[09/23/25 - 10:00 AM] "Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol" Premieres This Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, on Disney Channel and Next Day on Disney+ The telecast 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.
[via press release from Disney Branded Television]
THE ELVES ARE BACK!
NEW ANIMATED HOLIDAY SPECIAL 'PREP & LANDING: THE SNOWBALL PROTOCOL' PREMIERES THIS THANKSGIVING, NOV. 27, ON DISNEY CHANNEL AND NEXT DAY ON DISNEY+
The Elves Also Make Their Way to ABC Before Joining Freeform's Iconic '25 Days of Christmas' Lineup
Dave Foley, Sarah Chalke and Derek Richardson Reprise Their Roles, Joined by Manny Jacinto, Danny Pudi and Dulcé Sloan
New Teaser Trailer and Art Celebrate the Return of the Iconic Elves and Introduce Adorable New Sidekick, Nog the Seal Pup
Photo Credit: Disney
(BURBANK, Calif. - Sept. 23, 2025) Unwrap the ultimate holiday event this season with the return of fan-favorite elves in "Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol," a brand-new Christmas special that will reach families everywhere across Disney+, Disney Channel, ABC and Freeform. Debuting Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, on Disney Channel at 7:00 p.m. EST/PST, and available the next day on Disney+, later in the season the elves will make their way to ABC and then to Freeform's iconic "25 Days of Christmas" holiday programming event, making it the must-watch family event of the holidays.
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 include 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.
Disney Branded Television also revealed a first look at the special with a teaser trailer and key art featuring Nog (short for Commodore Charles Eggnogginton III), an irresistibly cute seal pup who becomes a part of the elves' hijinks and adventures.
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.
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In select international markets, it also includes the general entertainment content brand, Star, and in the U.S., eligible bundle subscribers can also access extensive Hulu and ESPN+ content on Disney+, including next day TV, Hulu and ESPN Originals, live sports events and studio programming. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ offers an unmatched collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. With unprecedented access to Disney's long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as a standalone streaming service or as part of bundle offerings in the U.S. that give subscribers access to different combinations of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.
ABOUT DISNEY BRANDED TELEVISION
Disney Branded Television encompasses the creative storytellers and production and content marketing teams responsible for Disney-branded television series, movies and other programming spanning live-action, animated and unscripted formats. The group fuels the Disney+ streaming platform and Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Jr. linear networks with content geared toward kids, tweens, teens and families, with stories that are imaginative, aspirational and reflective of their world and experiences.
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