Battaglia migrated west in the late 1930s and worked for the Walt Disney Studios from 1937 to 1941. Battaglia started as an in-betweener and soon after moved to the story department. He worked on "Dumbo", "Fantasia", and "Pinocchio" and is credited as one of the writers of the latter. Battaglia participated in the Disney animators' strike. He was fired but later rehired. He also worked briefly for Warner Brothers and made training films for the navy during World War II.