What to Watch on Disney+: Holiday Edition + Bonus Group Watch Party Kit
Is there a thing as too many holiday films? I could honestly watch them all day. Are they formulaic and sometimes rely on outdated stereotypes? Yes. Do I love them anyway? Also yes. Although Netflix will forever host the greatest holiday film ever made, Disney+ has some incredible offerings that bring me immediately back to my childhood VHS collection. We used to record EVERYTHING off of the TV, and every holiday season I would pull out my Disney Christmas VHS tapes and watch them on repeat. Luckily with Disney+ my favorites are now available with a mere click of a button! Here’s some of our favorites that are currently streaming on the “plus.”
A Muppet Christmas Carol
This is the greatest adaptation of this story of all time, and I will fight anyone who says differently. The only downside of watching it on Disney+ versus my VHS is that I don’t get to see the love song sung by Belle to young Scrooge. However, it is on Youtube so you can always pause your viewing experience and watch it HERE in order to get the full emotional arc of Scrooge.
Babes in Toyland
Another one of my old VHS mainstays, this is THE original live action Disney movie musical. Starring original Mouseketeer Annette Funicello as Mary (of Quite Contrary fame) this movie is a nursery rhyme fever dream of a film. I rewatched this a few days ago while putting up my Christmas trees for the first time in approximately 20 years, and I am happy to report that I still knew basically every word to every song. I was not expecting the movie to be such sheer silliness, but I’m glad I was able to revisit this old favorite.
Prep and Landing
If you have not watched this silly and sweet tale about the elves who help Santa get ready for his big night, stop whatever you are doing and watch immediately. Although it is only 22 minutes long, this animated short manages to pack a ton of humor and heart into this new holiday classic. It’s totally tinsel!
Pluto’s Christmas Tree
This Mickey short has everything: holiday hijinks, cute chipmunks, shenanigans, and a heartwarming ending. When Mickey and Pluto go to chop down a Christmas tree, they get more than they bargained for with Chip and Dale wreaking havoc on their Christmas dreams. Pluto tries to save the day (and Christmas) but those chipmunks won’t be outsmarted by him!
Beauty and the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas
I have some thoughts about this film, and not all of them are kind. However, it does feature a sassy Christmas tree topper voiced by Bernadette Peters, so I can’t totally dismiss this film, even if it does mess with the timeline of the original a bit. Additionally my favorite Barbie growing up with the Enchanted Christmas Belle who wore a gorgeous red velvet dress and had perfect hair. Ultimately I enjoy getting to spend another 90 minutes with characters who bring me joy.
Don’t see your favorite listed above? No worries! Disney+ has a ton of other offerings available for your holiday viewings. They have even curated a collection featuring all of their DCOM holiday movies along with holiday episodes from their Disney Channel Original Series. Happy Holidays!
BONUS: Group Watch Party Kit
Megan here! One of my favorite features on the Plus is the new Group Watch feature, which my friends and I have been using every Friday to watch The Mandalorian together. (Catch our Baby Yoda cocktail kit here for maximum viewing enjoyment!) So a fun way to celebrate the holidays would be to get your friends together to watch one of these holiday flicks or an upcoming exciting release, like Godmothered. But what does every celebration and movie viewing need? SNACKS. It’s super simple to put together a little watch party kit and ship to your pals. For example, if you live in Wisconsin and your bestie lives in St. Louis, you can wrap up some treats and send some happy mail her way to enjoy together (but apart) for your Group Watch Party!. I did just that for our planned Godmothered Watch Party and here is what I included:
Fairy Godmother Ornament (I made with confetti and a clear plastic ornament
Godmothered Mix
Popcorn
1 C melted white chocolate chips
Sprinkles of your choosing
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and lay flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop in the freezer for 15 minutes and then break apart and separate into individual baggies.
Decorative grass, or tissue paper
Themed confetti
Happy watching!