“A whole new world” exists for those visiting Broadway, as Aladdin, the classic Disney animated film featuring the Oscar-winning music of Alan Menken, Tim Rice, and Howard Ashman, finally hits The Great White Way. It took more than 20 years, but as critics have indicated, it is well worth the wait.

But why does everyone love Genie, Jasmine, and Jafar? Let’s unleash a few potential reasons from the lamp.

Legendary Disney musical talents Alan Menken and Richard Sherman performed dozens of songs last night from their library during “The Disney Songbook” concert at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA. Sherman played a handful of hits.

I’ll be sharing videos of some of those tunes in a future post but for now, here are some of Alan Menken’s musical medleys of songs from Oscar-winning features The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.

Enjoy!

Earlier this week I had the privilege to participate in a D23 Expo conference call with Disney Legends and Oscar-winning musicians Alan Menken and Richard Sherman, as moderated by D23’s Jeffrey Epstein. Both Menken and Sherman will be performing “The Disney Songbook,” a monumental concert event at D23 Expo this weekend. The two men have never played to Disney audiences together, making this as a must-see occasion.

Here are my conversations with the extraordinary musical talents.

Sometimes it takes many years, even decades, for a popular Disney film brand to enter the theme parks in the form of an attraction. For instance, while the Voyage of The Little Mermaid first graced Disney’s Hollywood Studios only two years after the film’s debut, over 20 years passed before a ride shaped up in the parks.

Now the exquisite dark ride exists at both Disney California Adventure Park and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. In this first section of two-part edition of Disney In Depth I will share five films that deserve to be translated into theme park attractions.

Can you believe it has been 20 years since Aladdin first entered our lives? The film was an absolute sensation, garnering much critical and financial success. After two decades I thought it would be “soaring good fun” to review the influence of this brand in the Disney universe.

This edition of Disney In Depth will highlight 20 fun facts about everything you ever wanted to know about Prince Ali and company.