Slacker
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First off, it depends upon the personality and perspective of the viewer, the significance of the movie not only for disney canon but for animation in totality. Many aspects contribute to the completed art performance of animated features. There have been essentially three golden ages in Disney animation history. The first, and perhaps the most significant, was initiated with the release of Snow White in 1937 that set the standard for all ensuing animation. Coupled with it's groundbreaking artistry and adapted storyline, it established the archetype of the famous Disney princess films. The first golden age closed after the distribution of Bambi in 1942 of which Disney followed by creating compilations of shorter stories into his theatrical features, mostly due to the effects of World War II and it's aftermath. The second great age began with Cinderella in 1950 and lasted until 1967 with The Jungle Book in which Walt Disney past away during it's production. Afterwards, the company wallowed in a dark era that culminated into it's lowest point with The Black Cauldron in 1985. After the company shakeup in the mid-80s the pressure as on the animation department to perform up to the standards of the previous stupendous eras. Mini advances were produced in the 26th and 27th canon films of The Great Mouse Detective and Oliver & Company. However, the establishment of possibly the greatest era in history of the Disney studios kicked off with the production of The Little Mermaid in 1989, which broke box-office records for an animated feature. Fantasia in 1940 also was momentous for amalgamating full-length music compositions with animation. Interestingly, all of the golden ages commenced with princess stories, probably a fact highlighting that the archetype is one that transcends the emotional constitutions of gender, age, and time period. These films had the greatest impact in establishing animation in general as a reliable and effective medium of art and media.
Music also is an imperative component of Disney animation that expresses the true heart of a film. It expresses and reveals the personalities and emotional status of the characters while also contributing by connecting the narrative of the film. Some astonishing work was achieved in the earlier eras but the 3rd golden age quite comfortably owns the greatest songs and original scores. On the website Ultimate Disney The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King monumentally dominated the charts of the 100 Greatest Disney Songs (with the possible exception of Mary Poppins which had many listed songs). This era contained perhaps the greatest musical minds perhaps in all of film history.
Animation, conspicuously, plays a pivotal role in selling the beauty of a film. Snow White set the standard of early animation by combining traditional animation with groundbreaking achievements, such as mastery of the multi-plane camera. Great work was accomplished throughout the era that Walt Disney was present in the production of the films, however, only one truly stood out during Walt's remaining duration. Sleeping Beauty is perhaps the greatest accomplishment in animation of any film for it's technological period. Unequaled detail, darker coloration, and gothic artistry enable this film to exclusively stand out among the Disney films. With the introduction of computer animation, the films of the late 80s and into he 90s until the present, except in my opinion for the strict CGI films, have produced tremendous work. One gorgeous example is the computer animation of The Enchanted Ballroom sequence in Beauty and the Beast.
Character development is instrumental in grasping the attention of the audience, for without captivating figures the emotional valencing loses mystique. This is the division in which I feel the older films somewhat lack, staunchly overshadowed by more contemporary pictures. The two greatest of which display the tribulations and ordeals are embodied within Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. First, the Beast represents a tortured soul who experiences an emotional and social isolation from others. However, as the movie progresses the growth of care and affection for another culminates into an undying love for another (Belle) which ultimately liberates him from his prison of depression. Congruently, Belle illustrates a beautiful woman but a socially inept being who's lost in imaginative worlds and yearns to transcend the mundane realities of society and the physicality of the world in general (a mark of a genius btw). In The Lion King, Simba embodies a person who runs from their fears, yet eventually, through the instigation of others, conquers his demons and realizes the importance of his place, symbolizing the hesitant hero who once realizing their significance are world-movers.
Lastly, in juxtaposition to and inextricably linked with the aforementioned aspects, a compelling and enticing story has to convey a message that touches and affects spectators. Many of the Disney films move people to some extent but relatively few in actuality personally touch the soul and essence of the viewer. Many of the adventures expressed in the earlier films possess fun tales that include particular moral codes, for example Peter Pan articulates the importance of growing up yet always retaining an imagination. Yet the most beautiful films communicate the greatest depth in plot, morals, and story.
Critics would praise and revere many of the classic films due to their importance of establishing the medium and archaic nature. However, the films of the first half of the third golden age would be placed as the pinnacle of achievement within Disney production and the genre of animation.
Personally my favorites include Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast (the most acclaimed animated feature in history), Aladdin, The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, Fantasia, and Fantasia 2000.
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