New Disney Holiday Short From Taika Waititi Debuts
This holiday season, Disney is inspiring fans and families everywhere to “Make Someone’s Holiday Magic,” celebrating the joy of giving and the powerful connection that countless people share with Disney during this special time of year.
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.
“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 a heartwarming original story of friendship for the holidays in A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever. At the center of the story is a little girl and her doodle, which comes to life on Christmas Day after Santa mistakes the drawing for a holiday wish. The short follows the charming story of the girl’s friendship with the animated product of her imagination.
The lovable character Doodle 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), among many other Disney titles.
Renowned 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.
This short follows last year’s Emmy-nominated, A Disney Holiday Short: The Boy & The Octopus, also directed by Taika Waititi, whose numerous 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 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 and excitement, helping to share Disney’s mission of making holiday magic for countless kids and families—particularly those who need it most.
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 make someone’s holiday magic by joining this year’s Disney Ultimate Toy Drive and 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 will harness the full power of its Consumer Products segment to create holiday magic for children and families in need. Special Disney Store shopping sprees will take place in all 50 states. In Detroit, a heartwarming 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.
