After the huge success of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937, Disney hit a snag in 1940 when the epic "Fantasia" lost money due to a combination of its (huge for the time) $2.28 million budget and unusual blend of classical music and animation, which baffled many viewers. It eventually became a success through numerous re-releases.
In 1942, "Bambi" was a victim of bad timing; the United States had just entered into the World War Two arena, which had also closed off many European markets. The movie did not recoup its costs until its 1947 re-release.
Disney's 1951 version of "Alice in Wonderland" was a box office disappointment, though not an abject failure. As with "Fantasia," subsequent re-releases made it profitable.
Despite its technical beauty and huge production and promotion budgets, "Sleeping Beauty" lost nearly $300,000 in 1959. Many felt it was rendered lifeless by dull leading characters.
Following Walt Disney's death in 1966, Disney animation went through a long period of lowered expectations and mediocre products. It bounced back in 1989 with "The Little Mermaid," followed by such critically and commercially successful releases as "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," "The Lion King" and "Mulan."