10 Thanksgiving movies on Disney+ for your holiday watch list

Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, and the kids will have the long weekend off. One way to entertain everyone in the family is setting up a Disney+ watch list filled with Thanksgiving and Christmas-themed movies.

Football may be the #1 pick for a Thanksgiving Day binge, but I prefer the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the National Dog Show following it, and watching holiday-filmed movies and specials. It’s a tradition ingrained since childhood and continues to this day. A significant part of the holiday season is traditions, which contribute to the memories and making new ones.

As a Disney fan, watching something of theirs releases stress and enlightens my inner child. During the holiday season, it can get stressful to a high level, and one way to bring it down is to watch a movie or a show.

In honor of this Thanksgiving tradition and my inner child, we’re sharing our top picks from our Disney+ watchlist with you!

10 Thanksgiving movies to add to your Disney+ watch list

Dashing Through The Snow (2023)

Dashing Through The Snow delivers on Nov. 17, just in time for Thanksgiving. The movie tells the story of a father named Eddie (Ludacris) who lost faith in the holidays after a traumatic childhood event. His 8-year-old daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) has all holiday faith, as young kids usually do.

After meeting a man named Nick (Lil Rey Howery) on Christmas Eve, the three embark on a magical journey to save Christmas and hopefully restore Eddie’s faith.

We love it because: Our family’s holiday spirit can be ignited with magic and hope. Additionally, the dynamic between Ludacris and Howery is hilarious.

Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1990 and 1992)

My Thanksgiving watchlist is incomplete without the additions of the comedies Home Alone and its successor, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. It’s considered an accident and borderline irresponsible to leave your eight-year-old boy home alone when you’re flying to Europe for the holidays.

It’s an entirely different scenario when it happens again and in another state, New York. Despite this, you’d have to think if it weren’t for Kevin McCallister (Macauley Culkin), those bumbling burglars would not have been caught twice.

We love it because: Both movies provide plenty of laughs, family togetherness, and the innocent wisdom of an eight-year-old kid. Plus, the late 80s/early 90s interiors are very cool to look at, along with their nostalgic value.

Jingle All The Way (1996)

Before the lure and convenience of online shopping, people swarmed to the on-site stores to score the best Black Friday and last-minute deals, hoping to get that present for their kids. In Howard Langston’s case (Arnold Schwarzenegger), he becomes the “victim” of the brutally intense holiday shopping hoopla while getting into questionable situations.

As a workaholic father, he was too busy to run to the store weeks ago and now has put himself in a hilarious dilemma. He did it all for his son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd), so in a sense, it cancels out. What’s more is that Howard’s luck is even more stripped when he meets Myron (Sinbad), a postman trying to get the same toy Howard needs, and his over-cheerful but lewd neighbor, Ted Maltin (Phil Hartman), who tries to outdo Howard in terms of Christmas and family life.

In the end, all Jamie ever wanted, unbeknownst to him, was to have some attention from his dad.

We love it because: The cast’s performances genuinely bring out the movie’s comedy, and cameos from Jim Belushi and Martin Mull make it even better. Additionally, who else misses going to malls for their big Christmas haul? Trust us, there’s something personally special about that, and you won’t experience it through online shopping.

A Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)

If you love nineteenth-century Dickensian literature and Muppets, then combining the movie with catchy music and The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat narrating, then A Muppet Christmas Carol is for you. British actor Michael Caine plays the ‘sinister old miser’ Ebenezer Scrooge, while Kermit the Frog stars as his loyal clerk, Bob Cratchit. While there are several A Christmas Carol adaptions, A Muppets Christmas Carol is kid-friendly but still holds all the classic elements of the Charles Dickens tale.

We love it because: It’s the Muppets, and Sam the Eagle makes a hilarious blunder that cannot be ignored.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

It’s not quite Halloween, and it’s not quite Christmas, but a clever blend of the two. For those of us still feeling the Spooky Season but want to ring in the holiday season, then The Nightmare Before Christmas is the way to go. Through the art of Tim Burton with epic stop animation, Jack Skellington, aka the Pumpkin King, wants to try something different as he grows tired of the same old routine.

