June 12 - Sleeping Beauty (re-issue)
- July 3 - Adventures in Babysitting (Touchstone Pictures)
- July 10 - The Brave Little Toaster (Hyperion Pictures)
- July 17 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (re-issue)
- August 5 - Stakeout (Touchstone Pictures)
- August 14 - Can't Buy Me Love (Touchstone Pictures)
- November 6 - Hello Again (Touchstone Pictures)
- November 20 - Cinderella (re-issue)
- November 25 - Three Men and a Baby (Touchstone Pictures)
- December 23 - Good Morning, Vietnam (Touchstone Pictures)
Shorts
- Courtesy is Caring
- Crack: The Big Lie
- Mickey's Field Trips: The Hospital
- Mickey's Field Trips: The Fire Station
- Time for Table Manners
- May 1 - A Story
- July 10 - Red's Dream
- August - Goofy's Hygiene Game
Theme park happenings
- January 9 - Star Tours opens at Disneyland.
- March 20 - Captain EO opens at Tokyo Disneyland.
- July 4 - Big Thunder Mountain opens at Tokyo Disneyland.
- December 15 - Magic Journeys opens at Magic Kingdom.
Television
- March 22 - Down and Out with Donald Duck
- May 27 - Sport Goofy in Soccermania
- September 18 - DuckTales premieres in syndication. Based largely on the comic books written by Carl Barks, the show tells of the adventures of Uncle Scrooge and his grand-nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The animation is leaps and bounds ahead of similar animated programs of the time and becomes an instant success, paving the way for many future Disney animated TV programs.
Movies
- January 25 - Double Switch
- February 1 - You Ruined My Life
- February 8 - The Liberators
- March 8 - Bigfoot
- March 15 - Young Harry Houdini
- March 29 - Double Agent
- April 12 - Bride of Boogedy
- June 19 - Not Quite Human
- September 18 - The Treasure of the Golden Suns
- November 1 - The Return of the Shaggy Dog
- November 29 - Student Exchange
- December 5 - The Christmas Visitor
Books
- DuckTales: The Hunt for the Giant Pearl
- Mickey Mouse Heads for the Sky
People
Births
- January 2 - Lauren Storm (actress)
- January 7 - Lyndsy Fonseca (actress)
- January 12 - Naya Rivera (actress and singer-songwriter)
- January 20 - Madhur Mittal (actor)
- February 1 - Heather Morris (actress)
- February 9 - Michael B. Jordan (actor)
- February 28 - Michelle Horn (actress)
- March 6 - Hannah Taylor-Gordon (actress)
- March 19 - Josie Loren (actress)
- April 4 -
- Sarah Gadon (actress and director)
- Ellen Woglom (actress)
- April 7 - Jack Johnson (actor)
- April 9 - Jesse McCartney (actor, voice actor and singer)
- April 10 -
- Hayley Westenra (singer, classical crossover artist, and UNICEF Ambassador)
- Shay Mitchell (actress)
- April 12 - Mike Manning (actor, reality television personality, producer and activist)
- April 15 - Iyaz (singer, songwriter and entrepreneur)
- April 17 - Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (actress)
- April 19 - Courtland Mead (voice actor)
- April 27 -
- William Moseley (actor)
- Laura Ortiz (actress)
- April 29 - Alicia Morton (actress)
- May 5 - Ian Michael Smith (actor)
- May 21 - Ashlie Brillault (actress)
- May 29 - Alessandra Torresani (actress)
- May 31 - Shaun Fleming (actor and musician)
- June 3 - Lalaine (actress, singer-songwriter and spokesperson)
- June 16 - Abby Elliott (actress and comedian)
- July 3 - Sebastian Vettel (racing driver)
- July 7 - Julianna Guill (actress)
- July 11 -
- Cristina Vee (voice actress, singer, voice director, television host)
- A.J. LoCascio (actor, voice actor, film producer)
- July 25 - Michael Welch (actor)
- July 27 - Mara Wilson (actress)
- July 29 - Genesis Rodriguez (actress)
- August 18 - Mika Boorem (actress)
- August 30 - Johanna Braddy (actress)
- September 7 - Evan Rachel Wood (actress, fashion model and singer)
- September 11 - Elizabeth Henstridge (actress)
