The holidays are just around the corner! Are you still looking for a movie to get yourself in the spirit? When you’re flipping through the channels or scrolling through Netflix, don’t miss these holiday films that can add a bit of extra Disney magic to your Christmas.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
If you like the Muppets and you like Christmas, this movie should be a no-brainer. It’s actually my favorite of the Muppet movies, and it takes a fun twist on the classic Christmas tale using favorite Muppet characters and original songs. The storytelling here is a unique twist on the Dickens tale mixing comedy and sometimes unexpected Muppets into traditional roles from The Christmas Carol. If you haven’t seen this, you truly missing out, and I honestly probably recommend this one more than any of the others on this list.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
I’m going to be perfectly honest here and say flat out that I’m not usually a fan of the “newer” Mickey cartoons. I say “newer” because all though this flick is from 1999, it’s new in comparison to the vintage shorts I much prefer. In any case, this was a direct to video release, so I’m sure expectations were not high when this came out, but this film really does have some of the more meaningful stories that focus on Christmas. It’s made up of three shorts focusing on Donald and his nephews, Goofy, and Mickey and Minnie, each complete with their own plots about the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of family.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
This is my go-to Christmas movie when it’s still early in the season. Despite the obvious Christmas theme it always just feels like more of a Halloween movie to me. In case you haven’t seen it, The Nightmare Before Christmas follows Jack Skellington, the leader of Halloween Town as he encounters Christmas and tries to bring the holiday home with him. It’s a Tim Burton film, and understandably is a bit on the darker side and not really your traditional Christmas film, but it’s really a nice go-to for a Disney movie night between October and New Year’s Eve.
The Santa Clause
And before you ask, no not the sequels only the original. Although the charm on this one has waned a bit as an adult, this was really one of my favorite Christmas movies as a kid. It’s good family fun featuring Tim Allen as a character who discovers that he is actually Santa Clause that can be perfect for those family members who feel like they’re above watching animated films (which they totally shouldn’t, but if you have family members like this you know exactly what I’m talking about). I love the original, but I’d have to say pass on the sequels in favor of one of the other movies in this post instead.
I’m always up for checking out a new Christmas movie, so let me know if you have a favorite in the comments!