A Middle Eastern-inspired menu served in a Cave of Wonders full of Aladdin party ideas
You ain’t ever had a friend like me! Looking for Aladdin party ideas and recipes? You’ve come to the right place! Aladdin is one of my all-time favorite Disney movies. Aladdin is set in the fictional city of Agrabah, so I cooked up a fabulous Middle Eastern Menu and transformed my dining room into the Cave of Wonders!
If you haven’t seen Aladdin, it’s one of Disney’s finest Renaissance films. A “street rat” shows kindness to a princess in disguise in a market place, who falls in love with his boyish charms on a magic carpet ride. A Whole New World is one of my favorite Disney songs and one that me and my mom can be heard humming on a weekly basis.
I bow down to the legendary Alan Menken, who wrote the score for Aladdin and also my life. Here’s how I paid homage to one of my favorite movies!
“Do you trust me?” – Aladdin
“It’s all so magical.” – Jasmine
Watch the Aladdin episode of The Rose Table:
The Ambiance
To create a magical jewel-tone affect in the dining room, I swapped out my chandelier bulbs with three red and two blue bulbs, reminiscent of the Cave of Wonders after Abu steals the ruby.
I hung glittery purple tulle from the dining room doorway and gathered it on my side table and then hung red tulle from my chandelier for a cozy cave affect.
Fun fact: the woman behind me in line at Hobby Lobby turned to her husband and said, “Doesn’t that fabric make you think of Aladdin?” Nailed it!
“Let’s make some magic!” – Genie
I styled my china cabinet with mardi gras beads and other “treasures” fit for the Cave of Wonders. I set my floating jewel-tone bubble lanterns on my side table and hung a gold mirror in the corner.
I swapped out my art for an Italian scene that looked weirdly like Agrabah or at least a marketplace in this setting. Don’t be afraid to wander around your house looking at options! You might be surprised what takes on a different look in a different setting.
“You ain’t ever had a friend like me.” – Genie
The Table
Aladdin escapes the Cave of Wonders on the magic carpet, which is why I chose a purple tablecloth: for a magic carpet ride! I borrowed my mom’s jewel lanterns for the table, perfect for the theme. I then sprinkled costume jewels all around the center of the table almost as a sort of runner.
“I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering splendid”
Can you believe that I already owned this lamp? It’s not quite a lamp but it certainly is a great stand in! It normally hangs out in my living room but it sat center stage at Disney Dinners: Aladdin since the lamp is a central plot point in the film.
“Touch nothing but the lamp.” – Cave of Wonders
The Flowers
Again, I wanted jewel tones so I went with yellow roses, magenta carnations, and a deep purple flower whose name escapes me. I cut two bouquets and set them on either side of the lamp and love the way these looked together!
“You in luck ’cause up your sleeves
You got a brand of magic never fails”
The Place Settings
This is one of my favorite place settings to date! I used my gold chargers, which you might recognize from Disney Dinners: Princess and the Frog, with my emma plates from Pottery Barn.
I set the table with gold flatware (also seen at Disney Dinners: Hercules) with marigold napkins (also seen at Disney Dinners: Coco) fanned out in the most fabulous gold cuff napkin rings.
Now, I did use those napkin rings at Hercules but I actually purchased them for Aladdin because they reminded me so much of the cuffs around the genie’s wrists, symbolizing his tie to the lamp.
The Fashion
This is definitely one of my favorite Disney Dinners looks. I Disney bounded as Jasmine with a flowy, shoulder-bearing turquoise dress, gold strappy heels, gold jewelry, a strong gold necklace, turquoise headband, and my hair pulled back in a pony tail (though nowhere near as thick as Jasmine’s; Disney gave me false expectations about hair).
“Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide?”
I loved my friend’s LBDs with gold jewelry. Perfect for an Aladdin dinner party!
The Drink
Mamma Mia, this was good. This is one of the best cocktails I’ve ever made. I remember texting my mom a few weeks before the party asking what she thought of pomegranate juice, ginger simple syrup, lime juice, and champagne for Aladdin and she said, “Perfect!” And perfect it was.
Photo credit: Darling Photography
This would be a fantastic holiday drink. It’s so pretty with the pomegranate arils floating on top. Get the recipe for A Whole New World Cocktail here.
“Mister Aladdin, sir
What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order
Jot it down
You ain’t never had a friend like me”
Loving this Disney party? Check out all of my Disney Dinners and shop my Fairytale Collection!
The Food
At the end of the day, this is basically chicken and rice with a simple salad to start and a dessert that can be made days ahead of time. You do not have to be an accomplished cook to pull off this dinner party but man, does it pack some serious flavor!
Aladdin Menu
Panir Salad
Aladdin Chicken with Jeweled Jasmine Rice
Banana Trifle
Panir Salad
This is inspired by the Panir Salad at Nora’s in Dallas, Texas. I have no idea how they make theirs but mine is thick slices of tomato with generous hunks of feta cheese, dill, mint, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Be bold with the herbs. You want a heap of herbs on each plate! Get the recipe here.
Aladdin Chicken
Tumeric, garlic powder, paprika, saffron salt, cinnamon, and freshly grated nutmeg season this chicken for a whole new world of flavor. It’s so easy, you could easily make this for a weeknight dinner. This and the rice can be done simultaneously in about twenty minutes. Get the recipe here.
Jeweled Jasmine Rice
This makes the whole house smell incredible! Here caramelized shallots are tossed with butter, Middle Eastern spices, honey, rice, and the “jewels”: pistachios, cranberries, and pomegranate arils. It’s almost too pretty to eat! Get the recipe here.
Banana Trifle
I struggled with what dessert to serve at Aladdin until my best friend Sarah said, “Why not something with bananas for Abu?” She’s a keeper, that one.
This trifle layers my Banana Bread with a cream cheese pudding, banana slices, shortbread cookies, and vanilla whipped cream. It’s better made two days in advance, making it a great choice for a dinner party. Get the recipe here.
The menu was a hit with the guests and with me because it was so simple to pull off! I hope this inspires you to host your very own Aladdin party! Get excited because next month is Disney Dinners: Snow White.
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