A Casa do Mickey Mouse

My young children love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, what can I say? But as I was watching with them, I swore I was watching an episode of Dora The Explorer played out with Disney characters. The similarities are many: interactive questions for the young viewers, complete with pauses to simulate the child's answer, followed by an exclamatory "Right!"; a "toolbox" used throughout the show by Mickey (with the viewers' "assistance") to solve problems (just like Dora's "Backpack"); and a review of the successful journey followed by a celebratory dance routine (ala Dora's/Boots' "We Did It!" song). As a leader in animation and film for so many decades, I was surprised to see that that Disney has relegated itself to cloning another successful franchise. But the kids love it...what can I say?

Also, everyone loves the Hot Dog song! It is written and performed by They Might Be Giants.

I find it interesting that some reviewers here have criticized this show with zero knowledge of Disney.

One reviewer states, "Walt Disney and Wayne Allwine are rolling in their Graves." Interesting since Allwine voiced the Mouse for enough episodes to roll 4 seasons of the show before his passing in May of 2009.

Many reviewers are also lambasting the term "Meeska Mooska." These people obviously aren't aware of the Mickey Mouse Club which was Walt's second television show. The Mickey Mouse Club used the phrase, "Meeska Mooska Mousketeer" as a password to open the cartoon vault (Every episode aired a classic Disney short).

In today's program the phrase "Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse" is used as a password to open the clubhouse. This show is consistent with everything Disney did with their programming in both Walt's lifetime and after.

They don't call Disney the "Mouse House" for nothing. There's no question that Mickey Mouse is the king of the classic Disney cartoon characters. He's iconic, memorable, and almost every Disney fan and cartoon fan in general knows his name. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is perhaps the latest show to have him as a star, and for some bizarre reason, they decided to create a show aimed at preschoolers.

The show follows the same interactive formula used in two Nick Jr. shows, Blues Clues & Dora the Explorer. The main character interacts with the viewer and asks him/her for help on a certain something. In addition to Mickey's familiar pals like Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, there are some elements that are exclusive to the show such as the clubhouse itself, a floating mouse-eared device named "Toodles", and the "Mousketools" the device usually carries. There are some bright sides to the show. It teaches children creative skills and problem solving, and that is a very important thing to teach to children nowadays, because there is no creativity when it comes to television for kids and tweens.

This was an odd route Disney chose to reintroduce their mascot to new generations of kids. With the character's track record of being on shows such as Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse, Mickey's no stranger to television. But, an interactive "edutainment" show for preschoolers does not seem like a very good fit for him. I don't think rendering the characters into 3D CGI was the best idea either, but the show sure did work. I know someone whose daughter watches the show and now also watches the original Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts by Walt Disney himself because of it.

This show and Dragon Tales are the only cartoons that my two-year-old son will watch. He is fascinated and recently started answering Mickey back. Yes, this is a rip-off of Dora, but my son likes this and not Dora, so who cares? He has seen the sheep, beanstalk and Mars episodes and been glued through them all. He doesn't watch much TV, so this is a great opportunity for me to unload the dishwasher or get dinner ready. (Thank you TiVo!) One thing that does bother me is that Minnie and Daisy have to do all of their adventuring with heels on. Come on! It is 2006. Ducks and mice do not need to wear heels.

My husband and I can't get the songs out of our head. Does anyone know who sings "Hot Dog"?

I've seen lots of people hate this show and MMC doesn't deserve it. It's Dora the Explorer done correctly. Mickey doesn't yell at the viewer and act annoying like Dora does which makes him way more engaging to me as a kid. He's more calm and patient with the viewers like Steve was on Blues Clues. However there are some scenes where the interactivity can be kinda pointless and some scenes that audience interaction could be needed. The rest of the characters like Goofy, Donald and Minnie Mouse are still there charming selves we have known for years. Toodles is a pretty cool gadget who gives Mickey, the audience and his friends the items they need to solve problems and this show is way more educational than Dora by a long shot. This show had the usual letters, shapes, colors and numbers and whatnot but it expanded its curriculum including fractions, science and really basic multiplication and division for a preschool show.