Prep & Landing
Prep & Landing is a 2009 American computer-animated television special produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and directed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton.[1][2] The special follows an elite unit of elves known as Prep & Landing, who scout and prepare homes around the world for Santa Claus's Christmas Eve deliveries, centering on veteran elf Wayne and his enthusiastic rookie partner Lanny as they navigate a stormy night and rediscover the holiday spirit.[1][3] Premiering on ABC on December 8, 2009, the 22-minute special features voice performances by Dave Foley as Wayne, Derek Richardson as Lanny, and Sarah Chalke as Magee, the unit's no-nonsense director.[3][4] It received critical acclaim for its humor, animation quality, and fresh take on Christmas lore, earning four Primetime Emmy Awards in 2010, including Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour), and three Annie Awards, such as Best Animated Television Production.[5][6] The success of Prep & Landing led to an expanded franchise, including the short Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa (2010), the sequel Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (2011), and a forthcoming special, Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol, set to premiere on Disney Channel on November 27, 2025, with the original voice cast reuniting.[1][7] These entries have further explored the elves' high-tech operations and holiday challenges, solidifying the series as a modern Disney holiday tradition.[8]Overview
Concept and premise
Prep & Landing centers on an elite, covert unit of elves operating from the North Pole, tasked with scouting and preparing millions of homes worldwide for Santa Claus's annual Christmas Eve deliveries. This high-tech organization employs advanced gadgets and espionage-like tactics to ensure seamless operations, parodying the spy genre within a holiday framework. The elves' duties include verifying sleeping children, adjusting Christmas tree lights for optimal visibility, warming milk to accompany cookies left for Santa, and confirming entries on the naughty and nice lists to facilitate efficient gift distribution.[9][1] The concept originated as a pitch by animator Chris Williams at Walt Disney Animation Studios, initially envisioned as a theatrical short film complete with storyboards and animatics, drawing inspiration from hockey players Lanny McDonald and Wayne Gretzky for the lead characters' names. It was developed into a television special directed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton, marking Walt Disney Animation Studios' first foray into producing an original animated holiday program for broadcast. The 2009 special runs approximately 22 minutes, blending humor, action, and festive spirit to explore the behind-the-scenes logistics of Christmas.[9][10][11]Main characters
Wayne is a veteran elf in the Prep & Landing division, having completed 227 missions over his long tenure, which has left him cocky and jaded toward his duties.[11] He harbors ambitions for a promotion to oversee Santa's naughty or nice list, reflecting his desire to move beyond field operations.[12] Lanny serves as an eager rookie elf newly assigned to the team, characterized by his enthusiasm and reliance on high-tech gadgets for communication and tasks, often idolizing his partner Wayne as a hero from his training days.[1] Magee functions as the no-nonsense director of the Prep & Landing division, managing the high-stakes operations from the North Pole's mission control center with authoritative precision.[10] Santa Claus appears briefly throughout the franchise as the ultimate authority figure, embodying the benevolent leader whom the elves ultimately serve.[1] Supporting elves such as Mrs. Claus, who provides occasional guidance in her role as Santa's partner, contribute to the broader team dynamics across the series.[13]Production
Development
The concept for Prep & Landing originated as a 3- to 4-minute short film pitch by Chris Williams, a story artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios, developed during downtime while he worked on the feature Bolt.[14][9] Williams created initial reels and storyboards centered on an elite unit of elves preparing homes for Santa's deliveries, drawing from the idea of a bureaucratic North Pole organization.[9] The pitch, presented in 2007 as part of Disney's revived theatrical shorts program, received strong internal support, particularly from chief creative officer John Lasseter, who championed its expansion beyond a short format.[13][9] Following positive reception, the project was greenlit in 2008 as a half-hour television special for ABC, evolving from Williams' concise concept into a broader narrative influenced by spy thrillers such as Mission: Impossible.[9][13] This shift allowed for deeper exploration of the elves' high-stakes operations, incorporating procedural elements reminiscent of aircraft carrier landings and Navy protocols to heighten the tension and excitement.[13] Williams served as writer and creator but stepped back due to commitments on Bolt, handing directorial duties to Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton, who had previously collaborated on Disney story projects.[9] Script development emphasized humor derived from the rigid elf bureaucracy and chaotic holiday mishaps, such as operational protocols clashing with on-the-ground surprises, to blend lighthearted comedy with the thrill of covert missions.[13][9] Pre-production from late 2007 through 2008 focused on world-building the North Pole's organizational structure, character backstories like those of elves Lanny and Wayne (named after hockey players Lanny McDonald and Wayne Gretzky), and refining the story into a tight 21-minute runtime suitable for broadcast.[14][9] This phase leveraged momentum from the Bolt production team, ensuring a seamless transition to the expanded special while maintaining the core charm of Williams' original vision.[9]Animation and design
