'Aladdin' Musical to Close at Disney California Adventure... to be Replaced by 'Frozen'

September 9, 2015 at 9:07 PM · Blasphemy! Utterly terrible if this happens. Money over substance. Might as well replace Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Tower of Terror with Frozen while we're at it! #deadhorse

September 9, 2015 at 9:14 PM · I had to check if it was April Fool's Day. Really Disney? I actually liked Frozen but this is definitely beating a #deadhorse. Aladdin still packs them in so why change it? It's also the end of any Aladdin presence in either park. Hey Disney, replace or upgrade the stuff that is no longer popular instead.

September 9, 2015 at 9:42 PM · Yeah, not a huge surprise

September 9, 2015 at 9:55 PM · Maybe Genie can relocate to the Fantasy Faire? Please?

September 9, 2015 at 10:10 PM · Not entirely true, Tony. They are in the Soundsational parade and Aladdin and Jasmine are occasionally present in Disney park. Leave it to Disney to pull a top rated show that boasts full house attendance on a regular basis for more overdone rubbish that is rapidly losing popularity. It is a sad day to see Aladdin go.

September 9, 2015 at 10:26 PM · Oh not surprised but very disappointed ??

September 9, 2015 at 10:39 PM · I'm very disappointed with this decision. In my opinion, Aladdin is the best standard theme park show that has ever been created. It is only one step down from a Broadway musical and still plays to capacity crowds on a regular basis. Even when I've had a pass and visited frequently, I probably watched Aladdin every other visit just because it is really that good.

Now, I will say that Aladdin has been playing for some time and while it could probably go a couple more years I've been expecting a replacement at any time. Therefore, the closure of the show, while a little disappointing, isn't horrible. My main unhappiness comes from the replacement. Frozen is not the right choice in my opinion for a replacement show. The film has yet to prove it has longevity and there are already several Frozen attractions at the parks. Look at the response at the D23 presentation and it is clear that while Frozen is still popular it is dying out, and I have yet to see anything that makes me believe it will still have the current level of popularity in a few years.

All that said, I'm hopeful that the Frozen show will be a quality production and be just as enjoyable as Aladdin. If it is, good job to Disney. If it is not, however, this will end up being a fail. DCA only has a handful of must-do attractions and it would be a shame to lose one for a short-sighted cash grab.

September 10, 2015 at 1:31 AM · Surely this was inevitable. Just like Aladdin, it'll serve as a proof-of-concept for the Broadway production, right?

September 10, 2015 at 1:40 AM · Sad to see Aladdin go but onward and upward. Frozen could be great. People were upset when Joe Montana, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning were replaced by Steve Young, Aaron Rodgers, and Andrew Luck (respectively). But the replacements have knocked it out of the park. Another analogy, Aladdin could be the forgotten Pete Best while Frozen is Ringo Starr.

September 10, 2015 at 1:45 AM · Well hopefully they put back the muppets after evicting frozen from their theater.

September 10, 2015 at 3:09 AM ·

It's such a shame that Aladinn is being replaced by a cash grab.

And Frozen Mania strikes again...

September 10, 2015 at 3:55 AM · I love Frozen. Best animated film Disney has made in the last 10 years. But wow is it overexposed!

I live in the Tampa Bay area. And one weekend this past year one of those Disney On Ice shows was playing in a Downtown in the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Of course, the main draw was that Frozen would be featured. I was attending a charity event at a building across the street and you'd be surprised all the little girls I saw outside dressed as Ana and Elsa, it was crazy!

I've been to Disneyland once in 2010, but I've never been to DCA and Aladddin was something I was really looking forward to! First Maelstrom and now Aladdin? That's two strikes Frozen. One more and I'm throwing my blu-ray copy of you out the window!

September 10, 2015 at 4:15 AM · Does it not have draw? Why replace it, can't they have both?

September 10, 2015 at 5:08 AM · Let the wailing and gnashing of teeth by the online DL loving/Frozen-hating community begin...

September 10, 2015 at 6:10 AM · Love it. So no Toy Story musical. I wonder if Muppet Vision coming back, which I will hate. This is a good development. What's up with calling this a money grab? Yes and so? More like Harry Potter swatter.

September 10, 2015 at 6:36 AM · There is already enough frozen shows at California adventure Aladdin is awesome this is sad come on Disney I'm a huge Disney fan and your taking away a good thing. We will miss you genie hope you get another gig like this one

September 10, 2015 at 6:46 AM · Should have put Beauty and the Beast ...

