<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $2.28 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $76.4--$83.3 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions . With story direction by Joe Grant and Dick Huemer, and production supervision by Ben Sharpsteen, it is the third Disney animated feature film . The film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra . Music critic and composer Deems Taylor acts as the film's Master of Ceremonies, providing a live - action introduction to each animated segment . </P> <P> Disney settled on the film's concept as work neared completion on The Sorcerer's Apprentice, an elaborate Silly Symphonies short designed as a comeback role for Mickey Mouse, who had declined in popularity . As production costs grew higher than what it could earn, Disney decided to include the short in a feature - length film with other segments set to classical pieces . The soundtrack was recorded using multiple audio channels and reproduced with Fantasound, a pioneering sound reproduction system that made Fantasia the first commercial film shown in stereophonic sound . </P>

Disney animation from 1940 with a classical music sound track