Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has been a staple of Playhouse Disney/Disney Junior since its debut in 2006. With 116 episodes already in the can, production on the series has slowed down. The fourth season, for example, has been going since 2012 and just hit its 17th episode last month. Reruns are constant on Disney’s preschool network and new episodes are treated more like specials than anything else. One special episode from 2013, “Minnie’s Pet Salon,” has been chosen as the centerpiece of this, the 20th DVD release Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has received.
In “Minnie’s Pet Salon” Pluto is hosting a pet show, so Minnie sets up a pet salon outside for all of the competitors. This special is 30 minutes long, but Disney has included four more episodes to bring the total disc runtime to 126 minutes. The additional episodes are “Daisy’s Pet Project” (2008), “Pluto’s Puppy-Sitting Adventure” (2006), “Donald’s Ducks” (2009) and “Pluto Lends a Paw” (2011).
I’m not a preschool-aged kid, nor am I a parent. But I do have two furry babies who know more than they want to about getting groomed. So I asked my two dogs, Nemo and Dory, to review this with me. After finishing the disk, I interviewed them and here are the results:
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Nemo talks low and slow, sort of like Eeyore, while Dory is more high pitched and fast with some Latino accents]
Me: What did you guys think about the episode “Minnie’s Pet Salon?”
Nemo and Dory together: We hated it!
Me: Why?
Nemo: It was scary.
Dory: Yeah. It was so hard to watch all of those animals getting groomed. Trust me, I’ve literally been cut to the quick at salons like this. It doesn’t matter whose behind the brush and sheers, even a giant mouse can go too far.
Me: Okay… well what about the other episodes?
Nemo: I mostly didn’t pay attention. I was busy making sure nobody came to the door. But I did like the part in “Pluto’s Puppy-Sitting Adventure” where they dug for bones in the backyard. That was really thrilling.
Dory: I liked anytime Pluto was on screen.
Me: You have the hots for Pluto, Dory?
Dory: Oh jes. I have a type: tall, yellow and with a permanent goose egg on the head. Close second was Butch the bulldog. What a hunk!
This release doesn’t have any on-disc bonus features, but there is a bonus inside the case. It’s advertised as a “pet comb” and is tan with a “Minnie’s Pet Salon” logo on the handle. However, it barely made it through a stroke of my dogs’ fur and is much better suited for use on human hair or a stuffed animal (and Nemo kept trying to eat it).
“This disc is enhanced with Disney’s Fast Play.” Letting it run its course, it starts with trailers for Inside Out and Aladdin, then plays the five episodes on this disc. When they are finished, it plays ads for Disney Movie Rewards, Doc McStuffins and Miles from Tomorrowland. All of these ads are accessible from the main menu by selecting “Sneak Peeks.” The menu also allows you to play specific episodes individually.
Final Thoughts
If you have little ones who love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, then they will love “Minnie’s Pet Salon.” The DVD presents itself aimed more at girls, but all of the episodes are gender neutral. With 19 other DVDs available from the series, it has some tough competition for shelf space, so I recommend this release over others if your children have an affinity for pets, particularly dogs.