Disney's Fun & Fancy Free Review and Fun Facts

Welcome to the magical world of Disney’s Fun and Fancy Free, an enchanting, lesser-known Disney classic that has captivated the hearts of generations. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the timeless charm and whimsical adventures of this delightful anthology movie including my review and some fun facts.

You can watch Fun and Fancy Free on Disney+.

What is Fun and Fancy Free About?

Disney’s ninth animated movie is two cute stories narrated by Jiminy Cricket.

The first story is about a bear named Bongo. Bongo is a circus bear who dreams of being free. He finally breaks out of his cage on the circus train. The short story is about how he settles down and learns about how to be a “real” bear in the wild. The best part is when he falls in love and learns how bears proclaim their love. It is so adorable! The illustrations are done nicely and the story moves along at a great pace. None of the songs are overdone or lose my attention.

The second story is done in part animation, part live action. The live-action part has puppets in it as well. Jiminy Cricket crashes a party where stories are being told. He munches on some cakes and listens to the story about Happy Village. The story stars Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. They are playing the parts of Jack & the Beanstalk. I loved the scene where the beanstalk grows while Mickey Mouse and the others are sleeping. Willie the giant is lovable and you almost want to root for him too.

Both of these short stories make the film fun and grab your attention. I think children would love these stories. The music is not the most lively all the time but the animation and storylines make up for the lack of current musical appeal. The music is well done though and quite popular at its’ time.

Disney’s Fun and Fancy Free Fun Facts

Walt Disney was Mickey Mouse. This is the last movie where Walt Disney voices Mickey Mouse. Due to Walt’s smoking habit he could no longer get his voice to Mickey’s high pitch after this.

One of a Kind. It is the only film featuring all four of Walt Disney’s most famous characters — Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Jiminy Cricket.

Chip & Dale? The two chatterbox chipmunks in the Bongo segment may or may not have served as the inspiration for Chip and Dale.

Disney Paused the Movie. The Bongo script was completed on December 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. On that day, the army came into the studio and asked them to help out with the war effort by making propaganda and training films. Due to this, Bongo was put on hold, along with Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Cinderella, The Wind in the Willows, Song of the South, and The Legend of Happy Valley (Jack & the Beanstalk).