Dalmatian Vacation (episode)

Dalmatian Vacation is the three-part series finale of 101 Dalmatians: The Series. It aired on March 2 - March 4, 1998.
==Plot==
===Part I - Road Warriors===
Cruella is stressed, as she is having a case of designer's block, causing her to scream at a bird to vent. She tries to brainstorm some ideas, basing it about spring and then comes up with an allergy theme design, but decides not to, as the previous time she did a flower theme attire, three thousand women got attacked by bees. Anita then arrives, claiming she's got her designs for Cruella, before heading out of town. Cruella questions this and Anita notes that she is heading on vacation, which she claims that Cruella has known about for a year. Cruella checks on what "vacation" means and learns that it's time where one doesn't work. Cruella leads Anita along by claiming she can have a vacation…but will be fired as a result. Anita tries to reason with Cruella, saying that it will help her get ideas for her designs. This sells Cruella and she allows the vacation, on the condition that she joins Roger and Anita too.
At the Dearly Farm, the Dalmatians are helping Roger pick the convertible while excited on their first vacation, not realizing that Roger is only having it between him and Anita. As the Dalmatians get their stuff, Roger and Nanny discuss how, while Anita thinks they're just seeing Roger's favorite baseball team from the in-spring training, it is actually an anniversary trip, where they'll see romantic sights and then close the trip at the church they got married to renew their wedding vows. Anita arrives and tries to tell Roger about Cruella, but Roger misunderstands and confesses his plans to Anita. Pongo and Perdita try to come along, but Roger says it's just for him and Anita. Anita again tries to tell Roger on Cruella, but Roger thinks she's referring to Pongo and Perdita, and figures that they can come too, since they did bring them together and it's their anniversary too, but they'll need more room.
Lucky notices that they're taking the big car, with Rolly admitting that he wonders how they all would fit in the convertible, but when they try to get in the big car, Roger tells them they're not welcome on the trip, to their shock. Anita tries to tell on Cruella again, but Roger thinks she's referring to the Dalmatian puppies, thinking it would be mean to split Pongo and Perdita from their pups, but only their fifteen can come. Anita tries to tell Roger again, but Roger notices the other eighty-four, and despite protest, loads the Dalmatian puppy bus for the Dalmatians to come too.
Anita tries telling Roger again, but that is when Cruella arrives. Roger is angered by this, but Anita claims she didn't have a choice, as it was either invite Cruella or be fired, and that was when she thought it was just to see Roger's baseball team and not a second honeymoon. Roger insists that he was trying to surprise her, but Anita sarcastically yells, "Surprise!" When Cruella is on the bus, Roger admits that Cruella packed light. Cruella agrees with this, but that is when Horace and Jasper arrive in a large truck, with Cruella adding that she's only bringing the west wing of her wardrobe.
Roger guesses that Nanny may as well come too, but Nanny refuses, stating that the party is big as it is. Lucky also offers Spot to come, but Spot claims that chickens have an issue with roads... mainly crossing them. As they head on their vacation, Cornelia states that she and Spot will have a lot to do…which consists of just sitting on eggs. This causes Spot to start chasing after the bus.
While on the road, the bus has to stop every few meters, as Whizzer is always in need to use a tree or bush. Cruella tries to prevent more delays because of Whizzer, but relents after he relieves himself in her shoes.
Cruella is still having Anita design on the trip with a sketch board instilled in the bus. Anita gives a road theme design, and Cruella tries to photocopy it, but it is draining the bus's battery. Anita tries to calm Roger and asks that he try to enjoy their second honeymoon. Roger shows Anita a list of romantic theme locations, such as Lover's Caverns, Main Squeeze Falls, and a hot springs. They wish to visit these locations, but Cruella forces them to visit areas that she wants, such as the Dr. Lipo Monument, the Mall of the Rich and Famous, and a fabric museum.
With Spot, she is exhausted, trying to chase the Dearlys, but she notices a truck coming and tries to hitch a ride. When the driver questions, "How'd (she) get out?", he throws her in the back where she meets a bunch of other chickens, who are on their way to Clucky Farms, a paradise for chickens. Spot realizes that it is, in fact, a slaughter house.
With the Dearlys and Dalmatians, Lucky is upset that because of Cruella, they haven't gotten a chance to see what they want, but Rolly then notices they're near a "Kanine Krunchies" factory, and the Dalmatians insist that Roger visits it. Cruella tries to prevent this, but she gets trampled by the Dalmatians, so Roger lets the Dalmatians look.
