Mickey Mousekefan

Welcome to Charmswell, the school for Royal Magic! Sofia is back, and she’s still discovering what being royal is all about as she learns that she may be the most magical princess in all of the EverRealm. The first eight episodes of Sofia the First: Royal Magic are now streaming on Disney+ and DisneyNOW!

1 day ago | [YT] | 81

Mickey Mousekefan

94 years ago today, Mickey’s Revue premiered in theaters. Although Mickey was the star of the cartoon, the short is best remembered for introducing a character named Dippy Dawg, an audience member who constantly irritated everyone with his distinctive laugh. While originally created as a one-off stock character, the performance of Pinto Colvig proved so popular that Dippy gradually developed into a much larger personality over time.

Over the following years, the character evolved into someone now recognized around the world. With his clumsy, kooky personality, he was officially given the name we all know today in 1934’s Orphans’ Benefit: Goofy. With his unmistakable laugh and voice, Goofy quickly became one of Disney’s most beloved icons, earning his own series of theatrical shorts beginning in 1939, along with feature films, television series, and much more.

Happy 94th Birthday, Goofy!

2 days ago | [YT] | 147

Mickey Mousekefan

Wishing a Happy 120th Birthday to the man who quite literally brought sound to the Disney Studios, Jimmy MacDonald.

Born in Dundee, Scotland, Jimmy’s family emigrated to Pennsylvania less than a month after he was born. Originally pursuing a career in engineering, Jimmy later found work as a musician, playing drums for the Dollar Steam Ship Lines. Thanks to his talent, he was given the opportunity to record music for a Disney cartoon in 1934.

Because the studio lacked many of the props needed to create sound effects, Disney enlisted Jimmy to establish and lead its new sound effects department. Over his remarkable 48-year career with the company, he helped build one of the most impressive sound effects libraries in animation history, creating contraptions that produced more than 2,800 sound effects used across countless films and cartoons. Some of his most notable creations included the circus train, Casey Jr., in Dumbo, Tick-Tock the Crocodile in Peter Pan, and Dragon Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty.

Jimmy brought even more sound to the studio when he took on many iconic character voices. Walt Disney himself handpicked Jimmy to become his successor as the voice of the world’s most famous cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, beginning with Fun and Fancy Free. He would continue voicing Mickey for nearly 30 years, retiring from the role in 1977.

Even after retiring, Jimmy returned to continue being part of the magic, consulting on sound effects and voicing Evinrude the dragonfly in The Rescuers.

Alongside Mickey, Jimmy also provided many other memorable voices throughout Disney’s library. He voiced Chip in several Chip and Dale cartoons, as well as Cinderella’s Jaq and Gus in Cinderella, and the Dormouse in Alice in Wonderland. He also created the vocal effects for characters such as Lumpjaw in Fun and Fancy Free, Humphrey the Bear, Spike the Bee, and many more.

Although Jimmy passed away in 1991, he was posthumously honored as a Disney Legend in 1993.

Thanks for bringing the sound to Disney, Jimmy. Happy 120th Birthday!

1 week ago | [YT] | 142

Mickey Mousekefan

BREAKING NEWS! Beyond saddened to share the news of the passing of Tom Kane.

Over his remarkable 40+ years in the industry, Tom’s voice was heard across a huge range of media, from movie trailers and commercials to video games and animated shows. From serving as an announcer for the Oscars to bringing countless lovable characters to life, his career was truly one of a kind.

Fans may know Tom for his roles as Darwin on Nickelodeon’s The Wild Thornberrys and Professor Utonium on Cartoon Network’s The Powerpuff Girls.

For Disney, Tom was not just a voice; he created an experience. While he provided the voice for Monkey Fist in Kim Possible, as well as countless Star Wars characters in various projects, including Yoda and C-3PO, his voice also helped create lasting memories for Disney travelers. In 2012, he became the announcer for the Walt Disney World Monorail System, as well as the narrator for the Happily Ever After fireworks spectacular.

In addition, Disney fans at home could always hear his voice when inserting a Disney DVD enhanced with Disney’s FastPlay, a short but memorable bumper for DVD viewers.

