| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that though this feature is hailed as a full-length movie, it is actually a collection of shorts, some of which can be found on the Mickey's Christmas Carol DVD. The pace is almost manic, bringing to mind a sugar rush, and some sword fight scenes in the "Nutcracker" short are a little intense for the youngest viewers. Plus the ghost of Christmas Future in the "Christmas Carol" segment might be scary for little ones. As parents may have guessed by the title, the only winter holiday mentioned here is Christmas, but without any religious elements; under every Christmas tree is a heaping mound of presents.
Every Disney animated character that any kid has seen in the last 30 years is present at Mickey Mouse's Christmas bash. As everyone prepares to leave, news that the House of Mouse is snowed in for the night circulates. So Mickey decides to present some stories to entertain his guests, who, at times, join in with songs and jokes between the sketches.
With all of that star power, this movie should have been much better. Instead, it feels like a traffic jam of Disney characters. Beauty and Simba share air time with the Seven Dwarves and Tigger. In fact, the whole production feels rather hectic and thrown together. Showing this movie to your kids at night would be a mistake: it's far too stimulating. Besides, most of the shorts shown here can be found on other DVDs, where they are presented more carefully.
Families can talk about all the presents shown. Are presents really important? Do you get sad when a sibling or a friend gets more presents than you do? Why or why not? Parents might find these tips helpful for discussion.
Donald is not in the Christmas spirit at all, which is why Mickey does everything he can think of to cheer him up. What finally cheers Donald up? What cheers you up when you are grouchy? What gets you into the holiday spirit?
Mickey and his pals talk a lot about Christmas, without the religious element. How does your family celebrate the season, if you celebrate Christmas? What other holidays are celebrated this time of year? What are your favorite holiday traditions?
| Studio: | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment |
| Directors: | Roberts Gannaway, Tony Craig |
| Cast: | John Cleese, Robby Benson, Wayne Allwine |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 61 minutes |
| DVD release date: | November 3, 2009 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
| MPAA explanation: | Not Rated |