With Christmas just around the corner, Disney’s Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol marks the long-anticipated return of one of the studio’s most charming holiday franchises after more than a decade-long hiatus. Known for their Christmas films, Disney has been on a break for a long time.

Released on Thanksgiving, this 22-minute animated special reunites audiences with beloved Christmas elves Wayne and Lanny, once again voiced by Dave Foley and Derek Richardson, with Sarah Chalke returning as their supervisor, Magee.

In the special, elves Wayne and Lanny panic when their holiday mission goes awry. Like many who make mistakes, they try to beat around the bush rather than face the truth. Tasked with preparing houses for Santa’s landing, their failure leads them to invent a term — the Snowball Protocol, a plan that involves fabricating evidence to avoid punishment. For anyone who has ever covered up errors with made-up stories, this Christmas special feels especially relatable in the truest sense. When Wayne learns that the Boss already knows the truth, he launches into a series of increasingly chaotic flashbacks, unintentionally chronicling a year’s worth of misadventures.

Directed by Shane Zelvin, known for his work on Monsters at Work and Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, the film delivers a fun, family-friendly adventure filled with warmth and mischief. Zelvin successfully revives the antics of Wayne and Lanny, bringing them back to the screen for the first time in over a decade.

Wayne’s journey, from a nervous elf desperately trying to hide his mistakes to one who recognises and values Lanny’s unwavering loyalty, resonates with the emotional depth audiences expect from holiday tales. Lazy, aloof and often dismissive, Wayne prefers solitude and rarely connects with his fellow elves.

The movie clearly illustrates the difference between a mere co-worker and a true friend. After initially rejecting Lanny’s invitation to spend Christmas with his family, labelling him “just a co-worker”, Wayne realises his mistake and ultimately joins them, choosing friendship, warmth and celebration.

Though it is the third Christmas special and the fifth short film in the Prep & Landing series, The Snowball Protocol delivers two meaningful messages: first, when you make a mistake, don’t shy away from admitting it, own it. Second, friends can be as close as family, and dismissing them can deeply hurt.

As Wayne finally tells Lanny, “Christmas is for family and friends, and you’re just about the best friend I’ve got,” perfectly capturing the heart of this delightful holiday return.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 20th, 2025