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You are right about Fantasia, it's one of the great 20th century works of capital "A" Art, in any form. While I'm skeptical about it's value as an introduction to classical music, I don't regard that as a flaw. It's simply a stunning piece of imaginative work. Where else can you get such a range of well, stuff, phenomena, human experience, the cosmos, in only 2 hours? No where else. That makes it unique and indispensable. Here's a longish argument about that one:
http://www.thevalve.org/go/valve/article/disneysfantasia_as_master_work/
Here's an analysis of "Dance of the Hours":
http://www.thevalve.org/go/valve/article/slapstick_onto_logic_in_dance_of_the_hours/
And, yes, to Dumbo as well. I wish Disney had used that as his model for later feature animation. It's a darker and more various film than it's given credit for. BTW, did you know that the head crow was voiced by the (white) man who sang "When You Wish Upon a Star" in Pinocchio? (The other crows were voiced by black men.) Here's an essay:
http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Essays/Dumbo/Dumbo.htm
