Lanny and Wayne go on a secret mission to retrieve a box from Santa’s workshop for Mrs. Claus in the stocking stuffer short, “Prep and Landing: Operation Secret Santa.” The partners have to try to sneak into the workshop while Santa is taking his nap to get the box which is a very important piece to the present Mrs. Claus plans to give Santa for Christmas. In the end, the boys from prep and landing complete their mission and help Mrs. Claus provide the perfect gift for the Big Guy.

This is a very cute eight minute short. It gives the boys from the very cute “Prep and Landing” special something to do and gets them back on TV screens without having to go through another full-length special. There are two 30-minute specials already available on Disney+ and while this special didn’t have enough content for 30 minutes, it was great to have them back for eight minutes. Plus, the recognition of the short as a stocking stuff was perfect for the holiday season.

I’ve seen this special before, but it hits a little closer to home this year. The main reason is the voice of Mrs. Claus is the unmistakable Betty White. This is the first time I’m seeing this special since her passing last New Year’s Eve and it’s always wonderful to see how she was always willing to lend her talent to projects that many would consider smaller than what she could be doing. Betty White was amazing and I’m glad that we get to still see her in the vast number of projects she worked on in her career.\

I also love the gift that Mrs. Claus is giving to Santa in this special. It’s from the heart and has a special meaning for him. She has paid attention to his wants and needs over the years and has found the perfect present for him. This is what significant others should do for each other.

This isn’t as timeless as the Rankin and Bass or Dr. Seuss specials, but it’s a fun and sweet modern special for the current generation. I hope this gets more play among kids going forward. We always need updated specials and this one has certainly lived up to the expectations I had for it. All of the “Prep & Landing” specials are becoming yearly events for me.

Rating: 3 stars

What did you think of “Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa?”

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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