25 interesting facts about Disney's animated hit Aladdin

When Disney’s Aladdin debuted in theaters 25 years ago, it opened up a whole new world for Disney animation.

The film — part of what many now refer to as the Disney Renaissance alongside The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and more — shook things up with its more adult sense of humor and constant stream of jokes and pop culture references courtesy of Robin Williams’ Genie.

EW critic Chris Nashawaty described Aladdin as “candy-colored kiddie entertainment and as a more sophisticated joke delivery system for the grown-ups in the audience” in 2015. “As wonderful and beautiful and seminal as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast were, it was Robin Williams’ antic, pop-culture-riffing Genie who really invented that one-for-the-kids/one-for-the-adults joke formula that has become the contemporary blueprint of just about every animated film, whether it’s created by Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, you name it, ever since,” he wrote.