Major Disney anniversaries to commemorate in 2026
The new year brings Disney fans big anniversaries to commemorate in 2026. This year marks decades of magic, innovation, and storytelling that have shaped generations. From the 125th anniversary of Walt Disney’s birth to the 55th birthday of the Walt Disney World Resort, the calendar is packed with moments that remind us how far the Mouse has traveled since those first sketches in the 1920s.
There are many more attractions, movies, and events reaching major milestone anniversaries this year. We celebrate 65 years of 101 Dalmatians, 30 years of the Disney BoardWalk, and 20 years since the game-changing acquisition of Pixar.
Plus, we’ve included some big Disney birthdays and poignant historical markers. Whether you are a fan of the classic films, the sprawling international resorts, or the latest Marvel and Pixar hits, here are some Disney anniversaries we can all commemorate in 2026.
January
Jan. 1, 1888: Elias Disney and Flora Call are married in Acron, Fla., a town in eastern Lake County. They are the parents of Walt and Roy Disney. (138th anniversary)
Jan. 1, 1966: Walt Disney serves as Grand Marshal of the Tournament of the Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. (60th anniversary)
Jan. 2, 2001: Disney opens the doors to its Grand Californian Hotel at the Disneyland Resort. (35th anniversary)
Jan. 4, 1996: Stockholders approve Disney merger with Capital Cities/ABC. (30th anniversary)
Jan. 5, 1986: The Biscuit Barrel in the United Kingdom Pavilion at EPCOT closes. It becomes The Country Manor. (40th anniversary)
Jan. 6, 2016: The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights closes for the last time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios after being a holiday staple display for 20 years. (10th anniversary)
Jan. 7, 2008: Disney-MGM Studios changes its name to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (18th anniversary)
Jan. 8, 1936: Walt Disney is decorated with France’s highest award, the Legion of Honor. (90th anniversary)
Jan. 12, 2001: Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort officially opens. (25th anniversary)
Jan. 15, 1986: The Living Seas Pavilion opens at EPCOT. (40th anniversary)
Jan. 16, 2011: Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom begins operation. (15th anniversary)
Jan. 18, 1882: A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, is born. (144th anniversary)
Jan. 19, 2011: The Disney Dream is christened at Port Canaveral. (15th anniversary)
Jan. 20, 2006: High School Musical makes its first bow and breaks all Disney Channel records, with its soundtrack going platinum. (20th anniversary)
Jan. 23, 2006: Monsters, Inc.: Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction officially opens at Disney’s California Adventure. (20th anniversary)
Jan. 24, 2006: Walt Disney Co. President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger announces Disney will acquire Pixar in a stock transaction worth about $7.4 billion. (20th anniversary)
Jan. 25, 1961: 101 Dalmatians is released. (65th anniversary)
Jan. 26, 2011: Maiden voyage of the Disney Dream. (15th anniversary)
Jan. 27, 1996: The Walt Disney World Resort hosts an Indy 200 race in the new Walt Disney World Speedway. (30th anniversary)
Jan. 31, 1956: A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh passes away at the age of 74. (70th anniversary)
February
Feb. 2, 1986: The Disney Sunday movie debuts on television. (40th anniversary)
Feb. 6, 1986: Walt Disney Productions officially changes its name to The Walt Disney Company. (40th anniversary)
Feb. 8, 2001: Disney’s California Adventure opens to the public. (25th anniversary)
Feb. 9, 2006: The Walt Disney Company re-acquires the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from NBC Universal in a trade allowing football analyst Al Michaels to contract with NBC. (20th anniversary)
Feb. 9, 1996: Final FCC approval of and filing of merger documents for completion of the acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC. (30th anniversary)
Feb. 9, 1996: The Disney Institute opens at Walt Disney World. (30th anniversary)
Feb. 12, 2011: Mickey’s House and Meet Mickey, a walk-through and Meet & Greet attraction at Mickey’s Toontown Fair, Magic Kingdom closes. (15th anniversary)
Feb. 16, 1991: The stage show Dick Tracy Starring in Diamond Double-Cross at Disney-MGM Studios gives its last performance. (35th anniversary)
Feb. 22, 1996: Disney Online launches Disney.com on the World Wide Web. (30th anniversary)
Feb. 24, 1996: The Spirit of Pocahontas show at Disney-MGM Studios gives its last performance. (30th anniversary)
March
March 1, 1996: Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort opens in South Carolina. (30th anniversary)
March 4, 2016: Zootopia premieres. (10th anniversary)
