Vacaciones de Donald

Donald is on vacation in what appears to the a forest in the Pacific Northwest. His boat doubles as a tent (why does Donald need a boat? He's a duck!) and is stuffed with supplies of every kind. One of which is a cryptic folding deck chair.

As Donald naps on this difficult contraption a bunch of very cute chipmunk come along and steal his picnic (a really clichéd cartoon gag, but at least it's not thieving ants this time). Donald, obvious infuriated by such theft chases them but only ends up enraging a local bear and fleeing his camp for good. It's funny but I have no idea why Donald complains that the chipmunks have no respect for humans when Donald isn't one. And besides, he's invading THEIR space.

Donald gets his hands full from struggling to put together a folding chair, dealing with chipmunks stealing his food, and grappling with a fierce bear. Donald's facial expressions of frustration was hilarious and his never-ending misadventures makes you sympathetic to him. Would have like to see him give those animals a taste of their own medicine more, though.

Grade B-

I have always been a fan of Disney and especially of Donald Duck. Donald for me is at his best when he is in and reacting to real life situations gone badly wrong. Donald's Vacation is one such cartoon, and also one of his best most exciting examples. The animation is full of vibrant colour and looks very clear and crisp, and the music has its usual energy, adding so much to every gag. Donald is still likable, even when he's temperamental and frustrated and the animals remind me a little of the cute woodland critters in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Speaking of the gags they are hilarious and very well spaced-out, moving the simple but fun storyline. The beginning is perhaps the least effective part of the cartoon mainly because it is not as buoyantly-paced as the other scenes, but still works due to the pastoral colours and the gags with Donald's legs sticking out of the kayak and the fish managing somehow to get in his guitar. I love even more Donald's fight trying to unfold his chair as it shows his classic frustration, and the scene with the Chip and Dale-like chipmunks trying to steal his food, and wearing a cupcake as a dress or eating their way into a pumpkin to make a face in it, is a lot of fun. But it is the ending with the bear that makes Donald's Vacation especially so compulsively watchable, even for a Disney cartoon, with the silhouettes in the waterfall and riding on top of the bear, it is the very definition of classic. All in all, a truly great Donald cartoon. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Donald's Vacation (1940)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Classic Disney short has Donald going on vacation in the woods where he plans to get some rest and relaxation. Of course, that's not going to happen.

This is certainly one of the better Donald shorts to come from the studio because he's a helpless victim. The story has him just wanting rest and you know this is going to give the creative writers plenty of opportunity to mess with him. There are certainly funny moments in the film including one highlight where a group of squirrels decide to have some fun with him. There's also a large bear on display and you just know this is going to lead to some violent action. The animation is the typical high quality you'd expect and overall this is a lot of fun.

In this cartoon, Donald Duck is in vacations and all he wants to do is just relax and enjoy the pure nature, its peace, its beauty, its environment...

He hoped his wish would come true. But it doesn't take long until he continually chases a chipmunk that is bothering him and soon he gets in trouble with a large bear. Donald is an expert when it comes to get in trouble with big wild animals. Donald should work in a zoo and take care of the wild animals. They'd surely get used to him :D

Generally speaking, this is a nice cartoon, with amusement, classic humor, adventure and the hilarious Donald Duck. Artwork is good either. Plus, the opening credits of the Donald Duck's cartoons always crack me up because the lyrics refer to him and we always hear him getting mad.