''Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas'' is a 1999 American

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically catego ...

comedy fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The film includes three features: ''Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas'' (featuring

Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known fo ...

, Daisy Duck,

Scrooge McDuck Scrooge McDuck is a Character (arts), cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. Appearing in Disney comics, Scrooge is a Scottish Americans, Scottish-American Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic American Pekin, ...

and

Huey, Dewey, and Louie Huey, Dewey, and Louie are triplet cartoon characters created by storyboard artist (screenwriter) Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company from an idea proposed by cartoonist Al Taliaferro and are the nephews of Donald Duck and the grand-neph ...

), ''A Very Goofy Christmas'' (featuring Goofy,

Max Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

, Pete and

the Beagle Boys The Beagle Boys are a group of cartoon characters created in 1951 by Carl Barks for the Donald Duck universe. They are a family clan of Organized crime, organized criminals who constantly try to rob Scrooge McDuck. Their introduction and first a ...

) and ''Mickey and Minnie's Gift of the Magi'' (featuring Mickey Mouse,

Minnie Mouse Minnie Mouse is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a bow, polka-dotted dress, white bloomers, and low-heeled shoes occasional ...

and

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Sun. It is the largest k ...

). Other Disney characters also make cameos in the film. The film won the Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 5th

Kecskemét Animation Film Festival Kecskemét Animation Film Festival () (KAFF) is an animated film festival held biennially during the month of June in Kecskemét, Hungary. Although the bulk of the festival is oriented toward efforts in Hungarian animation, the associated KAFF-sp ...

in 1999. A sequel, titled ''

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas ''Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas'' is a 2004 American Christmas package film directed by Matthew O'Callaghan. Segments of the anthology film were directed by Peggy Holmes, O'Callaghan, Theresa Cullen, and Carole Holliday. It was produced by ...

'', was released in 2004. Unlike Once Upon a Christmas, the sequel is computer generated rather than hand drawn and has five segments.

Stories

Donald Duck: Stuck On Christmas

Inspired by the 1892 short story "Christmas Every Day" by

William Dean Howells William Dean Howells (; March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) was an American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". He was particularly known for his tenure as editor of ''The Atlantic Monthly'', ...

. Huey, Dewey and Louie wake up one Christmas morning and then go downstairs to open their presents, even though they are supposed to wait for Daisy, Uncle Scrooge and Aunt Gertie to arrive. The boys then take their new sleds from Uncle Donald (not reading the included card) and go sledding before having Christmas dinner, where Donald yells at them to learn some manners. While Donald, Daisy, Uncle Scrooge and Aunt Gertie sing carols, the boys play with their new toys. Later, it is time to go to bed and having enjoyed the day immensely, the boys wish for it to be Christmas every day. Their wish is granted and at first they are joyful. After a few days however, they begin to get tired of Christmas and realize that every day will be exactly the same. They decide to change the course of action of the next day by playing tricks and pranks, including swapping the cooked turkey with a live one at dinner. It turns out to be a terrible Christmas for everyone, especially Donald. Shortly after, the boys read the card that was given to them earlier by Donald and Daisy. The card wishes them love and explains that Christmas is not just about presents, it is also about being with family. The boys feel guilty and decide to make amends by making the next day the best Christmas ever. As the boys spread love and cheer by giving Aunt Gertie kisses and helping Daisy with dinner, Donald becomes suspicious. Whilst singing carols, Donald confronts the boys, demanding to know what they are up to. An outraged Daisy snaps at Donald, accusing him of spoiling a perfect Christmas. Huey, however, admits that Donald was right and that he and his brothers forgot something. Huey, Dewey and Louie pull out their gift for Uncle Donald - a sail boat made out of their sleds. Genuinely surprised, embarrassed & touched, Donald thanks his nephews with a warm hug. At the end of the next day, the boys finally realize the true meaning of Christmas and the time loop ends, leading into the day after Christmas.