March 15, 2020: Walt Disney World closes at the end of business due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the seventh time in history Disney World has closed its doors. (6th anniversary)
March 24, 2006: Hannah Montana debuts on Disney Channel. (20th anniversary)
April
April 2, 2016: Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set at Disney’s Hollywood Studios close to eventually make way for Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. (10th anniversary)
April 7, 2011: Official groundbreaking of the Shanghai Disney Resort. (15th anniversary)
April 12, 1996: James and the Giant Peach is released. (30th anniversary)
April 14, 2016: Groundbreaking for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (10th anniversary)
April 15, 2016: The live-action version of The Jungle Book premieres. (10th anniversary)
April 15, 1938: Huey, Dewey and Louie debut in the short “Donald’s Nephews.” (88rd anniversary)
April 15, 1971: The last of 337 concrete beams completing the six-mile long monorail system for Walt Disney World is placed and the first Martin-Marietta Mark IV Monorail train is lowered onto the beam. (55th anniversary)
April 16, 2001: Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World Resort opens. (25th anniversary)
May
May 5, 2006: Disney closes on the purchase of Pixar Animation Studios. (20th anniversary)
May 6, 1991: The Walt Disney Co. joins the Dow Jones Industrial Average. (35th anniversary)
May 6, 2016: Captain America: Civil War premieres. (10th anniversary)
May 8-12, 2016: 2016 Invictus Games are held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World. (10th anniversary)
May 9, 1955: Kermit the Frog first appears in the premiere of Sam and Friends on local Washington, D.C., television station WRC-TV. (71st anniversary)
May 12, 1932: Goofy makes his first appearance in “Mickey’s Revue.” (94th anniversary)
May 17, 1991: The French Quarter at Port Orleans Resort opens. (35th anniversary)
May 20, 1996: Fantasia Gardens mini-golf course opens. (30th anniversary)
May 27, 2016: “Frozen—Live at the Hyperion” opens at Disney’s California Adventure. (10th anniversary)
May 27, 2016: Alice Through the Looking Glass premieres. (10th anniversary)
May 27, 2025: Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, a new live production featuring Disney villains opened. (1st anniversary)
May 27, 2025: The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” show reopens at Hollywood Studios. (1st anniversary)
May 29, 1991: Guest No. 100 million welcomed at Tokyo Disneyland. (35th anniversary)
June
June 4, 2025: GEO-82, an adults only lounge opens inside Spaceship Earth. (1st anniversary)
June 7, 1940: Daisy Duck makes her first appearance in “Mr. Duck Steps Out.” (86th anniversary)
Jun 8, 2006: Cars is released. (20th anniversary)
June 9, 1934: Donald Duck makes his first appearance in “The Wise Little Hen.” (92nd anniversary)
June 15, 2001: Atlantis: The Lost Empire premieres. (25th anniversary)
June 16, 2016: Shanghai Disney Resort opens. (10th anniversary)
June 17, 1971: Disneyland welcomes guest No. 100 million. (55th anniversary)
June 17, 2016: Finding Dory premieres. (1-th anniversary)
June 17, 2016: Soarin’ Around the World opens at Epcot and Disney’s California Adventure. (10th anniversary)
June 18, 1996: The Haber family is the first to move into their new home in Celebration, Fla. (30th anniversary)
June 19, 1971: Walt Disney World opens its own post office, with its own Zip Code: 32830. (55th anniversary)
June 20, 1976: River Country, Disney’s first water park, opens at Walt Disney World. (50th anniversary)
June 21, 1996: Hunchback of Notre Dame is released. (30th anniversary)
June 21, 2016: Frozen Ever After opens at Epcot. (10th anniversary)
June 24, 2011: Cars 2, from Pixar, premieres. (25th anniversary)
June 24, 1893: Roy O. Disney is born. (133rd anniversary)
July
July 1, 1996: Disney’s BoardWalk and BoardWalk Villas opens at Walt Disney World. (30th anniversary)
July 2, 1986: The Great Movie Detective is released. (40th anniversary)
July 10, 1981: Fox and the Hound is released. (35th anniversary)
July 11, 2020: Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom reopen to the public with new health and physical distancing guidelines after being closed effective March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (6th anniversary)
July 15, 2020: EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopen to the public with new health and physical distancing guidelines after being closed effective March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (6th anniversary)
July 15, 2011: Winnie the Pooh film premieres. (15th anniversary)
July 17, 1955: Disneyland opens. (71st anniversary)
July 20, 2025: The Disney Starlight: Dream the Nigh Away, a new nighttime parade debuts at Magic Kingdom. (1st anniversary)
