How will you celebrate the 25 Days of Christmas? Here is our guide on ways to celebrate the season the Disbney way. From television specials, park events, and gift giving opportunities and more. What are you doing this holiday season?
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1
25 Days of Christmas begins of ABC Family (soon to be Freeform) with a varied schedule featuring Disney favorites and more. Here is a look at the kickoff lineup:
The Preacher’s Wife, 7 a.m.
Disney’s A Christmas Carol 11 a.m.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas, 1 p.m.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, 2:30 p.m.
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland, 3:30 p.m.
Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July, 4 p.m.
The Year Without a Santa Claus, 6 p.m.
The Polar Express, 7 p.m.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (live action), 9 p.m.
The Year Without a Santa Clause, midnight
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year 1 a.m.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2
Embrace the spirit of the season by giving back during ESPN’s annual Jimmy V Week. To kick off this fundraising drive for cancer research, ESPN will simulcast former NC State coach Jim Valvano’s 1993 ESPYS speech on Wednesday, Dec. 2, with excerpts from ESPN SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott’s 2014 ESPYS speech.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3
ABC has some holiday specials to get you in the holiday spirit:
“Toy Story That Time Forgot” – Pixar Animation Studios’ special for television, “Toy Story That Time Forgot,” features your favorite characters from the “Toy Story” films. During a post-Christmas play date, the “Toy Story” gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It’s all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie’s room in this “Toy Story That Time Forgot.” The cast of “Toy Story That Time Forgot” includes Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Kristen Schaal as Trixie, Kevin McKidd (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as Reptillus Maximus, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Joan Cusack as Jessie. (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
“Shrek the Halls” – DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek the Halls,” a half-hour of entertainment starring America’s favorite ogre and his friends and featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas. Just when Shrek thought he could finally sit back, relax and enjoy his happily ever after with his new family, the most joyous of all holidays arrives. It’s Christmas Eve and everyone is filled with holiday cheer — except for Shrek. He isn’t exactly the picture of yuletide joy, but for the sake of Fiona and the kids, he tries to get into the spirit of things as only an ogre can. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have their own ideas about what Christmas is all about, so when Donkey, Puss In Boots, Gingerbread Man and the whole gang try to join in on the fun, Shrek’s plans for a cozy family celebration end up spiraling into one truly unforgettable Christmas. (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
“CMA Country Christmas” — Some of the biggest names in music will come together to celebrate the holidays on ”CMA Country Christmas,” a two-hour special hosted for the sixth year by Jennifer Nettles. The special is a celebration of the season featuring some of the top stars in music performing holiday songs and getting into the Christmas spirit. (9:00-11:00 p.m.)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4
Disney Channel celebrates Fa-La-La-Lidays with special episodes of Bunk’d and Girl Meets World. They also have a Radio Disney special to end the night.
8:00 p.m. – “BUNK’D”
“Secret Santa” – Ravi’s advice to Emma and Lou on their CIT gift exchange doesn’t go as imagined. Meanwhile, Skai, Xander, Jorge and Tiffany run into a disgruntled man they are convinced is Santa and must work together to save Christmas.
8:30 p.m. – “Girl Meets World”
“Girl Meets The New Year” – Farkle tells Riley that she has until midnight on New Year’s Eve to tell everyone how she really feels about Lucas.
9:00 p.m. – “Disney Channel Fa-La-La-Lidays Celebrates a Radio Disney Family Holiday”
Hosted by “Girl Meets World” star and Hollywood Records recording artist Sabrina Carpenter, the special will include performances by some of today’s most popular Radio Disney artists, including Carpenter, Andy Grammer, Charlie Puth, current ‘NBT’ featured artist Jacob Whitesides, Forever In Your Mind and Radio Disney country-music rising-star Mickey Guyton. The special will also feature appearances by Disney Channel stars, including Sofia Carson (“Descendants”).
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5
Looking for a fun Disney gift? Disney Design Group Artist, Quynh Kimball will be at the Disneyland Resort throughout the day for a special Game Demo to showcase his latest Disney inspired board games including Connect Four. He will be at Elias & Co. in Disney California Adventure from 11a.m. – 1p.m. and World of Disney at Downtown Disney from 3p.m. – 5p.m.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6
Fa-La-La-Lidays continues with more holiday episodes of your favorite Disney Channel shows.
8:00 p.m. – “K.C. Undercover”
“‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas” – When K.C. gives her dad the perfect Christmas gift – a surprise visit from his father – she is the one who is surprised when she learns Craig and her Poppa Earl don’t really get along, and he has no idea they are all spies.
Guest starring is George Wallace as Poppa Earl.
