Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s Masquerade DVD available February 8, 2011 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Single Disc DVD + Mickey Mote SRP=$29.99 U.S./ $35.99 Canada
Single Disc DVD: $19.99 U.S./ $24.99
Feature run time: 120 minutes
Parents and their preschoolers are invited to join in the ultimate masquerade party with Minnie, Mickey and pals in a fun-filled collection of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse latest episodes that celebrate themes of friendship, teamwork, sharing and problem solving. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s Masquerade is the perfect gift to dress-up your Valentine’s Day. The DVD includes 5 episodes, including one never-before-seen episode (Minnie’s Masquerade), a free paper mask with festive embellishments that kids can personalize.
Kieran’s Reaction: We had to stop the Minnie’s Masquerade episode because Kieran requested to put on a dress so she could dress up and dance with them! She loves the “Hot Dog Dance” that plays at the end of each episode—getting right in front of the TV to dance (and continues to do so on subsequent viewings). She enjoyed the “Discovery Mode” using our regular remote (since we were unable to use the Mickey Mote-see technical difficulties below). Although the matching in Level 1 was simple for her, she giggled with the confirmation she received when she picked the correct shape, costume, etc. She also had a blast picking the best “mouseke-tools” to complete a particular task.
The disc defaults to an Auto-play mode, so in order to use the “Discovery Mode” I had to press the “Menu” button on my DVD remote.
Technical difficulties: Sadly, the Mickey Mote did not work with our Sony DVD player, despite repeated efforts by myself and my tech-savvy husband to program it and searching for troubleshooting tips on the web. I eventually called technical support and they were unable to provide further assistance over the phone, and are sending us a replacement Mote, as it is their feeling the problem is with the Mote. The new Mote did not arrive in time for the review, however. Thankfully, the “Discovery Mode” features can still be utilized with the arrows on your regular DVD remote.
My thoughts: This was our first exposure to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse series. I love that the characters regularly stop to ask the viewer questions, which helps my preschooler practice her problem-solving skills. My favorite episode was Minnie’s Mouseke-Calendar, as the days of the week, months of the year, etc are reinforcing her current preschool curriculum. I love that the DVD provides for 2 modes of viewing—one traditional and the other using the Mickey Mote/Remote via the “Discovery Mode”. There are also 2 levels of play within the “Discovery Mode”. I also noticed that Kieran was much better at engaging in this DVD as compared to other shows she’s been watching lately.
And, despite not being to use the Mickey Mote, I appreciate Disney taking the time to provide an interactive TV experience for my preschooler. It took just a little bit of instruction to teach my 3.5 year old to use our regular remote so she could still utilize the interactive features of the DVD.
That’s IT Mommy friends, Heather & Kieran
UPDATE ON THE MICKEY MOTE: Well, It’s May 2011 and I finally had the chance to take the Mickey Mote and DVD to Grandma’s house to give it another try. The result? IT WORKS! I am definitely not an expert on electronics, but I do wonder if the difficulty was due to the fact that my Sony DVD player was a 5-disc changer. Grandma has a Toshiba single disc DVD player, and it synced without any difficulty. Yes, it worked the first time and Kieran and her cousins had a blast! The only bad thing now is we have to leave it at Grandma’s!
Disney Movie Rewards currently has a $5 off coupon for the Mickey Mote and DVD Play Set! Just click here.
* THAT’S IT MOMMY DID NOT RECEIVE MONETARY COMPENSATION FOR THIS REVIEW. THAT’S IT MOMMY DID RECEIVE THE DVD AND MICKEY MOTE MENTIONED IN THIS REVIEW FREE OF CHARGE TO FACILITATE THIS REVIEW. THIS WILL IN NO WAY SWAY OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE. THE REVIEW IS IN OUR OWN WORDS AND IS OUR OPINION. YOUR RESULTS AND OPINIONS MAY DIFFER.
