Look at that background. That's a hand painted background and it's gorgeous. People are not going to do that anymore. Because there are so many easier ways to get a background in now with Flash, or photoshop, so there's no point. It's like 20x more labor. But that backdrop really does it for me. Not to mention the tight hand crafted animations. That music is also full symphonic highly skilled music. I've heard that the Family Guy big band is like Seth Macfarlane's real baby; he loves that band. And even that is an easier and more "pop" version of those Carl Stalling numbers. It's like we've replaced quality with quantity. Which I'm very happy about since it gives guys like me a chance to participate more easily. But I love that style, and I'd probably try my best to get it back if I could
-superboyac
I'll agree with that up to a point. But I think it's still possible to get as good (or even better) a look & feel with modern techniques provided you adopt a hybrid approach and mix the vintage with the modern to capitalize on the unique capabilities of each.
Like here:
As one of the Disney people pointed out, it would have been practically impossible to do that elaborate a design on the magic carpet without using digital techniques. (Can you imagine trying to hand draw a rippling carpet with a complex arabesque pattern at 30 frames per second? That would take years and years.) But going digital on "Rug Man" yielded a surprise benefit in that once they were able to do that, they thought outside the box and asked:
why not make the carpet an endearing character in the story rather than just use it as a prop?Brilliant! That added something valid and unique
back to the classic Aladdin tale. (That IMO is true creativity.)
Then there's scenes like this which I think hold up to the best ever produced by Disney in the old days:
Of course what really makes it is the body language and expressions on the characters faces. The animator in charge of Jasmin said he based her entire character on the style, mannerisms, and personality on his own sister. (I'm guessing he came from one of those large 'traditional' families and she was one of those smart and feisty "good girls" we all knew and loved when we were growing up.) So once again, it's story that's critical to making it all work.
Japan's
anime masters have "story" down cold. Which is why Japanese
cartoons are better than most major movies currently being made.
One of the most brilliant is
Grave of the Fireflies. A masterful example of how much can be accomplished with colored ink and a poignant, rock solid story. Here's the summary from IMDB which I edited to remove story spoilers:
Setsuko and Seita are brother and sister living in wartime Japan. After their mother is killed in an air raid they find a temporary home with relatives. Having quarreled with their aunt they leave the city and make their home in an abandoned shelter. While their soldier father's destiny is unknown, the two must depend on each other to somehow keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. When everything is in short supply, their only entertainment is the light of the fireflies.
This film primarily examines the horrors of war and the price our political differences extract from our children. It is an absolutely heartbreaking story. There's one minor night scene that's still etched in my head. Seita and Setsuko are sitting on a bench. After talking a bit, Seita suggests to his sister it's time for bed. She nods, leans her head down against his thigh, and
immediately falls asleep, hand on her brother while still clutching her precious ragdoll and candy tin. (WARNING: This is
not a Disney film. Best skip it if you get upset or depressed too easily.)
There's a couple of full uploads of it on Youtube right now. They'll probably get taken down soon, so check it out while you have the chance.
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) this is one of the best:
as you work with 
