YouTube celebrity talk show Hot Ones shifted dimensions into the 2D realm in order to spotlight one of Disney’s biggest legacy characters in its latest episode. 

Donald Duck appeared as a guest star—with Mickey Mouse as a supporting act—in an eight-minute Hot Ones episode that was custom-made by the Walt Disney Animation Studios team. Directed by animation veteran Eric Goldberg (Pocahontas), the segment rolled out on the show’s First We Feast channel (13.9 million subscribers) last Friday, and it has already generated 1.6 million views—surpassing the performance of episodes from earlier this year featuring tennis superstar Serena Williams and actor Gwyneth Paltrow. 

In keeping with Hot Ones‘ famously quirky format, Disney’s iconic duck answered questions posed by host Sean Evans while consuming increasingly spicy sauces on chicken wings (or cauliflower wings, in this case). The episode’s curated hot sauces also featured Disney branding, sporting labels like Maleficent’s Fury and Queen of Roasted Hearts.

While Donald is the first animated guest to be featured in a full-length episode of Hot Ones, DreamWorks Animation tested the waters in a one-off promo for Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022). The film’s feline star appeared as the guest in a four-minute special that rolled out on Universal Pictures’ YouTube channel (9.17 million subscribers).

Disney’s marketing stunt with Hot Ones is designed to coincide with Donald Duck’s 90th anniversary, which kicked off this summer with a slew of licensing deals with partners including Just Play (plush), Funko (collectibles), Sun-Staches (caps), Adidas (shoes) and Her Universe (apparel). 

And in other news from the duck pond, publisher Dynamite Entertainment has earmarked November 6 as the launch date for a brand-new DuckTales comic book penned by Brandon Montclare and illustrated by Tommaso Ronda. The title is part of a broader deal with Disney that was announced last month at San Diego Comic-Con.