50 Best Christmas Movies To Watch on Disney Plus

With the help of Disney Plus, it is now so easy to watch our favorite Disney movies and shows on-demand without having to wait for them to show up on different streaming services and cable channels. And because it’s Christmas, you might be in the mood for some of the best Disney Christmas moves that are enjoyable to watch during the holidays.

Trust us when we say that Disney is never short of Christmas movies. This is why we have loads of movies to talk about when it comes to some of the best movies that Disney has to offer on Disney Plus. And you will indeed be in the festive mood as you watch these Disney Christmas movies together with your entire family or with a few friends.

Best Christmas Movies on Disney+

When it comes to wholesome family content, you can never beat what Disney Plus has to offer, especially when you look at how large its library of movies is. That is why there is a huge number of different Disney Christmas movies that you can choose when it comes to the holidays.

However, we are here to give a quick rundown of the 50 best Disney Christmas movies that you can stream on-demand.

1. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

There is no better way to start a Disney Christmas movie list than Mickey’s Christmas Carol, as it stars the iconic Mickey Mouse, who is by far the poster boy of the entire Disney franchise. And, of course, this movie also adapts one of the best Christmas stories ever written.

Mickey’s Christmas Carol is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic work, A Christmas Carol, which revolves around the popular Scrooge character. However, this movie ranks as one of the best adaptations in Disney history despite the fact that it is only 25 minutes long.

2. Home Alone (1990)

All of the 90s OGs will never forget the movie that started the entire Home Alone franchise. Of course, we get to see Macaulay Culkin in what is believed to be his best performance as a child actor. For all of the 90s kids out there, get ready for some nostalgia.

Home Alone features the child Kevin McCallister, who gets to learn how important family is as he was left all alone in his home to defend it from some burglars in the middle of the holiday season. And the best part about this film is that we get to see Kevin using his wits in some of the most unique ways by coming up with all sorts of traps.

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

The Nightmare Before Christmas is another 90s kids classic that has always been one of the favorites among those who grew up in the 90s. That’s because this Christmas movie delivers a unique twist to the vanilla Christmas movie genre, as it blends a bit of horror and spookiness with the holidays.

This film focuses on the king of Halloween named Jack Skellington, who got bored of the usual things that he does every single year. He eventually discovers Christmastown, which he plots to take over by taking the role of Santa Claus himself. It’s a movie full of misadventures that can be fun, spooky, and ridiculous all at the same time.

4. Babes in Toyland (1961)

This is by far one of the oldest Disney Christmas movies we have on this list as we go back decades into the past with Babes in Toyland. And what you should know is that, in some parts of the US, watching this film is a Christmas tradition.

The thing about Babes in Toyland is that it is actually a pretty good smorgasbord of different themes that dwell on fantasy and Christmas. It takes place in the enchanted Toyland, all while incorporating amazingly written storybook characters that only make the entire film as great as it is.

5. One Magic Christmas (1985)

One Magic Christmas is one of the Christmas movies that you will really love when it comes to how it gets the heartstrings tugging. It focuses a lot on family and on how parents are willing to give their all for their family not only during the holidays but at any given time of the year.

The movie focuses on a mom who is down on her luck during the holidays. However, an angel is sent to watch over her family and to act as a protector, all while the mom is trying her best to give her family the best Christmas possible.

6. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

We now have another version of the classic Charles Dickens story when we now look at The Muppet Christmas Carol. However, the difference here is that the movie focuses on The Muppets, which are some of the most beloved Disney characters ever created.

The Muppet Christmas Carol focuses on Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the rest of the entire Muppet crew, as they are on a mission to teach Scrooge what the true meaning of Christmas is all about. And did we mention that Michael Caine plays the role of Scrooge here?

7. The Santa Clause (1994)

The thing about the 90s is that it has a host of different Christmas movies that usually rank at the top of the list in terms of the greatest that Disney has to offer. And we find ourselves with another 90s classic in the form of The Santa Clause.

The Santa Clause follows Tim Allen, who plays the role of a toy salesman but suddenly finds himself as the next Santa Claus in a twist of fate. Now, he struggles to find a way to fulfill his duty as Santa Claus while also making sure that he gets to fulfill his duty as a father as well.

8. Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish (1998)

Richie Rich will always be one of those 90s favorite characters, but we are not seeing Macaulay Culkin as the legendary boy millionaire in this direct-to-video movie. But while the popular 90s icon may have been recast in this movie, you will still love this Christmas version of Richie Rich.

Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish dwells on the importance of being thankful, which has always been one of the biggest themes of any holiday movie. After all, if you are the world’s richest kid, being thankful for what you have and being generous to others is the only way you should be celebrating the holidays.

9. Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)

Beauty and the Beast is another 90s classic that 90s kids grew up watching. And this film is actually a Christmas version of the classic movie, as it dwells on Belle’s life with the Beast in the middle of the holiday season.

The Enchanted Christmas happens in the middle of the original film, as we notice that Belle is still a prisoner and the Beast is still a beast. However, the Christmas theme of the movie shows us how everyone in the mansion got closer to one another to celebrate the holidays in the best way possible.

10. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

The second and final Home Alone movie that Macauley Culkin is in is Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Again, the film takes place in the middle of the holidays in the Big Apple, as Kevin is now lost in New York and living in a hotel instead of staying at home.

Home Alone 2 might not be as iconic as the first film, but it still has a huge spot in the hearts of many 90s kids, especially those who have ever dreamed of living in a hotel in New York. Of course, we also get a quick cameo of former US President Donald Trump in this film back when he was just a rich man and was yet to dream of becoming a politician.

11. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998)

While Macauley Culkin is every 90s kid’s crush, Jonathan Taylor Thomas is every 90s teen’s dream boyfriend, as we see him in a Christmas comedy movie that a lot of today’s grown-up adults grew up watching back in their day.

JTT stars as a teen who just wants to go home for the holidays but ends up having to face a lot of different obstacles that fate seemingly placed in front of him to make his journey funny and much more eventful.

And the thing you need to know is that he only wants to go home because, as a selfish college student, he only wants to claim his father’s car and nothing more than that. However, he gets to learn a lot of things about the true meaning of the holidays in this film.

12. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999)

It is no secret that we have plenty of different Mickey Mouse Christmas films on this list because Disney has and will always revolve around the iconic rodent. And we have a film that launched another Christmas movie franchise.

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas is not as long as some of the other films on this list. However, it’s a good way to cheer the entire family up during the holidays, as we see an hour-long anthology of different Disney characters in several holiday-themed stories. 

13. The Ultimate Christmas Present (2001)

Kids living in Los Angeles or any part of Southern California would know how frustrating it can be to live in a region that hardly sees any snowfall in the middle of Christmas. But this movie gives you a perspective of what happens when it snows in Los Angeles.

The Ultimate Christmas Present follows the story of kids who suddenly find Santa’s weather-making machine. Of course, wishing for it to snow in LA, they use the machine to make it snow in Southern California, as they eventually learn that there is a price to pay for messing with the weather in a place that shouldn’t be seeing any snowfall.

14. ‘Twas the Night (2001)

‘Twas the Night is more of a mature Christmas movie that is still family-oriented but is more relatable to older people because of how it isn’t child or teen-oriented. Still, the entire family will love this movie during the holidays.

The movie follows the story of someone who is always in trouble because, well, he likes making mischief. While hiding from some criminals in his brother’s family, he suddenly gets ahold of a device that stops time. Of course, he got that device from Santa, who uses it to deliver gifts during Christmas.

15. Three Days (2001)

Three Days is one of the most tear-jerking movies we have on this list because of how it focuses on different themes such as romance, family, and knowing the importance of living in the moment. That’s why you should get some tissues ready for this movie.

This film is centered on a husband and wife who have been fighting in the middle of the holiday season. The wife suddenly gets killed in an accident when she runs to the street to save a neighbor’s dog from getting hit by a car. Suddenly, an angel gives the husband a chance for his wife to relive her last three days.

Of course, he hopes to change fate by trying his best to make the most of the time he had left with his wife.

16. Life Size 2: A Christmas Eve (2018)

As one of the newer movies on this list, Life Size 2 stars one of the most popular models of all time in Tyra Banks, who you probably know as the star host of America’s Next Top Model. Of course, she plays the role of a doll in this movie because we all know that dolls are models.

Life Size 2 follows the story of the iconic life-size doll named Eve in this Christmas-themed movie about knowing what it is to be a star in your own unique way.

