"A Special Cartoon"

Release Date December 16, 1983

Running Time 25:30

Synopsis

A Disney version of the Dickens tale of the change of heart of a miserly old fellow named Scrooge.

Characters

For a complete list of characters, see Mickey's Christmas Carol - Characters.

Credits

For a complete list of credits, see Mickey's Christmas Carol - Credits.

Awards

Nominated for an Academy Award (Best Short Film)

Videos

United States

Walt Disney Mini-Classics : Mickey's Christmas Carol

Favorite Stories : Mickey's Christmas Carol

Germany

Die Schönsten Weihnachtsgeschichten von Walt Disney (49 minute version)

Die Schönsten Weihnachtsgeschichten von Walt Disney (72 minute version)

Italy

Canto di Natale di Topolino

Laserdiscs

United States

Mickey's Christmas Carol

Japan

Mickey's Christmas Carol & The Small One

Mickey's Christmas Carol

DVD

United States

Mickey's Magical Christmas : Snowed In at the House of Mouse

Disney Treasures : Mickey Mouse in Living Color : Volume 2

Cartoon Classics Favorites : Classic Holiday Stories

Gallery

Click on the thumbnail for the full-sized picture

Comments

For lyrics to the theme song, "Oh, What a Merry Christmas Day", see Mickey's Christmas Carol - Lyrics.

For the complete online text to Dicken's novel, see A Christmas Carol.

From Tina Williamson : I remember when I first saw this cartoon. My parents had brought it home one Christmas Eve and my whole family sat down to watch it. I wonder if they still show it on regular television.

From Jen Fleischmann : I absolutely love it. One year we taped it onto VHS from the Disney Channel. It addition to this movie, the special also had other Disney Christmas cartoons. Every year my sisters and I watch the tape. It is tradition.

From Anonymous : I first saw this movie when I was only a few years old, but it is still one of my favorite pastimes to watch it at Christmas. I am 16 years old now, and even though some of my friends would think I am a loser for still watching this cartoon movie, but I am different than many other teenagers There is just something about this movie that I really love, and it gives me that wonderful "Christmas Spirit" feeling whenever I watch it. Merry Christmas to everyone.

From Greg : I remember when I was about six or seven my dad brought home a promotional copy of "Mickey's Christmas Carol" on VHS. He worked at 7-up as a sales executive and the tape he gave me included several Christmas related 7-up commercials featuring elves and Santa Claus. I imagine back then 7-up must've had a contract with Disney to show commercials during the Disney Christmas specials.

The tape also had a few extra Disney holiday cartoons shown before the "Christmas Carol" episode (such as Pluto chasing the Chipmunks living in their Christmas tree, and Donald battles his nephews in an over the top snowball war). It was fun to watch - even in July!

From Kat : Everyone knows the story; yet this cartoon never ceases to entertain- not even me; a 16-year-old whose been watching it annually since childhood. It's such a darling take on the novel.

From Nick : Even at the ripe age of 16, I still get childlike joy from watching this every Christmas. One day after mainly getting unkind words after wishing everyone at school Merry Christmas, I came home and watched 2 movies, "It's A Wonderful Life," and "Mickey's Christmas Carol." Both are first tier. From the first note of the opening song it is so uplifting. The way the future scene in the graveyard was set up is wonderfully chilling. This is a classic.

From John Richards : This is a marvelous Holiday short that I just have to see every Christmas time. And I was so excited to find out that it is now available on DVD - although for some strange reason Disney has chosen to not publicize that fact. "Mickey's Christmas Carol" is Chapters 9, 10 and 11 of the Disney DVD - "Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse"

From Nikki : "Mickey's Christmas Carol" is awesome. I love every bit of it. It's also educational. I am 26 yrs old and still love watching it. I been looking all over the internet to buy the movie, but it seems to be sold out all over.

From Daniele : I Have watched and loved this movie since I was a little girl. We taped it from T.V. along with "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "T'was the Night Before Christmas". I still watch the tape every year, and it always reminds me of being really young. This year I'm going to buy it for my niece so she can help keep the tradition going.

From April : This short is one of my favorite holiday memories as a child. Now that I am married my husband and I watch this together. To us it means the holiday season is upon us and to share the happiness to all. We even went to Disneyland on our honeymoon. We love everything Disney.

From Taylor : This is my favorite childhood Christmas movie. Nothing seems to get me in the "Christmas Spirt" more than watching a Mickey Christmas Carol. I'm now in college and still love the movie and will for every Christmas to come.

From Robert Poole : Gee, it seems that a lot of the 16 year olds had the same experience with Mickey's Christmas Carol. I guess I'm joining you as well, cuz I'm 16 and I have sweet holiday memories with this Disney short as well. I think that the scene where Mickey (as Cratchit) mourns the death of Tiny Tim is probably the only true 'dark' scene he ever had to do (we've never exactly seen Mickey be this sad before; it's gripping.) I even thought that the weasel grave diggers were the weasels from 'Roger Rabbit', but now I know that this was way before 'Roger' (but they are similar though). Still,very good holiday show.

