by Tiki Diva
I heard someone recently state that Walt Disney World is a Winter Wonderland— even without the real snow. You just can’t beat seeing Cinderella Castle all lit up with twinkling icicle lights, or exploring the Jingle (Jungle) Cruise in all its holiday glory. But, what if you can’t make it to Walt Disney World this holiday season? What’s a Diva (or Devo) to do?
Photo Credit: Pink Diva
For many of us, my family included, we just can’t make it to our favorite place on earth every single Christmas. So, I try to emphasize the joy of a Mickey Christmas in my own home by decorating with things we have brought home from the parks– ornaments, seasonal popcorn buckets, figurines, and the like. Like a lot of other visitors, I love to hit up the Christmas stores in the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios to find the perfect way to remember all our good cheer.
I’m bringing the magic of a Disney Christmas home this season by watching my favorite Disney holiday movies all month long. My plan is to cozy up with some fluffy socks, a big bowl of jiffy pop, and a hot toddy or two. (Just kidding. We all know that Tiki Diva always opts for the tall, fruity drinks.) Kick back with me and enjoy some holiday cheer. Your feet won’t even get sore— I promise!
Have a Very Merry Christmas with my Top Ten Disney Christmas Movies:
- Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas
My family has watched this every year since it came out in 2004. It just feels like classic Disney and it never gets old. Enjoy three Disney shorts featuring Mickey, Goofy, and the gang as they celebrate the holidays. My personal favorite, Donald’s Gift, especially resonates with me. I can completely relate to the desire to stay home and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet after a long, busy day. Personally, I wouldn’t say that Donald is a Scrooge, is selfish, or has a lack of Christmas spirit for not wanting to be in the crowds. Eventually, our #1 Duck shakes off his funk in this special Christmas cartoon. Find this one on Netflix or on Amazon. - The Santa Clause
A favorite, dating back to my childhood. Tim Allen’s portrayal of Santa is just perfect and I tear up at the weenie whistle every time. I will never forget how an English teacher used this movie to demonstrate the difference between Claus and clause. Oh, touche. A friend of mine was watching this movie just this morning and has formulated the theory that ol’ Scott Calvin was set up from the very beginning. Watch carefully, and you’ll see. Wow! - Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
My homeschooled daughter was watching this one first thing this morning. Again, join Mickey and friends on three festive adventures. This was the original to Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas sequel. However, debuting in 1999, I missed it the first time around. I can completely understand Goofy’s feelings when Max tries to give up their Santa Claus tradition. Poor old Goofy.
- Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Okay, I know. If you’ve seen one iteration of this Dickens classic, you’ve seen them all. But, as an 80’s kid, I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the absolute best one of them all. This is a pretty short little film, but you’ll get to visit with some rarely-seen characters like Jimmy Cricket, Willie the Giant, and Scrooge McDuck. Watch on Amazon Prime or Youtube. If you want something a little longer, try the Jim Carrey version that Disney released a little more recently. - Olaf’s Frozen Adventure No, not just because of the insane popularity of Frozen. Olaf is super cool. I got all the feels when I saw him bopping around on Frozen Ever After, and meeting him was an absolute blast— an artic blast! No, really. I like warm hugs, too. He’s a keeper.
- Santa Buddies My children adore the “Buddies” movies. Probably, it is more the fact that they feature cute, cuddly, puppies and less a matter of the plots. Personally, I dislike many movies that reference a fading belief in the big man up north, but the kiddos seem to dig the entire Buddy series and loved this one equally. We even have a “Buddy” of our own now, named Maximus (he came with that name, but he’s quite a horse, so we claim it is Disney-intentional). At any rate, tune in to see these Rollie-pollies bring back a healthy dose of Christmas spirit.
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas When I was young, I enjoyed this movie because the main dude was Jonathon Taylor Thomas (again, born in the 80’s. Don’t judge). Now, I tune in to see an entitled teenager learn that being home for Christmas is about more than receiving his dad’s Porsche. If only I could convince my own college freshman son to value family time just as much…
- Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year awww, it’s Pooh Bear. This would be a nice little movie to watch in between Christmas and New Years, or even at Noon Year’s Eve (don’t y’all do that– celebrate at noon so the littles can go to bed at a decent hour? If not, try it!) Pooh and his friends set resolutions, but wind up realizing they were lovely just the way they were. Don’t ever change, Pooh. It looks like this one is hot this year.
- Prep & Landing I cant believe this has already been out for 9 years, now. One for the kids— wouldn’t it be fun to be one of Santa’s elves? Double the fun when you’re a secret elf spy, too! Give this movie as a gift, paired with a super fun spy set for your little double agents.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas I honestly can’t say that I “get” this movie, but judging by the lines to meet Sandy Claws at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party each year, many people absolutely adore it. Someone, please tell me what I’m missing.
In making this list, I realized how special movie days and nights have been with my children. Over the years, we’ve set unintentional traditions in watching these family favorites, as well as others. I know that screen-time should be limited, but do try to allow for some meaningful bonding over these heartwarming holiday stories. You’ll be so glad you did when Junior is hitchhiking home to get his shiny sportscar.. Or… maybe you’ll pull out the old DVD player and remind him of the gift of love, family, and tradition, instead.
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