An overview of all Disney-related events that occurred in the year 1972.
Theatrical releases
Feature films
- January 19 - Song of the South (re-issue)
- March 22 - The Biscuit Eater
- May 23
- One Hundred and One Dalmatians (re-issue)
- Swiss Family Robinson (re-issue)
- July 5
- The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (re-issue)
- Napoleon and Samantha
- White Wilderness (re-issue)
- July 12 - Now You See Him, Now You Don't
- August 23 - Now You See Him, Now You Don't (New York City, New York)
- October 11
- Dumbo (re-issue)
- The Legend of Lobo (re-issue)
- October 18 - Run, Cougar, Run
- December 20 - The African Lion (re-issue)
- December 22
- Snowball Express (Bismarck, North Dakota)
- The Sword in the Stone (re-issue)
Shorts
Events
- May 14 - The first auction of Disney memorabilia takes place at Sothby's in Los Angeles, California.
- November 23 - The Mickey Mouse balloon makes his proper debut and Donald Duck makes his 11th appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Character debuts
- June 17 - Snails, Lightning Bugs, Turtles, Centipide, Ladybug, Butterflies
- July 12 - Debbie Dawson, Cookie
- December 22 - Martin Ridgeway, Mr. Carruthers
- Reginella
Theme parks
- March 4 - Bear Country opens at Disneyland.
- Country Bear Jamboree opens in Bear Country at Disneyland.
- June 5 - If You Had Wings opens in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.
- June 17 - The Main Street Electrical Parade opens at Disneyland for the first ever time with 2D floats.
- December 15 - Construction of Space Mountain begins in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.
Television
- January 26 - The Mouse Factory premieres in syndication.
People
Births
- January 2 - Christopher Lennertz (composer)
- January 11
- Amanda Peet (actress and author)
- Christian Jacobs (musician, television producer, voice actor, and actor)
- February 7 - Robyn Lively (actress)
- February 9 - Crispin Freeman (voice actor, ADR director, and script writer)
- February 22 - Chris Sonnenburg (animator, storyboard artist, producer, director, screenwriter, and voice actor)
- February 26 - Keith Ferguson (voice actor)
- March 6
- Jaret Reddick (musician, singer, songwriter, composer, actor, and voice actor)
- Shaquille O'Neal (former basketball player, actor, and personality)
- March 13 - Leigh-Allyn Baker (actress and voice actress)
- March 18 - Dane Cook (comedian and actor)
- March 21 - Kristen Anderson-Lopez (actress, voice actress, composer, and songwriter)
- March 24 - Tony Leondis (director, writer, storyboard artist, and voice actor)
- March 26 - Leslie Mann (actress and comedian)
- April 15 - Lou Romano (animation production artist, producer, actor, and voice actor)
- April 17 - Jennifer Garner (actress and film producer)
- May 1 - Julie Benz (actress)
- May 2 - Dwayne Johnson (actor, voice actor, producer, and professional wrestler)
- May 8 - Brian Tyler (composer, conductor, arranger, and producer)
- May 16 - Khary Payton (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- May 26 - Selenis Leyva (actress and voice actress)
- May 30 - Joachim Rønning (film director)
- June 1 - Rick Gomez (actor and voice actor)
- June 2 - Wayne Brady (actor, voice actor, singer, comedian, television personality, and game show host)
- June 7 - Karl Urban (actor)
- June 14 - Aliki Theofilopoulos (writer, storyboard artist, lyricist, and voice actress)
- June 17 - C.H. Greenblatt (director, screenwriter, producer, voice actor, and storyboard artist)
- June 29 - Samantha Smith † (child actress and peace activist)
- July 1 - Steve Little (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
- July 10
- Peter Serafinowicz (actor, comedian, writer, composer, voice artist, and director)
- John Viener (actor, voice actor, writer, and comedian)
- July 15 - Scott Foley (actor, voice actor, director, and screenwriter)
- July 27 - Maya Rudolph (actress, voice actress, comedian, and singer)
- July 29 - Wil Wheaton (actor, voice actor, writer, and blogger)
- August 3 - Sumalee Montano (actress and voice actress)
- August 4 - Dan Payne (actor)
- August 6 - Jason O'Mara (actor)
- August 15
- Ben Affleck (actor, director, producer, and screenwriter)
- Matthew Wood (sound engineer and voice actor)
- September 6
- Idris Elba (actor, singer, and rapper)
- Anika Noni Rose (actress, voice actress, and singer)
- Justina Machado (actress and voice actress)
- September 12 - Gideon Emery (actor, voice actor, singer, and jazz musician)
- September 15 - John Schwab (actor, voice actor, musician, and producer)
- September 21 - Erin Fitzgerald (actress and voice actress)
- September 27 - Gwyneth Paltrow (actress, singer, and author)
- October 5 - Ehren Kruger (screenwriter and film producer)
- October 28 - Brad Paisley (singer-songwriter and musician)
- October 29 - Gabrielle Union (actress, voice actress, activist, and author)
- November 6 - Rebecca Romijn (actress and model)
- November 7
- Christopher Daniel Barnes (actor and voice actor)
- James Bobin (film director, screenwriter, and producer)
- November 10 - Trevor Devall (actor, voice actor, and podcaster)
- November 11 - Adam Beach (actor)
- November 14 - Josh Duhamel (actor, voice actor, and model)
- November 17 - Leonard Roberts (actor)
- November 30 - Christophe Beck (television and film score composer)
- December 6 - Vince Corazza (actor and voice actor)
- December 18 - Jason Mantzoukas (actor, comedian, and screenwriter)
- December 19 - Alyssa Milano (actress, producer, author, activist, and former singer)
- December 28 - Thomas Bromhead (actor, voice actor, comedian, and musician)
- December 29 - Jude Law (actor)
Deaths
- January 1 - Maurice Chevalier (actor, singer, and dancer)
- April 25 - George Sanders (actor and voice actor)
- May 5 - Frank Tashlin (animator, screenwriter, and film director)
- November 5 - Reginald Owen (actor)
- November 29 - Carl Stalling (composer, voice actor, arranger, and musician)
- December 6 - Janet Munro (actress)
1972