Everyone knows Disney+ is full of Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar content. But what you may not realise is just how many quality Christmas movies are on Disney+ just waiting to make your festive season a little bit merrier.
The streamer has everything from classics (think "Home Alone" and "The Muppet Christmas Carol") to Disney original movies that you definitely forgot existed (like "'Twas the Night" starring "Breaking Bad"'s Bryan Cranston as Santa). Having so many festive favourites to choose from in one place is nothing short of a Christmas miracle.
Go ahead and start pouring the hot chocolate and breaking out your cosiest blankets, because these Christmas movies on Disney+ are going to give you plenty of reasons to stay in this festive season.
If you can get past the creepy dolls, the 1961 version of "Babes in Toyland" is a fun, musical spectacular. It's also on overall odd film — Mother Goose plays a surprisingly large role — but there's a saving Christmas subplot, so it all evens out.
Nineties kids, this one's for you. "Beauty and the Beast: Enchanted Christmas" is a straight-to-video release that shows Belle and Beast spending the holidays together at the castle, and it truly is the best kind of nostalgia.
"Good Luck Charlie" is one of Disney's most successful shows of the 2010s, so it's no surprise that it ended up getting a Christmas-themed movie. What is surprising is how much fun this comedy is even if you haven't seen the show. Watching the Duncans go through every travel nightmare to reunite in time for the holidays is relatable whether you're familiar with the characters or not.
"Home Alone" is one of the most enduring holiday films out there thanks to the combo of Macaulay Culkin's winning performance as Kevin, and the sheer hilarity of the Wet Bandits being thwarted over and over by a kid. And now, you can stream it 24 times in a row "A Christmas Story" style, if you want to.
"Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas" includes three holiday themed shorts starring your favourite Disney characters. Each one of the segments is terrific, but Mickey and Minnie's version of "The Gift of the Magi" is a standout for being a total tearjerker.
OK, so the sequel isn't as good as the original, but seeing Kevin running amok in New York City is still a blast. Plus, the Wet Bandits improbably return for another round of getting outmaneuvered by a little boy.
The fact that Jonathan Taylor Thomas stars in a road trip holiday movie where he wears a Santa suit for most of the running time is not discussed nearly enough. This unsung movie of the '90s deserves to be recognised as the classic it is.
There's no denying that there are way too many adaptations of "A Christmas Carol" to choose from. But you should make room in your holiday schedule to watch this Disney-fied version that includes Scrooge McDuck as Scrooge (of course), Mickey as Bob Cratchit, and Jiminy Cricket as The Ghost of Christmas Past.
Two young girls in Los Angeles stumble across Santa Claus's weather-making machine and use it to create a snow day in Los Angeles. What they don't realise is that their snow day comes with a Christmas-sized cost.
Starring Jillian Bell and Isla Fisher, "Godmothered" is a magical holiday film about a determined fairy godmother-in-training named Eleanor who takes it upon herself to grant the wish of a little girl. Unfortunately for Eleanor, the little girl's wish was left unanswered for so long, she's now a grown woman who is heading into the holiday season as a single mom with a job she hates. As you can imagine, discovering she now has to fix some very adult problems leaves Eleanor with a much bigger job on her hands than she expected.
"The Muppet Christmas Carol" upgrades Dickens's original tale by adding incredible music and well, Muppets. However, the movie's secret weapon truly is Michael Caine, who delivers a beautiful performance as Ebeneezer.
Have all the tissues ready for this 1985 film about a young mother who loses her faith in Christmas. It's only through the help of her daughter and a guardian angel that she rediscovers the joys of the holidays.
Is it a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? Let's end the debate surrounding "The Nightmare Before Christmas" by watching it during both holidays, because there's no such thing as too much Jack Skellington.
Among Disney+'s first batch of original movies is "Noelle", the story of Kris Kringle's daughter who steps up when her brother is too overwhelmed to continue the family legacy. Goofy and original, this movie is quality holiday cheesiness.
15"High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special"
You don't need to be familiar with "High School Musical: The Musical" to appreciate the show's joyful, music-filled holiday special. Just sit back and enjoy the talented teens' Christmas and Hannukah stories, and, of course, their incredible musical numbers (including a gorgeous rendition of "River" by Olivia Rodrigo).
