Minnie Mouse Short: No Reservations

Season 3, Episode 17: “No Reservations” 6/3/16
Starring: Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck and Clarabelle Cow
Setting: A high-rise restaurant
Plot: When a snooty Maître ‘D denies Minnie’s dinner reservations, the gang efforts to regain entry.

Short Stuff
This is Minnie’s fifth time getting her name on the title card (Eau de Minnie, Clogged, Doggone Biscuits and Sock Burglar).

After five brief appearances and cameos, Clarabelle Cow finally lands her first starring and speaking role of the series.

The tower that houses the unnamed restaurant resembles Reunion Tower in Dallas, Texas, which also boasts a swanky eatery called Five Sixty.

Clarabelle’s udder is as prominent as the halo of three flies that is constantly following her.

When the trio approaches the Maître ‘D, we hear the Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum sound affect from Alice in Wonderland (1951).

After the “ladies” are thrown out of the restaurant, you can see “Fantasia 2000” as well as “Pumbaa” graffiti’d on the wall.

I appreciate Daisy’s attention to detail in wearing a beak OVER her bill for their chicken disguises.

More detail: each of the boxes the girls use to smuggle themselves into the restaurant are labled “Beef” for Clarabelle, a shilouette of a flying duick for Daisy and “Mouse” for Minnie.

The flamingo Maître ‘D fashions the contents of the aforementioned boxes into a John Madden-esque Turducken or, more appropriately, Cowduckouse.

In their three-piece-band disguise, Minnie plays the cello, Clarabelle the drums and Daisy a flute.

Meals seen at tables include a T-bone steak, turkey and gravy and spaghetti and meatballs.
​
In an istance of “Chekov’s Udder,” Clarabelle finally lets loose and showers the dining room with her milk.

Final Grade: A-
While not necessarily a great episode in the traditional sense, this short earns its high mark for introducing us to a all new female comedic team to rival the famed and well-established trio of Mickey, Donald and Goofy. What’s also interesting is how their roles compare with their male counterparts. Minnie is great in the Mickey leadership role where Daisy has trouble finding her webbing as any sort of character here – she’s not the force of nature Donald is and kind of just blends into the background. Meanwhile, Clarabelle is an absolute delight who shines in the Goofy role as the clumsy weirdo. We can only hope we get more of this grouping in the future and, in particular, MORE CLARABELLE!!!