8:30 p.m. – “Best Friends Whenever”
“The Girls of Christmas Past” – Things spin out of control when Cyd travels back to Christmas the year before to try and figure out the perfect gift for Shelby. Meanwhile, Barry and Naldo’s Winter Wonderland experiment sparks an elf war, with Bret and Chet leading the charge.
9:00 p.m. – “Austin & Ally”
“Santas & Surprises” – When one of Austin and Ally’s music students is sad about spending Christmas away from her father, the gang rallies around her to try and make her happy.
9:30 p.m. – “Liv and Maddie”
“Joy-To-A-Rooney” – Liv invites her “Voltage” director and crew over for the Rooney’s traditional Christmas Eve dinner but is forced to enlist Artie’s help to prepare the famed meal. Meanwhile, Maddie and Willow’s gift exchange takes a surprising turn.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7
ABC has a night of special holiday series with the season premiere of The Great Christmas Light Fight and a new episode of The Great Holiday Baking Show.
“The Great Christmas Light Fight” – SEASON PREMIERE– It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas with ABC’s hit holiday decorating competition series, “The Great Christmas Light Fight” returning for its third season with all new celebrity judges, Taniya Nayak and Carter Oosterhouse. “The Great Christmas Light Fight” is a competition series in which 20 families and three neighborhoods from across America decorate their homes to the extreme. In each episode, four families compete for a cash prize as they transform their homes into a festive wonderland for the holidays. (8:00- 10:00 p.m.)
“The Great Holiday Baking Show” – Hosted by Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) and husband Ian Gomez (“Cougar Town”) “The Great Holiday Baking Show” stars some of the nation’s best amateur bakers as they compete in a series of themed challenges and eliminations all hoping to be crowned Holiday Baking Champion. (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8
“Fresh Off the Boat” –“The Real Santa” – Jessica loves the holidays, but feels that Santa could use some improvements. So she and Louis convince Evan that Santa is a scientist with multiple post-graduate degrees from Princeton and has a close relationship with his mother. Meanwhile, Eddie and Emery are struggling to find the perfect Christmas gift for their mother. (8:30–9:00 p.m.)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9
“The Middle” – “No Silent Night” –In an episode that takes place entirely on Christmas Eve, it’s a not so silent night for the Hecks as an attempt to stay home and watch church on TV instead of going to actual church sets off a string of events that finds the ties that bind hilariously unraveling in near real time. (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
“The Goldbergs” – “A Christmas Story” –Disappointed with her unenthusiastic family during the holidays, Beverly creates “Super Hanukkah” to get them into the spirit but it’s too similar to Christmas. Meanwhile, Adam is annoyed that Barry is more interested in hanging with Lainey than him, so he triple-dog dares his brother with results neither one see coming. (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
“black-ish” – “Stuff” — Dre thinks Christmas has become commercialized and is all about “stuff,” and no one loves “stuff” more than his kids. Pops thinks they have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas and comes up with a new plan to pare down gifts and spend more time together. The kids don’t handle the news well and hope that if they act nice, Dre and Bow will change their stance. Meanwhile, Dre shares his Christmas plan at work and they have him starting to doubt his new traditions. (9:30-10:00 p.m.)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10
Tonight is all about Toy Story. ABC will air a tribute to the Pixar Animation Studios film that ushered in a new era of computer generated animation. The special will take a look at how Pixar’s early beginnings making short, digitally-animated films lead them to take the bold step of making the first feature length computer animated film, “Toy Story.” Producers, animators, technical artists, designers and some of the film’s voice talent will discuss making the film and the impact it has had over the years, spawning two sequels, with a new installment, “Toy Story 4,” on the way. “Toy Story 20th Anniversary” will be executive produced and directed by Brad Lachman of Brad Lachman Productions in conjunction with Pixar Animation Studios. (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
The special will be followed be a broadcast of the landmark film.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11
“Last Man Standing” – “Gift of the Wise Man” – Mike, annoyed at how far his family has moved away from the true spirit of Christmas, tells them he doesn’t want any physical gifts this year. Instead, he just wants each of them to perform a “good deed” for him. Meanwhile, Chuck is nominated to be Outdoor Man’s in-store Santa for the season. (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
“Dr. Ken” — “The Master Scheduler” – When Allison gushes about how excited she is to go to Hawaii for the holidays, Ken realizes that he forgot to ask for those days off. So Ken, not wanting to admit he messed up, turns to lying, begging and bribing in hopes that the master scheduler for the office (with whom no one has ever met) can give him the time off. (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12
Looking for a last minute gift for the Disney fan on your list? Authors Dave Bossert and Eric Goldberg will be on hand for a special signing event of their newest releases Dali & Disney: Destino, as well as An Animator’s Gallery. Meet Dave and Eric from 2–4 p.m. at World of Disney in the Downtown Disney.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13
D23 Holiday Gingerbread House Building Workshop – D23 members of all ages are invited to partake in this festive and fun tradition of building and decorating holiday gingerbread houses. This fun activity takes place at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen at the Disneyland Resort’s Downtown Disney.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
Enjoy brand new episodes of The Great Christmas Light Fight and The Great Holiday Baking Show on ABC.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15
Tonight is one of the last night’s for the 2015 edition of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. Enjoy live entertainment, spectacular fireworks and an oh-so-jolly holiday parade at this festive winter celebration.
