MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE: NUMBERS ROUNDUP
HANDY MANNY: BIG CONSTRUCTION JOB
MICKEY MOTE
Release date: November 16, 2010

This is the Mickey Mote. I had written that it's a new remote control for kids, but my five year old saw the photo here and read what I wrote and corrected me, “It’s not just for kids! It is for grownups and also it is for grandmas and everybody else except babies because babies can’t read and can’t do anything.” So there ya go.

The Mickey Mote is in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head and the buttons are four different colors in four different shapes. It is an actual working remote control, but stripped of all the unnecessary buttons like chapter forward, chapter back, etc.

So, what’s the point of all of this? Well, for some time now, the preschool Disney DVDs have had games and activities in which kids only need to use the arrow keys, pictured in various colored shapes. So this new Mickey Mote corresponds not only with the latest preschool releases, but many of the previous ones also.

Now, to be honest, I thought this was a gimmick. What was the point? It’s just another remote, right? Well, yes and no. You see, my son loves using this Mickey Mote so much that he carries it around even when he is not watching the DVD. He even asked to bring it to Disneyland!

So, is it just a simple remote control? Yes, to an adult, but to a child, it is magical – at least to mine!

One of the latest preschool DVDs that is made for Mickey Mote use is “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Numbers Roundup.”

There are four episodes on this disc including Mickey’s Round-Up, Daisy Bo-Peep, Mickey’s Big Surprise and Super Goof’s Super Puzzle. Each episode is a complete 24 minute episode.

BONUS FEATURES includes:

MICKEY’S SHOW AND TELL is a bonus 24 minute episode which will not be aired until January 11, 2011.

Then there’s also GAME TIME DISCOVERY MODE. This is where the Mickey Mote comes in. First you choose from difficulty level 1 or 2, and then you can select Active Play which allows your child to use the remote while you watch an episode. Each time you select this, you never know which episode will pop up in Discovery Mode.

Throughout the episode, the show will stop and a question appears, with about 9 or 10 questions throughout, and THIS is where your child can now happily use his or her Mickey Mote! Ta da!

Another brand new release that can take advantage of the Mickey Mote is “Handy Manny: Big Construction Job.”

This DVD features two episodes. “Handy Manny Big Construction Job” is over 46 minutes long and introduces the characters Spinner the Drill and Jack the Jack Hammer.

The other 24 minute episode features the stories “Good Fences” and “Butterflies.” This episode has not yet been seen by the public, and will debut on television on January 11, 2011.

Like the “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” this also features a game discovery mode for extra fun using the Mickey Mote.

So that rounds up what you’ll find on “Handy Manny: Big Construction Job,” and “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Numbers Roundup.”