When Jack stumbles into Christmas Town and is amazed by the more joyous celebration. While Jack’s attempts to “change” Christmas by giving it a more gloomy feel, it doesn’t sit well with others. However, with his little experiment, Jack realizes his true identity and his reignited passion for Halloween.

We love it because: The film has gorgeous scenery, music by Danny Elfman, and a storyline that honors both Christmas and Halloween.

The Peanuts Movie (2015)

There’s no holiday season without Snoopy, so The Peanuts Movie must be included naturally. This adorable film is a spin on the classic Peanuts strips, and while Snoopy and his buddy Woodstock are the main focus, Charlie Brown has a storyline all his own when he has a crush on the “Little Red-Haired Girl.”

It’s wholesome and fun; everyone can enjoy Snoopy and Charlie’s adventures. And true to any dog parent, Snoopy and Charlie Brown have an unbreakable bond between a boy and his dog, regardless of their adventures or bad moments.

We love it because: Snoopy. That’s all.

Pocahontas (1995)

A multi-award winner, Pocahontas makes the list for its vivid animation, cute animal characters, and incredible soundtrack. Although it’s not historically accurate in terms of what happened in Virginia in 1607, a young Indigenous woman saves the life of John Smith (Mel Gibson), which leads to peace between the Englishmen and her People. What’s essential is that colonialism and racism never win, but they can be significantly prevented if one listens.

Unfortunately, the actual Pocahontas, whose real name was Matoaka, passed away under suspicious circumstances when she desired to travel back home from England in 1617.

We love it because: November is National American Indian Heritage Month, and while we’re all thankful for our blessings, we must learn about the rich culture, history, and accomplishments of the Indigenous People. Again, Pocahontas may not be accurate, but it can be taught a lesson in kindness, family, and what warfare can do if differences are not set aside.

Ratatouille (2007)

Thanksgiving is centered around large meals and the people behind them because they work effortlessly to prepare the delicious food. Ratatouille is all about the food and a Parisian rat named Remy (Patton Oswald) who dreams of becoming a chef. When an opportunity arises to make his dreams come true, Remy takes it while helping out a young chef, Alfredo Linguine (Lou Romano), who takes all the credit for Remy’s genius recipes as customers, and the firm food critic, Anton Ego (Peter O’Toole), loves them.

When it was discovered that it was Remy behind the marvelous meals, everyone lost their jobs at the restaurant, but thanks to Ego’s praise and his affinity for food, Remy finally gets the recognition he deserves and opens a new restaurant with Linguine.

We love it because: While many of us would cringe at the thought of rats cooking our food, Ratatouille is enduring and filled with heart.

The Simpsons Thanksgiving episodes (1990-present)

The Simpsons Thanksgiving episodes are not quite a movie, but for older kids and adults who want some adult humor but holiday fun, you can’t go wrong with TV’s funniest family who’s been on the air since the late 80s. The entire narrative of The Simpsons is about family, whether Homer and Bart get along or Lisa constantly being the most logical one and gets thrown into the family chaos.

We love it because: As a kid, my family and I would gather around and watch The Simpsons. It all began with “The Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire” back in ’89; that memory is still locked within many years later.

As for the Thanksgiving eps, I recommend “Bart Vs. Thanksgiving” and “Thanksgiving of Horror” due to the nostalgia and looking at the holiday through a horror lens.

Disney-Pixar The Toy Story franchise (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019)

Last but not least, the Toy Story franchise. In this series, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of Andy’s toys are alive, which leads to their adventures. As the toys all know, Andy is growing up and fears that he’ll outgrow them. While it’s heartbreaking, the toys soon realize that they could find joy with other kids and be just as loved.

We love it because: Growing up is hard, and letting go of the things we love is even more challenging. Hopefully, the new owners will appreciate and treasure the toys as much as we did.

If you’re looking to expand this list, here are a few more suggestions:

• Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
• The Santa Clause franchise (1994-present)
• Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Christmas (1997)
• Frozen and Frozen II (2013 and 2019)
• Toy Story: That Time Forgot (2019)

Once again, all movies are on Disney+. Which one will you be watching? Did we miss any movies you believe need to be on the list?