With October coming to an end, the holiday season is about to be upon us, bringing with it festive programming new and old. This year, however, one beloved holiday special that has been absent from broadcast television returns for more than 20 years is finally making its return. This week, ABC revealed their holiday programming lineup and 2026’s holidays will kick off with the return of one of the best specials ever: Mickey’s Christmas Carol.
According to the lineup, The Wonderful World of Disney Presents Mickey’s Christmas Carol will air on ABC at 8pm ET on Wednesday, November 25th — the night before Thanksgiving. The special, which has a runtime of about 26 minutes, was a holiday staple on television for decades after its original release in 1983, airing on NBC through the 1980s, CBS in the 1990s, and then on ABC in 2000 and 2003. That was the last time it aired on broadcast television, though it’s been available on both cable and Disney+ in years since.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol Has a Special Place in Disney History
As its name suggests, Mickey’s Christmas Carol is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol, just in animation with beloved Disney characters playing familiar literary roles. Mickey Mouse is Bob Cratchit, Minnie is his wife, Scrooge McDuck serves as Ebenezer Scrooge while Donald Duck is his nephew Fred. Goofy, Jiminy Cricket, Willie the Giant, and Pete portray the ghosts of Jacob Marley, Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future respectively. It’s a delightful program.
But it’s also a special program in the grand scheme of Disney history. The short film marked Disney’s return to animated theatrical shorts after a 30-year hiatus — the last one prior to Mickey’s Christmas Carol was another holiday short, Pluto’s Christmas Tree from 1952. In the UK, Mickey’s Christmas Carol was released alongside the theatrical re-release of The Jungle Book while in the United States, it debuted with the re-release of The Rescuers. The short also received a nomination for Best Animated Short Film in 1984, marking the first nomination for a Mickey Mouse short in almost 50 years, the previous one going to 1948’s Mickey and the Seal. Mickey’s Christmas Carol ultimately lost to Sundae in New York.
Of course, while Mickey’s Christmas Carol’s big return to broadcast might be the most exciting offering in ABC’s holiday lineup, it’s not the only The Wonderful World of Disney presentation for the season. Thursday, November 26th will feature Mary Poppins, Sunday November 29th will feature The Sound of Music, and Monday, November 30th will feature the annual The Wonderful World of Disney Holiday Spectacular. In December, Wednesday December 23rd will feature The Santa Clause, Thursday, December 24th will feature Home Alone, and Sunday, December 27th will feature the world premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King.
Are you excited that Mickey’s Christmas Carol is coming back to ABC? Do you have a different favorite holiday special that you’d rather see come back to television instead? Let us know in the comments!