Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas is a 1999 American direct-to-video animated Christmas anthology comedy fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Walt Disney Video Premiere and released by Walt Disney Home Video on November 9, 1999.

A sequel, titled Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, was released on November 9, 2004. Unlike its predecessor, the sequel is produced in CGI rather than traditional animation and is composed of five segments.

Russi Taylor as Minnie Mouse, Huey, Dewey, and Louie
Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck
Diane Michelle as Daisy Duck(Stuck on Christmas)
Tress MacNeille as Daisy Duck and Aunt Gertie
Alan Young as Scrooge McDuck
Bill Farmer as Goofy Goof, and Pluto
Corey Burton as Dale
Shaun Fleming as Max Goof
Jim Cummings as Peg-Leg Pete, Policeman, Mailman, Fire Chief, Dad #1, The Onlooker, Shop Owner, and Santa Claus
Jeff Bennett as Dad #2, Firefighter #2, Mortimer Mouse, Store Announcer, Man, and The Customer
Gregg Berger as Mr Anderson, and Shopper #1
Kylie Dempsey as Kid #2, and The Little Girl
Taylor Dempsey as Little Jimmy, and Kid #1
Andrew McDonaugh as The Poor Boy
Pat Musick as The Distressed Woman, The Angry Woman, The Eccentric Lady, Shopper #2, and Mrs Anderson
Frank Welker as Turkey, and Figaro
Kelsey Grammer as Narrator
Tommy Morgan as Mickey's Harmonica Soloist
April Winchell as Firefighter #1, Mother, Old Woman, and The Firewoman

Release

Home media

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas was originally released on VHS and DVD on November 9, 1999.

The film was made available to stream on Netflix. It was subsequently released on Disney+.

Broadcast

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas aired in the United States on ABC Family in December 2013, and in December 2015. It aired on Freeform in December 2022.

Reception and legacy

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 50% based on 6 reviews with an average rating of 5.60/10.

Allison McClain Merrill of Screen Rant called the three stories of Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas "memorable", while Zach Grass wrote, "This movie is like a cup of hot chocolate with all the marshmallows and toppings you could possibly ask for. The plots aren't exactly deep, but they're touching, funny, and oh-so festive that you just can't help but catch the feels from these wholesome holiday stories. They'll definitely make your binging session merry and bright." Caitlin Gallagher of PopSugar described Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas as one of the "perfect holiday underdogs" and as a "heartwarming movie", while Sabienna Bowman said, "Each one of the segments is terrific, but Mickey and Minnie's version of "The Gift of the Magi" is a standout for being a total tearjerker." Andrea Beach of Common Sense Media gave Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas a grade of three out of five stars, and praised the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing love, caring, and the spirit of giving.

Megan McCluskey of Time included Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas in their "10 Best Christmas Movies for Kids on Netflix" list, stating, "Disney's most beloved characters get into some holiday hijinks in one of the best Christmas kid movies on Netflix. With two Disney-themed retellings of classic Christmas tales, "Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas" and "Mickey and Minnie's Gift of the Magi", as well as the original short "A Very Goofy Christmas", this animated anthology is a nice solo-watch for kids." Bryce Olin of FanSided included Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas in their "Best Christmas Movies on Netflix 2016" list. Michael Thomas of Collider included Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas in their "Best Holiday Movies and Shows on Disney+ Right Now" list, stating, "Once Upon a Christmas is Disney at its finest. It's a wholesome watch with beautiful animation, and all three stories fit well within the relatively short runtime. We're reminded why Mickey and the gang have endured for so long," while Ashley Amber ranked the film ninth in their "10 Best Animated Christmas Classics" list and described it as a "memorable watch for gen Z-ers and millennials alike."

Ashley Jones of Romper ranked Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas fifth in their "20 of the Best Christmas Movies for Kids" list, saying, "Though it's not so much a movie as it is a film-length collection of animated shorts, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas earns a spot on this list thanks to its charming holiday appeal. Kids who love Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and the whole crew won't be able to resist these heartwarming stories." Rachel Johnson of MovieWeb ranked Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas eighth in their "Best Christmas Movies of the 1990s" list and called it a "holiday gem". TV Insider ranked Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas thirty-eight in their "50 Best Holiday Specials and Movies of All Time" list, asserting, "There is lots of fun, songs and laughter and you'll find yourself being thawed out of any "humbug" state and embracing the Christmas spirit."

Accolades

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas won the Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 5th Kecskemét Animation Film Festival in 1999. It was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production at the 2000 Annie Awards.

References

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