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The Walt Disney Company was formed as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studios in 1923.
After a series of Alice Comedies and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit films, the first
Mickey Mouse film was shown to the public in 1928. Disney films and characters
ever since have been wildly popular, and found their way into "Pop Culture",
generally meaning that other artists began making references
to Disney properties in popular arts, such as television, music, and film.
This Web site is an attempt to document all pop culture references to Disney properties.
Defining what constitutes a pop culture reference is not entirely straightforward.
My general guidelines when considering a reference are:
- the medium itself is considered a highly visible part of contemporary culture
(TV show, movie, book, magazine article, toy, coin, postage stamp, etc.)
- the artist (creator, writer, etc.) specifically chose a Disney property when a
non-Disney property could have been used
- the artist specifically chose a Disney property because of something special about Disney
- the product is targeted at the general public, not Disney enthusiasts primarily
- the reference is a minor or secondary part of the product, not the main focus
I feel that a pop culture reference is not something where Disney is the main focus
of the medium, such as a news article, a documentary film about Disney, etc.
The marketing strategy of "product placement" interferes with the motive for the
appearance or mention of a Disney property, but the end result is a reference to Disney.
See my Chronology of the Walt Disney Company
for a more complete list of all things Disney.
Your contributions to this list will be gladly accepted. Images of Disney references
should include any appropriate photo credits. Send me email at
ken@kpolsson.com.
1930
| A song by Harry Carlton includes the lines "There's a certain animile, making everybody smile. What's this fellow's name? Mickey! Mickey! Tricky Mickey Mouse!". |
November 10, 1933
| The Fox Film Corporation releases the film My Lips Betray to theaters. The first scene shows a portion of the Mickey Mouse film Ye Olden Days on a TV in a car. |
June 1, 1934
| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer releases the film Hollywood Party to theaters. An animated Mickey Mouse argues with Jimmy Durante, and plays a piano. |  
(Copyright 1934 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) |
1934
| General Foods puts Mickey Mouse on the Post Toasties cereal box, making Mickey Mouse the first licensed character to appear on a cereal box. |
1934
| The Encyclopedia Britannica adds an entry for "Mickey Mouse". |
1934
| Cole Porter records the song "You're the Top", including the line "You're Mickey Mouse!". |
December 14, 1934
| Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer releases the film Babes in Toyland to theaters in the USA. A costumed child dressed like Mickey Mouse appears. | 
(Copyright 1934 Federal Films) |
1935
| The Goodyear Rubber Company produces a 50-foot high inflatable Mickey Mouse to lead Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Other Disney balloons in the parade are Pluto, the Big Bad Wolf, and a pig from the film Three Little Pigs. |
1936
| Paramount releases the film The Big Broadcast to theaters in the USA. Included is the song "It's the Animal in Me", with lyrics "Look at Mickey Mouse. Look at Minnie Mouse. They just live on love and chee-eeze.". |
January 11, 1937
| The Gaumont-British Picture Corporation releases the film The Woman Alone to theaters. An excerpt from the Silly Symphony Who Killed Cock Robin? is shown. |
May 15, 1937
| Republic Pictures Corporation releases the film Michael O'Halloran to theaters. An excerpt from the Mickey Mouse cartoon Puppy Love is shown. |
1938
| Post offers a bowl with characters from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on its Huskies cereal boxes. |
1951
| General Mills features a cut-out Pinocchio mask on its Wheaties cereal box. |
July 9, 1955
| The July 9 issue of Business Week magazine features Walt Disney on the cover, for an article on Disneyland. |
1956
| General Mills offers free rings in its Sugar Jets cereal boxes. The rings feature likenesses of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Peter Pan, Snow White, Dumbo, and Pinocchio. |
1956
| General Mills features an acetate 78 rpm phonograph record on its Wheaties cereal boxes. Records include Chip 'N Dale, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. |
1958
| General Mills offers a free cut-out doll of Annette Funicello on its Cheerios cereal boxes. |
January 25, 1961
| Buena Vista premieres Disney's animated feature film One Hundred and One Dalmatians in selected theaters. In one scene, a portion of Disney's film Flowers and Trees is shown on a television. |
1963
| United Artists releases the film 40 Pounds of Trouble to theaters. Some scenes were filmed at Disneyland. |
September 11, 1968
| In Marceline, Missouri, the United States Postal Service issues a 6-cent postage stamp, the first stamp honoring Walt Disney. (further references to postage stamps are included on a separate Web page: Disney References in Postage Stamps) |
1970
| In New York City, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held. Included is a large Mickey Mouse balloon. |
May 1, 1971
| Warner Bros. Pictures releases the film Billy Jack to theaters in the USA. A man wears a Disneyland souvenir t-shirt. | 
(Copyright 1971 Warner Bros. Pictures) |
1972
| Nabisco features Winnie-the-Pooh on its Honey Crunchers cereal box. |
November 8, 1974
| The National Broadcasting Company airs The Rockford Files TV show in the USA. A character refers to a police badge as "one of those things they hand out at Disneyland". |
December 20, 1974
| The National Broadcasting Company airs The Rockford Files TV show in the USA. Disneyland and the Matterhorn attraction are mentioned. |
1974
| Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade includes a huge balloon of Mickey Mouse. |
September 26, 1975
| The National Broadcasting Company airs The Rockford Files TV show in the USA. A character says to others "Why don't you guys go back to Disneyland and leave me alone, huh?" |
1978
| Mickey Mouse guest-hosts NBC's Saturday Night Live TV show. |
November 3, 1978
| Mickey Mouse is given a gold star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame, the first cartoon character to be so honored. |
February 5, 1983
| Columbia Pictures releases the film Blue Thunder to theaters in Germany. A car has a Disneyland parking sticker. | 
(Copyright 1983 Columbia Pictures) |
March 9, 1984
| Buena Vista Pictures releases the film Splash to theaters in the USA. Television sets in a department store show a brief piece of the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. | 
(Copyright 1984 Touchstone Pictures) |
June 8, 1984
Warner Bros. Pictures releases the film Gremlins to theaters in the USA. - A short portion of the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is shown in a movie theater.
- One of the gremlins watching the film has Mickey Mouse ears.
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(Copyright 1984 Warner Bros. Pictures) |
1986
| American astronaut Sally Ride aboard the space shuttle says "That's a real 'E'-Ticket ride!". |
May 1987
| General Motors begins an advertising campaign for Lumina cars and mini-vans using Disney characters. |
June 16, 1989
| Columbia Pictures releases the film Ghostbusters II to theaters in the US. A baby is wearing pajamas with a picture of Disney's Winnie the Pooh on the front. | 
(Copyright 1989 Columbia Pictures) |
1989
| General Motors uses Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters in advertising for Chevrolet Lumina. Filmed at Disney-MGM Studios. |
1989
| Roger Rabbit and Jessica Rabbit in television ad for Diet Coke. |
September 20, 1989
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A character mentions "microcalifragilistics", a reference to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" in Mary Poppins. |
November 22, 1989
| MCA/Universal Pictures releases the film Back to the Future Part II to theaters in the USA. A Roger Rabbit doll appears in an antique store window. | 
(Copyright 1989 Universal Pictures) |
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Other web pages of interest:
Chronology of the Walt Disney Company
Polsson's Garage Sale - Walt Disney
Walt Disney on Postage Stamps
Personal Computer References in Pop Culture
Video Game References in Pop Culture
Corvette References in Pop Culture
This Day in History
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