[3][4] During World War II, she toured with Paul Whiteman and the Army Air Forces Orchestra.

[4] In 1948, two of her songwriter friends, Mack David and Jerry Livingston, called Woods to record "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", and "So This is Love".

Walt Disney heard the demo recordings, and two days later asked Ilene to voice the star role of Cinderella.

[2][7] When Disney began releasing video cassette versions of its animated films, Woods was one of at least three actresses to file lawsuits over royalties for their performances; at the time of Woods' December 1990 filing, Peggy Lee of Lady and the Tramp (1955) had won her lawsuit the previous April and a 1989 suit by Mary Costa of Sleeping Beauty (1959) was still pending.

"[9] Woods suffered from Alzheimer's disease at a care facility in Canoga Park, Los Angeles in the later years of her life.

On July 1, 2010, at the age of 81, before she died from complications of Alzheimer's disease, she asked the nurses to sing "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes.