Mickey Mouse Short: Safari, So Good

Season 5, Episode 6: “Safari, So Good” 1/12/18
Starring: Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse
Setting: Arusha Region, Tanzania
Plot: Left behind by their tour bus, Mickey and Minnie set forth in exploring the untamed African wilderness. ​

Short Stuff

This is the third short to take place in Africa after “Mickey Monkey” (S2, E11) and “Entombed” (Egypt) (S3, E17).

The Arusha Region is located in Northern Tanzania and is a popular destination for tourists looking to go on safari.

Arusha is the largest city and capital of the eponymous region.  

While there are no character cameos, the episode does make several references to The Lion King:  

• We see lions lounging on Pride Rock.
• Mickey and Minnie sport red, leafy manes like Simba did during the “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” sequence.
• The flamingos flying over head cuts a similar figure to imagery during “The Circle of Life.”

Mickey tickling the hippo’s ivories is evocative of the iconic cow xylophone scene from Steamboat Willie (1929).

“Safari, So Good” is such an obvious pun that it’s been used as titles for both a Popeye cartoon (1947) and a Cat in the Hat book (2011).

Final Grade: B+

With Mickey and Minnie acting as irritants, we get a silly episode where the two rodents wreak havoc in disrupting the flora and fauna of northern Africa.  There isn’t much story here and I do wish they leaned a little more into the whole Lion King thing but it’s still a welcome departure from the recent string of uninspired, suburban settings.