As the Dalmatians, Roger, Anita, Horace and Jasper are led on a tour of the factory, Rolly asks the tour guide on how a certain batch of kibble had a taste of curry and if this was them tasting a new flavor. The tour guide, however, notes that it wasn't curry, but chromium, as one of the workers dropped their watch in the machine, which Rolly realizes why he got the watch in it, thinking it was a prize. They are then led through the tasting room, which Rolly admires.
As the Dalmatians are getting back on the bus, Pongo realizes one of them is missing; cut to him and Perdita trying to drag a protesting Rolly from the taste area.
Back with Spot, she informs the other chickens what Clucky Farms really is, which causes them to panic. Spot, however, tries to calm them and forms a plan to get the truck off from the cab. She asks for volunteers, and the chickens cut a hole in the truck's floor, causing Spot to do the job herself. She is able to do this, but this causes the truck to head straight for a Clucky's Restaurant, which Roger is getting a drive-thru at.
The truck crashes into the restaurant and Spot notices the Dalmatian puppy bus, and, after being disturbed at why they're at a chicken restaurant, continues the chase.
While Cruella may have gotten most of the locations she wishes to visit, Roger insists they at least get to see Main Squeeze Falls. Cruella calls Horace and Jasper to give her the waterproof hairspray, but the Dalmatian puppy bus and the Baduns' truck get split at a fork in the road. However, Horace and Jasper find a pipe, which they think is a tunnel to lead them to Main Squeeze Falls too.
At the falls, Roger tries to take a photo with Anita and the Dalmatians, but Cruella insists the photo be of her. As she prepares for the photo, she notices Horace and Jasper's truck falling down the waterfall, and when her back is turned, Roger takes the photo. Not allowing a photo of herself like that to be, she throws the camera down the falls, with all the vacation photos in it. This is the last straw for Roger, causing him to snap and attack Cruella in a blind fury.
Meanwhile, Anita is on the phone to the church to book a session to renew their vows, but learns that the minister who conducted their wedding was in fact a con man, so Roger and Anita's marriage isn't really official (meaning that, because exactly when and where Roger and Anita had their wedding, Pongo and Perdita had theirs, neither is their marriage, but that is not mentioned). Anita tells Roger this as he's busy stuffing Cruella into a mailbox to send her back home and out of his hair, but Roger claims that they'll just have their wedding for real.
Cruella, however, overhears this and phones the Gruteley county clerk, and then learns that since one of the names on the deed to the farm isn't really technically a Dearly, it is invalid. However, there is a grace period, meaning that it will still be valid as long as Roger and Anita get married in ten days. If they can't tie the knot before that grace period ends, the farm will be repossessed and put up for sale. Cruella plans to stall Roger and Anita for those ten days to get the Dearly Farm.
===Part II - Cross-Country Calamity===
The Dalmatian puppy bus is driving through the desert as Lucky gathers the Dalmatians together to plan something to make sure Cruella doesn't mess up Roger and Anita's wedding. Rolly concerns that Cruella has sort of messed up their vacation as it is, but Cadpig asks Rolly to think of it as a mission to prevent Cruella from getting the Dearly Farm.
As Cruella tries to apply some lipstick, Roger notices this and intentionally hits some potholes to mess it up (claiming to Cruella, "They don't put potholes on the map").
They then arrive at a motel, where Lucky, Cadpig, and Rolly see Cruella phone Horace and Jasper, who are still in the water at the falls, asking them to pick her up as Roger and Anita look for a room. It seems the only available room in the motel is the Honeymoon Suite, but Cruella takes Roger's place in their room, reasoning that Roger can't share the room, since he and Anita aren't technically married. This forces Roger to spend the night in the Dalmatian puppy bus. During the night, Lucky notices Cruella sneaking from the motel and plans to follow her with Rolly, asking Cadpig to keep an eye on Roger and Anita. As Cruella is distracted by the water falling on Horace and Jasper's truck, Lucky and Rolly sneak into the truck too.
In the morning, Anita wakes Roger and shows a note from Cruella, claiming she's heading back to Gruteley, much to Roger's joy, meaning they'll be able to do what they wish to do, like watch the Biddleburg Bivels spring training, but Anita cautions not to be late for their wedding.
