1998

February 20 - An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (Hollywood Pictures) was released to a universally negative reaction and was a box office bomb.
February 27 - Krippendorf's Tribe (Touchstone Pictures)
March 27 - Meet the Deedles (with DiC Entertainment) was released to negative reviews and became a box office bomb.
May 23 - Kiki's Delivery Service premiered in Seattle International Film Festival.
June 5 - Mulan (premiere)
June 12 - Six Days, Seven Nights (Touchstone Pictures)
June 19 - Mulan was released to mostly positive reviews and commercial success.
July 1 - Armageddon (Touchstone Pictures)
July 29 - The Parent Trap remake was released to positive reception.
August 14 - Air Bud: Golden Receiver
September 11 - Simon Birch (Hollywood Pictures)
October 9
- Rushmore (Touchstone Pictures)
- Holy Man (Miramax Films)
November 13 - I'll Be Home for Christmas was released to generally negative reviews and becomes a box office failure.
November 20 - Enemy of the State (Touchstone Pictures)
November 25 - A Bug's Life was released to very positive reviews and becomes a box office success.
December 25
- Mighty Joe Young becomes a box office bomb and gains mixed reviews from critics.
- The Faculty (Miramax Films)

Shorts[ ]

November 25 - Geri's Game

Theme parks and resorts[ ]

January 21 - The original Disneyland Parking Lot closes to make way for the Disneyland Resort expansion, including Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
January 31 - The Magic Kingdom's Cinderella Castle, which was decorated to look like a cake for the 25th anniversary celebration, is returned to its normal look.
February 1 - ILLUMinations 98 opens in World Showcase at Epcot. The "25" is also dropped from the name.
February 14 - The Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop opens at Downtown Disney in Walt Disney World Resort.
February 17 - Construction begins on the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster in Sunset Boulevard at Disney-MGM Studios.
April 5 - The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) opens in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom.
April 12 - Disneyland Paris and Disneyland Park (Paris) celebrates its 5th anniversary.
April 15 - Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort celebrates its 15th Anniversary.
April 22 - Disney's Animal Kingdom, the fourth theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort, opens.
May 22 - The "New" Tomorrowland opens at Disneyland with the following new attractions: American Space Experience, Astro Orbitor, Cosmic Waves, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, and Rocket Rods. Older attractions remaining open after refurbishment: Autopia, Disneyland Monorail System, Space Mountain, Starcade, Star Tours, and Submarine Voyage.
June 19 - Animazement: The Musical begins its run at Disneyland's Fantasyland Theatre.
July 3 - Innoventions opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland.
August 17 - Captain EO closes in Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris.
September 7 - Mr. Toad's Wild Ride closes in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom.
September 8 - Submarine Voyage closes in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. It would reopen nearly nine years later as Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
October 10 - Journey Into Imagination and The Image Works: Creative Playground of the Future closes in Future World at Epcot to be replaced by Journey Into Your Imagination version featuring Eric Idle without Figment or Dreamfinder and ImageWorks: The What-If Labs in the future site of Imagination! Pavilion.
December 8 - Test Track begins soft openings in Future World at Epcot.
December 23
- Toon Park closes in Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland.
- Toon Park would, however, live on in Mickey's Toontown Fair at Magic Kingdom (until 2011) and in Toontown at Tokyo Disneyland.
December 24 - On Sailing Ship Columbia in Frontierland at Disneyland, a cleat used to secure the ship to the dock tears loose, striking 33-year-old Luan Phi Dawson and his wife in the head, as their two children and other horrified park guests look on. Dawson is declared brain-dead two days later and died when his life support system is disconnected. A cast member is also injured. (See Incidents at Disney parks.)

Cruise ships[ ]

July 30 - Disney Cruise Line opens, with the first cruise ship being the Disney Magic in the Bahamas.

Television[ ]

January 1 - Movie Surfers premieres on the Disney Channel.
January 6 - Bear in the Big Blue House Season 2 premieres on the Disney Channel.
January 10 - Jungle Cubs airs its last episode on ABC.
March 1 - Bug Juice premieres on the Disney Channel.
March 4 - 101 Dalmatians: The Series ends with "Dalmatian Vacation, Part 3: Dearly Beloved". Reruns continue on ABC until 1999.
March 15 - PB&J Otter premieres on the Disney Channel.
April 18 - Toon Disney begins broadcasting.
June 20 - Bill Nye the Science Guy airs its last episode.
June 27 - You Lucky Dog premieres on the Disney Channel.
August 29 - Brink! premieres on the Disney Channel.
August 31 - Hercules: The Series premieres on ABC and in syndication.
October 7 - Out of the Box premieres on the Disney Channel.
October 17 - Halloweentown premieres on the Disney Channel.
November 6 - Rolie Polie Olie premieres on the Disney Channel.
December 20 - The Wiggles Live at Disneyland Park premieres on Disney Channel Australia to welcome The Wiggles.

