What ever happened to Pal Mickey

[Scooter]

I still have mine. I keep him right here next to me. He still tells corny jokes when you squeeze his hand.
I'll show you ::Squeezing Pal Mickey's hand:: Q:What do the ghosts in the Haunted Mansion eat forbreakfast? A:
Bagels and Scream cheese.

 

[eliz603]

I carried around PAL Mickey on our 2006 trip. My parents had bought it on an earlier trip and passed it to us. So annoying to carry around, and I didn't find it overly useful. I probably put it in the Goodwill box at some point - had no idea I could have sold it on eBay!

 

[mitchk]

Pal Mickey was the first test at what we now call magic my way wrist band.

 

[FerretAfros]

Has anybody else noticed the new Disney's Magical Express video includes the phrase "my pal Mickey". It's not a reference to the old toy/tech, but rather something along the lines of "...and you can even go meet my pal, Mickey!" When I first heard it, I though I was crazy, but I heard it again on my next trip

Those tricky script writers, always finding a way to hide a throwback reference in plain sight!

 

[KCheatle]

I must've missed this craze, because I don't have any idea what a Pal Mickey is???

 

[Dwarful]

A friend bought Pal Mickeys for our girls. They were a PITA to carry around. Our girls have theirs packed away with all of the add ons that they just had to have (clothes, etc.)

 

[MissM]

I must've missed this craze, because I don't have any idea what a Pal Mickey is???

Here's some good info: http://allears.net/tp/pal2.htm and http://allears.net/tp/pal.htm

Basically, he was a plush toy that was interactive and told you tips, jokes and trivia as you went around the parks. The idea was that you'd have Mickey be your personal tour guide pal. There were a total of three versions that came out. Some costumes were released for him as well. Rumors at the time were for a Pal Pooh next but the program sadly was left to hang and eventually discontinued. He was a love/hate kinda toy with loyal fans and people who were just annoyed by him. I have the first two versions sitting on my dresser but the program got discontinued before I had a chance to get his third edition.

Some of the problems with the system was that he wasn't able to be updated. So he was forever stuck with what he said at the time he was programed. (For example, the sensors near what is now Stitch used to still trigger the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter message on the first edition version.) And some people found him repetitive and too heavy/awkward to carry around.

I personally really loved the idea. And I think had the Imagineers been given more time/budget/support for the program, it could have been something awesome. I think it was short-sighted in terms of the limits of the program which ultimately helped cause it's decline and eventual discontinuation.

 

[copcarguyp71]

I personally enjoyed Pal Mickey better than the current offering: Stretch-Neck Tag-Along Meg Crofton

Basically the same concept as Pal Mickey, only the doll explains in detail why certain effects no longer work, and how budget engineering is your friend.

Well...at least there is no intelligence artificial or otherwise so at least she cannot become self aware. Self important yes, but not self aware.

 

[HollyAD]

We brought it with us this last July. It still works but it's not interactive with it's surroundings. My son is now 5 and it belonged to my now grown niece. My nieces used to like pal Mickey and my son does. Wish they had carried on with it, if it worked well it could be fun for kids.

 

[Uncle Remus]

PITA

Thank you for giving me the name for my next dog or boat

 

[sweetpee_1993]

With all the RFID tech in the parks now I wonder how hard it would be to do another incarnation?

 

[Fasherlin]

We bought one of these years ago and it was fun but pretty repetitive pretty quickly.

What ever happened to them?

Do they still sell them/will mine still work?

I heard that they were going to roll it out to other characters with pal pooh being the next in line but It seems like they just abandoned ship.

I saw numerous postings asking if the Pal Mickey would still work and I now have an answer as I sit at Epcot's bus terminal. Pal Mickey always did work away from the park like a normal toy but I wondered if he was still interactive. Today he vibrated to let me know fun tidbits about astro orbiter and the cafe there, the world showcase and issuing space. So it seemed he still worked interactively with places we visited. However as we left Epcot he told me that it had been 50 years since Disneyland was opened. So it seems his info is current up to 2005 only.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I saw numerous postings asking if the Pal Mickey would still work and I now have an answer as I sit at Epcot's bus terminal. Pal Mickey always did work away from the park like a normal toy but I wondered if he was still interactive. Today he vibrated to let me know fun tidbits about astro orbiter and the cafe there, the world showcase and issuing space. So it seemed he still worked interactively with places we visited. However as we left Epcot he told me that it had been 50 years since Disneyland was opened. So it seems his info is current up to 2005 only.

You know I'm surprised they never had an opportunity to make a Pal Mickey App that was for Kids and Fans to Download for Disney.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

You know I'm surprised they never had an opportunity to make a Pal Mickey App that was for Kids and Fans to Download for Disney.

True considering the amount of apps in the world today.

 

[scottnj1966]

I still have my two. Regular and wearing a Tux.