Scrooge and Goldie O'Gilt are turned into teenagers as they race Rockerduck to the Fountain of Youth, while the boys' sibling rivalry uncovers danger at a spring break hotel.
Tropes:
- Actor Allusion: Young Scrooge has the Tenth Doctor's hair.
- Adaptation Species Change: The historical Juan Ponce de León appeared in the Donald Duck comic "Mystery of the Swamp" as an anthropomorphic grebe. This episode's Ponce de Leon is a lion.
- Added Alliterative Appeal: Amongst the many Scrooge-like traits that Webby picks up is his tendency to alliterate:Webby: [to an alligator] You repellent, reptilian rogue!
- An Aesop:
- You can't change what you did before, but you can change what you do next.
- You don’t need to literally turn back time to have a fresh start.
- Maturity is measured in actions, not age.
- Affably Evil: Ponce de Leon has absolutely no problem stealing the youth of the those he deems unworthy of it (i.e. teenagers) to keep himself young. Yet, he also takes his job as manager of the resort quite seriously, to the point he puts off eliminating the triplets because a customer needed assistance.Ponce de Leon: This may be a trap for tourists, but it doesn't have to be a tourist trap.
- Arc Words: "Youth is wasted on the young."
- The Bad Guy Wins: Rockerduck succeeds in restoring his youth and leaves without further incident, although he now has to take care of a baby Frankenjeeves.
- Big Bad Ensemble: Ponce de Leon, who guards the Fountain of Youth to steal vitality from teenagers and stay young, works independently of Rockerduck, who seeks the Fountain and restore his own youth.
- The Big Damn Kiss: After several Ship Tease moments throughout the episode, Goldie grabs Scrooge and plants a huge kiss on him at the end.Goldie: Spring break!
- Big Little Brother: Dewey ends up unknowingly aged from dipping a toe in the fountain water and grows a few inches taller than his brothers. He decides to milk this for all it's worth and stakes a claim on being the big brother and the senior authority that comes with it.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Goldie's back for the first time this season, and her first appearance since "Moonvasion!".
- Rockerduck and Jeeves (now Frankenjeeves) also make their first appearances this season.
- Came Back Wrong: Implied with Rockerduck and Jeeves. The former looks like he was frozen at the end of his life and outright says he underwent experimental treatments that weren't very successful, so he’s a helpless, decrepit old man being carried around like a baby by Frankenjeeves. The latter, meanwhile, very clearly died and was resurrected and rebuilt. Rockerduck directly compares him to Frankenstein’s monster, and is named "Frankenjeeves" in the credits.
- Cats Are Mean: Ponce de Leon, the Villain of the Week, is an anthropomorphic lion.
- Child Hater: Both Scrooge and Leon view teenagers lowly and consider youth to be wasted on them. Though Scrooge downplays this in that it's only the stereotypical teens that have his ire. Leon plays this much straighter, willing to drain youth from the triplets.
- Conditioned to Accept Horror: Louie, once again, knows what sort of thing to expect on family adventures.Louie: Guys, this is my one afternoon to 'Louie out' [relax by the pool] at a luxury resort before we almost die in a swamp.
- Conflict Killer: Huey and Dewey drop their feud the moment Louie informs them that the hotel manager is Ponce de Leon stealing the youth of his guests.
- Conscience Makes You Go Back: Goldie intends on abandoning Scrooge and making off with the youth water by herself, but seeing a helpless Louie causes her to change her mind.
- Company Cross References:
- Ponce's pointed snout, dark mane, protruding claws, and manipulative nature bring to mind Scar; right down to dying horribly after being falled off, which is also reminiscent of Zira. He's also a scrawny, yellow-furred, anthropomorphic lion similar to Prince John.
- The concept of the Fountain of Youth stealing life from one person to extend the life of another was previously used by Disney in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
- Scrooge saves Goldie while swinging on a vine, much like how Tarzan did with Jane.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Ponce de Leon is literally aged to death.
- Crush Blush: After turning young, Scrooge and Goldie both spend a lot of time blushing around each other.
- Equivalent Exchange:
- It turns out this is how the Fountain of Youth actually works. First, someone must soak in the water, which drains their youth and retains it, and then it can imbue that vitality to anyone who drinks it.
