Mickey Retires!

Good day utiladorians! So scavenging through the stuff down here I have found something that was fantastic…for about 4 years. No not the retooling of a figmentless Imagination Pavilion, but PAL Mickey. PAL Mickey was a stuffed interactive Mickey Mouse doll that guided you through the parks and played games and trivia with you when away from the parks. PAL Mickey came out in May of 2003. Version 1 was a Mickey stuffed doll with his iconic red shorts, yellow buttons and shoes. What you did with PAL Mickey is you turned him on using the button on his back, and then clip him to your belt, using the pager-type clip provided. As you're walking through the park, Mickey will giggle and shake when he has something to say. Just squeeze one of his hands or tummy within 15 seconds and listen. A spokesperson for Disney stated “Pal Mickey not only knows where he is in the parks, he knows where he's been, so he doesn't keep repeating the same information, he has 700 pieces of information to share on everything from the parade times to attraction wait times." A sample of what he may say: "I hear Belle is over in France about now. Let's go say hi!" It is pretty cheesy but it is all in Mickey’s voice. If you miss what Mickey said, and want to hear it again, press his hand or tummy within 15 seconds and he'll repeat it up to five more times. This is all using Infrared Technology that is set up all throughout the park.

  

 Above is a picture of Version 1. As you can see it is the regular Mickey we all know This version was available starting May of 2003 it is commonly known as “1.0” This sold for $50.00, and could be rented for $8.00 per day with a $50.00 deposit and needed to be returned by noon the following day, if not returned the deposit was taken and you have just bought yourself a PAL Mickey. The rental aspect ended at the end of 2004.This version came with a clip that clipped onto your belt and you could clip him there. You could buy and rent at Island Mercantile at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, The Dark Room at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot Camera Center and MouseGear at Epcot, The Emporium at the Magic Kingdom and the World of Disney at the Downtown Disney Marketplace. This version was a bit heavy and cumbersome. It would fall off the clip easily and was hard to keep facing forward. It needed to face forward due to the fact that the sensor was in his nose. Also there were issues with his audio, his eyes are the speakers and through the bustle of park music and noise you could not hear.

These and other improvements brought us the "Happiest Celebration on Earth" version of the toy or "2.0". This version was introduced on May 5, 2005 with the start of the Happiest Celebration on Earth. It was priced at $65.00. With a greater price tag you got a Tuxedo jacket, gold bowtie, and is dressed in red shorts with gold buttons, white gloves, and yellow shoes. This time you get a clip and a lanyard for carrying it. This version improves on the original in many small ways, the speakers are louder, this Mickey sings and has trivia, and this version has a gold medallion on his right hand that lights up and makes him giggle when pressed. To me the lanyard makes this version a little easier to carry.  In September 2006, Pal Mickey Sorcerer came out this version is known as "3.0". 3.0 replaced the previous Happiest Celebration on Earth version. This Pal Mickey is dressed in a Sorcerer Mickey outfit hat, red robe, and blue shorts. Missing is the Gold Medallion and oddly enough he has red shorts with the blue sorcerer shorts sewn over them. A Spanish language version of Pal Mickey was also available. This version was still $65.00. Here is a picture of Sorcerer Mickey 3.0.

Four costumes for the toy were made available in early 2006. The costumes were Mickey Mouse Club, Pin Trader, Safari Guide, and Rain Wear. These sold for about $10.00 each. Later in October 2006 they came out with some costume style suits. A Pirate Cap'n and Santa Mickey costumes were made available for $12.00. The Santa Mickey sold out during December 2006; however, it returned for the 2007 holiday season here is a picture of the outfits on the PAL Mickey.

The toy was discontinued in fall 2008. It was said that all previously purchased toys will still work; Disney is simply no longer producing any more of the toy. With my experience with my 2.0 PAL Mickey it seems that as rides get refurbished we are losing the infrared markers. On my last trip (January 2014) I wore him all day and the only place it actually did something was in Tomorrowland, one at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and the other on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. It was pretty funny because it was towards the end of the day and my wife kept asking if he had said anything. When we went to get in line for Buzz he started shaking and giggling. I pressed his hand and he told me about how Emperor Zurg was taking over the Galaxy and only Buzz and I could stop it. Tracy said I looked like an excited kid at Christmas as I was giggling and yelling that he was working. Then on TTA he told me that he did not know much about the future but that he enjoyed being with me today. We will take him again on our Halloween trip and see, but after that we will probably leave him at home.

Other facts on the doll, the first version had three games That Isn't Here, Mickey chose a park and asked what did not belong, Mickey Says which was a Disney Simon Says, and Fast Friends, Mickey will say things about characters and you answer who that is. Version 2 and 3 added Follow Me similar to the game Simon. You have to repeat a sequence of actions. Try 'n' Keep Up where you must react quickly to Mickey's directions and Repeating Myself Mickey will say Disney Character names and you listen to the one he repeats. Before the games begin Mickey gives you rules and how to answer by squeezing the hands or tummy depending on the rules. Pal Mickey's electronics and batteries are encased in plastic housings which can be seen by unzipping the back of the doll. There is an on/off switch which enables or disables the doll’s squeeze and infrared sensors so as not to use up your battery. The dolls have batteries when you buy them, and they are set to "demo mode" while they were in the store. Rumors are that if this would have been a widely successful endeavor we would have seen PAL Poohs and PAL Buzzes all over the Disneyverse but as I said that is a rumor.

All in all I enjoy my 2.0 and I had a 1.0 that now lives with the niece. It would be great if all still worked in the park but I think the demise of PAL Mickey was smartphone technology. I mean why buy a $65.00 doll if you already have a phone that can do all the things PAL Mickey can do and more. It seems as though PAL Mickey may have done better as an APP than a doll, but then we would not have these memories. Well back to the utilidors til next time!