Disney Plus Christmas movies are the perfect way to celebrate the holidays as we get closer to the big day. While the selection of films isn’t as deep as, say, Netflix or Hulu, Disney Plus has some truly classic and recent Christmas movies to stream or download. That includes an original film that’s exclusive to the service.
So sit back this weekend and stream the best Disney Plus Christmas movies that are available on the service.
Best Disney Plus Christmas movies
1. Noelle
This is the only exclusive film among our Disney Plus Christmas movies list. Anna Kendrick plays the title character, who also happens to be Santa Claus’ daughter. Noelle is full of holiday cheer and happiness, but her brother Nick, played by Bill Hader, is not. That’s a problem as Nick is supposed to take over as the replacement Santa for his father. In fact, just a few days before he’s supposed to start as the new Santa, Nick runs away from the North Pole. It’s up to Noelle to get Nick back and save Christmas.
2. Home Alone
Writer John Hughes and director Chris Columbus released Home Alone in 1990. It was a massive hit and turned its lead actor, Macaulay Culkin, into a huge star overnight. It’s easy to see why. Culkin’s portrayal of 8-year old Kevin McCallister is comedy gold. He’s left at home while his family mistakenly leaves him behind when they go to Paris for Christmas. Kevin quickly enjoys the new freedom of being home alone, but soon has to defend his house against the threat of the “Wet Bandits”. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern match Culkin in comedy acting and timing, as they fall victim to his traps at home. After all this time, the movie still holds up.
If you really want to, you can also stream the 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, on Disney Plus.
3. Miracle on 34th Street
The classic 1947 version of this holiday tale deserves to be in our list of the best Disney Plus Christmas movies. Macy’s department store in New York City, like many stores, has its own Santa Claus for Christmas. However, the man who has Macy’s Santa gig, Kris Kringle (played by Edmund Gwenn), insists that he’s the real deal. It all comes together in a now-famous court scene, where we find out whether or not Santa Claus is real. Be prepared with some tissues.
4. The Santa Clause
The 1994 Christmas movie turned TV sitcom actor Tim Allen into a movie star. Allen plays ad exec Scott Calvin, who manages to encounter Santa Claus on top of his house during Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, Santa then falls to his “death” from the roof. Calvin puts on the Santa suit and manages to complete the toy-giving run. He then discovers that, since he put on the suit, he’s now supposed to become the new Santa Clause. The movie is fun for kids, with just the right amount of adult jokes to keep parents interested as well.
Disney Plus also has the two sequels to this movie: The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.
5. The Muppets Christmas Carol
Yes, it’s yet another adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday story. However, this 1992 release does have none other than Michael Caine playing Ebenezer Scrooge. That brilliant piece of casting makes this movie watchable on its own. Various Muppet characters play most of the rest of the parts in this movie. No, it’s not explained how humans coexist with talking puppet creatures but just go with it. It’s a great way to introduce this classic Christmas story to children.
6. Babes in Toyland
Based very loosely on Victor Herbert’s 1903 operetta, this 1961 adaptation by Disney is something of a curiosity. It’s one of the studio’s first live-action musicals, released well before Mary Poppins. Like that film, it also has an extended animated sequence. The plot is a bit complex as well, considering it’s based on long-established children’s bedtime stories. Basically, an evil man wants to marry a woman, but he has to get rid of her true loved one beforehand. There’s also toy soldiers, appearances by Mother Goose and Po-Peep, and a visit to Toyland, which is the Christmas tie-in.
7. I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Tim Allen’s Home Improvement co-star, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, made a Christmas movie for Disney before The Santa Clause. This 1998 film has Thomas’ character trying to get from California to his family’s home in New York before Christmas Eve ends. If he does, his father will give Thomas his 1957 Porsche. Naturally, this cross-country trip will not be a simple one. Thomas gets double crossed by a rival to his girlfriend. The final result is that Thomas has to go through a ton of trials before arriving home. It’s a fun road trip romp.
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Is this a Christmas movie? Is it a Halloween movie? Hey, why can’t it be both? The Nightmare Before Christmas is still a fun stop-motion animation musical, with characters created by Tim Burton. Jack Skellington, the leader of Halloween Town, finds out there’s also a Christmas Town. He decides that Halloween Town will be in charge of Christmas this year. Skellington even arranges for Santa Claus to be kidnapped, so Skellington can take over giving out presents. The animation and character designs still hold up, and it’s a great alternative among the Disney Plus Christmas movies.
That’s a look at the best Disney Plus Christmas movies. We hope you have a great holiday watching movies on your favorite streaming service.