Sheet music:Sing a Smiling Song Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty

Beginning with the early musical short features he created, such as his "Silly Symphonies," Walt Disney began a tradition of publishing printed music for all the songs his musical films made popular. His firm eventually formed its own publishing house and then even its own record company to continue this practice. Disney's sheet music was typically simple to learn and play, which made it more appealing to his generally young audiences.

After finding success with "Snow White" in 1937, and with "Cinderella" in 1950, Disney made the animated feature "Sleeping Beauty" in 1959. Though now considered an animation classic, the film did poorly at the box office during its premier release. The firm did not return to animating fairy tale stories until 30 years later, well after Walt Disney himself had died.