- It works in reverse as well. If someone made young by the waters is soaked in them, they will be drained back to the age they would be without the waters. For Scrooge and Goldie this is bearable, and they return to their "natural" ages and no more even though they are still soaking wet. For Leon, however, the effect is deadly, 500 years worth of aging reducing his body to dust that rapidly disappears into the pool's drain.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Louie figures out Leon's scheme after seeing a splash of water from his canteen de-aging a plant, and him holding a marshmallow skewer in the same way as Ponce De Leon held a sword in a portrait.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Since the "fountain of youth" works by transferring youth, Leon set up a pool for teenagers to drain them and the pool water. Goldie is disgusted both by Leon's disturbing plan and drinking water people swam in. Leon points out he at least filters it.
- Everyone Has Standards:
- As much as Scrooge hates teens, he and Goldie are disturbed that their and Leon's youth comes from draining it from actual young people. Scrooge even points out it isn't fair to pawn off your condition on someone else to get what you want, even teenagers.
- Scrooge might be a Miser Advisor but he clearly disapproves of selling the youth water to the guests, judging by the sign.
- Evil Versus Evil: John D. Rockerduck and Jeeves vs Ponce de Leon.
- False Cause: Scrooge and Goldie are turned young, seemingly by the creek water fed by the fountain. It turns out the fountain had long-since been drained; what actually rejuvenated them was the canteen water Goldie swiped from the back room of the resort, the real waters from the Fountain of Youth.
- Family-Unfriendly Death: Leon is aged rapidly inside the pool that absorbs his youth until he crumbles into ashes.
- Feud Episode: Between Huey and Dewey as they bicker over sibling superiority.
- Foreshadowing:
- One example zig-zags this. The reveal is foreshadowed by Scrooge and Goldie suddenly regaining their youth on the way to the fountain, while Webby seemingly takes on Scrooge's aches and crotchety demeanor. The latter just turns out to be her having a bad day, but Scrooge and Goldie were rejuvenated by the water... that Goldie stole from the resort, which works by transferring youth.
- While working the buffet table, the manager mentions that the hotel caters to the young and the young at heart.
- Dewey ages a bit when he dipped his feet into the pool, which a hint as to where the fountain water is and how it actually works.
- The river is earlier hinted to have no connection to the fountain by having an adult alligator swimming in it without any effects.
- Fountain of Youth: The whole reason they are all in Florida is to look for it. Turns out Ponce de Leon found it years ago and has been stealing youth from others for years, as this version of the fountain water drains a person's youth when touched and imbues it when consumed.
- Freudian Excuse: Scrooge has a decently valid reason for his hate of teens given that when he was a teen, he couldn't take a break and instead worked on his uncle's steamboat.
- Funny Background Event:
- Shortly after the teenagers raided Scrooge's luggage for T-shirts, a couple of them are by the pool, wearing Scrooge's usual jacket.
- When the teenagers drink the youth water at the end to return to their normal ages, a sign next to it has "$5" crossed out and "Free" added instead. Presumably the former was due to Louie and the latter due to Scrooge.
- A pig can be seen riding on a bacon floaty.
- Furry Reminder: Huey and Dewey have a squabble over who's the oldest. Dewey gives a slight twist to the trope by arguing that while Huey hatched first, for all they know Dewey may have been laid first.
- Good Is Not Soft: While it is already too late to save him, none of the Ducks (and Goldie) have any qualms leaving Ponce de Leon to meet his grisly end.
- Gory Discretion Shot: Leon's death is not directly shown, and none of the characters verbally remark on it (except Louie, who mentions that the pool will need to be cleaned before gagging), but the viewer is shown quite enough to know what happened to him.
- Idiot Ball: Had Louie not spilled the beans in front of Ponce De Leon, then he won't captured him and his brothers. Though given the circumstances, Louie would probably have trouble explaining it to his bickering brothers.
- I Drank WHAT?!: Everyone's a little grossed out when they learn the fountain works by drinking water other people swam in. Ponce says he filters it.
- Ironic Echo: When Webby accuses Goldie of cheating, Goldie happily remarks that she was just "workin' smarter while you work harder" in an imitation of Scrooge's accent.
- Jerkass Ball: Scrooge leaves Webby, who tries to follow in his footsteps only to suffer a lot of injuries, just to follow Goldie on their new adventure. He even agrees to abandon her in the jungle long enough to find the fountain.
