Post updated August 2023
Our family set off for the Middle East for our Aladdin dinner and movie night. This magical movie is set in the fictional Arabian city of Agrabah. The plot is filled with intrigue and suspense while highlighting the important moral lessons to be yourself, to value friendship, and to turn away from greed. This film is one of our favorites and we had a great time learning about the culture and cuisine of the Middle East.
Tablescape
We had fun creating a tablescape inspired by the Sultan’s palace. We uncovered our dining room table and enjoyed its rich wood tones. A deep red table runner with an intricate gold paisley design and fringe added some elegance to the table.
We created a fruit centerpiece in a pedestal bowl using grapes, ferns, pomegranates, ivy, and flowers. The centerpiece was surprisingly easy to make. If you’d like to learn how to recreate this look, I recommend this tutorial from Astar’s Place.
One of our favorite details of the tablescape was this beautiful little brass genie lamp. Handcrafted in India, it has lovely detail and was such a fun addition to our table. It worked beautifully with the gold paisley table runner, gold beaded napkin rings, and gold hammered votive holders.
For the place settings we used gold chargers, ivory china, vintage flatware, and vibrant blue linen napkins with gold beaded napkin rings. The look was elegant but also very simple.
The Decor
To create the feel of a Persian palace, we used plants, candles, and gold accents. Some peacock feathers added an exotic feeling to the room. Anna created a treasure chest filled with gold coins, gem stones, and beads and illuminated it to create a sense of enchantment and give a nod to the Cave of Wonders.
The Menu
Creating a menu and developing recipes for this dinner was so much fun! As a vegetarian, middle eastern food is my favorite! Because the movie is set in a fictional location, we selected recipes from various countries throughout the middle east. The flavors for the dishes were rich, vibrant, and exotic. You may link to the recipes below.
Pomegranate Sparkler
Pomegranate juice is so delicious! We experimented with a drink recipe and settled on pomegranate juice with a splash of seltzer garnished with an orange slice. Simple. Delicious. Refreshing.
Mediterranean Mezze Platter
Mezze platters are a perfectly easy and delicious party platter filled with Mediterranean dips and spread, fresh veggies, flatbreads and crackers, and savory delights such as cheeses and olives. Read more about how to create a beautiful and tasty mezze platter here.
Moroccan vegetable Kabobs with curry Couscous
We developed this recipe for Moroccan vegetable kabobs over couscous and love how it turned out! The vegetables were marinated in chermoula, a flavorful Moroccan marinade. After grilling the kabobs we served them over a curried couscous and topped them with cucumber raita. We served the dish with some naan. Yum! Get our recipe here.
Baklava with vanilla ice cream and honey sauce
I love baklava! Aside from dark chocolate it is my favorite dessert. For Valentine’s Day I received the Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook by Ashley Craft. This baklava recipe is the best and easiest recipe I have tried to date. I highly recommend it! We reserved some of the honey sauce used when making the baklava and drizzled it over vanilla ice cream. Perfection!
Fun Activities
Our family is in the process of traveling around the world through Disney movies. Aladdin is our eighth stop! To see our other destinations click here.
Our family enjoys learning about the culture and geography of each destination in our Around the World with Disney Movies series and this was no exception. We are experiential learners and love immersing ourselves through listening, reading, and hands-on activities! Below are some resources that we recommend.
Music
- Watch a video about what makes Arabic music unique from the Kennedy Center
- Listen to a playlist of Middle Eastern and Arabian music from Fantasy & World Music
Art
- Watch a video about geometry in Islamic design from Ted Ed.
- Try this Middle East Reflections project from Dick Blick.
- This Taj Mahal project from the Crafty Classroom is perfect since the Sultan’s palace in the movie is based on the Taj Mahal.
- Check out Disney’s Genie drawing tutorial just for fun!
Hands-on Activities
- Check out 13 mosque crafts and activities from In the Playroom including a LEGO challenge.
- Our family loved making this torn paper camel craft from Jo-Jacks.
- We also enjoyed making this Persian mosaic craft from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool.
- Try some middle eastern recipes with The Essential Middle Eastern Cookbook by Michelle Anderson.
Middle Eastern Landmarks, Culture & Geography
- Watch The Middle East Explained, a video about the religions, languages, and ethnic groups from VanDeGraph.
- Watch an Introduction to the Middle East from Lonely Planet.
- Enjoy virtual tours of The Great Pyramids of Giza, Taj Mahal, and Petra Jordan.
- We love these ideas for Middle East Montessori resources from Trillium Montessori.
Recommended Books
- My Father’s Shop by Satomi Ichikawa
- The Butter Man by Elizabeth Alalou
- The Day of Ahmed’s Secret by Florence Perry Heide
- The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter
- Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad by James Rumford
- The Green Musician by Mahvash Shahegh and Claire Ewart