As Pongo and Perdita count the Dalmatians getting on the bus, some sneak around the back and come on twice, to cover for Lucky and Rolly, though this confuses Pongo, but Perdita figures it seems to even itself. As the Dearlys get on the road again, they seem to come across a road block of a canyon, causing them to take a longer route. This turns out to be a fake view set up by Cruella, Horace and Jasper as a plan for the Dearlys to get stuck in the desert. Lucky and Rolly hear for Cruella to get back to Gruteley, but Lucky tries to disconnect the ignition wires, like he saw on Thunderbolt. However, this causes it to start instead, and Lucky admits he didn't see the entire episode. Cruella notices this and orders Horace and Jasper to chase the truck, and just as Jasper is able to regain control of the truck, it turns out to be in the middle of a train track as a bullet train goes through it, forcing them to hold the truck together with the clothing when Cruella makes it clear she is not going to let this ruin her plan to get the Dearly Farm, no matter what. As they do so, they drive by Spot, who is getting hot in the desert.
With Roger and Anita, the two are arguing for being stuck in the desert before they realize they're low on fuel. Roger learns that someone cut a hole in their extra fuel can, and Cadpig learns someone cut a hole in the Dalmatian puppy bus's fuel tank. So, she sends a message via the "Barking Chain", which is picked up by a tortoise, then a coyote chasing a road runner, and then a prairie dog (after it tackles a snake trying to get it). The message is then heard by Spot who is cooling herself in a water bucket at a fuel station.
With Cruella, she demands Horace and Jasper to drive faster to get back to Gruteley, but this gets the attention of the police when they cause the speed radar in the sheriff's cruiser to short out from speeding past so fast, angering him into giving pursuit. Lucky realizes that if they get Cruella busted, she'll be unable to get back to Gruteley, so he and Rolly shake their tails at the sheriff, further enraging him at being taunted. This causes Cruella to get in a chase with the sheriff, and whilst the clothes coming from Cruella's truck are able to distract the sheriff and causes him to wipe out, losing pursuit of Cruella and the Baduns, it causes Cruella's truck to crash into a canyon river.
With the Dearlys, Roger and Anita are still arguing, but Cadpig then notices someone coming up in the distance. It turns out to be Spot, who shows them that the road is right across a hill, where the fuel Station is too. Roger and Anita are able to get the fuel tank fixed up and continue on their trip.
Cruella, Horace and Jasper are busy walking in the desert, blaming Jasper on the truck issue, even though Jasper notes that Cruella is the one who was driving. Cruella tries to take comfort in the Dearlys being stuck in the desert before the Dalmatian puppy bus drives by them, and she orders Horace and Jasper to get her a car.
Roger is still excited to see the Bivels in-spring training, and still have time for their wedding, but they then notice traffic to the beach, and Roger comments that a day at the beach couldn't hurt either. Cruella is there too, and has an idea on what to do. As the Dearlys relax, Anita heads for a swim as Cruella plans to wear her "sexy-girl-at-the-beach" costume.
With Lucky and Rolly, the two are using one of Cruella's luggage cases as a raft in the River. Lucky asks Rolly to help, but Rolly feels more like relaxing. The case then reaches the ocean, where they notice a cruise ship coming towards them. Cruella tries to seduce Roger in her inflatable "sexy girl" attire, but Roger is oblivious to her approaches. This is when Spot pecks a hole in Cruella's attire and causes the suit to get stuck in a surfboard-like shape just as surfing waves are called, with Cruella being used as one of the boards. Lucky and Rolly notice the Cruella board and use her to get back to land, where the two are reunited with the Dearlys and Dalmatians.
The Dearlys then reach Biddleburg, where Roger watches the Bivels train as he reminisces on when he was in his Junior League team. This is when Horace and Jasper arrive, pretending to be talent scouts, and offer Roger to join a baseball team, but this would mean Roger may need to cancel any immediate plans. Roger is excited at first, but turns them down, remembering his wedding and not wishing to disappoint Anita. Cruella then tells Horace and Jasper to at least get Roger's autograph, which Roger does, unaware that the paper he is signing is also the contract, which they then show to Anita.
This enrages Anita and she rides off on a motorcycle that had been kept on the puppy bus as an emergency vehicle, throwing her ring at Roger’s feet to signify any hope of marrying him is no longer on her mind. Cadpig picks the ring up and sneaks in Anita's bag to try and convince her to come back to Roger. Cruella notices the scene and laughs maniacally, believing the Dearly Farm will now be hers with no chance of Anita and Roger tying the knot before the ten days are up.