17. Noelle (2019)

Noelle is a trailblazer because this is the first Disney Christmas movie that was ever released on Disney Plus. Of course, it was able to hit big with a holiday comedy film that was able to give us a new perspective of what new-age holiday films should be all about.

The movie focuses on Santa’s Children, as his son Nick goes missing even though he was supposed to take over the family role as the next Santa. As such, it falls on Noelle (played by the lovely Anna Kendrick) to save Christmas and to put things right in time for the holidays.

18. A Christmas Carol (2009)

Yes, we once again have another version of Charles Dickens’ work on this list because there are plenty of Disney movies that adapted this story. However, what you are going to like about A Christmas Carol is that it is faithful to the original work.

A Christmas Carol stars Jim Carrey as Scrooge in what is a motion-capture film that follows the original work almost down to the letter. And, of course, thanks to motion-capture technology, Carrey also plays the three ghosts of Christmas. 

19. Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017)

Frozen is one of the most successful Disney animated films of the modern age, and it has become a rite of passage for every kid born during the 2010s. Of course, banking on the popularity of Frozen, Disney delivered well enough with Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.

Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is a 22-minute Christmas special that stars the popular snowman Olaf. The snowman is in search of a Christmas tradition for the sisters Anna and Elsa, who realize that they don’t have a Christmas tradition after being estranged for years.

20. A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008)

This is the second Muppets Christmas movie that we have on this list. And it promises to be just as good as the first one due to the fact that this story is almost entirely original and is not based on a previous work.

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa follows the Muppets crew as they try to deliver letters to the North Pole after they realize that they actually missed a few letters the first time around. And you will love how it features cameo appearances from some of the most popular actors Hollywood has to offer.

21. Full Court Miracle (2003)

Full Court Miracle is a holiday movie that was made for Jewish kids who don’t celebrate Christmas. Still, that doesn’t take away the fact that this is just as good as any kind of Christmas movie out there.

The movie follows the story of a team of high school basketball players in a Hebrew school. Their team struggles to win games, but the players soon begin to notice that there are similarities between their head coach and the story of Judah. Of course, the miracles stem from the fact that there are parallelisms between the two stories.

22. The Mistle-Tones (2012)

The Mistle-Tones is a great Christmas movie for those who want to watch musicals in the middle of the holiday season. It’s a great way to have the entire family singing in time for the festivities of Christmas.

This film focuses on Holly, who was rejected from the legendary musical group called The Snow Belles. The rejection prompts her to form her own caroling crew called, you guessed it, The Mistle-Tones. And this leads to a sing-off between her group and the one that rejected her.

23. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Yes, we know. You are wondering why Iron Man 3 is on a list of Christmas movies even though we all know that this is a superhero film. But it has been confirmed by the big boss of Marvel himself that Iron Man 3 is a Christmas movie. So, who are we to say that he is wrong?

Iron Man 3 is the third installment of the Iron Man trilogy, which centers on Tony Stark, the man also known as Iron Man. Stark sees his loved ones and friends being attacked by what is seemingly a terrorist group, as Iron Man sets off on an adventure that tests the limits of his ingenuity with or without his suit.

24. Santa Buddies (2009)

Santa Buddies is actually a film that is a spin-off of the Air Bud series of movies. And, you guessed it, this film focuses on dogs as the main characters of the film. Who doesn’t like puppies and Christmas?

Santa Buddies follows the story of a team of puppies who are out there to save Christmas. Of course, the puppies are going to have to go through different types of obstacles to fulfill their mission.

25. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

While You Were Sleeping is another 90s classic that will never get old. And you will certainly love the performance that Sandra Bullock puts on in this film.

The story focuses on Bullock, who works as a transit worker. She saves a man from a train, and the same man winds up in a comma. When the man wakes up, he thinks that Bullock is his fiancée. Naturally, she gets along with it in what is a touching story about romance in Christmas.

26. The Santa Clause 3: Escape Clause (2006)

The Santa Clause 3: Escape Clause is the third installment of the popular Santa Clause franchise. And this time, there is a clear antagonist that Tim Allen is now up against as Santa Claus himself.

In the third Santa Clause film, Santa is now against his rival Jack Frost, who wants to take over the North Pole. And we also see Santa’s in-laws visiting him up in the north during the entire commotion.

27. 12 Dates of Christmas (2011)

If you want a good romance Christmas movie, 12 Dates of Christmas is a good way to start your holiday season. This movie originally aired on ABC Family but managed to find itself on Disney Plus.

