Walt Disney World has introduced a brand new Christmas film filmed within the parks & resorts that’ll debut on the Hallmark Channel in 2026! Right here’s the complete announcement adopted by our commentary on this vacation tv particular (the primary huge one in a very long time) set at WDW.

Huge information from Hallmark and The Most Magical Place On Earth! In 2026, Walt Disney World and the Hallmark Channel are teaming as much as debut an all-new, unique vacation film referred to as “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True.”

Starring Lacey Chabert, Travis Van Winkle, Richard Variety, Christy Carlson Romano, Bryce Dufee, Taegen Burns, and Asher Alexander, with Patrick Renna in a cameo position, “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True” is soon-to-be traditional Christmas romance. The WDW film is ready to premiere throughout Hallmark Channel’s seventeenth annual Countdown to Christmas in 2026 and can shoot on location at Walt Disney World in Florida. Ryan Landels has written the script and is ready to direct.

In between your yearly December sips of heat sizzling chocolate and waves of joyous Christmas caroling, “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True” will encompass you within the typical vacation spirit that you simply’ve come to anticipate from Hallmark Channel through the years. This collaboration between the Hallmark Channel and Walt Disney World marks the primary time ever that these vacation powerhouses will workforce up for a brand new, unique film.

“The partnership between Hallmark and Disney dates again a long time, when a shared Kansas Metropolis connection and friendship between Hallmark’s founder, J.C. Corridor, and Walt Disney himself led to our first-ever licensed merchandise, together with the very first greeting card that includes Mickey Mouse,” mentioned Darren Abbott, Chief Model Officer, Hallmark. “We’re thrilled to increase our relationship past the merchandise we create collectively and onto the display with this heartwarming and joyful Christmas film that embodies the easiest of each manufacturers.”

Did you hear the information? #WaltDisneyWorld magic meets @Hallmark vacation pleasure in an all-new film coming in 2026! 🎬✨ pic.twitter.com/2jkWKzFJbn

— Walt Disney World (@WaltDisneyWorld) December 7, 2025

Following a particular look from Chabert direct from Magic Kingdom throughout Hallmark Channel’s broadcast of “The Hallmark Christmas Expertise: A Hometown Vacation,” the brand new movie is formally set to debut for Christmas 2026. With this, Hallmark introduced that “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True” might be taking pictures on location at Walt Disney World throughout manufacturing, marking an thrilling second because the resort prepares to welcome the crew to The Most Magical Place On Earth.

“Storytelling is on the coronary heart of each Disney and Hallmark, and that magic shines even brighter in the course of the holidays,” mentioned Sally Conner, VP World Content material.  “We’re thrilled that Walt Disney World will function the immersive setting for a Hallmark vacation film highlighting the cheerful festivities of the season.  Throughout our theme parks, resorts, and past, numerous distinctive tales unfold and new reminiscences are made day-after-day with our friends. This movie is a superb approach to share that pleasure and pixie mud with followers in all places.”

In “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True,” Lindsey (Chabert) and her prolonged household head to Walt Disney World to spend a magical Christmas collectively. However the dream of a jolly vacation will get dashed when Lindsey discovers her room is subsequent door to Philip (Van Winkle), a disastrous first date she lately had, who’s additionally there on a household journey.

As Lindsey and Philip’s paths cross all through their keep, the frost begins to thaw as they be taught they’re not so totally different from one another in any case. Because of the magic of Walt Disney World, the vacation want Lindsey made in Cinderella fountain simply would possibly flip their rivalry into romance.

Our Commentary

That is incredible information. It truthfully made our week, and I sort of want I have been kidding, however I’m utterly critical. It was additionally one of many uncommon items of Walt Disney World information that Sarah “broke” to me.

We watch a number of Hallmark Christmas films. I’m not even going to faux it’s in opposition to my will, as is the case with HGTV reveals. I’ve realized approach an excessive amount of about open idea design, none of it by selection. I additionally cringe at a number of the “upgrades,” that are about as bland because it will get—and the recognition of which clarify why Walt Disney World inside design was so primary and boring for a stretch. However I digress.

Within the case of Hallmark Christmas films, they’re a responsible pleasure by way of and thru that I really get pleasure from. We’ve favourite settings, sequence, and actors—though I do know only a few of them by identify, however moderately, what they’re from (e.g. Imply Ladies, Full Home, and so on) or A-list actors they resemble. Now that I give it some thought, my data of Hallmark films is shockingly superficial for the way a lot I watch them. However that’s form of the character of the beast—they’re senseless enjoyable.

