Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto go on vacation to Hawaii for some fun in the sun, but the ocean and the sea creatures don’t want to cooperate with Goofy, Donald and Pluto’s attempts at fun in “Hawaiian Holiday.” Mickey plays a slide guitar while Minnie dances in a grass skirt and they are the only two that avoid too much trouble. Goofy tries to surf, but the ocean keeps battling him by stopping its waves and going in the opposite direction and even getting him stuck in the sand. Donald takes a turn with the grass skirt and it catches fire, and he gets a starfish stuck to him that he must throw off. Meanwhile, Pluto has a confrontation with a crab. Despite it all, the gang really enjoys their vacation.

This short from 1937 is one of the most enjoyable I’ve seen from the early days of the Walt Disney Animation Studios. It’s beautifully drawn and lets you see the gang’s struggles in a humorous light without going too mean. Some of the early shorts can feel mean. This is around the time I believe the studio found some balance in its storytelling. Also, the best early Disney shorts, usually feature some combination of the Fab 5 and this one has all of them.

If I have one complaint, I think this short is just a little too short. I would’ve liked to see a little more from their vacation. I wouldn’t have minded seeing Mickey and Minnie incorporated a little more. Unfortunately, Daisy Duck hadn’t been created yet, so it makes sense she’s not there. Still, I would love to see a sequel vacation where Daisy gets to join the rest of the gang and have some fun and get into some trouble. That’s not a complaint, just something I would love to see in the future.

This is a short that could very easily be shown on a TV in the lobby of the hotel of Disney’s Hawaiian resort. It’s a great way to look back at the history of the company while also showing an affinity for the area. Plus, unlike some other cartoon shorts from the first half of the 20th century, there doesn’t seem to be any cultural appropriation as it’s just the five of them having fun at the beach. I really hope more of these shorts featuring all of the Fab 5 are as good as this one.

Ranking: 4 stars out of 5

What did you think of “Hawaiian Holiday?”

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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