I recall Aladdin’s opening weekend as an elementary student in Palos Verdes – all the showings were sold out. We ended up watching Home Alone 2 instead. I felt bummed because all my friends went to go see Aladdin on opening weekend and everyone was talking about it. I ended up seeing it the following weekend. It’s hard to believe that this animation gem was released 25 years ago. For a Filipino American, this was my generation’s first introduction to Lea Salonga, the singing voice of Jasmine. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Aladdin, a huge group of us Disneybounders decided to form a full Aladdin cast for the day taking photos and just hanging out.
The Bound
I decided to bound as Rajah. Because it was also Rockabilly Day, I wanted to do something pinup for Rajah. I went with a Bettie Page inspired look. The dress is from Lady De Couture. The wig is from Goth Lolita Wigs. The cat ears are from Pipstar. The shoes are flats from Target (they’re the best flat shoes for spending a full day at the parks). The coat is a gift from my mom.
The Day
There was a lot of things going on on November 12! Not only there was our Aladdin group, but we also had Rockabilly Day and Vintage Visitors’ Dia de los Muertos. The Aladdin group was a few months in the making, recruiting for a complete cast including outfit doubles. Rockabilly Day was rumored to replace Rock Around the Park, but was met with tepid turnout. Vintage Visitors, my favorite Disney family, wore vintage style outfits inspired by the holiday. I was able to see them before I left the parks on one ride along the Haunted Mansion and a visit to the gravesites of the plantation house.
Aladdin’s 25th Anniversary
We did a tour around both parks. We started at DCA – accidentally finding ourselves with Spiderman first. Then we went to the Art of Animation building for a few photos. To conclude things at DCA, we went to the Hyperion Theatre to lament the loss of the famed Aladdin musical. Of course, there were inside jokes and random singing of Alan Menken’s amazing musical numbers throughout the day.
Over at the main park, we went to Aladdin’s Oasis. This used to be a dinner show when Aladdin was first released in movie theaters. It had a good run in the 1990s. It was later replaced with an Indiana Jones stunt show. This area is a quiet, almost secret area for eating and sitting. It’s also been a favorite place for Disneybounders for photos. We recreated scenes from the animated feature here.
Final Attraction Count
- Guardians of the Galaxy (less than 20 minute wait with four lifts? say whaaaaaa?)
- Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- Redwood Creek Trail
- Spiderman Meet ‘n Greet
- Disney Animation building
- Haunted Mansion
Overall
Many thanks to Nolan B of Disneybounders Unite for organizing this group. I liked seeing familiar faces and meeting new people through this bounding group. We got a lot of compliments from park guests and cast members. I liked how everyone interpreted their character’s styles to their own. We had everything from low key to extra to dapper to rockabilly for these outfits. It was nice celebrating an animated classic that was a part of our collective childhoods together and making memories along the way. Hope we can do this all again!
Next visit? Look forward to Festival of Holidays!