Pal Mickey
Encyclopedia
Pal Mickey is a discontinued interactive plush toy developed by The Walt Disney Company
and previously sold at Walt Disney World Resort
. While Pal Mickey was discontinued and no new stock is available for purchase as of October 2008, all three versions will continue to function.
The toy is a ten inch (26.5 cm) Mickey Mouse
, soft and easy for children to hold. Inside, it contains a microprocessor
, a speaker, three AA batteries, three squeeze sensors (one in each hand and one in its belly), and an infrared
receiver in its nose. A loop on the back of its head fits a clip or a lanyard
hook for ease of carrying.
Pal Mickey was sold for use at the four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort: the Magic Kingdom
, Epcot
, Disney's Hollywood Studios
, and Disney's Animal Kingdom
. You could previously purchase Pal Mickey at various on site hotel gift shops, all four theme parks, and Downtown Disney. It communicates invisibly with more than four hundred infrared transmitters around these parks. It will periodically giggle and vibrate to indicate that it has information to provide; when its belly or hand is squeezed, it will speak up with information about the immediate area, parade and showtime reminders, tips on what costumed walkaround characters may be nearby, and attractions with short queue times. It "remembers" where it has been so as to avoid repeating itself.
If it is squeezed when it has no tips to provide or when it is not at a park, it will tell jokes and play simple games. The toy is programmed with over seven hundred pre-recorded phrases.
The "Happiest Celebration On Earth" version of the toy (commonly referred to as "2.0") was introduced on May 5, 2005 with the start of the Happiest Celebration on Earth
events. It is priced at US$65. It is dressed in red shorts with gold buttons, white gloves, and yellow shoes; it wears a tailcoat
and a gold bowtie, both of which fasten with velcro
. It comes with a clip and a lanyard for carrying it. This version improves on the original in many small ways, such as by having a louder speaker, and it is able to sing Disney songs and ask Disney character trivia questions. Permanently attached to its right hand is a golden medallion; squeezing its right hand will make Mickey giggle and will make a "Happiest Celebration on Earth Glow Medallion" (sold during 2005) light up.
In September 2006, the "Pal Mickey Sorcerer Costume" (commonly referred to as "3.0") replaced the previous version of the toy. This Pal Mickey is dressed in a (removable) blue Sorcerer Mickey hat, red robe, and blue shorts (sewn on over Mickey's red shorts, which have white buttons like the first release). It does not have the medallion on its hand.
A Spanish language
version of Pal Mickey is also available.
Four costumes for the toy were made available in early 2006. The costumes are "Mickey Mouse Club", "Pin Trading", "Safari", and "Rain Wear", and sell for US$10 each. In October 2006, "Pirate Cap'n" and "Santa Mickey" costumes were made available for US$12 each. The "Santa Mickey" sold out during December 2006 and was not available for order through the WDW Mail Order department. However, it has returned for the 2007 Holiday season and has been seen in the parks. It appears to be available only seasonally.
In fall 2008 the toy was discontinued. All previously purchased toys will still work; Disney simply isn't producing anymore.
These games are added in the "Happiest Celebration on Earth" and later versions of the toy, for a total of six games. The above three games are triggered by squeezing the toy's tummy and right hand at the same time; the below three games are triggered by squeezing its tummy and left hand at the same time.
The toys are shipped with batteries installed, and they are set to "demo mode" while they are on store shelves: they ignore infrared signals, and squeezing them will make them recite a sample of tips as if they were near park attractions.
It has been reported that the infrared transmitters in the parks are able to identify individual Pal Mickey toys and roughly track their locations as they are carried around, thereby letting Disney collect information about guests' progress through the parks. If this is true, the information collected would be anonymous, since nothing identifies a specific Pal Mickey as belonging to a specific person or family. However this is very useful as it shows a general pattern for families, who are Disney's main target audience. Most guest with a Pal Mickey are likely to have children, therefore this shows what attractions are and aren't popular with younger visitors. Nothing has been said about whether they will expand this idea to the other Disney Resorts.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
and previously sold at Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
. While Pal Mickey was discontinued and no new stock is available for purchase as of October 2008, all three versions will continue to function.
The toy is a ten inch (26.5 cm) Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
, soft and easy for children to hold. Inside, it contains a microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
, a speaker, three AA batteries, three squeeze sensors (one in each hand and one in its belly), and an infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
receiver in its nose. A loop on the back of its head fits a clip or a lanyard
Lanyard
A lanyard is a rope or cord exclusively worn around the neck or wrist to carry something. Usually it is used where there is a risk of losing the object or to ensure it is visible at all times. Aboard a ship, it may refer to a piece of rigging used to secure objects...
hook for ease of carrying.
Pal Mickey was sold for use at the four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort: the Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...
, Epcot
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...
, Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
, and Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...
. You could previously purchase Pal Mickey at various on site hotel gift shops, all four theme parks, and Downtown Disney. It communicates invisibly with more than four hundred infrared transmitters around these parks. It will periodically giggle and vibrate to indicate that it has information to provide; when its belly or hand is squeezed, it will speak up with information about the immediate area, parade and showtime reminders, tips on what costumed walkaround characters may be nearby, and attractions with short queue times. It "remembers" where it has been so as to avoid repeating itself.
If it is squeezed when it has no tips to provide or when it is not at a park, it will tell jokes and play simple games. The toy is programmed with over seven hundred pre-recorded phrases.
