Disney Fantasy: Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular




The amazing cast of Aladdin -A Musical Spectacular.

  Each and every night aboard your Disney Fantasy cruise, you'll be treated to wonderful entertainment inside the 1,340 seat Walt Disney theater, including five original productions. Among  these world class, Broadway style productions is one exclusive to the Disney Fantasy: Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular.

Much like the stage show of the same name performed at Disney's California Adventure Park where the show got its start, this approximately 45 minute show tells the tale of Aladdin, a street rat from Agrabah, who finds a magic lamp, frees the genie and is granted three wishes, tries to convince Princess Jasmine to fall in love with him with a little help from said genie, battles Jafar, and finally reveals his true self to the princess. Unlike the stage show at California Adventure, however, the carpet actually flies on board the Disney Fantasy during the performance of "A Whole New World." The show also features a brand new song, "To Be Free" from Alan Menken, co-composer of the original soundtrack.




Great costumes and effects bring the show to life.

  Though the production is very high energy, with the action spilling out into the aisle several times during the show, and special effects including fog and streamers that burst out over the audience at one point (I won't tell you when as to not ruin it for you), it is the performers who are the real stars here. Iago, Jafar's wise-cracking sidekick parrot is brought to life brilliantly through a puppeteer; Magic Carpet tumbles and flips across the stage and is expressive without saying a word the entire time, and of course, the Genie, who steals the show, using topical humor and a lot of ad-libbing, such as when he quipped, while explaining the restrictions on the three wishes to Aladdin "No asking for more wishes, I can't make anyone fall in love with you, and I can't raise the dead - I used all of that up on Betty White."  




Jafar and Iago provide a little humor during the show.

  During our preview cruise, Chris and I were lucky enough to see three different shows, and we both agree that this was our favorite. Shows are performed twice nightly, once during the early dinner rotation, and once during the late dinner rotation, allowing everyone an opportunity to see the productions.

As an aside, although I included photos of the production in this post, no videotaping or photography of any kind, even without a flash is permitted during any show for the safety of the performers - it is a moving ship, after all. And yes, Disney does enforce this rule. On an unrelated note, look for my upcoming posts on "Inside the holding cells of the Disney Fantasy."