Mickey is easily recognized by his red shorts with white (sometimes yellow or golden) buttons on it, white gloves and large yellow shoes as well as his round mouse ears. He often gets himself into trouble that varies in seriousness as a result of his mischief and the fact that he can be forgetful, but extremely imaginative. Even so, he can often think quickly enough to get himself out of a predicament before things get too out of hand, mostly because of his incredible imagination.

Mickey sometimes chooses fun and adventure over working, a trait disliked by Minnie. While usually always having the better amount of luck, when teamed with his pals Donald and Goofy, he and his friends often end their day in failure and all three are the faults. Even so, Mickey has, on many occasions, proven to be the most reliable of the three being that, he has far better control over his temper than Donald, and more common sense than Goofy. Mickey has a notable temper that, when necessary, can be unleashed. And like Goofy, he can be clumsy every now and again. Still, these traits are less powerful for Mickey than Donald and Goofy, making him the brains, and leader, of the trio and proves that he is, overall, more reliable and competent.

Mickey stands as a father figure for Pluto and has grounded him on many occasions as if he is a young boy. He also counts Pluto as his best pal and usually puts him before nearly everything else. Mickey describes himself as a good sport but on occasion has lost his temper on both enemies and friends. He is usually dumbstruck by the mere sight of Minnie, giving her many titles such as "his best girl" and constantly goes out of his way to impress her. He is incredibly brave, and can also be very competitive, stubborn, and never backs down from a challenge, even when the opponent is twice his size.