Mickey’s Christmas Carol is the classic Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” acted out by our favorite Disney characters. This thirty minute special inspired me to read the original Dickens’ story.  It first aired in 1983 and has become a beloved Christmas special. It was based on the 1972 feature film, Disney’s Christmas Carol. The special normally airs on ABC Family and The Disney Channel.

They story follows Scrooge McDuck through the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Bob Cratchit is played by Mickey Mouse. Scrooge’s cheerful nephew, Fred, is portrayed as Donald Duck. Goofy plays the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s old business partner.

Jiminy Cricket plays the ghost of Christmas past with Willie the Giant and Black Pete playing the ghosts of Christmas present and yet to come.

The original contained three short cartoons within the special. One in which, Donald Duck was fighting a snowball war against his nephews. The second had Mickey chopping down a Christmas tree that Chip and Dale were living in. The Last was Goofy’s ski trip. Mickey’s Christmas Carol was nominated for the an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject, in 1983.

The Dickens’ story, “A Christmas Carol,” has been remade and retold in hundreds of ways. This version is one of the best for small children. Some of the others scare small children with the ghost of Christmas yet to come. Mickey’s Christmas Carol is short enough to keep their attention and the ghosts are not scary enough to keep them up all night. The moral of the original still ring true and it’s a great way to help your children understand what greed and bitterness can do to someone.

If you want to get your entire family in the giving spirit of Christmas, sit down and watch Mickey’s Christmas Carol. You might be surprised at how much your children can learn from a cartoon.