Don't let the slightly creepy CGI put you off, because Disney's 2009 version of "A Christmas Carol" is an engrossing and moving version of Charles Dickens's classic tale thanks to stellar voice work from Jim Carrey as Scrooge. Just be warned, the Ghost of Christmas Future is so legitimately scary, it might give the little ones in your family nightmares.
Disney+'s "Home Sweet Home Alone" brings the "Home Alone" franchise into the 21st Century with a new crafty kid at the helm in the form of Max Mercer (Archie Yates). Like Kevin before him, Max is left home alone after his parents fail to notice he's not with them as they set off on their holiday. At first, Max is delighted, but when a married couple tries to steal a family heirloom from his home, he has no choice but to defend his house from the thieves. Watch "Home Sweet Home Alone" on Disney+.
17 / 41
18"The Santa Clause"
When Santa dies on his property, Scott Calvin ends up becoming the new man in the red suit (and wow, that premise is way darker than we remember). With the joy of kids all of over the world resting on his shoulders, Calvin steps up for them, and for his own son.
The "LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special" will finally wipe the disastrous 1978 "Star Wars" Christmas special from your memory. This far superior holiday tale follows Rey as she goes on a journey to help her understand the Force while her friends are busy getting ready for Life Day.
After eight years of being Santa, Scott discovers a second clause in his contract: he needs to find a wife. Luckily for him, "Lost"'s Elizabeth Mitchell is his son's new principal.
There's a lot going on in "Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms." Even though the fantasy film is a bit overstuffed, it's still a lot of fun. At the heart of the story is Clara, whose search for a key to open a gift from her late mother sends her on an adventure into a magical world in need of her help.
"Jingle All the Way 2" has nothing to do with the original, aside from a dad's mad dash to get his kid the perfect toy. Larry the Cable Guy stars as Larry, who goes head-to-head with his daughter's stepfather as they each try to secure her the hard to find present at the top of her Christmas list.
In the third instalment of "The Santa Clause" franchise, Scott proves he's the coolest son-in-law ever by inviting his in-laws to the North Pole for Christmas. Unfortunately, Jack Frost chooses the holidays to cause major trouble for Scott and his family.
The "Prep and Landing" series continues with "Prep and Landing: Naughty vs. Nice." When a child hacker who is definitely on the naughty list hacks into Santa's database, it's up to the elves to stop her from ruining Christmas. (If you enjoy this short, "Prep and Landing" and "Prep and Landing: Operation Secret Santa" are streaming on Disney+, too.)
No one is going to accuse the "Santa Paws" franchise of being deep. But, come on, when the premise of a movie is that adorable puppies save Christmas, you really don't need anything else.
Despite the abundance of snow, "Frozen" isn't a true holiday movie. However, the short film "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" — which is all about Olaf visiting the residents of Arendelle to research holiday traditions for Anna and Elsa — most certainly is.
The little ones in your household will love "Santa Buddies," a movie that combines the joys of Christmas with the cuteness of puppies. While the plot is hardly the draw here, the movie follows Budderball, B-Dawg, Rosebud, Buddha, and Mudbud as they try to help Santa Paws's son rediscover his holiday spirit.
Yes, "While You Were Sleeping" is a Christmas movie. After Lucy (Sandra Bullock) saves the life of a dashing stranger she's had a crush on from afar for ages, his family mistakes him for his fiancée. As the lie spirals out of control, she finds herself spending the holidays with the man's family, and falling for his brother in the process.
Need even more puppy-Christmas goodness in your life? Then queue up "The Search for Santa Paws," an adorable movie about Santa and his faithful dog, Santa Paws, as they encourage the descendant of a famed toymaker to carry on his family's legacy.
Set just outside of Nazareth, "The Small One" is a 1978 short film about a boy who is forced to part with his beloved donkey. When his father tells him he has to sell the ageing donkey, he heads to Nazareth to find his pet the right owner, which leads him right into the middle of a rather famous Bible story.
Beginning on Christmas Eve and ending on New Year's Eve, "Winnie the Pooh: A Very Pooh Year" captures the spirit of the entire holiday season as Pooh and his friends learn a valuable lesson about friendship. After a series of mini-disasters threaten to ruin their Christmas, the Hundred Acre Wood gang realise being there for each other is more important than presents and perfect holidays.
