A new Mickey Mouse Christmas adventure always makes the holidays a bit brighter. This year, Disney Jr. is premiering the half-hour special Mickey and the Very Many Christmas this coming Sunday (Dec. 1), followed by a streaming debut on Disney+ on Monday. In the special. everyone’s favorite animated mouse makes a magical wish that every day could be Christmas but winds up having second thoughts when his wish actually comes true. We had a chance to have a quick chat with the show’s talented executive producers/writers Tom Rogers (Elena of Avalor, Secret of the Wings, Sofia the First) and Rachel Ruderman (Elena of Avalor, Sofia the First, Wordgirl) — both of whom also worked on the series Minnie’s Bow-Toons — about their latest Mouse House project.
Congrats on your new Mickey holiday special. Can you please tell us a bit about how you got involved with this charming animated project?
Tom: We were first brought onto the project in the spring of 2023. There was an existing script by Kim Duran with this fantastic idea about how Mickey makes a wish for every day to be Christmas, and his wish comes true. He then discovers that he really ought to be careful what he wishes for. We loved that idea, revised some of the script over the course of the spring and then went into production in the summer.
What did you love about the premise of this special?
Tom: This is a story about Mickey discovering that what he thinks he loves about Christmas—the presents, the fun, and the sledding—isn’t what really matters. What truly matters at Christmas is making new memories with your friends. That’s where we landed as the real heart of the story, and it’s what drove all the choices we made in making this movie.
Where was the animation produced? And about how many people worked on this holiday special?
Rachel: This is a co-production between Wild Canary and Disney Jr. The animation studio is Icon Creative Studio in Vancouver.
Tom: We had about 20 people on the crew domestically, including directors, board artists, editors, designers, people on the music team and songwriters. And then we had a fairly large crew of animators and lighting specialists at Icon.
How long did it take to produce from start to finish, and which animation tools were used?
Rachel: I think once the script was greenlit, it took a little bit over a year of production until it was ready for air.
Tom: Our board artists use Storyboard Pro and our editor uses Premiere.
What were some of the biggest challenges of realizing this animated special?
Rachel: I think there have been so many Christmas specials that when you first jump into something, it’s daunting to make sure you’re telling a new story — especially with this cast of characters: Mickey and all his friends. They, in particular, have had a lot of Christmas adventures. So, I think it was a bit of a challenge to ensure we were doing something new and fresh. But once we got involved in this story, which is about the very relatable desire to have Christmas over and over again, we became very invested in it. The challenge dissipated as we began making this wonderful story.
What do you hope audiences will take away from the special? Either adults or kids or families in general?
Tom: I hope kids will recognize themselves in Mickey’s wish. They wish every day could be Christmas, but begin to understand that what makes a special day special is that it is rare.
I hope people will come to see that what really makes a holiday like Christmas special is the memories we make with our family and friends. That’s what this movie is all about—that’s what Mickey discovers.
Rachel: And the things that might seemingly go wrong on a Christmas Day are actually the things you remember fondly years later. So enjoy those moments.
Of course, we have to know. Do you have any favorite Christmas specials or movies of all time?
Rachel: I do love the movie, A Christmas Story. It makes me laugh every time I see a leg lamp in a window.
Tom Rogers: I think mine is not remotely rare or groundbreaking, but It’s a Wonderful Life. It makes me cry every single time!
Check out this exclusive clip from the show below:
Mickey and the Very Many Christmases premieres this Sunday (Dec. 1) on Disney Jr. and next day (Dec. 2) on Disney+. The special is part of Disney Jr.’s Magical Holidays programming stunt which celebrates the season starting today.
