Mickey Mouse Funhouse
GenreEducational
Comedy
Adventure
Created byPhil Weinstein
Thomas Hart
Based onMickey Mouse Clubhouse
by Bobs Gannaway
The Mickey Mouse Club
by Walt Disney
Hal Adelquist
Mickey Mouse and Friends
by Walt Disney
Ub Iwerks
Voices ofBret Iwan
Kaitlyn Robrock
Tony Anselmo
Tress MacNeille (season 1)
Debra Wilson (season 2–3)
Bill Farmer
Harvey Guillén
Corey Burton
Jim Cummings
Jan Johns
Nika Futterman
Brock Powell
April Winchell
Theme music composerBeau Black
Opening theme"Mickey Mouse Funhouse Main Title Theme", written by Beau Black & Loren Hoskins
Ending theme"Stretch Break" (Instrumental)
ComposersBeau Black & Loren Hoskins (songs)
Natsumi Osawa (score)
Scotty Nguyen (choreography)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes63 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersPhil Weinstein
Thomas Hart
ProducersBradley Bowlen
Steve Walby
AnimatorsAlan Bodner (art director)
Mark Drop (story editor)
Running time22–24 minutes (11 minutes per segment)
Production companyDisney Television Animation[a]
Original release
NetworkDisney Junior
ReleaseJuly 16, 2021 (2021-07-16) –
present

Mickey Mouse Funhouse is an American animated preschool children's television series created by Phil Weinstein and Thomas Hart and is the successor to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures. The series debuted on Disney Junior on August 20, 2021.[1][2][3] In October 2021, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on November 4, 2022.[4][5] In June 2022, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on February 23, 2024.[6]

Disney Junior created the series to continue its pattern of original pre-school animated series set within the Mickey Mouse universe. Many key members of the creative team of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures developed the series.

Plot

Mickey Mouse returns with his friends Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto. The friends meet Funny, an enchanted, talking and energetic funhouse residing in the Funhouse Forest outside of Hot Dog Hills alongside his pet doghouse Teddy and a sentient weathervane named Windy.[7]

After Mickey and his friends (who are sometimes referred to as the "Funhouse Friends") climb the Stairs to Anywhere, Funny magically transports them from the Adventure Doors to a range of Adventure Worlds which allows them to embark on adventures unique to the Adventure Worlds that include but aren't limited to Majestica, Sunny Gulch, Halloweenville, the Adventure Sea Islands, the Land of Myth and Legend, and Herotropolis as they assume the outfits associated with each of the Adventure Worlds. It is in these Adventure Worlds where they also meet its inhabitants and alter-egos of characters they know. In addition, they also learn some morals regarding the episode's content as Funny would manifest a trophy to remember their trip afterwards.[7]

Characters

Main characters

Recurring characters

Characters in the Adventure Worlds

The following characters reside in each of the Adventure Worlds and are listed in order of appearance:

Voice cast

Main

Recurring

Guest appearances

Episodes

Main article: List of Mickey Mouse Funhouse episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
126July 16, 2021 (2021-07-16)October 7, 2022 (2022-10-07)
230November 4, 2022 (2022-11-04)January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)
326February 23, 2024 (2024-02-23)TBA

Production

Development

Mickey Mouse Funhouse begun production in 2020, a new animated series which was to premiere on the network Disney Junior in 2021.[56] Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was developed by executive producer Phil Weinstein, as well as co-executive producer Thomas Hart, and story editor Mark Drop, who had previously worked on Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures as part of the creative team.[56] The new series introduced an additional character, Funny.[56] Each episode of the series features two 11-minute stories separated by a regular "dance break" interlude.[56] On October 19, 2021, Disney Junior renewed the series for a second season.[4] On June 15, 2022, Disney Junior renewed the series for a third season.[6]

Casting

The main cast from the previous show, including Bret Iwan, Bill Farmer, Kaitlyn Robrock (replacing Russi Taylor due to her death in 2019), Tress MacNeille and Tony Anselmo (after being replaced by Daniel Ross in Mixed-Up Adventures), return. Joining them is Harvey Guillén, voicing the character Funny, an enchanted talking playhouse,[7] among others. This show notably marked the last time that Will Ryan voiced Willie the Giant before his death in November 2021. In 2023, Willie the Giant is now voiced by Brock Powell. In 2022, Debra Wilson and Jan Johns replaced Tress MacNeille as the voice of Daisy and Chip respectively, due to MacNeille becoming occupied with other projects.

Animation

Alan Bodner, who worked on Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, serves as the series' art director.[56] For his direction of "Mickey the Brave!", Bodner stated that he drawn inspiration from The Mickey Mouse Club, recalling the colourful and imaginative sets.[57] The animation was also influenced by the colourful and fantastical artwork featured in Alice in Wonderland.[57]

Release

Mickey Mouse Funhouse premiered with a prime time special entitled "Mickey the Brave!" on July 16, 2021, on Disney Junior.[7] This episode was released on Disney+ on July 23.[58] It was also released on September 30, 2021, in Southeast Asia, but only lasted a day prior to the shutdown of the channel on October 1, 2021. In Vietnam, Q.net television recreated the animation structure. It was released on 1 October 2021 on SKTV Kids at 18:00 p.m..

The full series premiered on August 20, 2021, with a simulcast on Disney Junior and Disney Channel.[7] The series was released on Disney+ on November 10, 2021.[59]

A prime time special entitled "Pirate Adventure" premiered on August 19, 2022, with a simulcast on Disney Junior and Disney Channel.[60][61]

The second season of the series premiered on November 4, 2022, with a simulcast on Disney Junior and Disney Channel, later on Disney+ on January 18, 2023.[5]

Reception

Critical response

LaughingPlace.com asserted, "As parents know, each episode offers wholesome fun for the whole family, with lots of fun and engaging songs that will get kids dancing and singing along."[62] Joly Herman of Common Sense Media rated the television series three out of five stars, complimented the presence of educational value and positive messages, citing creativity and social-emotional lessons dealing with friendship, while saying the show manages to be entertaining.[63] Marisa Lascala of Good Housekeeping included Mickey Mouse Funhouse in their "60 Best Kids' TV Shows and Family Series of All Time" list,[64] and ranked it 5th in their "13 Best Toddler TV Shows" list, asserting, "This series is the successor to shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures, both of which are also great toddler shows. But the quality of the animation has come a long way since Mickey Mouse Clubhouse debuted, and in each episode a smiling, stylized domicile sends Mickey and his pals off on colorful adventures. Episodes end with a 'wiggle giggle' song, so kids can shake their sillies out."[65]

References

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  1. ^ Anination outsourced to Mikros Animation.