Sometimes when the holiday spirit overtakes the senses, people tend to go a bit overboard, a common theme expressed all throughout the celebrated Disney film Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas. Both a moral warning and a delight to revisit, Mickey never ceases to stun his audience with simple stories full of complex meaning. This film is actually a compilation of three short stories, with a myriad of Disney characters in them, such as Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and of course, the lovable Goofy.

This film is actually a compilation of three short stories, with a myriad of Disney characters in them, such as Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and of course, the lovable Goofy. The first short story recounts the tale of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, who on the night of Christmas, make a wish on the North Star that the day would never end. They wake up the next morning, only to find that it’s Christmas day once again. At first the three ducks relish in this new development, but quickly realise the implications of this when the next morning they wake up to find that the day has repeated itself again. It’s a Disney take on Groundhog Day, and teaches a valuable lesson to enjoy what’s given to you without being overly greedy. This was one of my least favorite stories however, just because overall it just made it seem as if children were so terrible to want Christmas to last forever. While it was supposed to be humorous, it’s a real downer.

In the second short story, skepticism and conspiracy come to life in Goofy’s son Max, when doubt creeps into his mind that Santa isn’t actually real (spoiler alert). When Max tries to confront his father about this realization, Goofy, in typical Goofy manner, tries to keep his son from the truth. What follows is a series of hilarious hijinks as Goofy does everything in his power to prove to his son that Santa is indeed real. This story isn’t so much a lesson for children, but rather for the parents about when it’s time to let your child grow up. The story is also a lesson in faith, teaching that even though something cannot be seen, it doesn’t mean it’s not real.

The last story is one that will warm the hearts of any who watch it. In this story, Mickey and Minnie both want to give gifts to each other for Christmas, but unfortunately are both a little short on cash. Minnie’s prized possession is a watch and Mickey wants to offer her a necklace to hang it on. Mickey tries to work extra hours at the tree farm he works at, but  isn’t compensated for his overtime by his terrible boss and can’t pay for the necklace. So, Mickey sells his harmonica in order to be able to get Minnie’s gift. Only, Minnie sold her watch to to buy Mickey a case for his harmonica. In the end however, Mickey and Minnie were just content to have each other as gifts for Christmas. This story is a lesson in generosity, with a surprise twist at the end, but still the moral shines through. Even though people might have nothing, they still have each other.

The thing you can really appreciate about Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas is it’s sheer fun. Watching the movie never gets tiring, because each time it feels like revisiting an old friend. Someone you lost touch with a while back but is a pleasure to see nonetheless. The animation is reminiscent of the old Disney of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, a style that somehow feels more authentic than the 3D animation used nowadays. The music is even more admirable, it follows every gesture and emotion the character’s express bringing another dimension of realism to the movie.

Each Christmas it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of stuff around you and it’s important to step back and be thankful for what the real gifts are. Friends, family, and love, and  Disney managed to communicate this through Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas.