Disney in 1976 | Everything that Happened

Last Updated on: February 18th, 2024

Disney 1976 Movies ShowsThe Walt Disney Company has a rich and lengthy history with decades of amazing movies, shows and park experiences. To commemorate Disney’s 100th birthday this year, I am spotlighting the company’s history year by year in this new ‘Disney by the Years’ series.

Here is a quick rundown of everything that happened in the world of Disney in the year 1976. I hope you find this lookback in time helpful and entertaining.

Disney 1976 Company Headlines:

1976 was a transitional year for Disney as a group of new leaders were ushered in including new Disney CEO Card Walker and a new head of film production (future Disney CEO and Walt’s son-in-law) Ron Miller.

Disney 1976 Movies Headlines:

In 1976, Disney released several movies, including:

As was custom at this time, Disney also re-released a number of classic movies to theaters in 1976:

Overall, as was the case with much of the 1970’s, 1976 was not a particularly strong year at the box office for Disney. As we will see in the coming years, this theatrical slump won’t end for some time.

Disney 1976 Parks Headlines:

Disneyland Headlines:

Disneyland didn’t see a ton of change in 1976. A few notable changes include:

Disney World Headlines:

With Disney World a very young five years old in 1976, there wasn’t a ton of change at the resort in 1976. The most notable move of the year was the opening of Disney’s River Country water park on Bay Lake.

Disney 1976 Television Headlines:

In September, The Muppet Show began its run in syndication. While the Muppets were not a Disney property at that point, they certainly played and still play a significant role in the history of Disney. This show was their first real introduction to a large number of people in the 70’s.

The Wonderful World of Disney continued its Sunday night superiority for NBC in 1976, showcasing Disney films, specials and vignettes.

In April, the America on Parade special ran on TV to commemorate the country’s bicentennial.

In December, another special titled Christmas in Disneyland with Art Carney on TV

That’s all for 1976. Stay tuned for in-depth looks at additional years in the very near future!

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About the Author

Craig Smith
I am founder and editor of DisneyNews.us. My passion for all things Disney goes pretty far back to my first trip to Walt Disney World in the mid-80's. I have since returned to the magical place more than 20 times. I started this site when I came to the realization that I spent a significant portion of my day reading articles about Disney and watching Disney content with my 8-year old, so it made sense that I would start sharing some of what I read and see and building a little community around it. Other interests include 80's nostalgia, vintage toys, video games, LEGO, Star Wars and tech gadgets. Other sites include DMR and VideoGamesStats.com.