Albums[ ]

January 27
- Winnie the Pooh: Friends Forever
- Ariel's Favorites
February 3
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Peter Pan
February 10
- Archive Collection Vol. 1: Burl Ives: Chim Chim Cherie
- Archive Collection Vol. 2: Hayley Mills: Let's Get Together
- Archive Collection Vol. 3: Louis Prima with Gia Maione: Let's Fly With Mary Poppins
- Archive Collection Vol. 4: Rex Allen: 16 Golden Hits
- Archive Collection Vol. 5: Cliff Edwards: Ukulele Ike Sings Again

Comics[ ]

December - Gladstone Publishing loses the rights to the Disney comic license.

Books[ ]

February - Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters (third edition)

Video games[ ]

A Bug's Life for PC
April 23 - The Walt Disney World Explorer – Second Edition (Windows and Mac application)
May - Mickey Mouse: Magic Wands! for Game Boy
August 18 - The D Show
September 14 - Animated StoryBook: Mulan
October 27 - A Bug's Life for PlayStation
December 8 - A Bug's Life for Game Boy Color

Home video releases[ ]

VHS releases[ ]

January 23 - The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit
February 3
- Hercules
- G.I. Jane (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
February 10 - Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella
February 14 - Winnie the Pooh: Un-Valentine's Day (re-issue)
February 17
- The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
- The Strongest Man in the World
- The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit
- The Barefoot Executive
- Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World
March 3
- Peter Pan
- The Moon-Spinners
March 31
- The Little Mermaid
- Mary Poppins (re-issue) (VHS only)
- The Sword in the Stone (re-issue)
- Alice in Wonderland (re-issue)
- Pete's Dragon (re-issue)
- Robin Hood (re-issue)
- Dumbo (re-issue)
April 21
- Flubber
- The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (re-issue)
- Gus (film) (re-issue)
- No Deposit, No Return (re-issue)
- The Apple Dumpling Gang (re-issue)
May 19
- The Apple Dumpling Gang (re-issue)
- The Brave Little Toaster (re-issue)
- The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
- Pretty Woman
- The Love Bug
June 2 - Melody Time
July 10 - The Patriot
July 14 - The Spirit of Mickey
July 28 - Disney Sing Along Songs: Honor to Us All
August 4
- The Black Cauldron
- Mr. Magoo
August 25
- Winnie the Pooh: Frankenpooh (re-issue)
- Winnie the Pooh: Spookable Pooh (re-issue)
- Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh (re-issue)
- Disney Sing Along Songs: Happy Haunting: Party at Disneyland
- Money Rock
- Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
September 15
- Kiki's Delivery Service
- Lady and the Tramp
September 29 - The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
October 6
- A Walt Disney Christmas (re-issue)
- A Disney Christmas Gift (re-issue)
- Jiminy Cricket's Christmas (re-issue)
- Mickey's Christmas Carol (re-issue)
- Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too (re-issue)
- Spot's Magical Christmas (re-issue)
- How the Toys Saved Christmas (re-issue)
- 101 Dalmatians: Christmas
- Raymond Briggs' The Bear
October 6 - The Santa Clause
October 27 - The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
November 13 - Armageddon (Touchstone Home Video)
December 8
- The Parent Trap
- Mr. Magoo (re-issue)
- Six Days, Seven Nights
December 15
- Air Bud: Golden Receiver
- Summer of the Monkeys

DVD releases[ ]

February 4
- Air Bud
- The Crow (Miramax Home Video)
- Sling Blade (Miramax Home Video)
- While You Were Sleeping (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
- Crimson Tide (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
March 24
- Trainspotting (Miramax Home Video)
- Con Air (Touchstone Home Video)
- Mary Poppins
March 25
- The English Patient (Miramax Home Video)
- Metro (Touchstone Home Video)
- Evita (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
April 21
- Nothing to Lose (Touchstone Home Video)
April 22
- Mimic (Miramax Home Video)
- A Thousand Acres (Touchstone Home Video)
- G.I. Jane (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
May 19
- Pretty Woman (Touchstone Home Video)
- Tron (Walt Disney Home Video)
- Grosse Pointe Blank (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
May 20
- Pulp Fiction (Miramax Home Video)
- Cop Land (Miramax Home Video)
- Dead Presidents (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
June 16 - Flubber
June 17
- From Dusk Till Dawn (Miramax Home Video)
- Playing God (Touchstone Home Video)
July 22
- An American Werewolf in Paris (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
August 19
- Judge Dredd (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
October 13
- The Santa Clause
October 14
- Kundun (Touchstone Home Video)
- Deep Rising (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)
- Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (Walt Disney Home Video)
November 10
- Dead Poets Society
- He Got Game (Touchstone Home Video)
- The Horse Whisperer (Touchstone Home Video)
December 8
- Good Will Hunting (Miramax Home Video)
- Six Days, Seven Nights (Touchstone Home Video)
- The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (Hollywood Pictures Home Video)

