Theatrical releases
Feature films
- February 14 - The Jungle Book 2 was released to negative reviews, but is a commercial success.
- March 21 - Piglet's Big Movie
- April 11 - Ghosts of the Abyss
- April 18 - Holes
- May 2 - The Lizzie McGuire Movie
- May 3 - Where the Red Fern Grows
- May 30 - Finding Nemo was released and becomes a mega-hit at the box office and gets Universal acclaim.
- June 13 - Jet Lag (Miramax Films)
- July 9 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was the first PG-13 movie to be released under the Walt Disney Pictures label, was released and becomes a hit at the box office.
- August 6 - Freaky Friday
- September 26 - Under the Tuscan Sun (Touchstone Pictures)
- November 1 - Brother Bear was released to mixed to negative reviews, but with a commercial success.
- November 26 - The Haunted Mansion was released to Negative reviews and Bad Santa (Dimension Films)
- December 25 - The Young Black Stallion
Shorts
Television
- January 17 - That's So Raven premieres on the Disney Channel.
- February 15 - Power Rangers: Ninja Storm debuts on ABC Kids. The season of Power Rangers become the first in the Power Rangers franchise to be aired exclusively on ABC
- June 2 - Even Stevens airs its final episode on the Disney Channel.
- July 7 - Bear in the Big Blue House Season 4 resumes on Playhouse Disney
- September 20 - Lilo & Stitch: The Series premieres on ABC and the Disney Channel.
- September 28 - JoJo's Circus premieres on Playhouse Disney.
- November 28 - Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time airs on the Disney Channel.
Comics
- June - Gemstone Publishing begins publishing Disney comic books, starting with Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #634 and Uncle Scrooge #319.
- September 18 - Gemstone publishes their first issues of Mickey Mouse and Friends and Donald Duck and Friends
Video games
- February 2 - Piglet's Big Game
- February 7 - Treasure Planet
- April 4 - Disney Princess for Game Boy Advance
- June 2 - Toontown Online
- September 2 - Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure
- September 30 - The Lion King 1½ for Game Boy Advance
- October 14 - Lizzie McGuire: On the Go!
- November 4 - Brother Bear for Game Boy Advance
- November 11 - Brother Bear for PC
Albums
- January 28 - Playhouse Disney 2
- July 22 - Kim Possible
Theme park happenings
- January 13 - Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular premieres at the Hyperion Theater at Disney's California Adventure
- April 11 - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh opens at Disneyland.
- May 22 - Reflections of China opens at the China Pavilion in Epcot.
- September 5 - 22-year-old Marcelo Torres is killed after suffering injuries during a derailment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland.
- October 8 - Mickey's PhilharMagic opens at the Magic Kingdom.
- October 9 - Mission: SPACE officially opens at Epcot.
- October 12 - ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter closes at Magic Kingdom.
- December 5 - A vehicle on Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland is derailed while returning to the loading station. 4 guests were injured.
Home video releases
DVD & VHS releases
- January 7 - Signs (Touchstone Films)
- February 25 - Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World: Special Edition
- March 4 - Heavyweights and Man of the House
- March 18 - Pokémon 4Ever (Miramax Films)
- March 25 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Touchstone Films)
- April 1 - Bear in the Big Blue House Live!
- April 8 - Life with Mikey, New York Stories and The Marrying Man
- April 15 - Spirited Away
- April 29 - Treasure Planet
- May 6 - Toothless
- May 13 - The Hot Chick
- May 20 - The Rescuers and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Special Edition
- May 27 - A Bug's Life: 2-Disc Collector's Edition
- June 3 - 3 Ninjas
- June 10 - The Jungle Book 2
- July 29 - Piglet's Big Movie
- August 5 - Slam Dunk Ernest
- August 12 - The Lizzie McGuire Movie
- September 2 - Kim Possible: The Secret Files, The Brave Little Toaster, Escape to Witch Mountain: Special Edition and Alias: The Complete First Season (Touchstone Television)
- September 9 - Sleeping Beauty: Special Edition
- September 23 - Holes
- October 7 - The Lion King: Platinum Edition
- October 14 - Flight of the Navigator and Holy Matrimony
- November 4 - Finding Nemo (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
- November 18 - The Santa Clause 2
- December 2 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Alias: The Complete Second Season (Touchstone Television)
- December 9 - Lizzie McGuire: Fashionably Lizzie and Growing Up Lizzie, Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street (Re-issue)
- December 16 - Freaky Friday
Direct-to-video releases
- January 21 - 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure
- March 11 - Inspector Gadget 2
- April 1 - Disney Sing Along Songs: Circle of Life and Sing a Song with Pooh Bear (and Piglet Too)
- April 15 - Castle in the Sky and Kiki's Delivery Service
- May 20 - Atlantis: Milo's Return
- June 24 - Air Bud: Spikes Back
- August 26 - Stitch! The Movie
- September 16 - Bionicle: Mask of Light
- October 21 - George of the Jungle 2
- October 28 - Disney Sing Along Songs: On My Way
- December 9 - Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade and Recess: All Growed Down
Character debuts
- February 14 - Ranjan
- April 25 - Professor Dementor
- May 16 - Frugal Lucre
- May 30 - Nemo, Dory, Marlin, Coral, Bruce, Nigel, Darla Sherman, P. Sherman, Gil, Peach, Gurgle, Bloat, Bubbles, Jacques, Anchor, Chum, Crush, Squirt, Blenny, Seagulls
- July 7 - Lily
- July 9 - Jack Sparrow, Hector Barbossa, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann
- August 26 - Sparky
- October 20 - Billy, Bonnie
- November 1 - Kenai, Koda, Rutt and Tuke, Denahi, Sitka, Koda's mother, Tug, Tanana
- November 3 - Edwina Badger
People
Births
- February 20 - Olivia Rodrigo (actress)
- August 19 - Steele Stebbins (actor)
- September 18 - Nina Lu (child actress)
- December 22 - Neel Sethi (child actor)
Deaths
- January 20 - Al Hirschfeld (artist)
- February 17 - Pete Schrum (actor)
- February 27 - Fred Rogers (American educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, author, and television host)
- March 12 - Lynne Thigpen (actress)
- March 19 - Émile Genest (actor)
- March 20 - Michael Jeter (actor)
- March 26 - Jak Ballantine
- June 29 - Katharine Hepburn (actress)
- June 30 - Buddy Hackett (voice actor and comedian)
- July 6 - Buddy Ebsen (character actor and dancer)
- July 27 - Bob Hope (actor and comedian)
- August 6 - Larry Taylor (actor and stuntman)
- September 12 - Johnny Cash (singer)
- October 3 - Florence Stanley (actress)
- October 16 - Carl Urbano (animation director)
- October 27 - Rod Roddy (radio and television announcer)
- November 12
- Jonathan Brandis (actor, director and screenwriter)
- Kay E. Kuter (voice actor)
- December 5 - Bob Gregory (comics artist and writer)
- December 19 - Les Tremayne (radio, film and television actor)
- December 29 - Earl Hindman (actor)
2003