July 28, 1951: Alice in Wonderland is released. (75th anniversary)
August
Aug. 17, 1941: Walt and artists leave on a goodwill trip to South America. (85th anniversary)
Aug. 29, 2011: Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa, opens in west Oahu’s Ko Olina Resort & Marina. (15th anniversary)
September
Sept. 4, 2001: Tokyo DisneySea opens. (25th anniversary)
Sept. 5, 1927: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit makes his debut in “Trolley Troubles.” (99th anniversary)
Sept. 5, 1930: Pluto makes his first appearance in “The Chain Gang.” (96th anniversary)
Sept. 11, 2001: Following the terrorist attacks in New York City, the Pentagon and in the skies of Shanksville, Pa., Disneyland and Walt Disney World close without incident. While the parks closed, the resorts remained open. (25th anniversary)
Sept. 21, 1936: Jim Henson, a visionary puppeteer, director, and producer who revolutionized television and film by transforming puppetry from a simple children’s entertainment into a sophisticated art form, was born. He is best known as the creator of The Muppets and the creative force behind some of the most enduring icons of the 20th century. (90th anniversary)
Sept. 26, 1991: Hyperion Books publishes its first book. (35th anniversary)
Sept. 27, 2021: Space 220 Restaurant opens at EPCOT. (5th anniversary)
Sept. 30, 1971: The Preview Center for Walt Disney World closes. (55th anniversary)
October
Oct. 1, 1971: The Magic Kingdom opens to the public at 10 a.m. Attendance for the first day is 10,442. Opening day attractions included the Country Bear Jamboree, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Hall of Presidents, the Haunted Mansion, it’s a small world, Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, Peter Pan’s Flight, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Swiss Family Treehouse, Tomorrowland Speedway, Walt Disney World Railroad, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. The Contemporary and Polynesian resorts also opened on this day, as did the Monorail connecting them to the Magic Kingdom. (55th anniversary)
Oct. 1, 2006: “The Year of a Million Dreams” begins at the Disney parks with special prizes for guests.
Oct. 1, 2021: Harmonious nighttime spectacular officially opens. (5th anniversary)
Oct. 1, 2021: Disney Enchantment, the nighttime spectacular, officially debuts at Magic Kingdom.
Oct. 1, 2021: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opens at EPCOT.
Oct. 2, 1971: The Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat begins operation on the Rivers of America in the Magic Kingdom. (55th anniversary)
Oct. 3, 1971: The Peter Pan’s Flight attraction opens in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. (55th anniversary)
Oct. 14, 1971: The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction opens in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. (55th anniversary)
Oct. 21, 1941: Dumbo is released. (85th anniversary)
Oct. 23, 1971: A three-day gala Grand Opening ceremony for Walt Disney World takes place. (55th anniversary)
Oct. 25, 1971: The Electrical Water Pageant starts its journey on the Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney World. (55th anniversary)
November
Nov. 2, 2001: Disney’s River Country closes for the last time. (25th anniversary)
Nov. 2, 2001: Monsters, Inc. premieres. (25th anniversary)
Nov. 4, 2016: Doctor Strange premieres. (10th anniversary)
Nov. 7, 2025: Zootopia: Better Zoogether at the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom opens. (1st anniversary)
Nov. 18, 1996: Debut of Radio Disney on the ABC Radio Networks. (30th anniversary)
Nov. 18, 1928: Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse make their debut in “Steamboat Willie.” (98th anniversary)
Nov. 22, 1991: Beauty and the Beast is released. (35th anniversary)
Nov. 23, 2016: Moana premieres. (10th anniversary)
Nov. 25, 1996: The Main Street Electrical Parade makes its final appearance at Disneyland. (30th anniversary)
Nov. 25, 1971: The Circle Vision 360 film America the Beautiful opens in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. (55th anniversary)
December
Dec. 1, 1971: The #4 locomotive, the Roy O. Disney, begins operation in the Magic Kingdom. (55th anniversary)
Dec. 5, 1901: Walt Disney is born. (125th anniversary)
Dec. 8, 1941: The U.S. Army moves onto the Disney Studio lot. (85th anniversary)
Dec. 15, 1966: Walt Disney passes away. (60th anniversary)
Dec. 16, 2016: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story premieres. (10th anniversary)
Dec. 20, 1971: Roy O. Disney passes away, less than three months after the opening of the Magic Kingdom. (55th anniversary)
Dec. 20, 1991: Disney’s Vacation Club Resort opens. The first DVC resort, it will be renamed Old Key West Resort in 1996. (35th anniversary)