- Just Between You and Me: Ponce de Leon explains his full backstory to the triplets, planning to drain their youth until they're "too old to remember any of it".
- Karma Houdini: Downplayed. Rockerduck gets his youth back and no one stops him from leaving, but Goldie force-fed Frankenjeeves enough water to turn him into a baby, which means Rockerduck lost his muscle and now has to take care of a baby Frankenjeeves.
- Karmic Death: Ponce de Leon, who stole the youth of countless unsuspecting tourists from many generations, dies with his stolen youth drained, having fallen into the same pool which he used to drain the youth from said tourists.
- Kick the Dog: Goldie convinces Scrooge to ditch the weakened Webby in the jungle while they run off to the fountain and continue their teenage romance.
- Liquid Assets: Puns aside, this is essentially how the fountain works. Its waters drain youth on contact and imbue it into anyone who then drinks it.
- Major Injury Underreaction: Webby repeatedly hits an alligator on the snout, a very sensitive spot for crocodilians, but the gator only seems mildly annoyed at it.
- Moment Killer: Scrooge and Goldie share an Almost Kiss at one point in the episode before Webby ruins the moment accidentally. Goldie makes sure at the end of the episode to get a good one in with Scrooge.
- Mood Whiplash: After a touching moment between Scrooge and Goldie, the viewers are treated to the horrifying sight of Ponce de Leon dying by No Immortal Inertia. Immediately after that, Dewey yells "Nailed it!" after freeing himself and his brothers from the rubber raft, and then Louie comments that someone needs to clean the pool and retching after seeing what remains.
- Morality Pet: Although Goldie was prepared to betray Scrooge once again, seeing Louie trapped in the Manager's office makes her reconsider and go back to help save him.
- My Friends... and Zoidberg: After Scrooge and Goldie fall into the river:Webby: Uncle Scrooge! ...and Goldie too, I guess.
- Mythology Gag: Scrooge mentions how he spent his teen years working at his Uncle Pothole's steamboat. This is a direct reference to The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck comic.
- Never Smile at a Crocodile: Webby gets into a fight with an alligator, getting it to back off by repeatedly smacking it on the snout with Scrooge's cane.
- No Immortal Inertia: Having 500 years of stolen youth taken away from him by his own pool causes Ponce de Leon to age rapidly into a corpse that crumbles into dust.
- Noodle Incident: The many references to the events on Oak Island in '73.
- Older Than She Looks: The fact that Goldie aged better than Scrooge is further demonstrated when her change from her younger self back to her older self isn't very noticeable, save for a few bags under her eyes. Despite this, aching joints have already started to set in for her.
- Only Sane Man: While Huey and Dewey are too busy squabbling over which of them gets authority, Louie is the one who notices the strange things happening around the resort and realizes the truth about it.
- Red Herring: After Scrooge and Goldie regain their youth, Webby begins to act older. Using Scrooge's cane, throwing out her back, even developing Scrooge's attitude. It ultimately turns out she was just having a bad day.
- Reduced to Dust: When Ponce de Leon is drained of his stolen youth, his body crumbles into dust that disappears down the pool's drain. Only his key necklace is left behind.
- Reset Button: All the main characters' fountain-water-induced age adjustments are undone at the end of the episode when Scrooge gets pulled into the pool (aging him again), Goldie has to dive in to rescue him (aging her), Dewey drinks a single drop of youth water (undoing his growth spurt), and Webby is revealed to have not actually aged at all. Minor characters Rockerduck and Frankenjeeves are left de-aged seemingly permanently.
- Running Gag: Someone yelling "Spring break!" It's usually by the teenagers staying at the hotel, but its repeated by Goldie at the end of the episode.
- Sarcastic Clapping: Ponce de Leon does this when Louie puts two and two together and figures out his evil scheme to steal the youth from resort-goers and keep himself young.
- Sarcasm Mode:
- Huey, many times to Dewey, such as this example:Huey: Oh, weird! Old people eat early? In Florida? Huh! If only the "big brother" had done his research!
- Goldie also gets her moments:Webby: Careful, you newly young whipper-snappers. If you fall into the stream again you could be young forever!
Goldie: [flatly] Oh no. What a terrible fate.