Tom died today at age 64 in a Kansas City hospital from complications related to the stroke he suffered in 2020.

While he may be gone, Tom’s voice will live on through the thousands of projects he contributed to throughout his incredible career.

So long, Tom. Your voice will forever echo through the parks. Happily Ever After.

1 week ago | [YT] | 114

Mickey Mousekefan

It’s time to reunite with our furry valentines! Minnie, Daisy, and Cuckoo-Loca are ready to welcome you back to Minnie’s Bow-Toons: Pet Hotel! Five brand-new episodes are now streaming on Disney+ and DisneyNOW!

1 week ago | [YT] | 126

Mickey Mousekefan

Nothing Can Stop Us Now! Let’s wish Chris Diamantopoulos a very happy 51st birthday!

Born in Toronto and of Greek descent, Chris began his career at just nine years old, appearing in television commercials and professional theater productions. From there, he expanded across television, film, and stage work, eventually taking on Broadway with leading roles such as Ethan Girard in The Full Monty and Marius Pontmercy in Les Misérables.

While many audiences may recognize Chris for portraying Russ Hanneman in Silicon Valley and Moe Howard in The Three Stooges, Disney fans know him as the fifth primary voice actor to portray Mickey Mouse. Although Bret Iwan remains the official voice of Mickey, Chris was brought on for Paul Rudish’s Mickey Mouse shorts because his interpretation closely resembled the energetic style of how Walt Disney originally voiced the character. His performance perfectly complemented the retro-inspired tone of the shorts. Chris later reprised the role in The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse and the Disney100 short Once Upon a Studio in 2023.

Chris has also voiced Mickey in Disney Parks and experiences, including the AquaMouse water coaster aboard select Disney Cruise Line ships and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.

Beyond Mickey, Chris has appeared in several other Disney projects. In the 2017 revival of DuckTales, he voiced both Storkules and Darkwing Duck. He also guest-starred as Brock Thunderstrike in Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, Ed Zecutive in Big City Greens, Ezekiel “Tug” Tugbottom in The Ghost and Molly McGee, Sasquatch in ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series, and Burt in Hamster & Gretel. He additionally lent his voice to Frank Heffley in the Disney+ animated adaptations of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise.

Have a very wonderful birthday, Chris!

2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 141

Mickey Mousekefan

Wishing a happy heavenly birthday to Russi Taylor.

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Russi left a remarkable mark on the world of animation, with a career spanning over 40 years and an extraordinary range of beloved characters. She began her career appearing as Ted and Georgette’s baby on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and went on to thrive in animation with a lineup of iconic roles.

She was the original voice of Strawberry Shortcake, Pac-Baby in Pac-Man, Pebbles Flintstone in The Flintstone Comedy Show, Birdie the Early Bird in McDonaldland commercials, Martin Prince on The Simpsons, Baby Gonzo in the original Muppet Babies, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie and Webby Vanderquack in the original DuckTales. She also took over the role of Fauna in various Disney projects, such as Sofia the First, and voiced Drizella Tremaine and the Fairy Godmother in the Cinderella sequels.

Most notably, Russi became the official voice of Minnie Mouse. She made her debut as Minnie in 1987 with DTV’s Doggone Valentine, and her first major project in the role was Totally Minnie in 1988, where she met her true love, Wayne Allwine. Together, as the voices of Mickey Mouse and Minnie, the duo were named Disney Legends in 2008.

Russi would go on to voice Minnie in nearly every project through Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, having recorded her dialogue before her passing in 2019.

She poured her heart into everything she did. With every performance as Minnie, she brought warmth, joy, and charm that made the character feel truly alive. Even now, her spirit continues to shine through every smile, giggle, and magical moment Minnie shares with the world. She helped shape Minnie into the icon she is today.

She was, and always will be, Totally Minnie.