- September 13 - Erin Way (actress)
- September 19 - Danielle Panabaker (actress)
- September 24 - Brit Morgan (actress)
- September 28 - Hilary Duff (actress)
- October 15 - Chantal Strand (voice actress)
- October 18 -
- Kandy Wong (Singer, actress, presenter, columnist, playwright)
- Zac Efron (actor)
- November 5 - Kevin Jonas (singer)
- November 7 - Gemma Ward (actress and model)
- November 11- Giles Matthey (actor)
- November 24 - Elena Satine (actress)
- November 28 - Karen Gillan (actress and model)
- December 3 - Michael Angarano (actor)
- December 4 - Orlando Brown (actor)
- December 8 - Aria Curzon (actress)
- December 13 - Michael Socha (actor)
- December 16 -
- Michael Lohan (actor)
- Hallee Hirsh (actress)
- December 28 - Thomas Dekker (actor, director, producer and singer)
- December 29 - Iain De Caestecker (actor)
Deaths
- January 2 - Arthur Gould-Porter (actor)
- January 15 - Ray Bolger (voice actor)
- February 4 - Liberace (musician and pianist)
- February 9 - Don Griffith
- February 25 - James Coco (American character actor)
- February 28 - Joan Greenwood (British actress)
- March 3 - Danny Kaye (American actor, singer, dancer and comedian)
- April 2 - Buddy Rich (American jazz drummer and bandleader)
- April 12 - Mike Manning (actor, reality television personality, producer and activist)
- April 17 - Dick Shawn (actor and comedian)
- April 19 - Milt Kahl (animator)
- June 13 - Geraldine Page (film, television, stage and voice actor)
- June 27 - Fred Astaire (film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer, musician and actor)
- July 1 - Jerry Livingston (songwriter and dance orchestra pianist)
- July 20 - Richard Egan (actor)
- July 26 - Kenneth Muse (animator)
- August 1 - Pola Negri (stage and film actress)
- August 28 - John Huston (film director, screenwriter and actor)
- October 19 - Ben Stahl (artist, illustrator and author)
- Milton Reid (actor and professional wrestler)
Artists Joined
- Nik Ranieri - Supervising Animator on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Hercules.
- Russ Edmonds - Supervising Animator on The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Tarzan.
- Tony Fucile - Animator on The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Incredibles and The Little Mermaid.
VHS releases
- January 27 -
- Flight of the Navigator
- Child of Glass
- Five Mile Creek Volume 15
- Johnny Shiloh (Volumes)
- February 24 -
- Ruthless People (Touchstone Home Video)
- The Littlest Outlaw
- March 3 -
- April 14 - Tough Guys (Touchstone Home Video)
- May 19 -
- Walt Disney Cartoon Classics (5 tapes: Here's Mickey!, Here's Donald!, Here's Goofy!, Silly Symphonies! and Here's Pluto!)
- The Reluctant Dragon
- July 7 -
- October 6 -
- Lady and the Tramp and some re-issues of Dumbo
- Walt Disney Cartoon Classics (5 tapes: Starring Mickey & Minnie, Starring Donald & Daisy, Starring Silly Symphonies: Animals Two by Two, Starring Chip `n Dale and Starring Pluto & Fifi)
- October 13 -
- Donald in Mathmagic Land
- Mickey and the Beanstalk
- The Reluctant Dragon (re-issue as part of the Walt Disney Mini Classics series)
- October - Outrageous Fortune (Touchstone Home Video)
Direct to video releases
- May 19 - Disney Sing Along Songs: Heigh-Ho
- October 6 - Disney Sing Along Songs: The Bare Necessities
Character debuts
- July 10 - Toaster, Radio, Lampy, Kirby, Blanky, Air Conditioner, Elmo St. Peters, Hanging Lamp, T.V., Cutting-Edge Appliances, Plugsy, Rob McGroarty, Chris McGroarty
- September 18 - Duckworth, Admiral Grimmitz, Big Time Beagle, Burger Beagle, Bouncer Beagle, Betina Beakley, Webby Vanderquack, Launchpad McQuack
- September 21 - Babyface Beagle
- September 23 - Doofus Drake
- September 25 - Ma Beagle, Bankjob Beagle
- October 5 - Baggy Beagle
- October 8 - Bugle Beagle
1987