Disney's Mickey Mouse Portable DVD Player Review

Having grown up on Disney movies, books, cartoons, and toys- I oftentimes favor Disney alternatives when it comes to some electronics meant for convenience. As you'll recall I purchased and reviewed an inexpensive Mickey Mouse Mp3 player for my younger sister that turned out to be a fantastic purchase. Now I've gotten my hands on the Mickey Mouse portable DVD player. Am I as impressed with it as I was the Mp3 player?

Right off the bat, taking it out of the box was a treat in itself. The packaging was Disney-retro and the design is equally nostalgic. The control panel is decorated with classic Mickey Mouse images and leaves you with Disney magic in your eyes. There's a strange nostalgic sense of heart-warming to glance down while watching a DVD and seeing that smiling little icon of all things Disney. Closed or open, the DVD player sports a pair of Mickey Mouse ears- giving it some personality. But, cosmetic appeal aside, does it work?

The short answer is: yes, though with some quirks. The control pad is very user-friendly and is easy to get the hang of. After a few minutes with it you'll unconsciously be hitting the right buttons and utilizing the options effectively. The player's material feels surprisingly adorable despite the almost toy-like design- a definite plus for a portable DVD player. The screen is 7'' and the player itself is fairly compact. The main issue you come across from a technical perspective is the battery.

Some exaggerate the admittedly lower end battery life sustained by the player. I was able to view The Emperor's New Groove, The Lion King, and Peter Pan with a greater frequency required for charging than I would have liked. Then again, considering my purchase price for the Mickey Mouse DVD player was a close-out price of hardly $40, my experience with it wasn't so damning. For those that will likely be spending twice that amount, the 'relies on AC charger' rechargeable battery can be a serious annoyance.

The screen offers a minor issue when it comes to picking up dust. The material is hard to clean dryly and can be a little annoying in cases like that. Still these issues aren't so bad when you get portable support for most, if not all, DVD and CD formats (DVD, mini DVD, DVD-R, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, Picture CD, etc) at an affordable price. If you're a Disney fan looking to get your first portable DVD player and aren't too concerned with high battery life, this is for you.