===Part III - Dearly Beloved===
Roger is depressed since being dumped by Anita, and he sits in a motel room, doing nothing but eating pizza and watching depressing shows and films on television. Cruella is using a peephole to spy on Roger, and as she plans to claim the Dearly Farm, she accidentally smashes the light, and Horace realizes they're locked in their hiding spot. Lucky tries to flip through the channels, trying to find something to inspire Roger to find Anita. They soon find a film with a couple similar to Roger and Anita, and when the male character vows to find his partner, this gets Roger to make this vow too, as he heads back to the Dalmatian puppy bus to find Anita. Cruella sees this just as she, Horace and Jasper break out of their hiding spot, but as she orders the Baduns to get the truck, they see it being towed. She demands that they "get some wheels," which amounts to two children's tricycles and a little red wagon.
On the Dalmatian puppy bus, Roger seems to be getting sleepy, but Lucky remembers Rolly has the best nose, so maybe he can use that to try and get Anita's scent, which he is able to do and manages to show Roger where to look.
With Anita, she's made camp while heading as far away from Roger as she can. She is trying not to think about Roger, but feels alone without him. Cadpig makes herself known and, with her help, Anita realizes that she didn't give Roger a chance to explain himself. However, when she wonders what to do, Cadpig shows Anita her wedding ring, making Anita realize her love for Roger, and she gets back on the motorcycle to find him, but then gets in an incident with another vehicle.
Anita and Cadpig are okay, but her motorcycle is a total loss. The driver of the other vehicle, Willie (or Zenox V, a caricature of Jim Jinkins) and his Dane, check to see if they're okay, and he takes her to his cult: "The Society for Achieving Utopian Consciousness via Extra-Terrestrial Rebirth and Desert Operational Lacrosse Team" (or Saucer Dolts), who wait for the mothership to come and take them to an alien planet (though which planet they are unable to agree on, causing them to get into a mashed potato fight).
Anita tries to tell them she needs to find Roger, but Willie claims that they all must stay there to wait for the Shaggy Green Messenger to lead them to the mothership.
Cadpig hears this and, disguising in a mop, green slime and wearing fake antennae, she is able to trick the Saucer Dolts to thinking she's the Shaggy Green Messenger. Anita is able to tell this is Cadpig and plays along with the plan.
With Roger and the Dalmatians, Rolly is able to pick up Anita's scent, along with the cult's mashed potatoes, but Spot concerns Cruella is on their tail. With Cruella, she hitches a ride with a biker gang, whose leader takes Cruella as his biker chick, with two female gang members taking Horace and Jasper as their partners too. Cruella demands them to head faster, but even though they're rebels, they respect the speed limit. This causes Cruella to knock the leader off his bike and take it herself, another gang member picking the leader, who has become more infatuated with Cruella, up on their bike.
The sheriff from the previous episode catches Cruella and the biker gang breaking the speed limit when they cause his speed radar to literally melt this time around when they pass his speed trap and chases after them, but this time calls for backup to avoid a repeat from before. On the Dalmatian puppy bus, Spot notices Cruella and the gang coming up behind them, and they try to run them off the road. The Dalmatians are able to get Cruella off their tail by throwing Cruella's luggage from the bus onto Cruella, causing the gang to crash and get arrested by the police. The sheriff seems to be infatuated with Cruella, as she sneaks his keys from him.
Roger reaches the cult's base, where the chef tells them that Anita and the Saucer Dolts are heading east. Roger realizes that this isn't the way back to Gruteley, before he realizes that she's heading to the church and gets back on the bus to get to the church. Anita notices the church and tries to get the Saucer Dolts to drive there, but they then see an Easter parade balloon for Clucky's and think it's the mother ship. Roger and the Dalmatians are also stuck, as the Easter parade blocks the way to the church. With Cruella, she has stolen the sheriff's police car and the pursuit causes her to crash into a glue factory, before colliding into the Clucky's parade float, which causes the Saucer Dolts to think she is the Shaggy Green Messenger, and they then chase her. Cadpig is reunited with the Dalmatians, and Roger and Anita are reunited too.
As they try to make up, Lucky and Rolly get a fire truck to pick them up, and Cadpig and Spot are able to get the horses leading the parade to take them in the direction of the church. At the church, Roger explains that he didn't sign the contract on purpose, and Anita apologizes for doubting him. As the two prepare to get married, as there's a few minutes before the grace period ends, Cruella storms in objecting to the wedding, as she had already booked in advance for a wedding too. Roger and Anita, not realizing about the grace period, are okay with waiting, but ask Cruella whom she is planning to marry. This is when Cruella then realizes she doesn't have a partner to marry. But then, the sheriff claims that he will be her partner, before the biker leader insists it be him. Starbuck then arrives, along with Captain Ahab, also admitting their love for Cruella, and then Ralphie St. Lowrent, then Mr. Gobble, then Baron Von Schnickerdoodle, and even Swamp Rat, along with the Saucer Dolts. Cruella is so moved by this sign of affection, she allows Roger and Anita to marry and keep the Dearly Farm. When Cruella shows her lovers her prenuptial agreement, this spooks them a bit.
