Disney’s original animated classic Aladdin is now available as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection, on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, Digital HD and Movies Anywhere, with a brand-new sing-along version, all-new bonus features, including original cast recordings and reflections on the experience of making the film, 27 years ago, and classic bonus material, including outtakes from Robin Williams (who voiced Genie) and an in-depth discussion with directors Ron Clements and John Musker. Even though nearly three decades have passed since the film’s theatrical release, Aladdin is still fun, funny and charming, and it holds up, alongside the recently released live-action version, with Will Smith (“Genie”), Mena Massoud (“Aladdin”) and Naomi Scott (“Jasmine”).

Just prior to the D23 Expo celebration of the in-home releases of the all-new live-action Aladdin and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Aladdin, Collider got the opportunity to chat backstage with Scott Weinger (who voiced “Aladdin”) and Brad Kane (who was the singing voice for “Aladdin”) about just how much the film has remained a part of their lives, over the years, getting to interact with generations of fans, the fun of doing the original voice recording, hearing “A Whole New World” for the first time, working with legendary directors Ron Clements and John Musker, what they thought of the recent live-action release, their own love of the Disney theme parks, and the special experiences they’ve had, being a part of the Disney family.

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Image via Walt Disney Animation Studios

Collider: Could you ever have imagined, when you did this movie, that you’d still be talking about it, all of these years later?

SCOTT WEINGER: I don’t think we could have ever imagined being this age.

BRAD KANE: No, definitely not. Not when I was 19 and Nirvana was playing, all the time.

WEINGER: They have footage of me from the press kit, when they asked me, “Do think that, in 30 years, you’re gonna tell your kids about this movie?” I said, “What the hell are you talking about?!” It was like they were speaking another language.

Did you have a moment when you realized that the movie was always going to be associated with you, in some way?

WEINGER: That’s really interesting. I never thought about it like that. It’s a pretty cool thing that this movie will be around forever, for posterity, so it’s out posterity. That’s neat.

KANE: I always tell people that I have nothing to prove in life ‘cause I know, no matter what I do and no matter what I accomplish, I know what my epitaph will be. “Here lies the singing voice of Aladdin.” It doesn’t matter what else I do, Disney trumps everything. Disney will probably own the cemetery, at that point.

How cool is it then to be able to interact with fans and see the generations of families who love the film? What’s the coolest thing that’s come from being involved with this?

WEINGER: For me, it really hit me hard when I saw the movie with my son, for the first time, and I was passing it along to another generation. He brought all of his best friends to the screening, and I saw this new group of kids, seeing this movie that they all fell in love with. That’s when it really made me realize, “Oh, wow, his kids will see it, and their kids.”

KANE: I get asked to sing “A Whole New World” at weddings. People come up to me, if they know that I’m the singing voice of Aladdin, or if they hear my voice, or if they just recognize me and they say, “Can I get someone on the phone, and you can sing ‘A Whole New World’ to them?,” or they say, “Can you come to my wedding and sing?” I don’t mind it. I always say that, if the right person comes along, with the right story about their wedding or who they’re marrying, I might consider it.

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Image via Walt Disney Animation Studios

What was the most fun part about recording these voices, originally?

WEINGER: The recording is a fun experience ‘cause you’re not on camera, so you don’t really feel self-conscious. There’s something about that that’s very liberating. The funny thing is that, ‘cause there’s a lot of physical stuff, people don’t realize that it’s exhausting. I was just back in the studio, Stage B, at Disney, where we recorded the movie, and they’ve added a contraption that’s like a bar that you can hold onto and fight with. I think it’s called a struggle bar, or something like that, so that you can really get into it, when you’re fighting the bad guy. We didn’t have that, in those days. Now, they’re appreciating just how physical it is.

Scott, are there things that you appreciate about Aladdin now, that you maybe didn’t when you did this?

WEINGER: When you’re 17, it’s hard to appreciate this stuff. On the other side of it now, being old, the idea that the message of the movie, which is that you shouldn’t try to be anything that you’re not, and that you should just be yourself because that’s good enough, I guess I understood, as a kid, in a superficial way. But now, as an adult who’s lived a little, the message is much more meaningful to me.

Brad, having sung “A Whole New World” so many times, do you have a different appreciation for it now, or were there times that you got so sing of it that you hated it?

KANE: I never hated the song, but it’s definitely something that I’ve grown to appreciate more, over time, as I’ve seen people utilize it in their lives, to either get through tough times, or for milestones, like weddings or birthdays. People have told me that it was playing when their kids were born because it meant something to them and they wanted their kids to hear it when they came out. So, it’s grown more, for me, over time, as I’ve seen how much it’s meant to people, for years and years.

