Every time Disney adapts A Christmas Carol, it’s a ghost story—but it’s not just about Scrooge. It’s a story about the Walt Disney Company itself.

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From the hand-drawn rebirth of Mickey Mouse in the 80s to the felt-and-friendship of the Muppets in the 90s, and the high-stakes digital ambition of the 2000s, each adaptation of Dickens’ classic reveals exactly where Disney was as a company, what it was struggling with, and what kind of "spirit" was guiding its decisions.

Join Eric as we unwrap the surprising corporate history hidden inside three holiday classics:

The Ghost of Ink and Paint (1983)

Mickey’s Christmas Carol was more than a cute holiday short; it was a desperate sign of life from a struggling animation studio. We explore how this small project became a proving ground for the next generation of Disney legends (Keane, Lasseter) and marked the grand return of Mickey Mouse during Ron Miller’s uncertain tenure.

The Ghost of Felt and Friendship (1992)

The Muppet Christmas Carol was the first Muppet film made without Jim Henson—and the first under the Walt Disney Pictures banner. It's a story of legacy, loss, and how Brian Henson fought to keep the heart in the story (and why a certain song was controversially cut by Jeffrey Katzenberg).

The Ghost of Digital Ambition (2009)

Robert Zemeckis’ motion-capture version starring Jim Carrey was designed to be the ultimate A Christmas Carol. Instead, it became a cautionary tale about the high cost of innovation, the "uncanny valley," and why Disney’s $200 million experiment (ImageMovers Digital) shuttered just two years later.

These films are a timeline of Disney's struggles, expansions, and triumphs. Watch now to discover the surprising synergy of art, commerce, and Christmas spirit!

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