Aladdin is one of Disney’s most beloved animated films, featuring the iconic music and characters that fans know and love. Since the launch of Disney’s streaming service Disney+, subscribers have wondered why the 1992 classic Aladdin is not included in the service’s extensive library of Disney animated films. There are a few key reasons why Aladdin is not currently available on Disney+.
Rights Issues
One of the main issues holding up Aladdin’s availability on Disney+ is rights and distribution matters. When Disney+ launched in 2019, the company had to navigate complex existing licensing deals and rights agreements that had been made prior to the launch of the streaming service.
Many of Disney’s animated classics, including Aladdin, had existing licensing contracts in place with other distributors like Netflix or premium cable channels. These pre-existing deals determine when a title like Aladdin is available for streaming on other platforms, preventing Disney from making certain films available on Disney+ right away due to exclusivity clauses. It takes time for these external licensing deals to expire before Disney can regain full distribution rights.
Music Licensing Challenges
Another major rights issue affecting Aladdin’s availability is music licensing. Aladdin features iconic songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, including “A Whole New World” and “Friend Like Me.” Disney does not wholly own the rights to all of the music in Aladdin, which creates additional hurdles for bringing the film to Disney+.
Music rights are complex, as record labels, composers, lyricists, and other rights holders have to grant permission and negotiate deals for the music to be streamed. Clearing the music for use on Disney+ globally is an intricate process, especially for a film with a popular, award-winning soundtrack like Aladdin.
Home Video/Digital Retail Exclusivity
In addition to existing licensing deals, Disney also has to consider home video and digital retail exclusivity when making a film available on Disney+. Aladdin was released on Blu-ray and digital formats in 2019, around the same time as the launch of Disney+.
To maximize home video sales, Disney typically makes new releases available exclusively on purchase formats for a window of time before making them available on subscription streaming. Putting a title like Aladdin on Disney+ right away could potentially cut into lucrative digital sales revenue.
Disney likely delayed putting Aladdin on Disney+ to allow the 2019 home video release to benefit from retail exclusivity before making the film free to stream for subscribers. This is a common practice across the industry.
Technical Difficulties Preparing Older Titles
On the more technical side, Disney also has to deal with preparing and formatting older titles like Aladdin for modern streaming. Films that were originally produced for theater or home video release require extra work to meet today’s high streaming standards.
Disney has noted challenges with licensing some of its back catalog titles due to aging digital formats, faded prints and problematic source material. Technical difficulties restoring and digitizing legacy titles introduces delays for making films like Aladdin available on Disney’s state-of-the-art platform.
When Will Aladdin Be on Disney+?
So when can fans finally expect to see Aladdin added to the Disney+ library? An exact release date is not yet known, but based on recent news, Aladdin could potentially arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2022 or 2023.
In August 2021, Disney announced a slate of titles from the Disney library coming to the platform. While Aladdin was not included in the announcement, its absence suggests that music rights, exclusivity windows and other issues are still being worked out behind the scenes before the film can be added.
Looking at how other beloved Disney animated films have been added to Disney+ may provide a blueprint for when Aladdin could make its debut:
| Film | Disney+ Release Date |
|---|---|
| Snow White | Launch Day – November 12, 2019 |
| Beauty and the Beast | Launch Day – November 12, 2019 |
| The Lion King | January 28, 2020 |
| Frozen | Launch Day – November 12, 2019 |
| The Little Mermaid | June 26, 2020 |
Based on this pattern, it is possible Aladdin could arrive around late 2022 or sometime in 2023. But with streaming release schedules constantly in flux, Disney has not provided an official ETA. Fans will have to wait patiently for official word on when they can finally stream Aladdin and the rest of Agrabah on Disney+.
What Fans Can Do
While Aladdin fans eagerly await the film’s Disney+ debut, there are a few things they can do to pass the time:
– Rewatch the Aladdin animated series, which is currently available on Disney+
– Stream the live-action Aladdin (2019) remake on Disney+, which stars Will Smith as Genie
– Purchase Aladdin on digital platforms like Amazon Prime Video to own the title digitally
– Listen to the Aladdin soundtrack on streaming music services like Spotify
– Follow Disney+ on social media for any potential updates on Aladdin’s release timeline
– Explore “making of” features, trailers and clips from Aladdin on YouTube
Although Aladdin is not yet on Disney+, fans still have plenty of options to get their Agrabah fix while they continue waiting patiently for the original animated film to make its Disney+ debut. With any luck, hopefully Princess Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie will grace Disney+ sooner rather than later.
Conclusion
In summary, rights issues, licensing agreements, retail exclusivity and technical challenges are the key factors currently preventing Aladdin from coming to Disney+. Because of existing contracts and format preparations, Disney has been unable to add the beloved film to Disney+ yet. Rights must be cleared and technical work must be completed before Aladdin can join Disney’s streaming library.
Based on recent Disney+ releases, there is optimism Aladdin could arrive sometime in 2022 or 2023 once agreements expire and the title is prepped for streaming. Disney has not provided an official release date, so fans must continue to be patient as the company works to make Aladdin available. Until then, fans still have ways to experience Aladdin through owned digital copies, soundtrack streaming and more. The magic of Aladdin on Disney+ does not seem to be in sight just yet, but fans remain hopeful they will be able to stream the classic film in the near future.