New ‘Prep & Landing’ Animated Holiday Special Sets Disney TV & Streaming Launch

The elves are back in action with a new holiday mission! For the 2025 season, the brand-new Christmas special Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol will debut Thanksgiving Day (November 27) on Disney Channel at 7 p.m. EST/PST, available the next day on Disney+. The rollout will continue with network premieres on ABC and on Freeform during its yearly “25 Days of Christmas” programming event.

Disney Branded Television also revealed a first look at the special with a teaser trailer (watch it below), key art and a squeal-worthy still featuring Nog (short for Commodore Charles Eggnogginton III), an irresistibly cute seal pup who becomes a part of the elves’ hijinks and adventures.

Synopsis: Marking the franchise’s return after more than a decade, Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol is the fourth installment in a series of popular animated holiday specials featuring Christmas elves from an elite organization tasked with preparing homes worldwide for Santa’s arrival.

The new special follows Christmas elves Lanny and Wayne, whose holiday mission goes awry, leaving Wayne convinced he’s in major trouble with Santa and accidentally revealing other merry mishaps. Magee, the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center Coordinator and lover of eggnog lattes, brings along her pet arctic seal pup Nog to the office — kicking off endless hijinks.

Original voice cast reuniting for the special includes Dave Foley as Wayne, a world-weary but dedicated Prep & Landing elf, alongside Sarah Chalke as Magee, the ambitious and eggnog latte-obsessed Command Center Coordinator, and Derek Richardson as Lanny, Wayne’s loyal friend and ever-agreeable partner.

They will be joined by new cast members Manny Jacinto as Renato, the most sought-after massage therapist and holistic healer in the North Pole; Dulcé Sloan as Janice, a clerk at the North Pole Post Office; and Danny Pudi as Chef Geoff, the master chef at the Fruitcake Factory. Rounding out the cast is Christopher Swindle as The Big Guy, a.k.a. Santa.

Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton return to their roles as executive producers, and Colleen Evanson is co-producer and story editor. Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol is produced by Disney Television Animation, part of Disney Branded Television.

Previous specials Prep & Landing (2009), Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa (2010) and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (2011) are currently available to stream on Disney+. Toddland will be launching a limited-edition merchandise collection inspired by the new holiday special.