12 Dates of Christmas stars a couple who keep on reliving their Christmas Eve blind date over and over again. As such, the two are now looking to find a way to break the cycle so that they can finally move on to Christmas Day.

28. Snowglobe (2007)

Christina Milian, who we all love in chick flicks and rom-coms, stars in Snowglobe, which is a fantasy Christmas movie that teaches us that we shouldn’t wish for more than we bargained for.

The film follows Milian, who just wants to have the perfect Christmas. She finds a snowglobe that actually teleports her to a snowglobe-type of a world where it is Christmas each and every day.

29. Prep and Landing (2009)

Prep and Landing is a fun 22-minute animated short film that follows elves, who are on a mission to prepare the houses for the arrival of Santa Claus during Christmas. It’s a fun short film that is great for the entire family and not only for the kids.

30. Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas (2011)

Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas is actually a Disney Channel movie that follows the story of a Disney Channel series you may be familiar with.

The movie follows the story of the Duncan family, which is on a road trip for the holidays. Of course, like most holiday trips, we see the Duncans running into some trouble in the middle of their road trip.

31. Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic (2017)

Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic is not your typical movie. In fact, we wouldn’t even say it’s a movie at all. Instead, this is actually a documentary film that is 42 minutes long and should be great for those who want to watch how the different Disney theme parks transform in time for the holidays.

In short, this allows you to see the magic that goes behind decorating Disneyland and Disney World during the Christmas season.

32. High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special (2020)

High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special is not the High School Musical that features Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. However, we get to see this 45-minute film giving us plenty of Christmas-themed songs that everyone will surely love.

This film is acutely based on the High School Musical series that you can watch on Disney Channel. Of course, the cream of the crop is Olivia Rodrigo singing and starring in a holiday special from Disney.

33. Godmothered (2020)

Godmothered is one of the newer films we have on this list, and it features a good cast of characters in a film that has a pretty original storyline that you might not have seen anywhere else.

In this movie, we see a fairy godmother-in-training helping a struggling single mom in the hopes of proving to the world that everyone still needs a fairy godmother. However, what you should know is that this is more of a Christmastime movie instead of an actual Christmas movie.

34. Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)

Home Sweet home Alone is the newest movie in the Home Alone franchise, and it reboots the entire Home Alone series. This is actually a fairly new film, as it was released back in November of 2021.

The film follows the usual Home Alone franchise in the sense that the entire family goes on a vacation and leaves the star of the movie all alone. However, because it incorporates new characters and newer themes, it should be a fun way to enjoy a more modern version of Home Alone.

35. Home Alone 3 (1997)

Home Alone 3 is the first Home Alone that doesn’t feature Culkin playing the role of Kevin. In that sense, you might want to temper your expectations if you are expecting the same kind of appeal that the first two Home Alone films have. Still, Home Alone 3 is as fun as it can get despite the fact that it isn’t as great as its predecessors. 

36. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is an ambitious fantasy film that is full of colorful sceneries and a great cast of characters that revolve around Keira Knightley and Morgan Freeman.

While it doesn’t have the same kind of fanfare that most other Disney movies tend to have, this is still a wonderful Christmas film that you need to watch, especially if you are a fan of the beloved holiday ballet story.

37. The Search for Santa Paws (2010)

The Search for Santa Paws is the second installment of the entire Air Bud holiday movie series. This time, we see Santa Claus and his canine companion Santa Claus on an important Christmas mission. The two are on a mission to convince a large toy store owner to continue providing toys for Christmas in the same way that his grandfather did in the past.

38. LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)

LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is a Christmas movie that was made for those who are fans of LEGO and of Star Wars. And while the original Star Wars Holiday Special had some bad reviews, this one is going to be a lot better.

The film follows the story of the newer generation of Star Wars characters Rey, Finn, and Poe. However, they are in their LEGO form as they use the same kind of LEGO humor that made the LEGO films so popular.

39. The Santa Clause 2 (2002)

The Santa Clause 2 is a follow-up to the 90s classic film starring Tim Allen as Santa Claus, who has been working as Santa for eight years already. However, he learns that his son has landed on the naughty list. And the worst part of it all is that he needs to get married by Christmas Eve or else he will have to stop his job as Santa Claus.

40. Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups (2012)

Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups is once again a film that takes part in the entire Air Bud franchise. This time, we see Mrs. Claus visiting the children of Pineville only to find out that there were mischievous puppies who came along with her. 

But she will soon find out that these puppies are going to be vital when it comes to saving Christmas. It’s a heartwarming film that follows the usual Santa Paws formula of cute puppies saving the day.

41. Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (2004)

Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas is the sequel to Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas. Like the first movie, this is actually an anthology or a collection of different short stories that feature different Disney characters in their own Christmas-themed stories.

There are five shorts in total, and all of them are special and unique in their own way. That’s why you should watch this together with the first film to make the holidays more special.

42. A Very Merry Pooh Year (2002)

A Very Merry Pooh Year is based on the Winnie the Pooh franchise, which is one of the most beloved franchises in all of Disney. It is only right that we feature a Pooh-themed Christmas movie on this list.

The story revolves around Pooh hiding a present from Piglet. We then see him and the other characters telling the young Roo a story about a past Christmas. After that, they recall a New Year wherein Rabbit actually got too irritated with Poo to the point that he wanted to move away.

43. The Christmas Star (1986)

The Christmas Star is a heartwarming tale of a mischievous person’s change of heart. In a way, this makes it great for the entire family because there are several themes covered by this good Christmas film.

This movie revolves around a con man who was able to break himself out of prison by dressing up as Santa Claus. He then recovers his hidden stash of stolen loot, but he finds himself in trouble when two kids thought that he was really the real Santa.

44. Pluto’s Christmas Tree (1951)

Pluto’s Christmas Tree is the oldest movie we have on this list as we have to go back to the 50s. However, what you should know is that this is only seven minutes short.

Still, seven minutes should be more than enough to entertain you, as Mickey and Pluto chop down a tree in the hopes of bringing it home for Christmas only to find out that this was the very same tree that Chip’ n Dale call home.

45. Prep and Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (2011)

Prep and Landing: Naughty and Nice is the follow-up to the original Prep and Landing film. That means that this animated short still follows the same format and style as the first movie but has a new story to tell.

Naughty and Nice follows the story of how a hacker was able to hack into the North Pole’s system. As such, our heroic elves are now charged to save the day before Christmas arrives. And don’t let your kids watch this movie because there is a magical word that gets them out of the naughty list. They won’t stop saying that word until Christmas morning.

46. Disney Channel Epic Holiday Showdown (2020)

Disney Channel Epic Holiday Showdown is one of the newer Disney Channel films we have on this list. And the thing you need to know is that it once again follows the same Ebenezer Scrooge format but with a different twist.

What happens here is that Scrooge cursed Christmas, as Santa and Mrs. Claus are now tasked to stop him. But to make things easier, they now recruit kids from different Disney Channel shows for help so that they could put a stop to Scrooge’s plans of ruining Christmas for everyone.

47. Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas (2021)

Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas is a follow-up to Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas. This is one of the newer Christmas movies we have on this list, as it only premiered in December of 2021.

The difference here is that this isn’t exactly an anthology. Instead, we see Mickey and the rest of the Hot Dog Hills gang getting separated all over the world. They now have to return home to Hot Dog Hills in time for Christmas Eve.

48. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

This is once again similar to Iron Man 3 in the sense that you wouldn’t think it’s a Christmas movie. However, it was confirmed that The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is actually a Christmas movie.

Based on the classic CS Lewis novels, Narnia is a story that follows four siblings who are sent to a country house to be safe from the WWII bombings happening in London. They somehow stumble upon a wardrobe that transports them to a fantasy world full of talking animals and evil witches.

49. Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House

Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House is the fourth installment of the Kevin McCallister series. While it does not feature Macauley Culkin, it does have a pretty good cast of new faces that you are going to enjoy.

The story revolves around the McCallister family, as Kevin is upset that his parents got divorced. Now forced to choose where he wants to celebrate the holidays, Kevin decides to go to his father’s love interest, Natalie’s mansion. And now he schemes to get his family back together while also protecting a royal prince from getting abducted.

50. Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011)

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas is found somewhere within the entire Ice Age film series. Regardless of where in the continuation it happens, A Mammoth Christmas is a short film that revolves around Christmas, all while bringing the entire gang back together.

And after Sid finds out that he is now on the naughty list, he takes a journey to the North Pole to try to plead his case to Santa Claus.