If you often find yourself struggling to decide between watching a Disney holiday film or a Hallmark holiday film, next year, you’ll be able to put on a movie that encapsulates them BOTH!
©Disney
That’s right! A major announcement was just made that confirms that, for the first time ever, Disney World and Hallmark are teaming up to bring us a brand new film. Here’s everything we know about it so far!
The new film is called Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True and will debut during next year’s Hallmark Countdown to Christmas event. The film will shoot on location in Walt Disney World, which means filming is inside the park, which you might have seen! While lots of filming may take place overnight when guests aren’t in the park, it’s also possible we could see areas of the parks closed to the public during the day while filming is taking place. Disney may not announce these closures in advance, so we’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled.
The romance film stars Lacey Chabert, Travis Van Winkle, Richard Kind, Christy Carlson Romano, Bryce Dufee, Taegen Burns, and Asher Alexander, with Patrick Renna in a cameo role, and is written and directed by Ryan Landels. The film will follow Lindsey (played by Chabert) and her extended family as they head to Walt Disney World to spend a magical Christmas together. However, the dream of a perfect holiday goes down the drain when Lindsey discovers her room is next door to Philip (Van Winkle), the disastrous first date she had recently, who is also there on a family trip. As Lindsey and Philip’s paths cross throughout their vacations, “the frost starts to thaw as they learn they’re not so different from each other after all. Thanks to the magic of Walt Disney World, the holiday wish Lindsey made in the Cinderella fountain just might turn their rivalry into romance.”
Hollywood Studios
When talking about the partnership history between Disney and Hallmark, Darren Abbott, the Chief Brand Officer for Hallmark, said that “it dates back decades, when a shared Kansas City connection and friendship between Hallmark’s founder, J.C. Hall, and Walt Disney himself led to our first-ever licensed products, including the very first greeting card featuring Mickey Mouse.”
Christmas Tree at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Reading the logline, it’s very possible that filming could take place around Disney World’s resorts, Disney Springs, and other locations, but as filming schedules aren’t released to the public, we have no way of knowing for sure. It’s also very possible (but not confirmed) that filming will mostly take place while the resort’s Christmas decorations are up. Does this mean we may see the decorations stick around a little longer if filming requires it? We’ll have to wait and see.
EPCOT Christmas Tree
When talking about the upcoming film, Sally Conner, VP Global Content, said, “We’re thrilled that Walt Disney World will serve as the immersive setting for a Hallmark holiday movie highlighting the cheerful festivities of the season. Across our theme parks, resorts, and beyond, countless unique stories unfold, and new memories are made every day with our guests. This film is a wonderful way to share that joy and pixie dust with fans everywhere.”
Contemporary Resort Gingerbread Display 2025
We’ll be sure to keep an eye out in the parks for filming taking place, and if you’re visiting during the holiday season, we encourage you to keep your eyes peeled, too! Be sure to stay tuned to DFB — we’ll bring you all the updates!
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I can’t wait to see this one next year! I watch all of the Hallmark movies, love Lacey, and my happy place on Earth, DISNEY WORLD!
See Lucretia’s comment. I could have written that word for word!