Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas is a direct-to-video animated Christmas movie made by Walt Disney Home Video in 1999.[1] The video features Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Pete, Goofy, Max, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey and Louie, Scrooge McDuck, Mortimer Mouse, Figaro the Kitten and Chip 'n Dale with cameos by Owl, Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar, and a Beagle Boy. The film comprises three separate segments, with narration by Kelsey Grammer. A sequel, titled Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, was released in 2004.
Plot
Stuck On Christmas
Huey, Dewey and Louie wake up on a Christmas morning and open up their presents, even though they are supposed to first wait for Daisy, Uncle Scrooge, and Aunt Gertie to arrive. After the boys took their new sleds from Uncle Donald (not reading the included gift card) and went sledding, had a Christmas dinner, and sang carols, it was time for them to go to bed. Having enjoyed the day immensely, the boys then wish that it would be Christmas every day. Their wish is granted and at first the three are joyful. After a few days, however, they begin to get sick of Christmas, so they then decide to change the course of the day by making tricks and pranks, including swapping the cooked turkey with a live one for the dinner table. The day turns out to be a bad Christmas for everyone, especially Donald. After learning how hard their family had tried to make the holiday better for them, the boys become guilty for their pranks. They then decide to make amends and turn the next day the best Christmas Day ever, thus ending the time loop.
A Very Goofy Christmas
Goofy and Max are mailing out a letter to Santa Claus. However, as soon as they get home, Pete, the neighbor, tells Max that Santa doesn't exist as he quotes "Well think of it. An old guy in a red suit? Crusing the whole entire world in one night? Using reindeer what fly? Why it's practicaly impossible! Look kid, I've been around, see? Been all the foreign lands, Brooklyn included, and I've never seen, nor met a soul who's seen, this Santy Claus fellow." Things get worse when Goofy poses as Santa for some kids and Max finds out that he tricked him. Goofy is determined to prove to Max that Santa does exist and even stays up all Christmas Eve to keep an eye out for him. But after falling off the roof, Goofy gives up hope of Santa coming. Now, Max does everything that Goofy did to make his father happy, including posing as Santa. In the end, the real Santa actually comes and gives Max the gift the boy asked for earlier (as well as blows some snow on Pete's house when the cunning neighbor tries to flatter the legendary figure). This segment of Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas chronologically precedes the cartoon series, Goof Troop.
Mickey and Minnie's The Gift of the Magi
Based on the story by O. Henry. Mickey wants to get Minnie a gold chain for her one heirloom, her watch, so he works at Crazy Pete's Tree Lot. Minnie wants to give Mickey something special for Christmas as well, so she works hard to get her special bonus. However, Pete (Mickey's uptight and greedy boss) takes all of Mickey's money when he ruins his chance of selling an expensive 10-footer to a poor family and Minnie's bonus proves to be nothing but a fruit cake. After playing music for a toy drive with the Firehouse Five, Mickey has the idea that he can trade his harmonica for the chain. Back at Minnie's house, Mickey gives her the chain for her watch and Minnie gives him a case for his harmonica. Of course, the irony is that Minnie no longer has her watch—just as Mickey no longer has his harmonica—so the gifts are essentially useless. As in the classic Gift of the Magi upon which this adaptation—penned by Richard Cray—is based, the thought behind each gift is what counts.[2]
In "The Gift of Magi", Mickey's dance moves are very similar to his dance routine in the 1942 theatrical short, "Mickey's Birthday Party".
Cast
- Kelsey Grammer as the Narrator
Stuck On Christmas
- Russi Taylor as Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck
- Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck
- Tress MacNeille as Daisy Duck, Chip and Aunt Gertie
- Alan Young as Uncle Scrooge McDuck
- Frank Welker as the Turkey
- Corey Burton as Dale
A Very Goofy Christmas
- Bill Farmer as Goofy
- Shaun Fleming as Max
- Jim Cummings as Pete, Santa Claus, Police, shopper, and the Mailman
- Pat Musick as Shopper and Mrs. Anderson
- Gregg Berger as Shopper and Mr. Anderson
- Taylor Dempsey as Jimmy Anderson
- Mae Whitman as Girl
Mickey and Minnie's The Gift of the Magi
- Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse
- Russi Taylor as Minnie Mouse
- Bill Farmer as Pluto
- Frank Welker as Figaro
- Diane Michelle as Daisy Duck
- Jeff Bennett as Store Announcer, Customer, Mr. Mortimer and Firefighter #2
- Jim Cummings as Pete, Dad, Store Owner and the Fire Chief
- April Winchell as Mom, Old Woman and Firewomen
- Taylor Dempsey as Kid #1
- Kylie Dempsey as Kid #2 and Little Girl
- Andrew McDonaugh as Boy
Home Media
The film was originally released on VHS on November 9, 1999. It was later re-released on VHS and for the first time on DVD (as part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection) on November 7, 2000. No Blu-ray release date has been announced yet as well as for Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas.
