Aladdin: The Entire Movie Is Just His First Wish – Disney Theory Explained

The entirety of Disney’s 1992 hit classic Aladdin revolved around Genie fulfilling Aladdin’s first wish. This popular fan theory was conceived to unravel why Aladdin lost his status as a prince after Jafar stole the magic lamp. To answer this perplexing question, the theory suggested that all of the movie’s events taking place after Aladdin’s first wish were fabricated by Genie in order to push Aladdin to attain princehood.

Aladdin told the tale of a cunning commoner (voiced by Scott Weinger) and a sheltered Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) accidentally meeting and bonding over feeling trapped in their respective circumstances. In order to reunite, Aladdin enlisted the help of a fantastical Genie (Robin Williams) to make him a prince worthy of courting the princess. However, the nefarious Jafar’s (Jonathan Freeman) quest for ultimate power interfered with their relationship, stripping Aladdin of his princely status during the process.

According to the theory (via Reddit), every event that occurred after Aladdin’s first wish was orchestrated by Genie to grant said wish. Once Aladdin said, “Genie, I wish for you to make me a prince,” Genie devised and implemented a plan to thoroughly follow through. The theory focused specifically on the phrasing Aladdin used in his wish. Aladdin did not request to be a prince. He requested for Genie to make him a prince. Much like a secret Aladdin easter egg, paying attention to this detail yielded a clever insight. The decision to be made a prince placed an emphasis on the procedure to become one more so than the end result. In order to make Aladdin a prince, Genie used his phenomenal cosmic powers to manufacture a journey that would mold Aladdin into prince material.

The first step in Genie’s clever scheme was to provide an opportunity for Aladdin to reconnect with Princess Jasmine, which was accomplished by giving Aladdin access to the palace through a flamboyant parade. Though successful in reuniting the two, Aladdin felt the crushing weight of his lies as soon as he doubled down on his false prince persona. Only after Aladdin reneged on his promise to free Genie did he gather the resolve to admit the truth to Jasmine. This necessary confrontation revealed a valuable characteristic of Aladdin’s that is often associated with Disney princes: honesty.

Before Aladdin had the chance to tell the truth, Jafar exposed his identity to Jasmine and chased him out of the palace. Despite having nothing to gain, Aladdin courageously returned to the palace to stop Jafar, demonstrating two more Disney prince traits in the process: bravery and selflessness. These heroic actions inspired the Sultan to overturn the rule forbidding Jasmine from marrying a commoner, consequently making Aladdin an official prince. Aladdin would not have become a prince both in status and in heart without this sequence of events, which lends credibility to the idea that Genie arranged everything to completely fulfill Aladdin’s wish.

As with all Disney fan theories, this one was not immune to constructive criticism. The theory relied heavily on Genie purposefully orchestrating a chain of events that would make Aladdin a prince. However, these events included terrifying happenings such as Jafar humiliating the Sultan, shackling Jasmine, and attempting to murder Aladdin. Genie’s character was specifically designed as a goofy friend with a big heart to reflect his voice actor Robin Williams. Having Genie plan such harrowing events would come off as cruel and contemptible – traits not attributed to his character. Aladdin told a story that emphasized themes of honesty and freedom. Though quite thought-provoking, throwing a conniving Genie into the plot would undermine the impact of these themes.

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