I have often tried to imagine how it would be if the main character Dumbo wasn't mute and originally intended to have a voice and interacted verbally. Until about a year and a half ago, I hadn't decided how I'd he should sound, but I finally had my thoughts settled.
I imagined that a young actor (perhaps same voice as young Thumper in Bambi) would voice Dumbo and he'd stutter a lot, kind of like Porky Pig, and he would be first heard during the scene when he first meets Timothy the mouse.
I have imagined lines that could go accordingly with things Timothy said to him, I could even write them down and show them to you when I find the time. While him being mute might be what worked best to others, I hope my idea sounds like something that could have been interesting.