From Carla : This cartoon absolutely gets me in the Christmas mood no matter how I'm feeling. The first time I watched it was I was very young and I remember feeling happy and joyful about Christmas time. Now everything has changed. People have left, new people have arrived, and despite all the problems and situations going on in my life this movies helps me go back to the time when I was young and everything was perfect. It takes me to my happy place.

From Maya : This is the best Disney movie ever! Now I know that's a rather bold statement but, this movie is so sweet and nostalgic for me I just can't get enough of it. I wish Disney would release it on DVD! In fact it's become a tradition for me to incorporate this little treasure into my christmas every year. Someday I hope to share it with my own children so they too can experience the warmth and joy that I did as a child watching this Disney classic!

From Kristy : My Mom and Dad always made the holidays wonderful and one of my favorite traditions was watching "Mickey's Christmas Carol." I have enjoyed it so much for many, many years and I hope to keep the tradition going with my 2 boys! It is nice to sit together as a family and be able to watch a movie together. One that we all enjoy. My brother does a great Goofy impersonation and it always makes us smile and laugh. It is indeed a classic and I will watch it every Christmas, Thanks Disney!

From Betsy : This is my all time favorite Christmas 'special'...its got a great cast (of course) and a great story. I remember watching this when i was little and I've loved it ever since. If you're looking for great Holiday family entertainment aside from Rudolph and all the other pick this one up.

From Happy5482 : I love this animated short out of all the shorts I have seen in my life. I have been a huge fan of Charles Dickens story 'A Christmas Carol' for as long as I can remember. My cousn's girlfriend also loves this short.

When I first saw this short, I was whisked away into the story and imagination of Disney (as usual) and I fell in love with it ever since. I was most especially touched by the song 'Oh, What a Merry Christmas Day.' I finally read the lyrics here and I love it now that I know what it is the singers were saying. The music really lifted my spirits.

My favorite parts of the short is when Scrooge goes up the stairs and looks back when he feels he is being followed. I also like (and laugh) everytime Jiminy Cricket whisks Scrooge over London and Scrooge shouts "Spirit look out!" I get a kick out of the line "What's wrong Scrooge? I thought you enjoyed looking down on the world." I was sort of spooked by Pete's character and Scrooge's near death experience when he is thrown into the casket.

I have the story on a record player/record and I always listened to it when I gave the video a break. You could say that I love this story so much!

From Michelle I. : This is a true classic. I watch it every holiday season and it's THE version of "A Christmas Carol" that I compare others to. Very, very good.

From Gill : I, like many of the others who posted comments remember when I was young watching this Mickey's Christmas Carol. I remember it being such a moving short film and they way it was put together in just 25 minutes, which when I was younger seemed like a long time. I think this film will always stay with me and I will always look forward to watching during the holidays. It's nice to see there are others who appreciate this film as much as I do. I think Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas and all those other Christmas films are great; but Mickey's Christmas Carol is a timeless holiday classic that should never be forgotten.

From Billy Joe : Christmas can't be complete without this animated Disney classic. If you don't have it, try to find it somewhere. This short has a touching story, wonderful characters, and brillant animation. John Lasseter (director of Toy Story and CCO of Disney and Pixar animation) worked on this film. The talented animator went on to animate at Lucasfilm's CG division which later became Pixar, then saved Disney Animation Studios not too long ago.

In 1981, Disney decided to re-make the old standard of Dickens "Christmas Carol" using its well-known stable of characters. The idea was based on a previous record album that had been released in the mid 70's on Disneyland Record. The idea was also very timely as Mickey Mouse had not made a major appearance in a film or short in almost thirty years. A whole generation had grown up since then, and if Mickey and the gang were to survive as more than just pleasant memories, they would have to be reintroduced. The plan proved successful, as this featurette proved to be Mickey's ressurection. It was also the first time that almost all of the main Disney characters (with the curious exception of Pluto) appeared altogether in a single film.

Casting proved to be fairly simple. Who else but Uncle Scrooge could have played Ebenzer Scrooge? And the part of kindly Bob Crachit naturally fell to Mickey. Jiminy Cricket, Willie the Giant ("with pis-nachios!"), and Pegleg Pete make excellent ghosts. Donald even seems natural forgoing his natural irrasciblity to become the good-natured Master Fred. The only role the animators had problems with was Goofy as the ghost of Jacob Marley. It was difficult, they said, to make a character scary enough to cause Scrooge to repent, yet stay within Goofy's natural personality. In the end, though, the character works out nicely. (They also decided to load the film with as many cameos from other Disney movies as possible. For a complete list, see "Mickey's Christmas Carol - Characters.")

"Mickey's Christmas Carol" is fairly faithful to the original Dickens novel. If the short has any real failing it is that it is too short. One gets the feeling that certain scenes are rushed, so we don't get a real complete insight into what turned Scrooge from a reasonably decent person into the tightwad that he was to become. In later scenes, we just barely get to know the Crachit family when the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come sweeps in. Too much depends on our pre-familiarity with the story. Had we not already known that Tiny Tim had a life threatening illness, we might not have guessed it from the context given here until we see the scene at his grave. In my opinion, Disney should have taken the risk and made it into a full-length feature.

Still in all, the short works. The story holds together well, and none of the characters seem forced. It is heart warming in the best Disney tradition without being mawkish, and richly deserves the status of a Christmas classic.