September 10, 2015 at 7:00 AM · Will this end up being Beauty & the Beast replacement at DHS? Stay tuned.

September 10, 2015 at 7:05 AM · Maybe in the process they can retheme Hollywood Land and make it look like something that belongs in the park. Walking through the detailed Buena Vista Street into the half assed Hollywood Land is probably one of the most disappointing transitions between two lands.

September 10, 2015 at 7:12 AM · Well while it's sad to see the show go, perhaps this is a great chance to retheme Hollywood Land with 3 of its major attractions being closed. To walk through the beautifully detailed Buena Vista Street and then walk through the half assed Hollywood Land is one of the most disappointing transitions in a theme park.

September 10, 2015 at 7:30 AM · Would love to see this come to Orlando at DHS. Could easily replace B&tB.

September 10, 2015 at 7:46 AM · This is sickening. First Maelstrom, now this? Robin Williams is turning in his grave!

September 10, 2015 at 7:49 AM · You know the 1990s was a huge decade for Disney Animation (let's include the Little Mermaid into this equation as well), and let's face it, they really do crap all over those movie in the theme park presence. We have a VERY mediocre at best Little Mermaid ride, and Tarzans tree house... As far as attractions go, that's very light for a list of movies that were increadably popular for their time (and today's time now that those 90s kids are passing those movies down to their kids (hard to believe that's happening already)). A good replacent for Aladdin would have been a westcoast version of Festival of the Lion King. A classic that hits home with the parents of today and their kids. You would have pulled on the heart strings of everyone which relates to easier pick pocketing on Disneys behalf.

September 10, 2015 at 8:07 AM · This is disgusting I seriously cannot believe this. Too much frozen! People are sooo burnt out on frozen

September 10, 2015 at 8:14 AM · We where at the park few years ago when the show was susposed to close, but thanks to us fans for complaining, they kept it. We go to the show a lot and have been told by cast members that this time they have to close as it is heading on the road for Browdway productions.

Bad decision Disney!!!!j

September 10, 2015 at 8:17 AM · My, what a fresh concept.

September 10, 2015 at 9:29 AM · If Disney had announced this at D23, I'm sure there would have been a room full of boos. Frozen is already over saturated, but it would be good as an E ticket dark ride in Disneyland. But with Stars Wars coming, that won't happen any time soon.

But if you're going to replace something, replace something that's dead, not something that still plays to packed houses. I'd almost rather them replace Mickey's Magical Map than Aladdin, that show is meh at best.

September 10, 2015 at 10:36 AM · Ah I see, a pavilion for Norway being transformed into a cartoon doesn't cause a big outrage, but when a stage show is changed...

Seriously, they should just build a third gate for Frozen. Then when it's completed in 2035 no one will care and will have moved on to the next short term phenomena.

Although I am curious about the ride in the pavilion formerly known as Norway (PFKAN). I've never seen the movie, nor plan to, so this is the only way I'll get any insight to this obsession. By golly the polar bear better still be part of the ride too.

September 10, 2015 at 11:03 AM · So frozen gets a ride, show, sing-along, parade float, but I can't have a Wreck-it Ralph or Big Hero 6 ride?!?!

September 10, 2015 at 11:30 AM · Considering Frozen is Disney's biggest film since the Golden Age, I can see why they're doing it. I just don't entirely agree with it. I may be biased since Aladdin is one of my favorite Disney movies, but how will they meet or exceed the hilarity of Genie? Olaf just doesn't have the same charm and can be seen as annoying to a lot of people.

I hope it does well and they get rid of other Frozen attractions at DCA. And I hope they prove everyone wrong.

I wouldn't call this a cash grab. Cars 2 and 3 are cash grab movies.

September 10, 2015 at 12:37 PM · I like the Aladdin show, but don't quite understand the outrage on the board. Frozen has potential to be a tremendous musical show, especially with the effects they can pull off inside that theater.

Finding Nemo and Beauty and the Beast at WDW are both excellent as well, and I assume Frozen may replace one of them soon too. Sad, but fine as long as the new show is high quality.

