Description
Disney invites audiences into a heartwarming new original story with A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever, directed by Academy Award® winner Taika Waititi. Premiering today on Disney+ and online, and featuring the voice of Disney Legend John Goodman as Doodle, the short serves as the creative centrepiece of Disney’s “Make Someone’s Holiday Magic” campaign, also launching today.
“Disney stories have always been a source of togetherness, wonder, and joy, especially during the holidays,” said Joanna Balikian, Senior Vice President, Brand Management at Disney. “With A Disney Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever, we sought to capture that timeless spirit of friendship, family, and imagination that brings generations together and makes the holidays magical.”
At the heart of the story is a little girl and her doodle, who comes to life on Christmas Day after Santa mistakes her drawing for a holiday wish. The short follows their charming friendship during this magical season in a uniquely Disney way, ending with a call to action for viewers: “Make Someone’s Holiday Magic,” which also serves as the campaign’s tagline.
Renowned Walt Disney Animation Studios animator Eric Goldberg — the creator of beloved Disney characters such as Genie from Aladdin (1992) — served as animation advisor on the short, collaborating with Untold Studios, production company Hungryman, and creative agency adam&eveDDB.
This follows last year’s Emmy®-nominated A Disney Holiday Short: The Boy & The Octopus, also directed by Waititi, whose Disney credits include Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as Searchlight Pictures’ Jojo Rabbit (2019), for which he won an Oscar® for Best Adapted Screenplay.
“What makes this story uniquely Disney is the fact that it’s set in the world of a kid,” said Taika Waititi. “It’s a kid and her new best friend, navigating the complex world together, and doing it just with the power of friendship and imagination.”
The lovable character Doodle is voiced by Disney Legend John Goodman, whose iconic Disney roles include James P. “Sulley” Sullivan in Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013), Pacha in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), and “Big Daddy” La Bouff in The Princess and the Frog (2009), among many others.
This professional campaign titled 'Best Christmas Ever' was published in United States in November, 2025. It was created for the brand: Disney, by ad agency: adam&eveDDB. This Film medium campaign is related to the Recreation, Leisure and Travel and Tourism industries and contains 1 media asset. It was submitted 26 days ago.
Credits
The Walt Disney Company
President, Disney Entertainment, Studio Marketing and Chief Brand Officer, The Walt Disney Company: Asad Ayaz
SVP, Brand Management: Joanna Balikian
Director, Brand Marketing: Tim Pennoyer
Senior Manager, Brand Marketing: Jenise Fretz
Executive Producer: Paige Bonanno
VP, Creative Director: Josh Dunn
EVP, Marketing: Frank Chiocchi
a&eDDB
CEO: Miranda Hipwell
Chief Creative Officers: Ant Nelson & Mike Sutherland
Creative Directors: Richard Gayton & Darren Beresford
Copywriter: Sali Horsey
Art Director: Zoe Nash
Head of Production / Producer: Sally Pritchett
Assistant Producer: Holly Wormleighton
Project Manager: Becky Falou
Chief Strategy Officer: Will Grundy
Planning Director: Catherine Willoughby
Head of Account Management NY: Margaret Coleman
Account Director: Freya Schofield
Account Supervisor: Emma Falkenberry
Legal: Candice Macleod, Tom Campbell, James Cunningham, Casey Kelly
Business Affairs Manager: Layla Husted, Danni Rouse
Hungry Man
Director: Taika Waititi
Managing Partner: Matt Buels
Producer: Hannah Stone
Production Manager: Marian Mikhail
DoP: Ben Seresin
Production Designer: Olly Williams
1st AD: Ben Glickman
Key Make-up & Hair: Monique Bezuidenhout
Wardrobe Stylist: Cathy Kukard
Casting Director: Margareta Abena
2nd Unit Director: Ruth Pickett
Gatehouse (Cape Town Service Company)
Executive Producer: Beverly Wynne
Producer: Laila Shrand-Hodgson
Production Manager: Kelly Drummond
Untold Studios
Executive Director: Ian Berry
Executive Producer: Melody Alexander
Producer: Helen Tang
Production Coordinator: Natalie London
Creative Directors: Adam Droy & Tim Van Hussen
VFX Supervisor: Christian Baker
CG Supervisor: Hudson Martins
Character Concept: Therese Vildefall
Character Lead: Cyriel Verkuijlen
Lead Artists: Avinash Savant, Jinhui Wang, Philippe Moine, Sam Driscoll, Murali Krishna, Bhaveesh PV, Sriram Namana
VFX Artists:
Alberto Lara, Alex de la Sotilla, Alex Miller, Antoine Mariez, Bhavesh Budhkar, Briag Mallat, Corentin Maudhuit, Dhanesh Sudhakaran, Gianluca Di Marco, Henry Affonso, Jadheer T M, Kalaiarasu P, Lindsey Lo Presti, Luke Warpus, Mack Knights, Mary Doyle, Melissa Yung-Hok, Nathan McKenna, Paila Netaji, Pim Meijer, Salman Attar, Silvia Bartoli, Sriram Namana, V Siva Sarweswar, Victor Almela
Online: James Pratt, Pete Hughes
Final Cut
Editor: Joe Guest
Assistant Editor: Hannah Burger
Offline Edit Producer: Michelle Corney
Soundtree Music
Music composed by: Randy Newman
Arranged and produced by: Luke Fabia
Orchestrator: Dave Foster
Head of Music: Luis Almau
Soundtree EP / MD: Jay James
Company 3
Colorist: Jean-Clément Soret
Color Producer: Edwin Elkington