The Saucer Dolts are then beamed up by a saucer, and Cadpig admits that maybe she is the Shaggy Green Messenger.
Roger and Anita, along with Pongo and Perdita, get married for real and the Dearlys and Dalmatians head on their way for their honeymoon. Cruella joins them as well, asking where they're heading, but Roger starts an argument with her about having a vacation with her.
==Trivia==
*This episode was released on video outside the US and on in Japan. In the US, it was only issued on .
*The video version of the episode edits the three parts into one movie and features the songs "Dalmatian Vacation" and "Surf Puppies" which were not in the broadcast version. These songs were later added to the album The Music of Disney's One Saturday Morning in 1999.
*On the VHS cover, Two-Tone has more spots on her upper half than she usually does, Whizzer is drawn with Dipstick's character model, and Cadpig appears twice.
*For some reason, Disney Jr. only aired the third part of the serial, but never aired the first or second parts. This could be due to some of the dark humor in the first part (such as Spot getting on a truck full of chickens that are on their way to a slaughter house and thinking, "It's so happy; chickens never come back!") that Disney Junior found too scary for preschoolers, and suggestive situations in the second part (Cruella putting on an inflatable "sexy girl on the beach" costume in order to seduce Roger) that they found too inappropriate for preschoolers (despite the fact that Disney Junior only aired the show at 3:00 AM).
*Part 1 provided the clip used in Toon Disney's original "We'll be back" bumper for the show.
*Willie is a caricature of Jim Jinkins, one of the executive producers of 101 Dalmatians: The Series. He is also seen wearing a shirt similar to Doug Funnie as an homage to his other show.
*When Pongo is counting the Dalmatians on the Dalmatian puppy bus, on the tour of the kibble factory, Perdita's ears are black.
*When the Dearlys and Dalmatians are at the beach, Pongo's ears are shown to be white, and Perdita's collar is shown to be scarlet.
*Among those who claim their love for Cruella are:
**Her busy rival, Ralphie St. Lowrent, shown in "You Say It's Your Birthday", "Robo-Rolly", and "Valentine Daze";
**Captain Ahab and Starbuck, whom Cruella is shown with in "Shipwrecked" and "Valentine Daze";
**Mr. Gobble, the editor of the "Gruteley Do-Gooder", whom Cruella tries to claim him to make her "Humanitarian of the Year" in the episode of the same title;
**Baron Von Schnickerdoodle, whom Cruella tries to seduce to marry her in "Cupid Pups ";
**The Saucer Dolts;
**Swamp Rat.
*This is the first and only time Swamp Rat speaks to a human, though it is unknown if Cruella was able to understand Swamp Rat claiming his love for her.
*A running gag in the plot is vehicles crashing and finding themselves in the oven of a Clucky's Restaurant.
*"Mall of the Rich and Famous" is a likely homage to the show .
*When Cadpig sends a message on the "Barking Chain", it gets picked up by a ; this is an obvious homage to the shorts.
*When Horace and Jasper arrive on the Dearly Farm with Cruella's luggage truck, the shot is similar to the opening of , with the Star Destroyer looming above the camera.
*One of the buildings in the city has the number "101", clearly a reference to the title of the series.
*Someone watching the parade seems to be wearing a -like hat, based on the story by .
*Chock-Zilla from "Coup DeVil" appears in the Easter parade.
*The film that Roger and the Dalmatians are watching looks similar to the scene from .
*The portrait that Cruella spies on Roger with looks like .
*Some of the statues in Cruella's office show her to be wearing items like a computer, a book, and a possible ice-cream cone.
*This is the last production of the 101 Dalmatians franchise to use traditional cel animation, as that method mostly died out by the early 2000s.
==Gallery==
dalmatianvacation1.png|Storyboard for "Dalmatian Vacation" musical number
Dalmatianvacation2.png|Storyboard for when Spot rallies the chickens
PATB Cadpig Spot Pups.png|Cells to the beach scene
Category:101 Dalmatians: The Series episodes
Category:Multi-part episodes
Category:Series finales