Donald Virgil Don Bluth is an American animator and independent studio owner He is best known for his departure from The Walt Disney Company in 1979 and his subsequent directing of animated classics such as The Secret of NIMH 1982 An American Tail 1986The Land Before Time 1988 and All Dogs Go to Heaven 1989 as well as his involvement in the laserdisc game Dragons Lair He is also often credited for providing competition to Disney and forcing them to improve from their streak of lackluster film efforts to the films that would make up the Disney Renaissance