All that said it's too bad that they can't support more musical shows at the same time. These types of musical shows with live singing are one of the things that really sets Disney parks apart. I still miss Tarzan Rocks and the old Hunchback of Notre Dame shows, plus I really enjoyed the High School Musical/Disney Channel Rocks stuff at DHS.

September 10, 2015 at 2:26 PM · The difference between Frozen and Aladdin is appeal. I don't think there are many boys or men who will be lining up for this show on their own. Jasmine appealed to girls, aladdin appealed to boys and the Genie well he is perhaps a disney character with the widest demographic appeal ever created, transcending age and gender. DCA is losing something very special.

I agree with the anonymous poster above. Keep frozen in fantasyland.

September 10, 2015 at 11:42 PM · Lion King would be a better musical, as it is already a Broadway show. I like Frozen, and so does my granddaughter, but I will miss Aladdin.. Loved the story and loved the Genie. ??

September 11, 2015 at 5:32 AM · Aladdin was the best musical ever in a Disney park, even better than all the "DCA 2.0" additions like Mermaid, Radiator Springs, and World of Color because it's near-Broadway quality and actually tells a coherent story instead of primarily, shamelessly promoting a lucrative Disney franchise. And "Let it go" can't even hold a candle to a B-Side on Allan Menken's Aladdin soundtrack.

September 11, 2015 at 5:40 AM · This would be a better fit for Disneyland's Wonder Bra Theater where the lackluster Mickey and the Magical Map currently plays

September 11, 2015 at 7:43 AM · There was no way DLR wasn't going to have something Frozen put in. FL gets a make over dark ride, CA gets a stage show and Tokyo who continue to spend real money, get a land and rides. It's the simplest, most economical solution and therefore got the green light from stupid corporate executives.

September 11, 2015 at 1:54 PM · Some people are saying Aladdin has been showing long enough, but you have to judge it by the crowds it still brings in. It is like DCA's Fantasmic.

What's next, replacing Fantasmic with a Frozen show? If they want to upgrade Aladdin, maybe upgrade some of the special effects.

I've also heard some people say that Olaf can take Genie's place making current jokes, but I just don't see it. The Genie spans time and has always made current jokes, beginning with Robin Williams in the movie, but Frozen cannot make reference out of its time period.

September 12, 2015 at 9:43 AM · Terrible, terrible decision. Aladdin is still very popular, and a major draw for everyone, not just little girls. We already have more than enough Frozen in the parks, and the backlash is already in full bloom. We are fed up, and there are definitely too many princesses already.

I don't mind losing the Maelstrom ride, but then they unceremoniously booted the great Toy Story Zoetrope out of the Animation Building at DCA, in favor of the Anna and Elsa meet and greet. The zoetrope beautifully demonstrates the process of animation. The meet and greet just creates photo ops with characters, and could be located elsewhere.

Losing Aladdin is the last straw. Enough with this Frozen takeover!

Oh, and yes, Aladdin has been there for 13 years. So what? Fantasmic! has been around for 20 years and still going strong. The long-in-the-tooth Indiana Jones show at DHS has been around for longer than Aladdin, and definitely doesn't play to packed houses most of the time. But Disney is still hanging on to that thing.

P.S.: It's too bad MiceChat is currently offline. The California locals would be raising hell about this decision on that site. They certainly did when Disney wanted to replace Aladdin with some Toy Story musical.

September 12, 2015 at 9:47 AM · "If Disney had announced this at D23, I'm sure there would have been a room full of boos."

Exactly. Why not announce it at D23? They didn't dare because they knew what the reaction would have been. Remember at D23 a few years back, when they announced New Fantasyland? Cheers from the crowd. Then they said it would be all about princesses. Collective groan from the crowd.

September 13, 2015 at 2:37 PM · Normally, I would complain, but Universal and IOA have a lot of Potter....

September 14, 2015 at 4:23 AM · I understand the outrage over them pulling the plug on Aladdin. I also understand many people have had enough of Frozen.

But the play is being created by the same people that make the cruise ship plays, which are usually quality productions. Yes, there was Toy Story, but I think it's the exception that proves the rule.

Think I'll take a wait and see on this one. After seeing Aladdin (at least) one more time.

September 14, 2015 at 9:10 AM · Disney also announced this is the last year for the Osborne lights. Apparently, they can't find room in those huge parks for them now that Star Wars Land is under construction. This is another bad decision, in my opinion. I'm planning on writing to complain about both of these issues, for whatever good it will do.