Just like Rudolph and Frosty, who come back to our TV sets to entertain us every year, two of Santa’s most popular elves will be back this Christmas season with an all-new tale. And since we’ve haven’t seen a new Prep & Landing special since 2011, it’s about time don’t you think?
Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol, will be popping everywhere this upcoming holiday season including Disney+, Disney Channel, ABC and Freeform beginning on Thanksgiving 2025.
The Snowball Protocol marks the franchise’s return after 14 years and is the fourth installment in the series about Lanny and Wayne, top-secret elves who prepare every home in the world for Santa’s big night. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.
As this year’s holiday mission goes awry (because doesn’t it always?), Wayne becomes so convinced that he’s in major trouble with The Big Guy, aka Santa Claus he accidentally reveals other merry mishaps.
Meanwhile, Magee, the over-caffeinated North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center Coordinator brings along her pet arctic seal pup Nog (short for Commodore Charles Eggnogginton III) to the office, which is bound to cause some kind of problem, but it’s unclear to what that might be. The preview trailer for the special makes no mention of him.
Wayne and Lanny will be joined by new cast members Renato, the most sought-after massage therapist and holistic healer in the North Pole; Janice, a clerk at the North Pole Post Office; and Chef Geoff, the master chef at the Fruitcake Factory.
Director Chris Williams pitched the original Prep & Landing to John Lasseter (former Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation) as a five-minute short. He loved the idea but thought it might be better suited as a Christmas TV special instead. Viewers watched Prep & Landing for the first time in 2009. This was followed by Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa in 2010, and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice in 2011. All of them are currently available to stream on Disney+ if you want to catch up.
The Snowball Protocol features the voice talents of Dave Foley (Wayne), Derek Richardson (Lanny), Sarah Chalke (Magee), Christopher Swindle (Santa), Manny Jacinto Dulcé (Renato), Sloan (Janice) and Danny Pudi (Chef Geoff).
Main Image: Disney
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