Prep & Landing was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios as their first computer-generated imagery (CGI) television special, marking a shift from their traditional feature-length animated films to a concise 21-minute format.[9] The animation employed advanced 3D techniques to create dynamic action sequences, with directors Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton adapting from 2D backgrounds by focusing on early character and environment modeling to streamline the process.[9] This approach allowed for fluid camera movements and detailed rendering, enhancing the spy-thriller vibe integrated into the holiday narrative.[15] The visual style blended realistic depictions of high-tech North Pole infrastructure with whimsical elf designs, drawing inspiration from classic holiday animations like Rankin/Bass specials and A Charlie Brown Christmas through exaggerated proportions such as larger heads and rounded forms.[9] Art director Andy Harkness and character designer Bill Schwab crafted environments that contrasted the cozy, Americana-inspired human homes—featuring polished, veneer-like wood finishes—with the rugged, grainy wooden textures of the North Pole, evoking Norwegian architecture for an authentic yet fantastical feel.[16] Key design elements included high-tech elf suits equipped with gadgets, holographic command center maps, and Santa's sled "Rosebud," all rendered to emphasize a mix of espionage gadgetry and festive cheer through color schemes dominated by greens at the North Pole and blues in human settings.[15][16] The original score, composed by Michael Giacchino, incorporated electronic spy themes infused with Christmas chimes and references to Vince Guaraldi's iconic A Charlie Brown Christmas music, creating a tense yet holiday-spirited atmosphere that complemented the action-oriented prep missions.[15][17] Production challenges arose from balancing intricate, detailed environments—like the bustling command center versus intimate home intrusions—within the tight TV special constraints, including a 21-minute runtime plus commercials, which necessitated rigorous storyboarding and selective cuts to maintain pacing without sacrificing visual depth.[9]Original special
Plot
Prep & Landing follows Wayne, a seasoned elf and member of an elite squad tasked with preparing homes for Santa Claus's Christmas Eve deliveries. With 227 years of service, Wayne anticipates a promotion to Director of Naughty List Intelligence, but learns his former partner has received it instead, leaving him bitter and unmotivated. He is paired with enthusiastic rookie Lanny for a standard mission in Sector 7, where they must ensure a smooth landing and takeoff for Santa at a suburban home without detection.[18][17] Arriving at the house of young Timmy Terwelp, Wayne's disinterest leads him to lounge in the living room, snacking on cookies meant for Santa, while Lanny diligently handles tasks like stocking the tree and fireplace. Complications mount as the family's cat attacks Lanny, knocking him off the roof, and Timmy awakens, spotting Wayne and snapping a photo before Lanny deploys a sparkle ornament to lull the boy back to sleep. A fierce snowstorm then engulfs the sector, disrupting the North Pole's high-tech systems and causing a critical glitch that endangers the mission. Command center coordinator Magee initiates "Operation Figgy Pudding" to bypass the house, marking the first canceled delivery in history, but Wayne overrides the order to salvage Timmy's Christmas.[18][17] Stranded without their tracking beacon, lost in the blizzard, Wayne and Lanny must improvise. Wayne rediscovers his passion for the job through Lanny's unwavering optimism, and they collaborate to create an emergency landing strip using an inflatable Santa snow globe from the neighbors' yard as a beacon. Their teamwork guides Santa safely to the home, averting disaster and allowing the delivery to proceed. In the aftermath, Santa presents Wayne with a personalized snow globe of Timmy's house, symbolizing the true magic of the season, and offers him the promotion; Wayne declines, recommitting to field work with renewed appreciation for the holiday's spirit of dedication and camaraderie.[18][17]Voice cast