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Image via Disney

What was your reaction to hearing the song, for the first time?

KANE: It was pretty magical, just recording it in the studio. We actually recorded to a 70-piece orchestra, so it wasn’t to a tape playback, and that was really cool. Every time we recorded, there was a whole orchestra playing for me to sing to, and that was just a magical experience, in and of itself. As time goes by, it becomes a distant feeling more than a memory, but it’s nice that it keeps coming up, that new generations are introduced to it, and that our kids get to experience it and know that their dads were a part of it. My daughter actually goes to school and is very close friends with Josh Gad’s daughter, and he’s Olaf. We just need Moana’s children in there, and the circle will be complete.

What did you think of the recent live-action film, and seeing other people take on these characters?

WEINGER: I loved it. It was a thrill for me. First of all, I took my son to the premiere, so that was really cool. He loved it, and I loved it. It was an exciting premiere, and it was weird being back in the same theater, where we had the original Aladdin premiere, sitting there with my kid. It’s weird, anytime you have an experience that you had as a kid, and then you’re there with your own kid. It’s a surreal moment.

KANE: Circle of life, man. It all comes back to Disney. For me, seeing how Disney took a representational angle was really important. It’s a different time than 30 years ago. It’s nice that they shot it in the Middle East and that they used a lot of Middle Eastern actors. Mena [Massoud] is terrific, and all of the actors were great. It’s nice that the movie grows with the times, as well.

What was it like to work with these directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, who are legendary, in their own right?

WEINGER: They really are. The funny thing about these Disney animation guys is that they’re very quiet and soft-spoken and very understated. I don’t know why, but when you work on live-action things, it’s a more blustery crowd. Ron and John would cover and be like, “Maybe you could try it again,” and be practically whispering, and they’re still like that. You would never know, seeing them walk down the street, that you’re dealing with legends. They were behind The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, and then jumping all the way forward to The Princess and The Frog and Moana. Their contribution to our culture is insane, and you would never know. They just look like dudes, walking down the street. They’re very humble about their accomplishments.

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Image via D23

KANE: They shape childhoods and they teach life lessons. It’s pretty incredible, what these guys do.

Did you guys also go to the theme parks, and do you take your kids there now?

KANE: Oh, yeah.

WEINGER: Yeah, for sure. It’s funny, I overdosed on the theme parks in my childhood ‘cause the year Aladdin came out, we shot two Full House episodes at Disney World in Florida. So, there was one year that I added up all the days that I spent at Disney World, and it was more than two months. I remember, they would give you a host, or a guide, to take you around because, if you had a few minutes in between scenes, we’d go ride Space Mountain. I was there for so long that I had to go to my college interviews in Orlando, and one of those guys in plaid drove me to this law firm. They were like, “Who is this guy?” I think I impressed them. I have to say, every once in awhile, we get very lucky and we get a special day at Disneyland, where we get a guide and skip the lines, so I make sure that, for every day that we get that, my son has to have a day where we wait 75 minutes for Splash Mountain, like everybody else, so that he doesn’t take it for granted.

Is there anything you’ve gotten to see or do at Disneyland, that you wouldn’t have without having that special access?

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Image via D23

WEINGER: Well, I went for a long period without going to Disney theme parks, but now that I’m a dad, we go all the time. I love it, and I missed it. But I remember when I was a kid, you would get in a town car and they would drive you from ride to ride. You could sneak in the back and be like, “Let’s do Space Mountain two or three more times, and then we’ll go back to work.” It was crazy. Disney has this thing where all of the people who work at the parks are not employees, they’re cast members, and you really feel that. When you’re back there in some parking lot, but through a little door is Main Street USA, there’s a sign that says, “Remember, you’re going on stage.” You really get a sense of the theatrics of not just the movies, but the whole Disney brand. It’s very interesting and cool.

KANE: I got to open up Hong Kong Disneyland, which was very exciting. I got to go there with Lea [Salonga] and sing “A Whole New World,” and she sang “Reflection.” So, you definitely get these perks, all the time.

WEINGER: It never gets old either. Seeing all of the cool behind the scenes Disney stuff for me is always amazing. It’s more impressive. It’s not a thing where you learn how the sausage is made and you’re like, “Oh, I wish I didn’t know that.” It’s quite the opposite.

Aladdin is now available as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection, on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, Digital HD, and Movies Anywhere.

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Image via Walt Disney Animation Studios