It's the Christmas season, and you know what that means. Santa's dropping off the goods, we're baking cookies in our kitchens, and spending time with our families. But while all these things are wonderful in their own way and should never be excluded from the festivities, movies, especially ones on Disney+!
I can't have my holiday celebration without a festive movie binge, and with so many great options out there, both the past and present, my list is content and full. But as mentioned, we're focusing on Disney+, which offers an excellent catalog filled with all your Disney needs as well as Christmas delights.
So grab that cup of cocoa with extra marshmallows and a bowl of mac and cheese to watch these classics that'll you'll unwrap on Disney+!
These 6 Disney+ Christmas movies will get you into the spirit
Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)
You can't erase Home Alone and its equally hilarious sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, from your watchlist. In both movies, precocious Kevin captures the bad guys using an ingenious burglar alarm setup, complete with toy cars and smacking paint cans. The hilarious part of the movies is that while Kevin was accidently left behind and got on a different flight en route to New York, and his family's vacations were ruined because of these events, his parents and siblings had no idea that he became a hero and saved the holidays.
It should be noted that Kevin's heroism should be credited, especially in Lost In New York as he gave children a joyful Christmas, but he didn't want the fame; he just wanted an ice cream sundae and cheese pizza.
Elf (2003)
Elf is a treasured film in which Buddy the Elf believes in the magic of Christmas while connecting with his biological father and finding love. Once you get past the whole maple syrup on spaghetti, you'll laugh along with Buddy's antics and absorb the childlike joy of the holidays.
With a cameo by Peter Billingsley from another Christmas classic, A Christmas Story, and endearing performances by the late Bob Newhart and James Caan, who portrayed both of Buddy's dads, you'll can't help but feel the warmth brewing inside.
Elf is part of the Disney+-Hulu package.
Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
Scrooge McDuck becomes Charles Dickens' Scrooge in the Disney version of A Christmas Carol. While a few plotlines were excluded from the classic novella, the general story is landscaped in Mickey's. You have beloved characters transforming into the personas of Dickens (Minnie as Mrs. Cratchit, Donald as Fred, and Jiminy Cricket as the Spirit of Christmas Past), but still appropriate for the younger audiences.
The animated tale whispers in nostalgia, and like several productions of the '80s, Mickey's Christmas Carol isn't exempt from the era's blunt irony.
Jingle All The Way (1996)
What's more stressful than last-minute shopping on Christmas Eve? Shopping on Christmas Eve to get the sold-out toy. A forgetful father (Arnold Schwarzenegger) does exactly that and bravely encounters the perils of in-person shopping to enlighten his son, only to discover what his child truly wanted more than anything for the holidays was to have his dad's love, which he received.
During his shopping journey, he meets the brazen Myron and a sinister Santa who sold him a derpy version of the worshiped toy. Moreover, the lewd and nosy neighbor, Ted, adds another wrap of comedy that you can't help but laugh at.
The Polar Express (2004)
All aboard the Polar Express to the North Pole! This year, the Tom Hanks-led movie celebrates its 20th anniversary. It's a wonderment of childhood beliefs, dreams, and growing up with the spirit of Christmas as it preserves in our hearts.
The animation itself was definitely creepy enough to give you chills, but not so much that it didn't work for the film. As the Polar Express is mostly conceived as a dream, the visuals made sense to unwrap a story.
Here are a few more Disney+ Christmas movie suggestions
- The Santa Clause franchise
- Dashing Through The Snow (2023)
- Family Guy: "Gift of the White Guy" (Hulu package)
- The Simpsons' Christmas collection
- An Almost Christmas Story (2024)
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
- A Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)
- Anastasia (1997)
- Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Christmas (1997)