Happy birthday, Russi. We miss you every day.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 160

Mickey Mousekefan

So, it’s officially May somehow. And I know a lot of you are probably expecting something big from me for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’s 20th anniversary. Here’s the deal: Unfortunately, due to life, I really don’t have enough time to craft something I envision for May 5th. However, I will once again have the good old "On This Day in Mickey Mouse History" short coming up. But don’t worry, something special is in the works for a later date. That’s all for now. See ya real soon.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 186

Mickey Mousekefan

On this day in Mickey Mouse history, the Sensational Six made their long-awaited return to television with the premiere of Mickey Mouse Works on Disney’s One Saturday Morning block on ABC in 1999.

Developed by Bobs Gannaway and Tony Craig, the series was part of a broader effort to reconnect Mickey and the gang with a new generation, while also searching for a stable television home for the character. With backing from Michael Eisner and Roy E. Disney, the team invested more time and resources than was typical for a standard animated series. The show drew inspiration from the classic theatrical shorts of decades past, blending quick “gag” cartoons with longer, story-driven segments ranging from six to twelve minutes. This flexible format allowed for a wide variety of characters and storytelling styles.

Ultimately, the series succeeded in delivering a polished, updated collection of Disney shorts featuring the classic crew in vibrant, traditionally animated stories, but it struggled to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Despite earning several Annie Awards and Emmy Awards, it was canceled after just 18 months. However, under the vision of Barry Blumberg, then vice president of Walt Disney Television Animation, Bobs and Tony returned as executive producers on Disney’s House of Mouse, a follow-up series that gave these shorts a second life and a wider audience.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 141

Mickey Mousekefan

Wishing a Happy 71st Birthday to soon-to-be Disney Legend, Eric Goldberg!

Born in Levittown, Pennsylvania, Eric developed an interest in animation at an early age. He began sketching cartoons at just four years old, created flipbooks by six, and was producing prize-winning Super 8 films by thirteen. He later studied illustration at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, while also taking courses in animation and film.

Eric entered the industry as a full-time assistant animator under Academy Award-winning director Richard Williams on Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure, where he worked alongside animation legends Tissa David, Emery Hawkins, and Art Babbitt. After the film’s completion, he moved to London to continue working at Williams’ studio. He eventually founded his own studio, Pizazz Pictures, where he directed animated television commercials using a wide range of techniques, including cel animation, brush painting, stop-motion, pixilation, colored-pencil rendering, live-action/animation blends, and digital compositing.

As Disney entered a new era of success, directors Ron Clements and John Musker recruited Eric to return to the United States. He soon became the designer and supervising animator of the Genie in 1992’s Aladdin, bringing the character to life with a comedic style inspired by Robin Williams, whom he also helped convince to take on the role.

Following this breakout success, Eric continued to leave his mark across Disney Animation. He co-directed Pocahontas, served as the supervising animator for Phil in 1997’s Hercules, a character inspired by and voiced by Danny DeVito, and directed the “Rhapsody in Blue” segment in Fantasia 2000, as well as contributing to “The Carnival of the Animals, Finale.”

His later work includes contributions to the visual development of Dinosaur (2000) and Wreck-It Ralph (2012), animation on The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006), and character design and lead animation for Louis in The Princess and the Frog (2009). He also served as the lead animator for Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh (2011), supervised the hand-drawn animation for Maui’s tattoos in Moana (2016) and its 2024 sequel, contributed additional animation to Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), and returned to hand-drawn animation for Wish (2023) and Zootopia 2 (2025).

Eric has also played a key role in many Mickey Mouse-related projects in recent years. His work includes animation for Walt Disney World’s Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros attraction (2007), How to Hook Up Your Home Theater (2007)—Goofy’s first solo cartoon in over 40 years, serving as head of animation for the Oscar-nominated Mickey Mouse short Get a Horse! (2013), and directing and animating How to Stay at Home starring Goofy (2021). He also contributed to Mickey in a Minute from Mickey: The Story of a Mouse (2022), animated the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short (2022), the first dedicated Disney cartoon starring the character in over 95 years, and worked on the Disney100 short Once Upon a Studio (2023). Most recently, he wrote, directed, and led animation for the custom Hot Ones episode featuring Donald Duck in 2024.

This year, Eric will be honored as a Disney Legend at D23, the company’s highest recognition.

Eric, have the most magical birthday ever! We ain’t ever had a friend like you.

3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 105