14 Best Holiday Movies on Disney+

With the holiday season starting to get into full swing, it’s the time of year to sit down and enjoy some Christmas and winter classics. It’s always enjoyable to sit back and watch old favorites as well as try something new. While there are plenty of other streaming services out there, Disney+ offers a decent selection of holiday movies to watch for people of all ages.

As many of these movies haven’t regularly been available on streaming before, it’s the perfect time to enjoy these films while also introducing new movies to the holiday movie queue. After all, no one quite does a feel-good holiday movie like Disney.

Updated on November 27th, 2021, by Lynn Gibbs: When it comes to the holiday magic, no other streaming service does it like Disney+. Disney+ has beloved holiday classics that adults grew up with, along with adorable animated features for younger audiences. Regardless of the movie or show, each is bound to pull on viewers’ heartstrings and make everyone feel like a little kid again. There’s something about the magic of snow, Santa’s reindeer, and the power of generosity to get a person into the holiday spirit, and Disney+ nailed it with its 2021 holiday selection. 

14 Godmothered (2020)

In 2020, Disney released another bingable Christmas movie that starred Jillian Bell and Isla Fisher called Godmothered. Bell portrays a fairy godmother named Eleanor who finds herself in the human world, befriending a single mother named Mackenzie (Fisher). Together, the two help each other out during the holiday season, especially when it comes to Mackenzie’s children.

This Disney movie pulls on viewers’ heartstrings and is the whole package. It has music, romance, friendship, magic, and the spirit of Christmas.

13 Jingle All The Way (1996)

Arnold Schwarzenegger played a busy yet doting dad, Howard Langston, in Jingle All the Way. All Howard’s son wanted for Christmas was a Turbo Man doll. The only problem was that every child wanted a Turbo Man and it was impossible to find. To prove to his wife and son how much he loved his family, Howard jumped through every possible hoop to get exactly what his son wanted.

The ’90s film didn’t always make sense and had a few inconsistencies throughout but overall, it’s a humorous movie that shows how much a dad loves his son.

12 The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000)

The Ultimate Christmas Present was released almost 22 years ago and original viewers still have questions about Santa’s magical weather machine. When best friends Hannah and Allison find Santa’s secret mountain lodge, they steal his magical climate changer as a way to make it snow in Southern California so they can have their first snow day. But when they lost control of the machine, Santa’s life became harder right before Christmas.

It’s the whimsy that makes this Disney original one of the best holiday movies. Aside from finding Santa lodging in California, the storyline around a snow day gone wrong made viewers sit on the edge of their seats.

11 The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)

There are oodles of adaptations of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but Disney’s version starring the Muppets made it perfect for a younger audience. A Christmas Carol can be rather dark since it shows how much Scrooge needs to change to make his future—and the lives of those around him—a better one.

The Muppets break the tension throughout the tale and bring humor and love to their characters. Due to how likable the Muppets are among generations, it’s a film that’s great for the whole family come Christmas.

10 12 Date Of Christmas (2011)

12 Dates of Christmas originally came out on ABC Family and is now on Disney+. Just like the movie hints, Amy Smart’s character, Kate, is forced to relive Christmas Eve again and again until she finds a way to break the pattern.

On that day, she has to endure a blind date with a man named Miles and eventually learns his part in her life. Smart does a fantastic job at being scared, excited, and concerned all in one while her character finds the true meaning of Christmas. Younger audiences wouldn’t find 12 Dates of Christmas entertaining, but adults would.

9 Frozen (2013)

Frozen is one of the only movies on this list that isn’t technically associated with any winter holiday, but it’s a great option if for those who love the winter. The winter snowscapes in the movie will have viewers feeling cozy, and they are beautiful to look at. The movie follows two sisters as they try to save their friendship and their kingdom despite a curse.

While Frozen isn’t about a particular holiday, it’s a great family-friendly film to enjoy when it’s snowing outside or if wish it was snowing. Plus, it’s a fun film to dive into before watching its sequel, Frozen II.

8 A Christmas Carol (2009)

This adaptation of A Christmas Carol was released in 2009 and features the voice acting of Jim Carrey. The story of A Christmas Carol is not a new one, but Disney did a great job with Ebenezer Scrooge encountering different spirits that inspire him to be a different man.

The biggest downside of this movie is the animation style, similar to The Polar Express, which isn’t very appealing and goes a little into uncanny valley territory. However, the movie’s message is inspiring for the holiday season.

7 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the greatest holiday movies because it can be watched during two of the biggest holidays. It works as both a Halloween and a Christmas movie since Jack Skellington finds his way to Christmas Town from Halloween Town. Jack was so familiar with Halloween that he was taken back by the uplifting spirit and small details of Christmas Town.

The Nightmare Before Christmas gives just enough of a creepy and weird factor while still being appropriate for the entire family to watch for the holiday season.

6 Noelle (2019)

Noelle released in 2019 and is one of the newer Christmas movies that are on Disney+. Starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader, the movie is about saving Christmas. Kendrick plays Noelle Kringle as she tries to bring her brother, Nick Kringle, back to the North Pole so that Christmas can carry on as normal.

Kendrick is enchanting as Santa’s daughter and preaches the good of Christmas to those she encounters while trying to save Nick. It’s a modern, heartfelt movie that’s perfect for the whole family.

5 Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)

While Home Alone might be one of the best and most loved Christmas movies of all time, Home Alone 2 is almost as good as its predecessor in the franchise.

In the sequel, Kevin loses his family yet again around Christmas time, but this time he’s not at home — he’s in New York City. After getting on the wrong plane, Kevin is in the Big Apple while his family is in Miami. Being alone in New York, Kevin then tries to find a safe place to lay low while waiting to hear from his mom and dad. The movie is more for the adults in the family but it’s exciting enough for kids to watch it as well since Kevin is a child in a sea of adults.

4 Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas (1999)

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas might not seem like a well-known holiday classic, but it’s filled with rich life lessons with Christmas as the main attraction. For those that love older cartoons and grew up with characters like Mickey and Pluto, viewers will be surprised by how much they enjoy Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas.

This movie is really an anthology of a few different Mickey cartoons including a Gift of the Magi retelling. And, Disney+ also offers a Mickey version of A Christmas Carol, too, in case viewers just can’t get enough of these adorable animated shorts.

3 I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1998)

I’ll Be Home For Christmas is one of the best Christmas movies from the ’90s. Starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, the movie follows his character as he travels home for Christmas with the hopes of receiving a Porsche as his gift. But when his ride home ditches him, he has to find a way home without money.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas isn’t an instant classic but it’s a movie that shows the importance of family and self-awareness around the holiday season.

2 The Santa Clause (1994)

The Santa Clause is one of the most popular Christmas movies from the past 25 years, and it’s a good one to watch yearly. True The Santa Clause fans know that it’s the best movie out of the trilogy, but all three are a must-see for the holiday season.

The endearing movie revolves around Scott Calvin as he transforms from a normal man to Santa Claus. Scott wasn’t fond of Christmas or children in general but becoming Santa and living at the North Pole changed him for the better. If viewers fell in love with The Santa Clause, Disney+ has the second (The Santa Clause 2) and third (The Santa Clause 3) movies as well.

1 Home Alone (1990)

Of all Christmas movies from the past 20 or so years, Home Alone is definitely one of the most popular and well-loved. Home Alone and Elf are two of the most successful Christmas movies, so it’s definitely one that many people watch each year.

This hilarious story of the intelligent and funny Kevin McAllister as he protects his home from burglars has delighted millions of people. It’s comedic, heartwarming, and unique, and it will always be one of the most popular holiday movies.

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