The voice cast for the original Prep & Landing special features a mix of established comedic actors who bring distinct personalities to the elite team of holiday elves and supporting figures. Dave Foley provides the voice of Wayne, the veteran Prep & Landing elf, infusing the character with a sarcastic and world-weary tone that highlights his jaded experience after years on the job.[15][19] Derek Richardson voices Lanny, the rookie elf paired with Wayne, delivering an enthusiastic performance through mostly nonverbal cues that emphasize the character's wide-eyed eagerness and physical comedy.[20][21] Sarah Chalke lends her voice to Magee, the no-nonsense director of the North Pole operations, with an authoritative delivery that conveys efficiency and command over the high-stakes holiday preparations.[10][21] W. Morgan Sheppard voices the Big Guy (Santa Claus), adding a jolly yet commanding presence that underscores the figure's overarching authority in the elf hierarchy.[4][22] Supporting roles include Mason Vale Cotton as the child Timmy Terwelp, whose youthful voice captures innocent wonder during the holiday scene; David DeLuise as Dancer, a fellow elf with a gruff edge; [Peter Jacobson](/page/Peter Jacobson) as Waterkotte, contributing to the ensemble of mission control staff; and Hayes MacArthur as Thrasher.[10][4] Several of these actors, including Foley, Richardson, and Chalke, reprise their roles in subsequent franchise entries.[7]Release and distribution
Broadcast
Prep & Landing made its world premiere on ABC on December 8, 2009, airing as a half-hour animated holiday special produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.[3][15] As the first such special from the studio for the network, it was positioned as a key holiday event on the Disney-owned ABC, emphasizing the behind-the-scenes efforts of elite elves preparing homes for Santa Claus.[3] Following its U.S. debut, international broadcasts commenced in December 2009 across Disney Channel and affiliated networks in regions including Canada on CTV and the United Kingdom on Disney Cinemagic. The special quickly became a staple of global holiday programming, with airings tailored to local schedules to capitalize on seasonal viewership. Since its launch, Prep & Landing has featured in annual holiday rotations on both ABC and Disney Channel, maintaining its status as a recurring festive broadcast through the 2025 season.[23] The original special, available on Disney+ since November 2019, is featured alongside other franchise entries in 2025, enhancing its accessibility during the holiday period while continuing linear TV airings.[7]Home media and streaming
The original Prep & Landing special was first released on DVD by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on November 22, 2011, as a single-disc edition that included the 2009 short, the 2010 prequel Operation: Secret Santa, and the 2011 short Tiny's Big Adventure. The bundled release Prep & Landing: Totally Tinsel Collection followed on November 6, 2012, incorporating the 2011 sequel alongside the original special and additional shorts in DVD and Blu-ray formats.[24] For high-definition viewing, Prep & Landing appeared in Blu-ray format as part of the Totally Tinsel Collection on November 6, 2012, a two-disc set (Blu-ray and DVD) that paired the original special and Naughty vs. Nice with bonus content like holiday-themed commercials and the Tiny's Big Adventure short.[24] This collection was later integrated into broader Disney holiday Blu-ray compilations, emphasizing its role in seasonal animation lineups.[25] Digital distribution of Prep & Landing began shortly after its television premiere, with availability for purchase and rental on platforms including iTunes starting in late 2009 and Amazon Video from 2010 onward, allowing on-demand access through linked services like Movies Anywhere.[26] Since the launch of Disney+ in November 2019, the special has been a staple of the streaming service's holiday programming, streaming ad-free alongside related franchise entries.[11] As of November 2025, it is available on Disney+ and will be bundled with the upcoming Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol, scheduled to premiere on the platform on November 28, 2025, following its Disney Channel broadcast on November 27, 2025.[7] Home media editions of Prep & Landing feature supplementary materials such as behind-the-scenes documentaries on the animation process at Walt Disney Animation Studios, deleted scenes exploring unused elf mission concepts, and audio commentaries by directors Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton.[25] These extras, including featurettes on character design and North Pole lore, enhance the viewing experience and highlight the special's production innovations.[27]Reception
Viewership
The premiere of Prep & Landing on ABC on December 8, 2009, drew 12.04 million viewers, marking a significant success for the network's holiday programming.[28] This figure represented a substantial increase from the prior year's slot occupant, boosting ABC by nearly 5 million viewers in the time period.[29] The special achieved a 7.4 household rating and ranked #13 for the week among all television programs, outperforming many established holiday staples.[30] In subsequent holiday re-airings, the special maintained strong audience interest.[31] For instance, its 2010 airing averaged 7.6 million viewers, solidifying its place in ABC's annual lineup.[31] The special delivered the highest kids 2-11 rating (7.5/23) for any primetime program in nearly two years at premiere.[32] This family-oriented draw contributed to its enduring viewership across broadcasts.Critical response
