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Since his first appearance in 1928, Mickey Mouse has been adored by generations of children (and grown-ups, too). He’s been the star of movies, TV shows, comics, and video games—and a theme park or two, too. These days, toddlers can get their introduction to Mickey and his friends through Disney Junior’s magical, musical (and educational) series, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse—or its DVD collections, like Around the Clubhouse World.
In this five-episode collection, Mickey and his friends find themselves on a number of fun-filled adventures. In the title episode, Mickey and Minnie travel to France, Italy, Egypt, and China to collect stamps for his passport. In each country, they get to see the sites and meet some comical characters—and they use their Mouseketools to help out along the way.
Though the characters found at each stop in their travels may be rather stereotypical (like Gondolier Goofy, who sings about pizza while traveling down Venice’s Grand Canal), this globe-trotting adventure still offers young viewers a brief introduction to other countries and their landmarks. The different settings and musical styles to match help to expose little ones to the idea of different cultures in different places.
Other episodes on the disc tend to be loosely based on the traveling theme—though some much more loosely than others—as the beloved characters travel through space, time, and imagination for four more adventures.
Of course, there are plenty of educational aspects to this collection. In the midst of Mickey’s adventures, the show often throws in lessons about things like shapes, colors, and numbers (and, in the case of “Around the Clubhouse World,” different countries and their cultures). Despite its basic educational benefits, though, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is just plain fun for kids. Sure, they might learn something from time to time, but the show’s real appeal comes from its familiar characters, its colorful animation, and its silly songs. It’s about nonsensical magic words (“Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse!”), infectious theme songs (two of which are performed by They Might Be Giants), and imaginative adventures to magical places.
As an added bonus, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is the kind of toddler-friendly show that most parents won’t mind watching with their kids. Though everyone will have their favorite characters (my daughter and I love mischievous Pete) and their least favorite characters (Goofy’s blundering sometimes makes my head hurt), the personalities blend (and balance each other out) well. The adventures are cute without being cutesy, and the writing has a few clever moments, too.
Though you can easily record episodes of the show and keep a few on your DVR for Mickey Mouse emergencies, the DVD collection is perfect for road trips, visits to Grandma’s house, and any other times when your DVR isn’t readily available. And the five fun-filled episodes included in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Around the Clubhouse World are the kind of adventures that you won’t mind watching multiple times.
