In January, Disney Junior debuted the newest Mickey Mouse series aimed at preschoolers, Mickey and the Roadster Racers. Leaving the clubhouse behind, this new series takes the sensational six out on the road as professional race car drivers. The eternal appeal of Mickey and his friends makes this new series another winner for the network.
Arriving in its first DVD release, kids can now bring home their favorite new show to enjoy anytime they want. The main feature is comprised of 3 episodes, giving slightly over an hour of content. Then there’s a bonus episode, music videos, and a three dimensional bonus for kids to enjoy.
Like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Roadster Racers follows a two-story per episode format. Thus far, the first half of each episode features a racing story and primarily focuses on Mickey, Donald, and/or Goofy. The second half usually involves Minnie and Daisy’s side-business, Happy Helpers.
In “Mickey’s Wild Tire!/Sittin’ Kitty,” a racing legend named Jiminy Johnson comes to Hot Dog Hills and Mickey hopes to gift him with a tire from his first racer, but things get tricky when Pete tries to take it from him. In the second half, Minnie and Daisy take a babysitting gig for a kitty who gives them an adventure all over town.
“Goofy Gas!/Little Big Ape” offers more Hot Dog Hills fun. After inventing a new kind of gas, Goofy discovers that it makes cars go faster, allowing him to win a race. In the second half, a gorilla terrorizes Clarabelle Cow and Minnie and Daisy become gorilla catchers to save her.
The final episode is “Race for the Rigatoni Ribbon!/Roaming Around Rome.” The sensational six are chasing Pete for the Rigatoni Ribbon, a race through the streets of Italy where Mickey and Donald learn an important lesson in sportsmanship. In the second part, Minnie and Daisy fill in for a sick tour guide around Rome and end up impressing a tough critic.
The drastic disparity between a boy-centric first half and girl-focused second half seems like an odd choice, but the characters are so appealing it’s easy to overlook. I love that Disney is still making these classic characters accessable to a new generation and they stay true to their roots, even incorporating more obscure characters like Horrace Horsecollar. Overall, it gets my seal of approval.
Bonus Features
- “Mickey’s Perfecto Day!/Running of the Roadsters!” (22:33) – A bonus episode of the series. In part one, Mickey and the gang are on their way to Spain to see Donald perform with Jose and Panchito as The Three Caballeros. In the second half, another racing adventure features a capture-the-flag element and a baby bull named Francisco helps Donald.
- Music Videos
- “Mickey and the Roadster Racers Theme Song” (1:15) – A montage of clips from the show set to the theme song.
- “Happy Helpers Theme Song” (1:30) – A song about Minnie and Daisy’s business set to clips from their adventures.
There is also a physical bonus, advertised on the box as a “Personalized Metal License Plate.” It comes with letter decals to add your child’s name to the plate, although it’s hard to squeeze more than 6 characters in without covering up Mickey.
Packaging & Design
This standard black DVD case comes in a holofoil embossed slipcover. Inserts include the aforementioned license place, which is wrapped in plastic, a code good for 75 points from Disney Movie Rewards, and a flier for Disney Movie Club.
The disc features Fast Play, which allows parents to insert the disc and walk away without waiting for a menu to load. Allowing it to run its course plays an ad for Disneynature Born in China and Cars 3 before the episodes and bonus features play. At the end, it plays additional ads for Disney Movie Rewards, Tangled: The Series, and Elena of Avalor.
Final Thoughts
Mickey and the Roadster Racers is a fun show that makes Mickey and his friends relevant to a whole new generation of kids. The racing format is a lot of fun and the Happy Helpers teach kids to be more compassionate individuals. As a Disney fan, I was thrilled to see Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horcecollar, Jose Carioca, and Panchito featured in the episodes on this disc.