A Very Goofy Christmas

Goofy and Max are mailing a letter to

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...

. However, as soon as they get home, their neighbor Pete tells Max that Santa does not exist, saying it is impossible for him to fly around the world in one night. 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 stays up all Christmas Eve to keep an eye out for him while Max, still bitter, just wants to move on. After mistaking a Beagle Boy (who was robbing Pete's house) for Santa, Goofy eventually gives up hope of Santa coming. Max then does everything that Goofy did, to try and make him happy, including posing as (a very small) Santa himself. In the end, the real Santa actually comes and gives Max the gift he had asked for earlier (as well as burying Pete's house next door in snow). When Max asks Goofy if Santa forgot his present, Goofy answers that every year he asks for the same thing and he always gets it - Max's happiness. This segment of ''Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas'' chronologically precedes the cartoon series, '' Goof Troop'' and its film ''

A Goofy Movie ''A Goofy Movie'' is a 1995 American animated musical comedy-adventure film produced by Disney MovieToons and Walt Disney Television Animation. Directed by Kevin Lima, the film is based on The Disney Afternoon television series ''Goof Troop' ...

''. Max is voiced by

Shaun Fleming Shaun Michael Fleming (born May 31, 1987) is an American musician and actor. He is best known as the former live drummer of the indie rock band Foxygen and the creator of his solo project Diane Coffee as well as his Disney voice acting career. ...

Mickey and Minnie's Gift of the Magi

Based on the 1905 short story "

The Gift of the Magi "The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. As a sentimental ...

" 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 at her job in a department store to get a bonus to buy a present with. When Mickey offers a small tree to a poor family who cannot afford to buy a special 10-footer tree, his greedy supervisor Pete steals Mickey's money and dismisses him. Pete inadvertently puts his lit cigar into his pocket with Mickey's money without noticing, which triggers a sequence that ends up setting himself, the money and his trees – including the 10-footers – on fire, much to Pete's dismay. Meanwhile, Minnie's bonus from her stingy boss

Mortimer Mouse The Mickey Mouse universe is a fictional universe, fictional shared universe which is the setting for stories involving The Walt Disney Company, Disney cartoon characters Mickey Mouse, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Pluto (Disney), Pluto, Goofy, and ...

proves to be nothing but a

fruit cake Fruitcake (or fruit cake or fruit bread) is a cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and optionally soaked in spirits. In the United Kingdom, certain rich versions may be iced and decorated. Fruitcakes are typically served ...

. After playing music for a toy drive with the Firehouse Five, Mickey has the idea that he can trade his

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

for the gold chain. The shop is closing when he gets there and the owner who is just leaving isn't interested in the harmonica, but changes his mind after hearing Mickey play it. Back at Minnie's house, Mickey gives her the chain for her watch, which she no longer has and Minnie gives him a case for his harmonica, which he also no longer has. However, Mickey and Minnie get emotional seeing how far they went to profess their love and they are still able to celebrate a happy Christmas. As in ''The Gift of the Magi'' original story, the thought behind each gift is what counts.

Finale

The film concludes with a medley of various songs, " Jingle Bells", " Deck the Halls" and "

We Wish You a Merry Christmas "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is an English Christmas carol, listed as numbers 230 and 9681 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The famous version of the carol is from the English West Country. Popular version The Bristol-based composer, condu ...

", featuring the main characters from the three segments.

Cast

* Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse *

Russi Taylor Russi Taylor (May 4, 1944 – July 26, 2019) was an American voice actress. She is best remembered as the official voice of Minnie Mouse from 1986 to 2019, and was notably married to voice actor Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse, until his ...

, Huey Duck, Dewey Duck and Louie Duck *

Tony Anselmo Tony Anselmo (born February 18, 1960) is an American voice actor and animator. He has been the official character voice of Donald Duck since 1985 following the death of the original voice actor, Clarence Nash. He has also provided voices for D ...

