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The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse is Officially Over

The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse is Officially Over

It has been a long ride, but the Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse has officially come to an end. Will you miss it?

Mickey Mouse Shorts

Credit: Disney

In 2013, a new era began for The Walt Disney Company’s most recognizable and certainly its most popular character. A wave of shorts, dubbed Mickey Mouse Shorts, hit televisions. The series was eventually revamped in 2021 as The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, and the story continued.

These shorts featured an all-new style for Mickey Mouse. Yet, they also captured a bit of the essence of the silliness of the Mickey of decades long gone by.

Creator Paul Ruddish, the driving force behind the new-style Mickey Shorts, set out to make a cartoon that was geared less toward small children than Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And that is exactly what he did. “Our goal was to bring him back to the new audiences.”

Credit: Disney

But, he also wanted to take Mickey Mouse back to his roots and revisit the scamp audiences knew in the 1930s. “I wanted to return to that flavor of Mickey and that vibe, but not replicate them,” stated Ruddish. “We didn’t want to go, ‘Look, here’s a 1930s cartoon.’ We wanted to take the sensibilities of those things but then put that through the lens of a team of modern artists.” Hence, Mickey’s new style emerged.

Ruddish explored what resonates well with fans of the style. “Our Mickey is a bit flawed,” Rudish said. “I think people responded to that. They root for the cheerful optimist, but it’s not always an easy road.”

A Divided Audience

Credit: Disney

On the other hand, the new style for Mickey did not come without criticism. In fact, it is one of the many things associated with Disney that seems to be polarizing.

While many people LOVE Mickey’s updated rough-around-the-edges style and zany personality, just as many people find it just simply does not sit well with them. Some Disney fans never adjusted to the new cartoon style. It seems Mickey Shorts are either a FAVORITE or a LEAST favorite depending on who you ask.

To each his own. Regardless of which is your favorite, there is plenty of Mickey to go around.

Farewell to Mickey Mouse Shorts

Credit: Disney

One thing is certain. The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse has left a lasting impact. In fact, it has won a number of Emmy Awards and Annie Awards. And now, after 10 years and more than 120 episodes, the production of Mickey Mouse shorts is coming to an end. The series is over.

Earlier this summer we announced that many new pieces of animation were on the way from the Walt Disney Company. Among the announcements from the Annecy International Animated Film Festival was the news that The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse would be ending in a matter of weeks! And now that time has come.

The final episode of the series Steamboat Silly aired on July 28, 2023. And what an episode it was.

Credit: KatieP

We won’t spoil it for you, but Steamboat Silly is a perfect way to simultaneously wrap up the series and give a nod to 100 years of Disney Magic as the company celebrates its 100th Anniversary. It has plenty of surprises for those who love classic Mickey Mouse cartoons and Disney shorts.

While it is the end of an era for Mickey, the series will live on. In fact, the Paul Ruddish animation style has been preserved in the wildly popular attraction Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

What’s Next for Mickey Mouse

Credit: KtP writer Donna

We are not entirely sure what Mickey Mouse will be up to next aside from enjoying the 100 years of magic and all the celebrating it entails. We do know he is still entertaining younger audiences with Mickey Mouse Funhouse for the time being.

Many speculate that issues will arise in 2024 once the Steamboat Willie short and that specific version of Mickey Mouse enter the Public Domain. However, others are certain that nothing negative will come of it since most incarnations of the Mouse will still fall under copyright protections.

While we wait to see what comes next, you can still get your Mickey fix. Mickey Shorts are certainly still available for streaming. And of course, you can always enjoy plenty of remastered Disney shorts from years gone by on Dinsey+.

Credit: Susan

According to Ruddish, no matter what Mickey still represents “the ongoing message of if you’ve got big dreams and you really try hard, you can make them come true.”

Are you sad that there will be no new Mickey Mouse shorts? Or, do you prefer a different version of Mickey Mouse? Or do you just love Micky regardless of how he’s been drawn? Let us know in the comments! Also, be sure to share this with your friends who will either miss the show or with those who will have the opposite take as well.


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BRI

Sunday 13th of August 2023

How much does this canceling of the "new" Mickey have to do with the fact that Disney can no longer hold the licence/ownership/patent/copyright to Mickey? After 100 years it belongs to the public domain, so Disney can no longer monetize this character. At least this this is my understanding. Am I wrong? If a o, please clarify.

KatieP

Sunday 13th of August 2023

Hi! Thanks for reading. To clear up a bit of confusion, Mickey himself has not been canceled. The cancelation is of the tv series mentioned in the title "The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse." There are is still plenty of other Mickey shows in production such as "Mickey Mouse Fun House." Currently all Mickey Mouse falls under copyright. However, one short "Steamboat Willie" will enter the Public Domain on Jan 1. 2024. However, that is only one variation of Mickey Mouse, and all others will remain protected. You can read about it here if you wish.

Mikey

Wednesday 9th of August 2023

I completely agree! I love Mickey as the next hardcore fanboy does, but it wasn't hard to ignore the fact that the last few decades Mickey Mouse was too beneign & honestly a pretty boring character that was TOO perfect & innocent & thus kinda very.... Boring.

But I love the fact they kept his cheerful & happy attitude was subtly turned into one of his "flaws."

I always cracked up that Daisy Duck was pretty obvious (at least to the audience) that his optimism really annoyed her!

KatieP

Wednesday 9th of August 2023

That's an interesting perspective! Thanks for contributing.

AndyD

Tuesday 8th of August 2023

Goofy looked so crusty! Other versions of the character were naive, childlike, trusting, gullible, etc, but this is the first time I've seen him portrayed as straight up brainless. Come on, Disney, I know Max hasn't been in anything since, like, the early 00's, but some of us still remember that character as someone's dad.

CJ

Saturday 5th of August 2023

Pretty dumb considering they based the railway off of the art style of this mickey mouse cartoon.

B HOLDER

Saturday 5th of August 2023

Maybe I'm a rare breed here but I really enjoyed the new content. It gave a more modern twist as the episodes portrayed current scenarios and was geared towards being funny vs "magical".

KatieP

Saturday 5th of August 2023

Thanks for reading and for chiming in! My kids and I think it is pretty funny too. It grew on me because they like it so much.

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