Finn Baxter just moved from California to Maine with his parents and younger sister. While getting settled in the house, Finn starts to believe that his new home is haunted and sets up traps in hopes of capturing the ghosts that haunt the place. When his parents leave the house to go to a Christmas party, a trio of thieves break in and attempt to steal a number of valuable paintings, and it's now up to Finn to protect himself and his sister from the thieves and stop them from causing havoc in his house.
Though not as popular as its predecessors, "Home Alone 3" still gives viewers a sprinkle of Christmas magic. When a group of criminals steal a microchip worth $10 million, their plan is to get to their destination by hiding it in a toy car to make it pass through airport security. When an elderly woman named Miss Hess accidentally picks up the criminals' bag containing the toy car, their plan becomes more complicated. Back in Miss Hess's hometown of Chicago, she gives the toy car to 8-year-old Alex Pruitt, who soon discovers he is the group's next target and comes up with an elaborate plan to stop them.
Amid the recent divorce of his parents, 9-year-old Kevin McCallister is forced to decide which person he should spend Christmas with. He ends up choosing to celebrate the holiday with his father and his new girlfriend, Natalie, at her mansion. As he is settling in and getting comfortable, Kevin notices his old nemesis, Marv Murchins, and his wife-turned-criminal sidekick, Vera, scouting the place. In an effort to save the visiting royal family and Natalie's mansion, Kevin uses high-tech gadgets and his creativity to stop them for good.
Six-year-old Susan Walker has plenty to believe in, but when it comes to Santa Claus, the only thing that she believes is that he isn't real. When Susan meets Kris Kringle, a department-store Santa who tells her he is the real Santa, her love for Christmas is ignited. The only problem Santa faces is a city that is convinced he isn't real after being wrongfully arrested. Susan, along with her mother's boyfriend, lawyer Bryan Bedford, must help the biggest sceptic believe in Santa before Christmas is ruined.
On the brink of retirement, Santa Claus is on the lookout for a suitable replacement, and cab driver Ernest P. Worrell needs to help him. Santa has plans to give children's show host Joe Carruthers the job, but while he is travelling to Florida to do so, he encounters a few bumps in the road. Ernest, along with a runaway teenager named Harmony Starr, must jump through hoops to help Santa pass the torch onto the newest Kris Kringle before Christmas is threatened for good.
On the brink of retirement, Santa Claus is on the lookout for a suitable replacement, and cab driver Ernest P. Worrell needs to help him. Santa has plans to give children's show host Joe Carruthers the job, but while he is travelling to Florida to do so, he encounters a few bumps in the road. Ernest, along with a runaway teenager named Harmony Starr, must jump through hoops to help Santa pass the torch onto the newest Kris Kringle before Christmas is threatened for good.
The Muppets gang tackle a whole new Christmas adventure in "A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa." Amid the chaos of preparing for the upcoming holiday, Gonzo forgets to mail three important letters to Santa. With no other choice, he recruits Kermit and the rest of the Muppets crew to travel to the North Pole with him to deliver the letters himself. During their travels, the friends discover the true meaning of Christmas and rush back home to help one special friend's wish come true.
A festive spinoff of the Ice Age movie franchise, "Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas" follows a wild bunch of characters, including Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, and Manny the wooly mammoth, as they prepare for the Christmas holiday. While Manny has a special Christmas rock that alerts Santa to deliver presents to him, Sid searches their snowy terrain for the best tree and decorations. In the middle of decorating, however, Sid accidentally breaks the Christmas rock, and a furious Manny tells him he is on the naughty list. With his friends, Sid is determined to travel to the North Pole and be removed from the dreaded list.
41"Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special"
Though short, this Christmas special with Mickey and the gang is perfect to watch with a cup of cocoa. In "Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Special," Donald Duck decides to stay with Mickey instead of heading south with Daisy for the winter. Along with Mickey, Donald Duck celebrates his first Christmas and snowfall. Soon, however, Donald Duck gets sick due to the change in weather, so Mickey has to come up with a plan to get Donald with the rest of the ducks before it's too late.