Versions
The original version of Pal Mickey (commonly referred to as "1.0") was introduced in May 2003. It was dressed in red shorts with white buttons, white gloves, and yellow shoes. It sold for US$50, with rentals available for $8 per day plus a $50 deposit to return it by noon the following day; if not returned, that deposit was forfeited and the toy was considered sold. This version of the toy came with a clip. The rental program was discontinued at the end of 2004.The "Happiest Celebration On Earth" version of the toy (commonly referred to as "2.0") was introduced on May 5, 2005 with the start of the Happiest Celebration on Earth
Happiest Homecoming on Earth
The Happiest Homecoming on Earth was the eighteen-month-long celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Disneyland theme park, which officially opened on July 17, 1955...
events. It is priced at US$65. It is dressed in red shorts with gold buttons, white gloves, and yellow shoes; it wears a tailcoat
Tailcoat
A tailcoat is a coat with the front of the skirt cut away, so as to leave only the rear section of the skirt, known as the tails. The historical reason coats were cut this way was to make it easier for the wearer to ride a horse, but over the years tailcoats of varying types have evolved into forms...
and a gold bowtie, both of which fasten with velcro
Velcro
Velcro is the brand name of the first commercially marketed fabric hook-and-loop fastener, invented in 1948 by the Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral...
. It comes with a clip and a lanyard for carrying it. This version improves on the original in many small ways, such as by having a louder speaker, and it is able to sing Disney songs and ask Disney character trivia questions. Permanently attached to its right hand is a golden medallion; squeezing its right hand will make Mickey giggle and will make a "Happiest Celebration on Earth Glow Medallion" (sold during 2005) light up.
In September 2006, the "Pal Mickey Sorcerer Costume" (commonly referred to as "3.0") replaced the previous version of the toy. This Pal Mickey is dressed in a (removable) blue Sorcerer Mickey hat, red robe, and blue shorts (sewn on over Mickey's red shorts, which have white buttons like the first release). It does not have the medallion on its hand.
A Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
version of Pal Mickey is also available.
Four costumes for the toy were made available in early 2006. The costumes are "Mickey Mouse Club", "Pin Trading", "Safari", and "Rain Wear", and sell for US$10 each. In October 2006, "Pirate Cap'n" and "Santa Mickey" costumes were made available for US$12 each. The "Santa Mickey" sold out during December 2006 and was not available for order through the WDW Mail Order department. However, it has returned for the 2007 Holiday season and has been seen in the parks. It appears to be available only seasonally.
In fall 2008 the toy was discontinued. All previously purchased toys will still work; Disney simply isn't producing anymore.
Games
The original version of the toy provided a choice of three games, triggered by squeezing both of its hands at the same time.- That Isn't Here: Pal Mickey will choose a theme park and will speak the names of park attractions, and the player has to squeeze the toy's hand or tummy depending on whether or not that attraction is in the chosen park. If Pal Mickey is used within any of the four Walt Disney World theme parks, Pal Mickey will automatically select the theme park that it is already in and will keep selecting the park until the person either turns off Pal Mickey or leaves the park.
- Mickey Says: Similar to Simon saysSimon saysSimon says is a children's game for three or more players where one player takes the role of 'Simon' and issues instructions, to the other players, which should only be followed if prefaced with the phrase 'Simon says', for example 'Simon says jump in the air'...
. The player must only follow Pal Mickey's direction if it is preceded by "Mickey says". - Fast Friends: Pal Mickey will speak the names of Disney characters, and the player must respond to each in a specific way. For example, "when I say Goofy, squeeze my left hand" or "when I say the name of someone who can fly, squeeze my right hand."
These games are added in the "Happiest Celebration on Earth" and later versions of the toy, for a total of six games. The above three games are triggered by squeezing the toy's tummy and right hand at the same time; the below three games are triggered by squeezing its tummy and left hand at the same time.
- Follow Me: Similar to SimonSimon (game)Simon is an electronic game of memory skill invented by Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison, with the software programming being done by Lenny Cope and manufactured and distributed by Milton Bradley. Simon was launched in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York City and became an immediate success. It...
. The player has to repeat a sequence of actions as directed by Pal Mickey, with one additional action being added to the sequence each time. - Try 'n' Keep Up: The player must react quickly to Pal Mickey's directions.
- Repeating Myself: Pal Mickey will speak the names of Disney characters, and the player must squeeze its tummy if it repeats a name it has already said.
Technical information
Pal Mickey's electronics and batteries are encased in plastic housings (the original version's housing is black or white, the second version's is yellow, and the third version's is white) which can be accessed by unzipping the back of the toy. Beneath the zipper is an on/off switch which enables or disables the toy's squeeze and infrared sensors to prolong battery life.The toys are shipped with batteries installed, and they are set to "demo mode" while they are on store shelves: they ignore infrared signals, and squeezing them will make them recite a sample of tips as if they were near park attractions.
It has been reported that the infrared transmitters in the parks are able to identify individual Pal Mickey toys and roughly track their locations as they are carried around, thereby letting Disney collect information about guests' progress through the parks. If this is true, the information collected would be anonymous, since nothing identifies a specific Pal Mickey as belonging to a specific person or family. However this is very useful as it shows a general pattern for families, who are Disney's main target audience. Most guest with a Pal Mickey are likely to have children, therefore this shows what attractions are and aren't popular with younger visitors. Nothing has been said about whether they will expand this idea to the other Disney Resorts.
External links
- Pal Mickey Discontinued: October 2008 - An article on the development of Pal Mickey