Continuity mistake: While Aladdin and Jasmine are resting on the roof of the Chinese Imperial Palace, they shift between a wide shot and a closeup. They are much closer to the edge of the roof and a large roof decoration behind them in the wide shot disappears.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Aladdin is on a rooftop, the Head Palace guard states, "I'll have your hands for a trophy, Street Rat". Then Aladdin jumps off the rooftop through the clothes lines. Aladdin lands on the ground and just catches the falling loaf of bread when the same guards are already in the street several houses away coming towards him. How could they have gotten down faster than someone who jumped, then appear some distance away?
Continuity mistake: When the sword swallower in the marketplace has the sword resting fully in his mouth. The handle is at least as thick as a broom handle. When Abu seizes it from the sword swallower's mouth and he is shown with it in later shots confronting the pursuing guards, the handle is now the thickness of a pencil. It was obviously reduced to fit Abu's tiny hands. The change in handle thickness is very evident when Abu places the sword swallower's sword on the ground.
Continuity mistake: When Abu changes into a small toy when he tries to steal the lamp, he stands close to the lamp. In the next shot, when the Magic Carpet tries to get the lamp, Abu is not there. Then when the Carpet flies a few feet away from Abu, he is changed into a ball of thread, but right before Abu and the Carpet are changed back, the pile of thread is now very close to toy Abu.
Continuity mistake: Every long shot looking at the Palace shows a single column between the Palace ground walls and the Palace itself, just to the right of the main gate. When the Prince Ali parade is inside the Palace grounds and have started to ascend the staircase, several men carrying plates of gold on their heads walk past that point for an ideal view of this large column. It isn't there.
Continuity mistake: Aladdin sings" Lets not be too hasty" in the "One Jump" chase scene. An overweight woman grabs Aladdin and sings" Still I think he's rather tasty", the part in her hair switches to the other side when Aladdin jumps from her arms to get away.
Continuity mistake: The reddish orange canopy belonging to the Melon Merchant's stand that Aladdin and Abu are seated on when Jasmine enters the marketplace changes its structure. When Aladdin is seated upon it, it doesn't look strong enough to hold him, but when you see underneath as Abu is snatching a melon, you can see many wooden cross supports. But the fabric sags noticeably between them, the fabric is smooth across on the top when you see Aladdin seated on it. We see the wooden cross supports in other underneath the canopy shots, then near the end when Jasmine is accosted by the Apple vendor, you can now see under the canopy and it now lacks all structural support and is sagging under Aladdin's weight.
Continuity mistake: As Jafar follows the Scarab, the snakehead staff doesn't appear until he arrives. It disappears again as his horse rears and reappears when he dismounts. A little later it jumps from his right hand to his left while Gazime approaches the cave.
Continuity mistake: When Jasmine is combing her hair in front of the mirror, she and the entire background is reflected in it. Then when she walks away saying "Father, I had a wonderful time," nothing is reflected in the mirror at all.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Jafar claims to have solved the problem of Jasmine not finding a suitor, his staff disappears and reappears throughout the scene.
Continuity mistake: When the Prince Ali Parade bursts into the Throne Room, the bird cage is packed with large, exotic songbirds. When Jafar is pushing the procession out the door, the same cage has twelve tiny birds in a vast, empty cage.
Continuity mistake: Near the end of the "One Jump" chase scene, the guards are chasing Aladdin and jump out the window as Aladdin jumps out with the carpet he uses to glide to safety. The swords the guards have been carrying have totally disappeared from their hands, (and are not in their belts), all the way down to the manure cart.
Continuity mistake: When Jasmine refuses to marry Jafar, she picks up a glass of wine from a table and throws it's contents at Jafar. What table is this? We don't see it before that moment, or after. Our only glimpse of that table is a small glance at the top as the glass is lifted.
Continuity mistake: During the pole vault, the first rooftop had lots of clutter, but after Jasmine clears it, the same roof is completely empty.
Continuity mistake: In the scene with Jafar as a snake, he is told by Aladdin that the Genie has more power than he will ever have, "He gave you your powers, he could take them away". Jafar as snake replies, "You're right, his power does exceed my own". After Jafar says this, watch his mouth as he speaks the next few lines of dialog. His lower set of teeth begin to vanish on camera. This happens when his face is filling the screen for a great view of his vanishing then missing teeth.
Continuity mistake: The earring Genie wears is often missing throughout the film. Notably in parts of the "Never Had A Friend Like Me" segment. When Genie has on a white Tux on and is dancing with the hands. Then later, when Aladdin is about to kiss the Harem girl and Genie takes her place and sings, "I'm on the job, You Big Nabob."
Continuity mistake: At the beginning, when Jafar and Gazim are meeting in the desert, the part of the golden beetle Gazim brings changes to the part with the bulge when Iago grabs it and brings to Jafar.
Continuity mistake: In the beginning of the song "Friend Like me", Genie puts Aladdin on a rock. Then after he says "Whilst I illuminate the possibilities", the rock Aladdin is on has changed shape.
Continuity mistake: The appearance of Aladdin changed dramatically during film production. I was an artist of licensed Disney products at the time. I constantly received updated appearance drawings of Aladdin as he was re-developed. Originally Aladdin was a boy about 12 years old. He was made older after a substantial amount of the film had been done. In the process of re-animating the film to match the now 16 year old Aladdin, some parts were overlooked. Particularly in the "Friend Like Me" segment. Compare the size of Abu to Aladdin. In some spots Abu is almost half the size of Aladdin(long shots). When this happens, look at the childish proportions of Aladdin's body. In the film Abu is normally about 10 percent of Aladdin's size.
Continuity mistake: As the palace guards arrest Jafar, the blue curtains behind him disappear and reappear.
Chosen answer: The cave has some level of sentience. It is aware of who is entering the cave, and decides whether to allow them to enter. It is able to tell that Abu is with Aladdin. It seems to keep a watchful eye on the person in the cave, and when it says "touch nothing" what it means is "don't try to take anything. It seems it was fine with them interacting with the carpet, and only had an issue when Abu was attempting to actually take something.