WEDNEDAY, DECEMBER 16
Stay inside and enjoy Walt’s chili, you can find the recipe at D23.com
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17
Enjoy the Prep & Landing specials airing back to back on ABC.
“Disney Prep & Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studios brings you a half-hour holiday special tale of an elite unit of Elves known as Prep & Landing. After working tirelessly on Prep & Landing for 227 years, an elf named Wayne is upset when he doesn’t receive an expected promotion to be the Director of Naughty List Intelligence. Instead, Magee, the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center Coordinator (NPCECCC for short), partners Wayne with Lanny, an idealistic rookie who has an undying enthusiasm for Christmas. During their Christmas Eve mission, Wayne and Lanny encounter unexpected challenges that push them to their limits. Will the elves be able to guide Dasher, Dancer and the rest of the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh through a raging snowstorm to ensure a Merry Christmas for all? (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET)
“Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice” – The yuletide adventures of Christmas elves Lanny and Wayne continue. With the Big 2-5 fast approaching, Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology that has fallen into the hands of a computer-hacking Naughty Kid! Desperate to prevent Christmas from descending into chaos, Wayne seeks out the foremost Naughty Kid expert to aid in the mission, a bombastic member of the Coal Elf Brigade who also happens to be his estranged brother, Noel. (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18
“Yes, Virginia” – New York City, 1897. A little girl named Virginia O’Hanlon loves Christmas more than anything else in the world. But when a schoolyard bully challenges her belief in Santa Clause, Virginia embarks on a quest across the city to prove he is real. With her best friend Ollie in tow, Virginia meets everyone from an overeager librarian to a Scraggly Santa raising money for the poor. Finally, her father inspires her to write a letter to the New York Sun newspaper, claiming if you see it in the Sun, it’s so. Based on the true story of the most famous newspaper editorial of all time, “Yes, Virginia” is a charming and heartwarming tale about believing in the true spirit of Christmas. This animated special features the voices of Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Michael Buscemi, Alfred Molina and Beatrice Miller. (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19
“I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!” –“I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!” centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It’s Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun’s big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer. However, his faithful but unpredictable beagle companion has plans of his own, giving ReRun reason to ask Snoopy to invite his canine brother, Spike, for a visit. The cast of “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!” includes Jimmy Bennett as ReRun, Adam Taylor Gordon as Charlie Brown, Ashley Rose Orr as Lucy Van Pelt, Corey Padnos as Linus Van Pelt, Hannah Leigh Dworkin as Sally, Nick Price as Schroeder, Jake Miner as Pig Pen/Franklin, Kaitlyn Maggio as the little girl and Bill Melendez as Snoopy. (8:00-9:00 p.m.) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/9/03)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20
Celebrate the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Walt Disney World whe Mike Kungl will appear 2 – 5 p.m at Watto’s Grotto at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. He will also appear from 7 – 9 p.m. at D-Street in Disney Springs West Side
MONDAY, DECEMBER 21
Tonight are the season finales of The Great Christmas Light Fight and The Great Christmas Baking Show on ABC.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22
ESPN’s 2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is set for Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 1:30 p.m. MST/3:30 p.m. EST. The 19th annual game moves away from a Saturday for the first time in five years, but will be the only bowl game airing during the new time slot and will air on ESPN
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23
Holidays Around the World continues featuring the Candlelight Processional continues. Tonight’s narrator is Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim. Perhaps he will explain the ending of the series as well as retelling the story of Christmas.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24
Christmas Eve features some Disney favorites on ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas. Enjoy some Disney magic as your family gathers together on this special night:
The Nightmare Before Christmas, 3:15 p.m.
Disney’s Prep & Landing, 5 p.m.
Disney’s Prep & Landing Naughty vs. Nice, 5:30 p.m.
Toy Story That Time Forgot, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25
Celebrate our Christmas Day tradition with the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. This year, the theme is an Unforgettable Celebration. Look for lots of musical performances and surprises during the annual broadcast.