I guess I joined in this way late!
I can get just about every Disney DVD released in Region 1, since the library where I live has an extensive collection. I have the Limited Issue/GCC as well as Platinum Editions for almost all the films released more than once.
So I don't think any rental stores are gonna help here. Unless they have the CAV boxset of The Lion King :P
Didn't someone already do a Theatrial version of Little Mermaid? I could be wrong, but I thought so. I'll have to go through my DVD collection and see.
That was 1.78:1... we're doing ours all in OAR.
Now, ultimately, we're looking for someone with an x0 or x9 laserdisc player, as the result would be infinitely better than Molly's (Just because they aren't low-end players)... and that would also reduce the amount of filtering we'd need to do.
If anyone can help in this area, please let us know!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention about the line in Aladdin. Basically, to edit the 5.1 all I did was separate the channels into mono waves. (NOT the Enhanced Home Theater Mix... those suck and have absolutely no purpose on a movie already made in 5.1!)
The channel setup was that of instrumental on the four side channels, and vocals on the center channel. So I used an audio morphing program to do a "vocal extract" on the CD rip. I then stuck the handmade acapella back in the 5.1 and it sounded pretty much like a theatrical 5.1 would have. (except a little robotic sounding... since that filter isn't perfect)