If you’re anything like me, your days are probably filled with holiday prep, with a few favorite seasonal specials playing in the background. As much as I’d love to solely watch A Muppet Christmas Carol on repeat, there’s so much holiday programming on Disney+. It’d be a shame to leave some of them unplayed before December ends. Here are a few specials I tend to play in between my Muppet marathon, and highly recommend for your holiday viewing…
— An honorable mention: A Muppet Family Christmas
Mickey’s Christmas Tales (2023)
New age stop-motion with the cutest little details? Of course I’d recommend this one… One of the latest holiday specials to arrive on Disney+ includes five stop-motion shorts created by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios in collaboration with Disney Junior. They’re short and sweet, coming in at 3-minutes run time each, or you can play all back-to-back by selecting episode #6.
My personal favorite is #3, when Minnie tries to hide Christmas cookies from Donald.
If you love the style of the Halloween special Mickey & Friends: Trick or Treats (2023), you must watch these!
Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic (2017)
Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this special gives us a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Disneyland and Walt Disney World are quickly transformed into winter wonderlands; from the gingerbread displays, sparkling castles, attraction overlays, and special land decorations.
Each decorating package includes thousands of ornaments, miles of garland, and massive trees to construct. You’ll also spot plenty of the Castle Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle – something we desperately hope returns in the future!
Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special (2016)
In this special episode of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck starts feeling homesick for a proper Christmas with his best pals after heading south for the winter. This special is filled with your typical “new-style” Mickey Mouse short wise-cracked shenanigans, catchy Christmas tunes, and vibrant details to take in; including plenty of Easter eggs from older holiday shorts like Babes in Toyland, The Nutcracker, and Santa’s Workshop. There’s references to Bambi, and even Stephen King’s The Shining.
There’s just something about Goofy’s line “DONALD, YOU LOOK LIKE DEATH” which really serves the holiday warm and fuzzies, you know?
The gang’s all here; from your favorite fab five, plus Daisy, Huey, Dewey & Louie, Scrooge McDuck, and Ludwig Von Drake, AND Mickey’s extended family.
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017)
I’ll admit, I was hesitant to revisit this one since its initial debut ahead of Coco’s theatrical release. Did anyone want to watch a 21-minute Frozen short just before a new Pixar film? I recently gave it a watch on Disney+, and it’s A LOT funnier and sweeter than I remember! Olaf is in search of the perfect holiday traditions for Anna and Elsa after they realize they don’t have any of their own, leading him on a merry… often disastrous… quest to find festive customs for Arendelle. The short’s original songs “When We’re Together” and “That Time of Year” are super catchy, and I’ve since recognized them playing in a few holiday shows at Walt Disney World. Synergy.
Christmas with Walt Disney (2009)
Last but certainly not least, we have a true gem of a Christmas special. Directed by Don Hahn (producer of Beauty & the Beast, The Lion King, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) Christmas with Walt Disney was originally created for the Walt Disney Family Museum before it was made available to the public via Disney+ later on. Featuring narration from Diane Disney, precious Disney family home movies alongside vintage Disneyland snippets, and holiday clips from Walt’s shorts and feature films. If you love Disney history and nostalgia, you cannot miss it.
Now back to your regularly-scheduled programming. Happy holidays!