Prep & Landing received widespread critical acclaim for its innovative blend of spy-thriller parody and heartfelt holiday storytelling. Critics praised the special's clever humor and fresh perspective on the Santa Claus mythos, with Variety describing it as "clever, colorful and adds a nifty ornament to the customary lineup of perennial holiday specials," highlighting its "Mission: Impossible"-type flair in depicting an elite unit of elves preparing homes for Santa's arrival.[15] Common Sense Media commended its unique story and kid-friendly content, noting how it balances action-packed adventure with emotional resonance suitable for families.[20] The special's thematic depth, particularly around redemption and the rediscovery of holiday spirit, resonated strongly with reviewers; protagonist Wayne, a jaded veteran elf, undergoes a transformative journey that reaffirms the joy of Christmas through teamwork and optimism, as embodied by his rookie partner Lanny.[20] This narrative arc of personal renewal and collaborative elf efforts was lauded for capturing the essence of holiday camaraderie without descending into sentimentality, with outlets like DVDizzy emphasizing how the story's emotional payoff elevates it beyond typical festive fare.[33] Audience reception mirrored enthusiasm, with an average rating of 7.5 out of 10 from over 4,300 users on IMDb, who frequently highlighted the high-quality animation, witty voice performances, and engaging plot as standout elements that make it a modern Christmas staple.[10] While some viewers noted the 22-minute runtime as occasionally rushed, limiting deeper exploration of side characters, this brevity was often seen as a strength for its fast-paced energy and replayability, particularly among families.[33][34] As of 2025, Prep & Landing's legacy endures as a pivotal work in Disney's revival of television animation, spawning sequels and inspiring the franchise's return with a new special, The Snowball Protocol, which underscores its lasting impact on holiday programming.[35]Awards and nominations
Prep & Landing received widespread industry recognition for its animation, storytelling, and production quality, earning multiple awards and nominations from prestigious organizations in 2010. The special was honored with four Primetime Emmy Awards at the 62nd ceremony, marking a significant achievement for Walt Disney Animation Studios' television output. These included Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour), awarded to the production team led by executive producers Chris Williams and John Lasseter, along with producer Dorothy McKim. Additionally, it secured three juried wins in the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation category: for art director Andy Harkness, background key designer William M. George III, and storyboard artist Joe Mateo.[36][37] At the 37th Annie Awards, celebrating excellence in animation for 2009, Prep & Landing won three categories out of nine nominations, highlighting its technical and creative strengths. The victories encompassed Best Animated Television Production (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in a Television Production (Andy Harkness), and Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in a Television Production (Bill Schwab). These wins underscored the special's innovative character work and narrative planning, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.[38] The special also garnered recognition from the Visual Effects Society at its 8th Annual Awards in 2010, winning Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program (for the sequence "Gadgets, Globes, and Other Garish Gizmos," with VFX supervisor Scott Kersavage and producer Dorothy McKim) and nominated for Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program (for the character Wayne, voiced by Dave Foley and supervised by animator Mark Mitchell). These accolades affirmed its visual innovation across a total of at least 10 nominations in major awards that year.[39][6] These accolades established Prep & Landing as a benchmark for Disney's animated television specials, enhancing the franchise's reputation for high-quality holiday programming and paving the way for sequels. In 2025 announcements for the revival special Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol, producers highlighted the original's Emmy-winning legacy to emphasize its enduring appeal and creative pedigree.[40][41]| Award | Category | Result | Recipient(s) | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Animated Program (Less Than One Hour) | Won | Chris Williams, John Lasseter, Dorothy McKim et al. | 2010 | Television Academy |
| Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation | Won (x3) | Andy Harkness (art director); William M. George III (background key design); Joe Mateo (storyboard artist) | 2010 | Television Academy |
| Primetime Emmy | Outstanding Voice-Over Performance | Nominated | Dave Foley (as Wayne) | 2010 | Television Academy |
| Annie | Best Animated Television Production | Won | Walt Disney Animation Studios | 2010 | Annie Awards |
| Annie | Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in a Television Production | Won | Andy Harkness | 2010 | Annie Awards |
| Annie | Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in a Television Production | Won | Bill Schwab | 2010 | Annie Awards |
| VES | Outstanding Animated Character in a Broadcast Program | Nominated | Mark Mitchell (supervising animator) | 2010 | VES |
| VES | Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program | Won | Scott Kersavage, Dorothy McKim et al. | 2010 | VES |