The ending of each single one is predictable from concerning the 10-minute mark. right here’s nearly all the time a small city character (and setting) in a relationship with a giant metropolis character who isn’t proper for them, or a giant metropolis character rediscovering their roots in a small city. Typically there are cats and/or castles. I actually like these ones.

Each single Hallmark film (all of them!) has horrible pacing. They take a number of time to get to the purpose (just like the DTB of made for TV films, you would possibly say), after which it’s all wrapped up neatly within the final 60 seconds.

Take a toilet break or look down at your cellphone on the unsuitable second and also you fairly actually may miss the ending. I’m not even kidding about all of this. It’s baffling, however I assume there’s some analytics cause for this storytelling construction.

Anyway, I assume we’re getting this announcement not simply to construct hype, however as a result of filming for the 2026 Christmas particular is about to start out this month. Walt Disney World doubtless is aware of that cat is getting out of the bag a method or one other with the breathless running a blog protection of every thing, so they may as properly get forward of it and make an official announcement.

It’s my understanding that Hallmark films wouldn’t usually movie this early; most shoot over the summer time to reap the benefits of longer days and are filmed pretty rapidly by film requirements. They most likely profit from the formulaic model, restricted budgets, and few (if any) reshoots. I’d hazard a guess that some may movie as late as September and nonetheless make a Christmas launch.

After all, the distinction right here is that Walt Disney World will get embellished for and celebrates Christmas in November, and that isn’t sufficient turnaround time for a same-year launch. Particularly for a film like this, which sounds prefer it’ll have a good portion going down in a resort lodge. Except for EPCOT, resorts are normally the final areas of Walt Disney World to get embellished for the vacations.

It’ll be fascinating to see at which resort the Hallmark particular is ready. Speedy odds-on favorites primarily based on the entire Hallmark vibe are Grand Floridian or Wilderness Lodge. I may see it going both approach, with Grand Floridian’s current reimagining giving it the sting as a lodge Disney desires to focus on. However, Wilderness Lodge is extremely on-brand for Hallmark. Now watch, it’ll really be Previous Key West or someplace completely random the place the logistics simply occur to work out greatest.

I assume no less than some quantity of filming will begin nearly instantly. I’d anticipate it to pause for Christmas and New Yr’s Eve, earlier than resuming once more in January 2026. Maybe later. They may theoretically do a couple of weeks of filming now with Christmas decorations, after which extra throughout a slower stretch for footage that’s not seasonal. (Lodge rooms and hallways are the identical year-round, as is far of Walt Disney World.) Not that it actually issues—simply pondering aloud as I attempt to fulfill my life’s (new) dream of being an additional in a Hallmark Christmas film.

Most Hallmark Christmas films appear pretty low finances, however there are all the time a couple of blockbusters per season. In the event you watch the credit, these are normally co-produced by a tourism bureau (e.g. Go to Norway), which helps clarify the prominence of the locale. We totally anticipate “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True” to be a really comparable story.

That is advertising and marketing for Walt Disney World, and between that and the truth that this film may have wider attraction, we’d anticipate a far greater finances and manufacturing high quality than nearly each different Hallmark film ever. That is most likely why it options Hallmark’s heavy-hitter in Chabert and an in any other case sturdy solid by Hallmark requirements. Not that it actually issues. Schmaltz and sentimentality aren’t costly within the first place.

Actually, I hope they don’t overproduce “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True.” A part of the key sauce of Hallmark Channel films is that they’ve this b-movie high quality to them. They’re cozy, for lack of a greater time period. A part of why many followers have stopped watching the ABC Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade is as a result of it’s regardless of the precise reverse of that’s. It feels overly-commercial. (A bit ironic since over-commercializing holidays is like Hallmark’s entire factor!)

My hope is that “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True” threads the needle and finally ends up turning into a guilty-pleasure cult traditional. It doesn’t must be good-good or so-bad-it’s-good. The film simply must have simply the correct amount of cheesiness, Hallmark sentimentality, and Christmas at Walt Disney World window-dressing. This era actually wants what mine had again within the day with the Prime 10 TV Exhibits Set at Walt Disney World and Prime 10 Walt Disney World TV Specials. It’d be good if “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True” turns into a brand new entry on that second listing!

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YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you consider a Hallmark Channel Christmas film set at Walt Disney World? Trying ahead to “Vacation Ever After: A Disney World Want Come True”? Any predictions concerning the resort at which it’s set or anything concerning the movie? What’s your favourite Walt Disney World tv particular? Something that didn’t make this listing that you simply’d advocate? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!