Ready to get into the spirit of the season a little early? Disney invites audiences into a heartwarming new original story with A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever, directed by Academy Award® winner Taika Waititi. Premiering today on Disney+ and online, and featuring the voice of Disney Legend John Goodman as Doodle, the short serves as the centerpiece for Disney’s “Make Someone’s Holiday Magic” campaign, also launching today.
At the center of the story is a little girl and her doodle who comes to life on Christmas Day after Santa mistakes the drawing for a holiday wish. The short follows the charming story of the friendship between the girl and the animated product of her imagination during this magical season in a uniquely Disney way. The film ends with a call to action for viewers, “Make Someone’s Holiday Magic”—which serves as the tagline for Disney’s holiday campaign this year. Iconic Walt Disney Animation Studios animator Eric Goldberg, the creator of beloved 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.
The short follows last year’s Emmy®-nominated, A Disney Holiday Short: The Boy & The Octopus, also directed by Waititi, whose Disney 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 Waititi.
The lovable character Doodle is voiced by Goodman, who has voiced several 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), among many other Disney titles.
Explained Goodman, “I’ve always loved being part of Disney stories because there’s a timelessness to Disney’s storytelling—it’s fun, it’s heartfelt, and it reminds families of what really matters. This wonderful short captures that same spirit perfectly.”
On Wednesday, November 12, to celebrate A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever, Disney is inviting fans to help create a little magic of their own in Times Square. Fans will be able to submit their own doodles using a QR code and watch as their art comes to life on the billboard. This interactive experience will be a first-of-its-kind to light up the streets of New York!
From seasonal stories to the season of giving, Disney is inspiring fans and audiences to “Make Someone’s Holiday Magic” this year. For generations, Disney has been a part of families’ lives during the holidays—creating cherished memories that last a lifetime. Fans everywhere can celebrate the holidays with Disney at theme parks around the world, at Disney Store, on the award-winning fleet of cruise ships, and by watching timeless classics on Disney+, like Home Alone (1990) and exciting new premieres including the upcoming A Very Jonas Christmas Movie featuring the iconic trio, Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas, available to stream on November 14.
To learn about all the ways to make someone’s holiday magic, visit Disney.com/HolidayMagic.