Diane Michelle Diane Michelle is an American voice actress, famous for voicing Daisy Duck in several modern Disney projects such as '' The Spirit of Mickey'', ''Mickey Mouse Works'' and ''Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas''. Early life Michelle is a Southern C ...

as Daisy Duck (The Gift of the Magi) * Tress MacNeille as Daisy Duck (Stuck on Christmas, singing voice in the finale), Chip and Aunt Gertie *

Alan Young Alan Young (born Angus Young; November 19, 1919 – May 19, 2016) was a British, Canadian and American actor, comedian, radio host and television host, whom ''TV Guide'' called "the Charlie Chaplin of television". His notable roles includ ...

Bill Farmer Bill Farmer (born November 14, 1952) is an American voice actor, comedian and impressionist. He has performed the voice of the Disney character Goofy since 1987, and has also been the voice of Pluto and Horace Horsecollar since 1990. Early li ...

as Goofy,

Corey Burton Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transform ...

as Dale *

Max Goof Maximilian "Max" Goof is an animated character who is the son of the Disney character Goofy. He first appeared in the 1951 short "Fathers Are People" as Goofy Jr., and later appeared in the 1992 television series ''Goof Troop'' as Max Goof, a pre ...

Jim Cummings James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as t ...

as Pete, Police, Mailman, Fire Chief, Dad, onlooker, shop owner, and

* Jeff Bennett as Dad Firefighter #2, Mortimer Mouse, Store Announcer, Man and Costumer *

Gregg Berger Gregory Alan Berger (born December 10, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jecht from ''Final Fantasy X'' and the '' Dissidia Final Fantasy'' games, Grimlock from '' The Transformers'', Mysterio and Kraven the Hunter from '' ...

as Mr Anderson, and Shopper * Kylie Dempsey as Kid #2, and Little Girl * Taylor Dempsey as Little Jimmy, and Kid #1 * Andrew McDonaugh as Boy * Pat Musick as Distressed Woman, Angry Woman, Eccentric Lady, Shopper and Mrs Anderson *

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...

as Turkey and Figaro *

Mae Whitman Mae Margaret Whitman (born June 9, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She began acting in commercials as a child, making her film debut at the age of six in the romantic drama '' When a Man Loves a Woman'' (1994). She achieved recognition as ...

as Girl *

April Winchell April Terri Winchell (born January 4, 1960) is an American actress, writer, and radio host. She is prehaps best known as the second and current voice of Clarabelle Cow, having voiced the character since 1996. Early life Winchell was born in 1 ...

as Mom, Old Woman, Firewoman, and Firefighter #1 * Kelsey Grammer as the Narrator *

Tommy Morgan Thomas Morgan Edwards (December 4, 1932 – June 23, 2022) was an American harmonicist and session musician, who had been active since the 1950s. He was considered one of the most heard harmonica players in the world, playing in over 500 fea ...

provides Mickey's harmonica solos

Home media

The film was originally released on VHS and DVD on November 9, 1999. It was later re-released on VHS and on DVD (as part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection) on November 7, 2000. Coinciding with its 15th anniversary, the film was released in a 2-Movie Collection

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of stori ...

and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

with ''

'' on November 4, 2014.

Reception

The film holds rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10.

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

rated the movie a 3/5.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas 1999 films 1999 animated films 1999 direct-to-video films 1990s American animated films 1990s Christmas films Adaptations of works by O. Henry American anthology films American children's animated comedy films American Christmas comedy films DisneyToon Studios animated films Disney direct-to-video animated films Donald Duck films Films based on American short stories Films directed by Bradley Raymond Goofy (Disney) films Mickey Mouse films Santa Claus in film Time loop films Animated Christmas films 1990s Christmas comedy films Disney Television Animation films 1999 comedy films 1990s children's animated films Scrooge McDuck Films directed by Jun Falkenstein Films produced by Jim Ballantine 1990s English-language films