For the similarly-named Once Upon a Time in Wonderland location, see Well of Wonders. |
The Cave of Wonders is an Agrabah location featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It appears in the fifth episode from the sixth season.
The Cave of Wonders is based on the magic cave from "Aladdin," and on the location of the same name from the Disney film Aladdin. It is also an allusion to the forty thieves' cave from "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."
History
The Cave of Wonders exists in Agrabah, where there are numerous treasures hidden inside its walls. Princess Jasmine persuades Aladdin into going with her to the cave in search of a weapon, the Diamond in the Rough, which can defeat Jafar. To gain access into the cave, Aladdin uses the phrase "Open Sesame." They see the diamond balanced on a sword, but to keep a trap from triggering, Aladdin places a monkey ornament of equal weight onto the sword, before taking the diamond. He presents the diamond to Jasmine, but it crumbles into powder, as an quake erupts within the cave. When Aladdin shields Jasmine from a collapsing pillar, he accidentally pulverizes it by shooting a spray of magic. Jasmine sees this as proof he is the Diamond in the Rough, and that he the Savior who can defeat Jafar. Seeing that Aladdin is hesitant to accept his new role, the princess gifts him the royal scarab of Agrabah to prove she believes in him. After she is gone from the cave, Jafar appears, using his red bird to show Aladdin that his destiny is to die, and gives him a pair of shears to escape his fate. ("Street Rats")
Trivia
Props Notes
- A text page in one of Wish Rumplestiltskin's storybooks reads[1] (some of the text can be seen on-screen, while the rest appears on a prop page which was auctioned off online in November 2019;[2] the text that cannot be seen (or is indecipherable) on-screen is set in fuchsia, or, in the case of links, is underlined):
trekked through the endless deserts of Agrabah. Things
were looking dire. The oasis she imagined had turned
out to be nothing but a mirage, a cruel trick of sunlight
and fatigue, and she was in desperate need of some water.
If only her camel hadn't run off! She could have been
back in the city bu now and sough shelter from this
dreadful storm. Snow looked at the ground to see
her footprints had disappeared. Now she knew not in
which direction she had come or which direction she was
going. Which way was forward and which way was
back? It was quite impossible to tell. Snow sunk to the
ground in defeat when a golden scarab landed on her
hand. She gazed at it, eyebrows furrowed in confusion,
when the scarab flitted off. Snow took after it --perhaps if
she followed, the desert creature would lead her to a
source of water. Snow wrapped the scarf around her to
protect herself as best as she could from the elements as she
followed the little bug darting though the air. When
suddenly, the ground began to shake around her! The
sand beneath Snow's feet began to rise in mounds,
threatening to bury her alive as Snow backed away on
terror. She watched as the mounds of sands began to take
shape -- forming the head of a giant tiger! Snow
gasped. Was this the legendary Cave of Wonders?
Suddenly, the Tiger spoke to her with a deep, rumbling,
intimidating voice. "Who disturbs my slumber?" the
Tiger roared down at Snow. Snow faced him uncertain-
ly. "It is I, Snow White. And it is not treasure that I
seek, merely shelter from this storm." The Tiger con-
sidered her for a moment. "I will allow you to pass.
But touch nothing within or you will never see the open
sky again." Snow shuddered at the thought. It seemed
a dangerous proposition to walk into the jaws of this
Tiger, but what choice did she have? Perhaps if she
could wait out the storm, the skies would be clear again
tomorrow and she would be able to find her way out of
this desert. Snow took a deep breath and thanked the
Tiger for its hospitality. And with that, she walked into
his jaws and into the gaping darkness.
but his own heart [sic]
("Leaving Storybrooke")
- The story is based on Disney's Aladdin, where the Disney version of the Cave of Wonders is a hidden cavern filled with riches. It is protected by a sand guardian taking the form of a massive tiger's head, which kills anyone besides the chosen individual who attempts to enter. The location of the cave is revealed by using a magical golden scarab beetle.
Set Dressing
- Several treasures scattered around the Cave of Wonders are also used as treasure in the giants' lair in "Tallahassee" and in Davy Jones' locker in "Breadcrumbs."[3][4] ("Street Rats")
Filming Locations
- A green-screen set at The Bridge Studios was used to film the scenes inside the Cave of Wonders.[5] While some of the background props were real, the rest of the surroundings were added digitally in post-production.
Appearances
Once Upon a Time: Season Six | ||||||||||
"The Savior": | "A Bitter Draught": | "The Other Shoe": | "Strange Case": | "Street Rats": | "Dark Waters": | "Heartless": | "I'll Be Your Mirror": | "Changelings": | "Wish You Were Here": | "Tougher Than the Rest": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Appears | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Murder Most Foul": | "Ill-Boding Patterns": | "Page 23": | "A Wondrous Place": | "Mother's Little Helper": | "Awake": | "Where Bluebirds Fly": | "The Black Fairy": | "The Song in Your Heart": | "The Final Battle Part 1": | "The Final Battle Part 2": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Other Appearances | ||||||||||
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