With three preschoolers at home now, I'm quite familiar with the magical chant, "Meeska! Mooseka! Mickey Mouse!" that summons up Mickey Mouse's fantastical CG-generated playhouse on his morning Playhouse Disney program, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The Disney Channel is on all the time on one TV or another in our house, and this bright, cheery show for preschoolers is a particular favorite with them. So I had an eager (i.e.: screaming and yelling) audience when I announced we were going to watch a new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD, Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales.

While compiling their various Christmas lists, the gang (Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto) get a visit from Mrs. Clause, who informs them that Santa's sleigh is stuck on the top of Mistletoe Mountain. She asks Mickey and Donald to help bring Santa down, or Christmas won't come for anyone this year. With the aid of their Mousekedoer machine, which provides the Mouseketools needed to complete their rescue effort (brought to Mickey and Donald whenever they need them by floating magic screen Toodles), Mickey and Donald first travel by their Toonplane, and then by skis (aided by Mrs. Clause riding Santa's reindeer Dasher) to get to the top of Mistletoe Mountain, where the reins to Santa's sleigh lay broken. With encouragement from Santa, Mickey and Donald solve the broken sleigh problem (using their Mouseketools), and bring Santa safely back down from Mistletoe Mountain. Christmas is saved, and Santa returns with the gang to Mickey's Clubhouse, where everyone receives presents from their wish list - including occasionally foul-tempered Donald Duck.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse first premiered on the Disney Channel on May 5, 2006, so I would assume that this particular Christmas episode has not yet aired on the regular show (I could be wrong, but I've never seen this episode on TV before). It does follow the show's regular format, though, including Mickey's welcome to the audience, asking the viewers out there to say the magic words to bring his Clubhouse into existence, the formula of using the Mousekedoer machine and Mouseketools to solve their mission, and the "Hot Dog!" dance that ends the show -- and of course, Mickey's classic Club sign-off: See you real soon!.

Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales is a sweet, light, funny little Christmas show that your preschoolers will undoubtably love. Of course, what's nice about Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales is that it's aimed specifically at the preschooler level, so not only is there nothing to worry about as far as content (no cartoon violence, harmless, though, as that may be), but more importantly, the show actually helps the young viewer with early learning concepts such as problem solving, simple counting and mathematics, storytelling concepts and goal achievement. If that sounds dry, don't worry; Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales entertains the little viewers first, while they have fun learning. Of course, since this is Disney, everything about Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales is executed with the highest standards. The computer-generated artwork is absolutely first-rate, with bright, bold designs and rich, saturated primary colors. The writing is lively and clear, and the characters come off full of energy, engaging even the shyest young viewer to take part in the adventure (helped enormously by having Mickey, the sweetest of all the Disney characters, talking directly to the young viewer, with lots of positive encouragement for them to participate). It's wonderful to have these kinds of shows where parents can sit down with their children, and actively take part in their TV viewing. I've got absolutely nothing against SpongeBob SquarePants - I love him and so do my kids - but a show like Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales really creates a moment where parent and child can bond, while at the same time having fun learning and interacting with Mickey and his gang. Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales is short (23 minutes), so don't worry about their attention span wandering. And you as the parent won't be bored, either. It's a cute little story, and you'll get a lot of pleasure out of seeing your child help Mickey save Santa.

The DVD:

The Video:
Since Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales is a wholly digital creation to start with, the full-screen DVD image is, as expected, flawless. The bold primary colors really jump out at the viewer, and the classy Disney designs (based on the traditional 1940s character artwork) are a step above most other CG animation out there.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track is perfectly fine for young ears; as well, there's a French language track available, too.

The Extras:
In addition to Mickey Saves Santa, there are two other Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes available here: Goofy's Bird and Mickey Go-Seek. In the first, Goofy must return Baby Red Bird to her mother in the forest. Mickey Go-Seek has Mickey trying to find Donald during a particularly fun game of Hide-N-Seek. That brings the total running time to 72 minutes for the episodes, and both are solid additions to the DVD, offering some nice back-up when the Mickey Saves Santa episode is over. As well, there's a "Hot Dog!" Dance-Along bonus feature (performed by the group, They Might Be Giants), that gives the viewer a chance to dance along with the show's infectious episode closer (as a parent, be prepared to be asked to get up and dance). And finally, there's a very simple, fun game feature: Mickey Picture Puzzle Game, which even a small child should have fun doing.

Final Thoughts:
It's a cliche, but Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales is the kind of Christmas programming that you can feel good about watching with your kids. With the show being designed as a teaching tool, as well as a piece of entertainment, Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales gives your little preschooler a chance to have a fun adventure with Mickey and his friends, acquire some important early-learning skills, while most importantly, having 23 minutes alone with their parents, laughing and learning together. Along Disney's other animated Christmas offering this year -- Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas -- Mickey Saves Santa and Other Mouseketales is a can't miss DVD choice for little viewers this Christmas. Highly Recommended.