The formula of MMCH is the following:
(1) The cast of characters is introduced (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy)
(2) One character encounters a problem
(3) Mickey gets his Mouskatools from the Mouskadoer (3 concrete tools and a mystery tool)
(4) Tooldles is introduced
(5) The characters begin on their journey to solve their problem. And while trying to solve the main problem, they run into 4 small problems. Which are all fixed with mouskatools, delivered by tooldles
(6) Once all the tools are used, it is an indication that the main problem will soon be solved also.
(7) After the main problem is solved, all the characters return to the club house to do the Hot Dog dance where Mickey recaps the main information that was introduced in the story.
(8) The end
The first time I watched the show, I was extremely confused. I had so many questions:
"What in the world is a Mouskadoer?"
The second time I watched it, I was even more confused. And as the story goes, my confusion grew with every episode I endured. Until one day I encountered an episode that answered all my questions. Tooldles Birthday Celebration.
It took me approximately 10 episodes to figure (fully) what was really going on.
What in the world is a Mouskadoer?
A Mouskadoer is a machine that Mickey has in his clubhouse that provides tools for the crew to use to accomplish their mission
What is tooldles? And what is his purpose?
Tooldles is Mickey's old alarm clock and his purpose is to bring the crew their tools while they are out solving the main problem
A mystery tool? How in the world does that work?
A mystery tool is the only tool you don't know. And when all the other tools don't work, you select your mystery tool.
There are many flaws to this formula.
(1) If parents aren't understanding the basic structure of the show, it's unlikely that children are fully understanding what is going on either.
My Solution: Get rid of the Mouskadoer. Let the characters do something on their own (it feels like every action is done by a machine in the clubhouse). Have them go to the shed in the backyard and grab their toolbox. Isn't that where tools go (a shed, garage, closet), not a random spot in the middle of a clubhouse. Then tooldles can pop out and show the tools being used.
(2) The magic of the show is so extreme that it lacks a sense of reality.
My Solution: Bring it down a notch. You can still have that wonderful Disney magic without going so crazy that none of it is believable.
(3) Children are curious about novel situations but they also enjoy watching something they understand and know.
My Solution:Use tools that are logical. In one episode they had the following for their tools: Bouncy Shoes,
Building Blocks, and 2 Hippos. The bouncy shoes were to catch up with a grasshopper, building block were made into stairs to get the grasshopper out of a really tall tree, and the hippos were used to get across a creek (by hopping on their backs). And just to point out, all of these items aren't tools in the sense that we most commonly think of them.
(4) The mystery mouskatool shouldn't be a mystery. It is too abstract to be a multiple choice option for the age group viewing.
My Solution: When all the tools don't match what needs to be done, have something in the environment around the crew that can be used to solve the problem. This way the viewer can search and find (on their own) what can be used. It will provide a deeper more interactive moment. And actually encourages critical thinking.
The writers on the show have such amazing backgrounds, but I find myself extremely surprised by the quality of the structure of the show. But as I stated in my last blog, if children enjoy the music and are dancing does the show need to be more than that? For the sake of money, time, and effort that is put into developing MMCH, I would hope that they were aiming for more than that.
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