Mickey Mouse Day

It was all started by a mouse!

Walt Disney

If there’s one image that everyone in the world can recognize, it’s the iconic ever-so-giant ears of that favorite mouse, Disney’s Mickey Mouse. His face (and those very dramatic ears) graces everything from ceramic mugs to balloons, touching on every industry and area of the lives of people all over the planet.

Mickey’s face can be found in the shape of ice cream on a hot summer afternoon, or on the back of a hoodie on a frigid autumn morning. And when the day’s work is done, kids and adults alike can join him in Kingdom Hearts as their King.

It all started with a short film called “Steamboat Willie”, and ever since, Mickey has been the very icon of family fun, hope over adversity, and following your dreams. And from there, the entire imaginative world of Disney was born.

It’s time for Mickey Mouse Day!

History of Mickey Mouse Day

Mickey Mouse was originally dreamed up by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney in 1928. Actually, if it wasn’t for a bit of duplicitous backstabbing and a little bit of Hollywood drama, Mickey might never have come into existence.

Mickey first came to pass as a replacement for Walt’s first popular creation, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Since Disney left his job at Universal, he had to cut ties with Oswald. After the relationship with Universal Studios soured, Mickey Mouse was created and came to be the avatar of the happiest place on earth.

In doing so, the adorable mouse was created and made his debut in a short cartoon called Plane Crazy. Even then, it wasn’t a great hit with the test crowd, which just goes to show that perseverance is everything. It wasn’t until the third release, Steamboat Willie, that Mickey’s career finally got off the ground.

And from that first short film, Mickey has risen to be a worldwide recognized Icon. Year after year, the mouse garnered nominations for the Academy Award for the Best Animated Short film, and finally won one in 1942. As a tribute to just how popular and ground-breaking this fantastic mouse is, he was the first animated character to ever receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Since then, humans have seen the rise and fall of “The Mickey Mouse Club”, and a growing family of characters, including Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and the rest of the gang that have all become part of the Disney IP.

It’s been more than 90 years now! And since this day also happens to be Mickey Mouse’s Birthday (the same day Steamboat Willie was released), it’s the exact perfect day to enjoy everything that has to do with this fantastic creature.

How to Celebrate Mickey Mouse Day

With Mickey appearing in so many places and in so many different types of media, the ways to celebrate Mickey Mouse day are only as limited as a person’s imagination.

Dress Up to Honor Mickey Mouse Day

Start off small by wearing or buying a Mickey Mouse-themed piece of clothing, maybe a hoodie bearing his image or a hat with Mickey Mouse ears. Franchised items abound with clothes including t-shirts, shorts, sweatpants, jackets, baseball hats, socks or even shoes! But it’s also possible to get creative and make your own Mickey Mouse attire.

Sing the Mickey Mouse Club Song Together

Once you’re dressed like hikm, take it one step further by singing that most popular song “M I C. K E Y. M O U S E! Mickey Mouse! (Donald Duck!)” from the Mousketeers show. Listen online if you need a boost to get started.

Gather with all of your friends and family and sing the songs from the days when your grandparents were children. Mickey Mouse has been around for many a year, and some of the oldies are the goodies.

Learn to Draw Mickey Mouse

Since it all began with a pencil on paper drawing of a mouse, a great way to enjoy the day is by practicing drawing the mouse himself. It can start with something as easy as three circles, one large one for the head and two smaller ones for the ears. Add a bit of a nose and some facial features, and there’s Mickey Mouse!

Head Over to a Disney Adventure Park

Best of all, plan a trip to one of Mickey Mouse’s kingdoms, located all over the world. Nothing celebrates the day of this Disney great like taking the whole family to the Magic Kingdom and spending the day enjoying everything Disney has to offer. With six in total, including Disney World located in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California, the international locations can be visited in these places in the world:

• Tokyo, Japan. Twin parks located here include Disneyland as well as its neighbor the DisneySea Resort, this park offers loads of options for accessing Mickey Mouse and his friends.
• Paris, France. With Disneyland and a Walt Disney Studios Park, this is the only place in Europe to get really up close and personal with everyone’s favorite mouse.
• Hong Kong. Disneyland here offers seven different adventure areas, one of which is themed “Main Street USA”.
• Shanghai, China. This Disneyland is centered around Roaring Mountain which is located on a jungled-up Adventure Isle.

Watch Some Mickey Mouse Shows

Whether it’s some reruns of the original Mickey Mouse Club, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (the new version of the show), or the full-length feature film, Fantasia, this is a great day to enjoy some Mickey Mouse animation on the big screen. Grab some friends, be sure to have the snacks at the ready, and enjoy Mickey and his friends!