- Huey, many times to Dewey, such as this example:
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After his muscle is turned into an infant, Rockerduck takes the baby Frankenjeeves and hastily retreats.
- Shout-Out:
- When Goldie and Scrooge discover what they think is the fountain, Rockerduck interrupts them with the same line Belloq used on Indiana Jones in the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Ponce's death by Rapid Aging is also very similar to Donovan's in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
- Ponce’s scheme for immortality using supernatural powers and a friendly façade only to make victims of his visitors (and making adjustments to his plans to fit into the modern age) steps into Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island territory, right up to how he perishes by aging into nothing. The appearance of zombies (or at least zombie-like figures) sets the reference close to home.
- Shown Their Work:
- The alligator Webby fights off is depicted with the broad overlapping jaws that differentiate alligators from crocodiles. This is in contrast to most alligators in Disney animated works, which are drawn with more croc-like features like pointed jaws and interlocking teeth.
- Webby getting the alligator to back off by hitting it on the snout. Crocodilians have sensitive receptors covering their snouts, hence why it's recommend to attack the snout to survive an attack.
- The Noodle Incident that took place on Oak Island in '73. Oak Island is indeed the home of an infamous mystery
, and possibly treasure...and every attempt to solve/claim it has been a boondoggle, so it's no wonder Scrooge and Goldie don't remember the event fondly. - As with many conquistadors, Ponce de Leon was a ruthless and greedy man due to his various crimes against the Indigenous peoples of America. It doesn't seem unreasonable to portray him as the villain.
- Sibling Seniority Squabble: The subject of the B-plot, between Dewey and Huey. Thanks to only dipping his toe in the pool water, Dewey becomes taller and believes he had a growth spurt. He then butts heads with Huey for control over how to spend their time at the hotel.
- Southern Gothic: The episode is set in Florida, with the Ducks dealing with undead beings and a hotel owner secretly stealing youths of innocent victims.
- Species Surname: "León" is Spanish for "lion". (Which isn't the origin of the real Ponce de León's name, but still works.)
- Spotting the Thread: Louie's the one to connect the dots between the Fountain of Youth and Ponce de Leon with the water and the old people. Unfortunately, he says this right in front of Leon, who then captures him, Dewey and Huey.
- Swapped Roles:
- After Goldie and Scrooge become younger from drinking the canteen water, Webby non-supernaturally takes on aspects of old age like carrying Scrooge's cane and spraining her back as she tries to rein in their behavior, to the point where at the end of the episode Dewey mistakes her for having been aged by the fountain.
- When Dewey tries to assert his dominance as big brother, Huey decides to act like a middle brother and imitates Dewey in order to irritate him by being lackadaisical and not listening to what Dewey wants the triplets to do.
- After Rockerduck is carried in a harness like an infant by his henchman, Frankenjeeves, for most of the episode, the former must carry his butler when he gets reverted into an infant, swaddled in that same harness.
- Taking You with Me:
- A non-lethal example: when Scrooge trips Goldie, she grabs his arm so that they both fall into the river.
- Ponce de Leon attempts to drown Scrooge alongside him when the two fall into the aging pool, forcing Goldie to jump in too to save him.
- Tempting Fate: Goldie, whilst swinging on a vine to cross the stream, declares herself to be "young and invincible!". No prizes for guessing what happens to the vine straight afterwards. Luckily Scrooge is able to save her in time.
- Through a Face Full of Fur: Young Scrooge and Goldie spend a lot of time staring into each other's eyes and blushing despite their feathered faces. It's been over a century since either of them have had to deal with teenage hormones, so it's perfectly understandable.
- A Truce While We Gawk: Ponce de Leon, Goldie, and Scrooge, who were fighting seconds before, all stop to watch Rockerduck scoop up and leave with a now babified Frankenjeeves.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: The plot splits into the camps of Goldie instigating a race with Scrooge to the fabled fountain with Webby in tow, while the triplets stay behind and enjoy the resort and bicker over seniority. Naturally, they dovetail at the climax once the truth is realized.
- Villainous Breakdown: Ponce de Leon goes into a mad, sword-swinging rage when he finds out that Scrooge and Goldie had taken some of the youth water.
- Wedgie: Goldie saves a young Scrooge from Frankenjeeves by giving him one.
