Long Live Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration
“Wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas.”
People have always shouted at me for having terrible opinions. Yes, Wilfred was the new Lost. Yes, the only thing that can help a sore throat is Sprite. Yes, Tower Heist is one of the best comedies of the 2010s. And yes, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration (MMMC) is the greatest stage show ever put on by the Disney Parks.
When I declare this correct opinion, I have been met with more boos than a New Year’s Eve party at the Bellagio. And I always hear the same arguments against the notion that MMMC deserves solely praise. “The ‘Text Me Merry Christmas’ song is so cringe-y.” “The Chip and Dale song is annoying.” “What about Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire or Dream Along with Mickey?” These arguments are boring. I am bored by them. I’m uninterested in debating with the bad-faith people who would make these arguments.
The truth is there is no stage show in the history of the Disney Parks that reached the soaring heights of MMMC and no stage show that conjured as much warmth in its myriad onlookers as MMMC did. This has been true since I saw it for the first time in 2018 and it has been true since I have rewatched/re-listened to it over two hundred times on YouTube. (The version below is the best version. If anyone knows who the two performers/singers leading the show are, please let them know that I adore their voices and cherish them every year.)
So while this has already been established fact for years, I wanted to remark upon it this holiday season because it seems like Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration died.
This year, my girlfriend and I attended whatever the pseudo-Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party/pandemic replacement event was that the Magic Kingdom bashed and, as part of it, they had a show called Mickey and Minnie’s Very Merry Memories. The promotion for the event made it seem like this was MMMC under a new name, but instead, it was a highlight reel of past stage shows all combined into one. Considering I am one of the only people who recognized the brilliance of MMMC and considering how many reviled it, it seems safe to assume that the show, in its original, beautiful form, is now dead. Hence why I now want to pay tribute to it.
The conceit behind it is simple. Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto are hosting a Christmas party, but Donald is running late! While they wait for Donald to arrive, they all decide to invite their friends. As the Disney friends show up, they each take turns playing holiday music in their own styles/genres/cultures. Donald arrives while his pals sing, “Christmas Isn’t Christmas ‘Til You Get Here” by Kylie Minogue. Clarabelle Cow is greeted by “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye show up to “Holly Jolly Christmas.” Panchito and Jose Carioca dance to “Feliz Navidad.” Chip, Dale, and numerous other Fantasyland friends frolic to “Ring Those Christmas Bells” by Peggy Lee. Then, Mickey and Minnie reappear as Santa and Mrs. Claus to gather the whole cast together to sing, “It Feels Like Christmas” from The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Not very complicated, but expertly performed. I’ve grown slightly weary of Disney’s reliance on pre-1980 holiday standards to create the soundtrack for their parks during the wintry season. (“Deck the Halls” can be heard three times in an hour, whereas Universal actually allows you to hear songs like Sia’s “Candy Cane Lane” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s version of “Last Christmas.” It’s a refreshing change of pace because the most modern standard Disney allows for is “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney.) That’s why this show was so refreshing! Straight No Chaser and Kylie Minogue, for one. Mariah Carey, for another, even if she is responsible for the world’s most popular Christmas song. Bringing in some more unconventional Christmas music for Disney is a great aspect of the show.
Another great aspect is the spin put on some of the classics. “Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Feliz Navidad” could very easily be heard on a number of Disney novelty vinyls for the holidays with Mickey’s high-pitched voice and Goofy’s barely-counts-as-singing voice buoying the record. But in Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration, the notes are belted out with unmatched enthusiasm and energy. It’s the kind of radiance that only happens when Disney and Christmas combine to reach their true, respective potentials. (Seriously, the above YouTube video has my all-time favorite rendition of “Feliz Navidad” and that’s not just because I adore the Three Caballeros. Always love seeing those birds partying and playing instruments.)
Lastly, it includes music from The Muppet Christmas Carol! It would’ve probably been easier to just throw out another generic Christmas song that everyone knows the words to or to even pick a more well-known Disney Christmas movie. Instead, the designers behind MMMC chose to go with the song that would provide the most undeniably rousing finale to the show. “It Feels Like Christmas” is one of the warmest, jolliest songs in the entire Muppet oeuvre and to have its presence in the parks is magical. It reminds guests of an iconic film (no other Carol adaptation has Charles Dickens actually tell you the story himself) that makes them feel happy and provides a new context for them to hear it and also feel happy. The arrangement truly unlocks a new level for the song, too. It’s just a perfect marriage of performance and musical organization.
Put all that together and you have twenty minutes of Christmas glory, Disney glory, musical glory, Muppets glory, theme park glory, friendship and love glory. That’s all a Disney Parks stage show ever needed to be and Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration was the most merriest of them all. Enjoy the annals and love forever.