Magazines[ ]

June - Disney Adventures publishes its 100th issue.

Events[ ]

January - Production begins on Recess: School's Out .
January 26 - Ranch and Grove Holding Corporation is merged into the Walt Disney World Company.
April 17 - EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival is held runs until May 31, which is celebrated its 5th anniversary.
October 25 - EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival is held runs until November 23.
November 27 - EPCOT Holidays Around the World is held runs until December 23.

Milestone anniversaries[ ]

February 5 - Peter Pan celebrated its 45th anniversary.
February 19 - Saludos Amigos celebrated its 55th anniversary.
May 27 - Melody Time celebrated its 50th anniversary.
April 15 - Huey, Dewey, and Louie celebrated their 60th birthdays.
November 8 - Robin Hood celebrated its 25th anniversary.
November 18 - Mickey and Minnie celebrated their 70th birthdays.
December 25 - The Sword in the Stone celebrated its 35th anniversary.

Character debuts[ ]

January 10 - Sketch
January 13 - Ursa
January 16 - Amber Dearly
January 28 - Ray the Sun
February 9 - Jacques the Beaver, Lois, Big Old Bullfrog, Doc Hogg
February 16 - Rebecca, Judge Dimsdale De Vil, Hester Hen
February 17 - Webster, Crane, Le Plume, Witherspoon, Chandeleria, Tres, Chaude
February 20 - Cave Pup
February - Newton, Vostok
March - Brad Van Beck
March 15 - Peanut Otter, Baby Butter Otter, Jelly Otter, Opal Otter, Ernest Otter, Mayor Jeff, Pinch Raccoon, Scootch Raccoon, Walter Raccoon, Wanda Raccoon, Munchy Beaver, Flick Duck
March 21 - Ootsie Snootie, Bootsie Snootie
March 28 - Anna Otter
April 8 - Otto and Etta Otter
April 19 - Hallie Richmond, Steve Ellinger
April 22 - DeVine, Wilson Matua, Dr. Helen Marsh, Dr. Grant Seeker, Chili, Termite-ator, Claire de Room, Weevil Kneevil, The Dung Brothers, Sprig, Zawadi, Kiume, Kibibi, Nakawa, Little Red and Big Red, Artimals
May 1 - Uh-Oa
May 19 - Robbie McGroarty, Fanny, Ratso, Hearing Aid, Supreme Commander, Tinselina, Microwave, Squirt, Faucet, Calculator, Viking 1, Wittgenstein, The Missile, Intercom
May 29 - Arpin Lusene
June 19 - Fa Mulan, Li Shang, Mushu, Shan Yu, Cri-Kee, Little Brother, Yao, Ling, and Chien Po, Fa Zhou, Fa Li, Grandmother Fa, Chi-Fu, Hayabusa the Falcon, General Li, The Emperor of China, Fa Family Ancestors, The Matchmaker, Fa Li, Khan, Shang's Horse, Elite Hun Soldiers, Hun Army, Zeebub
July 19 - Malevola De Vil
July 29 - Annie James, Hallie Parker, Nick Parker, Elizabeth James, Martin, Chessy, Meredith Blake, Jackie
August 14 - Dr. Patrick Sullivan
August 25 - John Rolfe, King James, Queen Anne, Mrs. Jenkins, Uttamatomakkin, Jesters
August 31 - Cassandra, Icarus, Adonis, Mr. Parentheses, Homer
September 1 - King Salmoneus
September 3 - Chipacles, Clion, Tempest, Pericles
September 7 - Daedalus, Helen of Troy
September 11 - Gaia
September 12 - Orthos
September 14 - Arachne
September 15 - Achilles, Memnon
September 16 - Typhon, Echidna
September 17 - Fear and Terror
September 18 - Queen Hippolyte, King Darius
September 19 - Cassandra Bleem
September 23 - Hecate
September 25 - Rachel McGuire
September 26 - Sphinx Martindale
September 29 - Mowgli (The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story), Baloo (The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story), Bagheera (The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story), Shere Khan (The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story), Colonel Hathi (The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story), Tabaqui, Li'l Raksha, Chil, Tarzan Chimp, Biranyi
September - Oberon De Spair
October 3 - Gelman, Gegeneis
October 5 - Nestor & Meleager, Mentor
October 8 - Jason
October 10 - Prometheus, Caucasian Eagle
October 17 - Aggie Cromwell, Gwen Piper, Marnie Piper, Dylan Piper, Sophie Piper, Luke, Kalabar, Benny, Harriet
October 27 - Kiara, Kovu, Zira, Vitani, Nuka, Outsiders, Crocodiles
October 30 - Paris
October 31 - Chiron
October - Eugene Photomas
November 2 - Galatea
November 3 - Astro Blasters Robots
November 4 - Chimera, Ladon
November 6 - Lavina, Geryon, Tivius
November 10 - Orion
November 12 - King Midas, Epsilon
November 14 - Amphitrite
November 16 - Poseidon
November 20 - Mr. Griff
November 21 - Erwin Lawson, Syrinx, Miss Thespis
November 24 - Great King Pan, Nemesis
November 25 - Flik, Princess Atta, Dot, Hopper, Molt, Thumper, P.T. Flea, Heimlich, Gypsy, Manny, Slim, Rosie, Dim, Francis, Tuck and Roll, The Queen, The Fly Brothers, Bird, Grasshoppers, The Blueberries, Ant Colony, Bellerophon
November 28 - Alexander, Callista
December 2 - Doc Owl
December 3 - Jeremiah Tortoise
December 11 - Merv Griffin, Scylla
December 14 - Doc Hogg
December 16 - Andromeda
December 25 - Gregg O'Hara, Jill Young, Mighty Joe Young, Andrei Strasser, Doctor Ruth Young, Garth, Jason
December 26 - Santa Claus (Recess)
Dexter Dingus

