This holiday season, Disney is celebrating with the campaign message to “Make Someone’s Holiday Magic.” The celebration begins with the all-new, A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever, from Academy Award winner Taika Waititi, available today on Disney+ and online.
Next month, Disney will embark on a Holiday Magic Tour to more than 20 cities around the world, spreading cheer through donations, community activations, special surprises and moments of joy for kids and families. And all season long, Disney holiday magic will be available through special experiences at Disney Parks and Resorts, as well as its films, series, toys and collectibles, and more.
“For generations, Disney has been part of how families celebrate the holidays — through the impact we have in communities, the stories we share, and the lifelong memories we help create that bring people together,” said Disney’s Joanna Balikian, Senior Vice President, Brand Management. “This year, Disney is continuing that legacy of making magic during the holidays all over the world.”
For the second year in a row, Disney and Taika Waititi have collaborated on an original story of friendship for the holidays in A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever. The short film centers on a little girl and her doodle, who comes to life on Christmas Day after Santa mistakes the drawing for a holiday wish.
The Doodle character is voiced by Disney Legend John Goodman, who has voiced numerous beloved animated characters for Disney, including James P. “Sulley” Sullivan from Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013), as well as Pacha in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), and “Big Daddy” La Bouff in The Princess and the Frog (2009).
Walt Disney Animation Studios animator Eric Goldberg, the creator of Disney characters such as Genie from Aladdin (1992), acted as an advisor on the animation of the short in collaboration with Untold Studios, producer hungryman and creative agency adam&eveDDB.
This short follows last year’s Emmy-nominated A Disney Holiday Short: The Boy & The Octopus, also directed by Waititi, whos credits include Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and Searchlight Pictures’ Jojo Rabbit (2019), for which he won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
“What makes this story uniquely Disney is the fact that it’s set in the world of a kid. It’s a kid and her new best friend, navigating the complex world together, and doing it just with the power of friendship and imagination,” said Taika Waititi.
As part of the celebration, Disney’s Holiday Magic Tour will visit communities across the country and around the world, with magical moments at local schools, children’s hospitals and nonprofit organizations, as well as VoluntEARS toy deliveries, exclusive movie screenings, a surprise Broadway cameo, and more. Shows across Disney networks including ESPN’s First Take and SEC Nation, as well as ABC and ABC News programs like Dancing with the Stars, Good Morning America, The View, Live with Kelly and Mark, Tamron Hall and Wheel of Fortune will amplify the spirit of helping kids and families experience holiday magic.
For over 75 years, Disney has worked with the Marine Toys for Tots program to deliver toys, hope, and joy to children in need during the holiday season, a collaboration started by Walt Disney himself. You can join in this year’s Disney Ultimate Toy Drive by donating a toy to Toys for Tots through December 24, 2025, or in person at Disney Stores, the Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort from now through December 14, 2025. Disney’s Consumer Products division will host special Disney Store shopping sprees in all 50 states. In Detroit, a community toy distribution event — in collaboration with Toys for Tots and supported by licensees and retailers — will deliver the spirit of the season through immersive experiences and meaningful giving.
As the holiday season approaches, Stitch is ready to “Unleash the Holidays” with Disney Consumer Products. This year, the mischievous-yet-lovable blue alien is popping up everywhere and bringing favorite characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars along for the ride. Disney offers gifting options for everyone, from toys and collectibles to fashion, accessories and more.
Learn more about Disney’s “Make Somebody’s Holiday Magic” campaign and ways to participate at disney.com/holidaymagic.
