Meanwhile we’re still waiting for the folks at Disney Home Entertaiment (or whatever that division is called today) to bring us all 86 episodes on DVD.

While we’re waiting for Disney to get off their butt an give us Aladdin on Blu-Ray Ultimate Disney member nomad2010 pieced together an homemade cover using the soundtrack artwork.

There’s a rumor that Disney is putting Aladdin up for a February 2010 Blu-Ray release as a DVD/DB combo. If true I’ll be buying my first Blu-Ray player. See Ultimate Disney for in-depth discussion on the probablity of Aladdin on Blu-Ray.

Now that Disney is at the end of their platinum line with the release of Pinocchio as a Special Edition entertainment giant IGN thought it was nice to run an article on the 25 most wanted Disney classics to get themselves a Blu-Ray release. Good old Aladdin sits barely in the top 20 on the 19th place.

With the film’s colorful setting and massive, constantly moving set pieces, this classic adventure is ripe for a Blu-ray update. Certainly, there’s enough behind-the-scenes material to flesh out a fully-featured disc and the visuals themselves would look astounding with the vibrancy of a high-definition transfer. Not to mention an HD surround-sound track as Genie whips about the frame, cracking joke after joke.

Starting over with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs this October and Beauty and the Beast set for a Blu edition in 2010 and considering they kicked Aladdin out of the platinum line I’m afraid we’ll might have to wait quite a few years. Just like we had to wait almost 5 years for a DVD release since the DVD medium gained worldwide popularity.

As you know Aladdin was re-released to DVD as a Magical Music Edition late 2008. But in reality it’s just the 2004 version of the film without the bonus features. Officially the movie should be in stores here in Holland but I’ve yet to look/come across it. Meanwhile artwork of the French edition is online by DCP’s member Energie71 through Ultimate Disney Forumhttp://nsa03.casimages.com/img/2008/12/28//081228122221157721.jpg
Like the DVD the ugly artwork is from the 2004 edition.

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After the UK Holland gets the Musical Masterpiece Edition of Aladdin. The Dutch DVD webshop Bol.com lists Aladdin for a December 3 2008 release in it’s wake come The Return of Jafar and King of Thieves. I find it odd that a 2-disc version is mentioned and the cover is the same as the 2004 edition.That’s great ’cause I wanted to have a second copy, one in my room and one at the computer.

The British official Disney website has a trailer for the today’s return of Aladdin to DVD just 4 years after the Special Edition. Renamed Musical Masterpiece edition the film is turned into one long sing-a-long-song film complete with on screen lyrics, downloadable song and a lyrics book. Available for a limited time only and for sale through the regular channels.

Notice this is a U-K only release and no word if and when this version will be sold in other countries as well.
The Aladdin DVD site at disney.co.uk/DisneyVideos/aladdin/main.html has details what to expect on this disc, in short nothing we haven’t seen before. The games and activities are carried over from the special edition and at least part of the extensive making of documentary is woven in the Fun Fact Trivia Pack. Overall the site seems to be a slightly altered version of the 2004 website.

The Fun Zone is a small desktop program that gives the user access to an Printable Aladdin Party Pack, old wallpapers and jubilee game. Fun to try once but the application offers little to keep it around for a longer period.

Spotted by Ultimate Disney board members sunday was a rating at BBFC for an Aladdin release to DVD. Yesterday someone spotted the disc at play.com and the British Amazon. It seems Disney dropped Aladdin from the platinum line and now releases it as a Musical Masterpieces Edition with extra special features Lyric Book, Music Modes, Downloadable song. The trilogy is being re-released also with 3 discs looking like the special features bonus disc is dropped.
This new version with updated and much prettier cover hits stores in the UK on July 7.

Michele was kind of enough to point me to ioffer.com where a number of people are selling the complete Aladdin TV series on DVD. Prices vary between $ 16,98 and $27.

From the information I was able to gather the episodes are recorded from Toon Disney with a harddisk or personal video recorder and then transferred to DVD. Some sellers have enchanted the video and audio while others simply sell the DVD’s as 9/10 quality without proof to back it up.

After careful consideration I believe at least one seller to be genuine. It is always wise to carefully consider buying online from a unknown website.

shaunkarr offers all 86 episodes with enchanted video and audio quality spread out on 12 discs for $25 + $9 for US or $15 international shipping. But most important it’s the only seller that has screenshots to give a good indication of the video quality which looks good.

I’m tied on budget but in January I might buy from him. The quality can basically only be better than the torrents I currently use as source for screenshots and video clips. And taking the fact that there’s no word from Disney about an official release of the series to DVD or indication the company will do in 2008 the sets are good alternatives.

