Heartwarming / Sleeping Beauty

A curse lifted, a family reunited, a country restored.

• Fauna's so kind-hearted that she even feels empathy toward Maleficent, noting that she must not be very happy. She's also the one most looking forward to taking care of baby Aurora.
  Fauna: Maleficent doesn't know anything about love, or kindness, or the joy of helping others. (thoughtful) You know, sometimes I don't think she's really very happy.
• The Fairies truly take it upon themselves to raise Aurora, becoming no less than her foster mothers. The scene where they reminisce about raising Aurora and tearfully realize that she'll never be with them again is genuinely pretty heartbreaking.
  • No-longer-accessible games at the Disney Princess website showed that Aurora still considered the fairies family after leaving them, referring to them as her "aunts" like in the movie.
• When the fairies talk about what to make for Aurora's birthday, she sees them huddled and mischievously asks what they're planning. As they stutter, Merrywether grabs the berry basket and says they need more, asking Aurora to gather "lots". Aurora smirks as she leaves, realizing they must be up to something, but humors them.
• Phillip's bond with his horse Samson is this, mixed with some funny moments:
  • When Samson stubbornly refuses to investigate the mysterious singing, Phillip convinces him by offering him extra oats and carrots. His immediate offer implies that they've had moments like this before.
  • When Phillip falls off Samson's back after hitting a tree branch, he splashes water in Samson's face and takes back his offer of carrots, but the look on his face shows that he's not actually mad.
  • After they meet Aurora, Samson is clearly supportive of Phillip's interest in her. He confirms to Hubert that Phillip's not joking about marrying a "peasant girl" by shaking his head, and later nods in approval when Phillip gets ready to enter Aurora's cottage.
  • In the climax, the two bravely race to save Aurora, and not even magic thorns or a dragon stops them.
    • Phillip is knocked off Samson by a blast of Maleficent's fire, and is forced to finished the fight on foot. After the final battle, the two reunite with Phillip grabbing Samson's reins as he nickers softly, and the two stare off toward the castle as the thorn bush fades away.
• Aurora and Phillip's first meeting (as adults) is very adorable.
  • And while it's mostly played for laughs, the fact that the owl and those other animals stole the prince's cloak, hat, and boots all in order to make Aurora happy is rather adorable, as is her playing along with the fantasy.
    Aurora: Why, it's my dream prince!
    • There's also a very sweet moment beforehand, when she laments "Why do they still treat me like a child?", prompting all the animals to be very concerned and upset on her behalf, with the owl even asking "Who?"
• After Flora and Fauna deliver faint praise to each other's failures at sewing Aurora a new dress and baking her a cake, Merryweather tells them to think how miserable "Rose" would feel having such an ugly dress and inedible cake on her 16th birthday, then storms off to get the wands so that she and the other fairies can treat Aurora/Rose more lavishly. This means Merryweather thinks using magic to make Aurora's/Rose's 16th birthday memorable and wonderful is very worth taking the risk, even if they do inadvertently give out her location to Maleficent.
• Before it segues into Tear Jerker, "Rose" comes home to the cottage. She's surprised to see it dark and quiet, asking where her aunts are. Then she spots the light from the candles, the cake, and the dress. Cue a delighted Gasp!. All her aunts come out and say, "SURPRISE!" Aurora gushes that she had forgotten it was her birthday, and thanks them.
• Even though Hubert is disappointed by Phillip's falling in love with "a peasant girl," he still accepts his son's choice and tries to relay the info to Stefan, only of course to find out that the girl was Aurora. Much to his initial confusion. He decides to shrug, go with it, and watch them dance.
  • Aurora greeting Hubert with a kiss on the cheek and his bashful reaction.
• Merryweather's the first of the fairies to support Aurora's desire to marry whomever she wishes, and she manages to persuade at least Fauna to tell King Stephan about what his daughter wants.
• When the fairies realize that Maleficent kidnapped Prince Philip, Flora gains a Let's Get Dangerous! look. She says they're going to rescue him. Fauna asks if that's even possible, and Flora says that questioning it is not an option. Sure enough, when they find him locked in a cell, Flora reassures him to stay quiet, they're busting him out of there, and arm him appropriately with a sword and shield after unlocking his chains. They go Mama Bear the whole time, saving him from potentially lethal attacks and helping him navigate narrow jumps.
• The kiss, of course, followed by the Good Fairies' joyful tears. What makes it better is Aurora's smile as soon as she wakes up. She went to sleep thinking she'd never see Phillip again, and he's the first person she sees when she wakes.
• Aurora's reunion with her parents after 16 years apart. When she and Phillip arrive at the dais, Aurora gives a formal curtsey before running into her mother's arms for their first hug.
• Flora and Merryweather get into another color war when Flora finally realizes that Aurora's dress is blue as she dances with Phillip. While certainly funny, the heartwarming part of this scene is that Fauna is the one to not get hung up on the details and is just enjoying the fact that Aurora is happy.
• Aurora talking to her animal friends about the prince she met (in her dream). She even answers the owl's who-ing. Also, the adorable way the little birds chirp when they wanted to know who Aurora met.
  Aurora: I have met someone.
  Owl: Who?