What To Watch On Disney+ | Best Christmas Specials
Merry Christmas! It’s December and that’s when many around the world celebrate Christmas while others will celebrate other holidays. Disney has made many movies and specials about Christmas and other winter holidays. In this article, I’m ranking the Top 18 Christmas Specials available on Disney+.
DISNEY JR. CHRISTMAS EPISODES
Every TV show on Disney Jr. has produced a Christmas episode at some point. Disney+ has gathered a collection of them in the Happy Holidays section. These are aimed at younger kids, so they won’t be as enjoyable for older audiences, but are still important for the little kids in your house. They features episodes from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Doc McStuffins and more.
DISNEY CHANNEL CHRISTMAS EPISODES
There is also a collection of Christmas episodes from the TV shows on the Disney Channel. These will appeal to the older kids that the Disney Jr. episodes don’t. It features specials from “Phineas and Ferb,” “Jessie” and “Austin and Ally.”
16. SANTA’S WORKSHOP
A classic Disney animated short from the 1930s. Santa’s little helpers must hurry to finish the toys before Christmas Day. This short from 1932 features plenty of outdated images that would not be included in a more recent production.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS
Belle prepares the castle for Christmas against Beast’s wishes, trying to bring him happiness for the season. Forte, a pipe organ, fears that Belle’s plans may eventually bring about an end to the curse – the curse that brought him more importance in the Master’s life. Forte uses Fife, a flute who desperately wants a solo, to destroy Belle’s plans and get rid of her.
WINNIE THE POOH: A VERY MERRY POOH YEAR
Ring in the season with Winnie The Pooh in a holiday adventure. Pooh invites his friends over to celebrate Christmas and eventually New Year’s Eve, but when a series of mishaps ensue, Rabbit gets angry of their antics and vows to move away. To get him to stay, the animals vow to make a resolution to “change”, which results in them suffering a temporary “Freaky Friday” Flip, and Hilarity Ensues.
THE SMALL ONE
Ordered by his father to sell his old, small donkey, named Small One, a Hebrew boy in ancient Israel takes the donkey to the Jerusalem market. Finding no buyers there, the boy is about to give up when he meets a kind man named Joseph.
ONCE UPON A SNOWMAN
This brand new Disney+ Original sees Olaf’s first steps as he comes to life and searches for his identity in the snowy mountains outside Arendelle. A great little short for Frozen fans.
OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE
Olaf teams up with Sven on a merry mission in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 21-minute featurette “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.” It’s the first holiday season since the gates reopened and Anna and Elsa host a celebration for all of Arendelle. When the townspeople unexpectedly leave early to enjoy their individual holiday customs, the sisters realize they have no family traditions of their own. So, Olaf sets out to comb the kingdom to bring home the best traditions and save this first Christmas for his friends.
DISNEY FAIRY TALE WEDDINGS HOLIDAY MAGIC
In this festive episode, Disney helps a couple with holiday-themed wedding and proposals at the parks. It’s also a great way of dropping some hints to your partner for the big day!
9. PREP AND LANDING: NAUGHTY VS. NICE
The yuletide adventures of Christmas elves Lanny and Wayne continue in an ABC holiday special for 2011 in Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice. With the Big 2-5 fast approaching, Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology which has fallen into the hands of a computer-hacking Naughty Kid!
PREP AND LANDING
Wayne gets a new rookie partner, Lanny, after his previous partner got the promotion he wanted. Lanny has to remind Wayne of the Spirit of Christmas and the importance of being an elf in Santa’s Prep and Landing elite unit.
AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEO CHRISTMAS EPISODES
One of the most popular reality TV series of all time, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” takes a look at home videos sent in by Americans looking to win money. The Christmas episodes feature holiday-themed episodes, which will no doubt keep you laughing till Christmas!
THE SIMPSONS CHRISTMAS EPISODES
Much like the “Treehouse of Horror” for Halloween, “The Simpsons” takes a unique look at Christmas celebrations in the way that only “The Simpsons” could. There are lots of Christmas themed episodes of “The Simpsons” available on Disney, you will find them all in the “Happy Holidays” collection, since trying to find them among the 700+ episodes isn’t too easy.
PLUTO’S CHRISTMAS TREE
Pluto comes bounding outside to help Mickey get a Christmas tree. Chip ‘n Dale see him and make fun of him, but the tree they take refuge in is the one Mickey chops down. They like the decorations, especially the candy canes and Mickey’s bowl of mixed nuts. But Pluto spots them and goes after them long before Mickey spots them. Minnie, Donald, and Goofy drop by to sing carols.
DECORATING DISNEY: HOLIDAY MAGIC
How does the most magical place on earth become the merriest place on earth? Whoopi Goldberg reveals Disney’s holiday secrets. This is perfect for those who can’t get to the theme parks, as usual, this year.
MICKEY’S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS
Mickey and all his Disney pals star in an original movie about the importance of opening your heart to the true spirit of Christmas. Stubborn old Donald tries in vain to resist the joys of the season, and Mickey and Pluto learn a great lesson about the power of friendship.
MICKEY’S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS
A Christmas themed, three-part anthology-style video. The first part, “Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas”, is essentially a retelling of “Groundhog Day,” with Huey, Dewey, and Louie reliving Christmas ad infinitum. Next is “A Very Goofy Christmas”, in which Goofy tries to overcome his son’s scepticism about Santa Claus. Finally, “Mickey & Minnie’s Gift Of The Magi” recreate the classic tale of ironic Christmas selflessness.
MICKEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
It’s the same old classic Charles Dickens story with an all-star Disney cast. Uncle Scrooge McDuck is appropriately enough Scrooge and is visited by his dead partner and 3 spirits one night to remember the joys of Christmas.
That’s my ranking. There is a lot of fun Christmas specials for Disney fans to enjoy. So, which is your favorite?
I watched the "Decorating Disney for Christmas", and perhaps in another year it would have been great, but with so many offerings chopped (no gingerbread houses, parades, orchestras, etc), and all the people involved in these events out of jobs, I felt it was incredibly cringe-worthy to even show this, let alone have it rank so high on this list. It feels very out-of-touch for 2020. Perhaps for other people it was just a nostalgia piece, but it didn't work for me this year.