People[ ]

Births[ ]

January 4 - Coco Jones (actress, singer, rapper, and dancer)
January 9 - Kerris Dorsey (actress and singer)
January 16 - Curran Walters (actor and former model)
January 28 - Ariel Winter (actress, voice actress, and singer)
February 9 - Isabella Gomez (actress and voice actress)
February 15 - Zachary Gordon (actor and voice actor)
April 6 - Peyton List (actress and model)
April 9 - Elle Fanning (actress)
June 19 - Atticus Shaffer (actor and voice actor)
June 24 - Liana Ramirez (actress)
July 8 - Maya Hawke (actress and singer)
July 22 - Madison Pettis (actress, voice actress, and model)
July 24 - Logan Grove (athlete and former actor and voice actor)
July 31 - Rico Rodriguez (actor and voice actor)
August 1 - Khamani Griffin (actor and voice actor)
August 3 - Cozi Zuehlsdorff (actress, voice actress, and singer)
August 25 - China Anne McClain (actress, voice actress, and singer-songwriter)
September 15 - Seth Dusky (actor and voice actor)
October 6 - Matt Cornett (actor and singer)
October 17 - Erin Kellyman (actress)
October 23 - Amandla Stenberg (actress)
October 28 - Nolan Gould (actor and voice actor)
October 29 - Jenna Lea Rosen (vocalist, actress, voice actress, and singer)
November 4 - Darcy Rose Byrnes (actress and singer-songwriter)
November 23 - Bradley Steven Perry (actor and voice actor)
November 24 - Peyton Meyer (actor)
December 16 - Kiara Muhammad (actress, voice actress, and singer)
December 22 - G. Hannelius (actress)

Deaths[ ]

February 6 - Carl Wilson (musician, singer, singer-songwriter, record producer, and artist)
February 28 - James Algar (director, screenwriter, and producer)
March 8 - Marvin Davis (master planner, art director, and scenic designer)
March 31 - Eda Reiss Merin (actress and voice actress)
May 27 - Ken O'Connor (layout artist and art director)
May 28 - Phil Hartman (actor, voice actor, comedian, graphic artist, and screenwriter)
June 5 - Jeanette Nolan (actress)
June 12 - Retta Davidson (animator)
July 22 - Marjorie Ralston (voice actress)
October 3 - Roddy McDowall (actor, film director, photographer, and voice artist)
October 15 - Jack Boyd (effects animator)
November 30 - Ruth Clifford (actress and voice actress)
December 28 - Art Riley (background artist and illustrator)