Since it’s a month since Disneyinfo.nl published a press-release that ET hits shelves November 7, I wondered if the DVD was added to the inventory of Bol.com already. It was and with 13% off I pre-ordered Jasmine’s return to animation-land for € 13, 99.
I’m curiously patiently waiting for November 7th.

Heather points to DVDtalk.com’s Paul Mavis review of Disney Princess Enchanted Follow Your Dreams. The overall thought is that Enchanted Tales is pure meant to bring in more money for Disney in the Disney Princess line and not, like the feature films, works of art. No surprising of course.
Nevertheless Paul Mavis finds the stories appealing and entertaining and the songs quite appealing.

Ultimate Disney in the person of David Block shares his view on Follow Your Dreams first volume summarizing the stories and prefers Jasmine’s story above Aurora’s because Jassy has gotten much more screen time then Aurora in movies and series. He also confirms it’s Lea Salonga returning as singing voice for the first time since the feature film and that Linda Larkin is credited with the surname Vasquez implying she got married.

September 4, just over one week from today, marks an important date in the fandom. It is the return of our favorite characters in animated form for the first time since we left Agrabah in Aladdin and the King of Thieves eleven years ago.

And while the return isn’t as grand as I hoped Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams sparks hope that the creators improve in future stories starring Jasmine and friends. Seeing the shape Disney’s been in the last decade that hope might be false but it’s hope nonetheless.

Disney’s official website is just updated with a storybook with an excerpt of Jasmine’s story.
As we learned from previews and sneak peeks, Jasmine is unhappy with her current life all she does is cutting ribbons, selling camels in the marketplace, posing in ugly dresses. She asks her father, the Sultan, for more important duties. She suggests she can assist tutoring the children in the Royal Academy.

SPOILER WARNING
Upon entering the classroom she was faced with the worst monsters she ever faced on Aladdin’s side. The kids even scared Rajah up a tree. The next morning Hakeem the stable boy {Aladdin’s bastard son complete with fez, did he do it with Sadira after all } calls the princess for help in finding Sahara, Sultan’s prized horse.

And that’s where it ends. My guess is that, based on previews, Jasmine finds the horse and rides it back home. No TV series monsters, evil doings or thieves seem to return. Just some palaces servants, the royal painter, the woman looking like Al’s death mom and the boy who could be Aladdin’s son and perhaps a few function as supporting cast. I’m afraid Aladdin and Genie won’t be appearing in Follow Your Dreams.

New Jasmine footage from Disney’s Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams on it’s Disney.com site. Hit the yellow ‘click here for a sneak preview’ banner. We see her asking daddy for a job, when did she had time for for a job? Doesn’t she need to stand with Aladdin kicking Mozenrath’s butt? The Sultan gives her a job as assistent royal tutor. While the role of tutor/care taker fits Jasmine it’s obivous she’s to young to handle a class full of brats because in the next scene we see Jasmine losing controle of the mob ending up in a palm tree together with Rajah. It’s funny seeing a furios tiger afraid for a bunch of kids it was the only part the made me laugh and think this story might not be that bad.

Let’s weight the good and bad.

Good

• New Jasmine animation set in Agrabah since King of Thieves
• Orginal voice cast returns probably including Lea Salonga, I like how Linda says Hello I’m Princess Jasmine, reminds me of the interview with her on the SE DVD.
• Color scheme and backgrounds look close to feature quality
• Some frames Jasmine resembles her theaterical version closely (see bath scene)

Bad

• Out of character behavior and animation, see song and most other scenes
• Corny song could be better
• No sign of either Aladdin or Genie but that woman bathing Jasmine looks an awful lot like Aladdin’s long death mom.
• No villain ass kicking instead typical Disney Princess stories that might or might not work

4 good points against 4 bad points seems like this story isn’t going to be so terrible yet. September 4 is just a few short months away then we’ll know for sure if was a good idea to cancel these Princess DVD series. At least according to some sources.

I saw Princess Stories volume 3 at the store the other day while checking out the Disney DVD section for something new knowing that I wouldn’t find anything. The cover drew my attention because I wasn’t sure I owned it already. So once home I double checked by collection where I only found volume 1 and 2 plus Princess Party volume 2 and Jasmine’s Enchanted Tales. I bought it today and just finished watching it. For review purpose I’ll be focusing on the Jasmine parts of the DVD.

A small image gallery is included at the bottom.
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Disney released the third Enchanted Tales trailer since the title was announced last year. It’s mostly the same as the second trailer that was spotted in February. There some new footage included most of which feature Aurora but during a few frames a good close up of Jasmine is seen.