Back in 2009 my very favorite Christmas movie appeared on ABC. The half hour special was called Disney’s Prep and Landing. The story revolves around an elf named Wayne who has been part of Santa’s Prep and Landing team for 227 years. This year however he’s going to get a promotion as the elf in charge of the naughty list. But, much to Wayne’s dismay, he’s passed over in favor his partner, one of the elves he’s trained. Wayne is dismayed and on top of that he gets an all too eager new partner named Lanny. Lanny worships Wayne and is so excited for his first mission. Boy, they are in for a wild night.

I wrote up a blog post in 2009 that reviewed the movie and compared the awesomeness of it to how bloggers could write better posts. I guess I wrote about it pretty often too because I watched it over and over again. Like I stated before it instantly became my new favorite Christmas movie. Here is an excerpt of that post.

Why Prep and Landing Works.
The show works as entertainment and causes laughter for kids as well as parents. It also takes something that many people are familiar with, Christmas, Christmas specials, Christmas songs and pretty much all things Christmas and it changes things ever so slightly yet stays true to the Christmas spirit. The special also blends these traditional images with a modern flair of spies and high tech gadgetry.

Pay Attention to the Little Things
Disney always has so many visual details in their projects they are masters at attention to detail. From the call signs of each character to visual jokes on the gadgets.

Can You Write for Multiple Audiences at Once?
Parents and kids alike love Disney movies because they are smart in that they appeal to kids and adults. Adults get those subtle inside jokes and kids get colorful characters and tons of fast paced action.

I have some really funny clips to get you excited for the release of Prep and Landing on DVD.

“Prepping The House”

“Dash Away”

Prep & Landing – BONUS CLIPS!

“Secret Mission”

“Gift Exchange”

“Tiny’s Big Adventure”

Here is the press release with more details on the release of Disney’s Prep and Landing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

An All-New, Modern Christmas Tale To Add To The Family Holiday Viewing Collection!

Disney’s PREP & LANDING Arrives on DVD – November 22, 2011

Featuring Two New Animated Shorts – “Tiny’s Big Adventure” and “Operation Secret Santa”

BURBANK, Calif., May 20, 2011 — This coming holiday, Disney invites audiences of all ages to make Prep & Landing (the all-new modern classic Christmas tale) part of their family’s “must own” holiday-viewing collection! Arriving to DVD on November 22, 2011, Prep & Landing is the perfect blend of Christmas spirit, humor and entertaining characters that will keep the entire family grinning from ear-to-ear. Complete with two new bonus shorts – “Tiny’s Big Adventure” and “Operation Secret Santa” (which features Betty White as the voice of Mrs. Clause) – Prep & Landing will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.99 in the U.S. and $24.99 in Canada. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer for all ages! For more information on this release, please visit www.Disney.com/PrepAndLanding.

Prep & Landing is an adorable holiday story about a high-tech team of elves who ensure homes around the world are properly prepared for their visit from Santa. After working for a tireless 227 years, an elf named Wayne (voiced by Dave Foley) is upset when he doesn’t receive an expected promotion. Instead he is partnered with an idealistic rookie elf named Lanny (voiced by Derek Richardson) to execute a special Christmas Eve mission. While on their journey, Wayne and Lanny encounter unexpected challenges that push them to their limits and ultimately threaten Christmas for children around the world. But in the end, these two elves work together to guide Santa through a raging snowstorm in order to save Christmas.

Prep & Landing, which first debuted in 2009 as ABC TV’s first animated television special produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, features the voice talents of DaveFoley (Disney●Pixar’s A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Cars) as Wayne, Derek Richardson (TV’s “Men in Trees”) as Lanny, Sarah Chalke (TV’s “Scrubs” and “Roseanne”) as Magee, Mason Vale Cotton (TV’s “Desperate Housewives”) as Timmy Terwelp, David DeLuise (Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverley Place”) as Dancer, Peter Jacobson (TV’s “House M.D.,” Transformers) as Waterkotte, Lino DiSalvo (Disney’s Bolt) as Gristletoe Joe, William Morgan Sheppard (Transformers, The Prestige) as The Big Guy, Nathan Greno (Disney’s Bolt, Meet The Robinsons) as Dasher, Hayes MacArthur (Life As We Know It, She’s Out Of My League) as Thrasher and Kasha Kropinski (Fame, Big Fish) as Miss Holly.

Bonus Features:

• Prep & Landing Stocking Stuffer Shorts:
• “Tiny’s Big Adventure“ – The assistant to the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center is trying to make a pot of coffee and in the process, accidentally ruins the elves’ break room
• “Operation Secret Santa” – Lead elves Lanny and Wayne are sent on a special assignment by Mrs. Clause (voice of Betty White) into Santa’s office
• Prep & Landing Kringle Academy Training Videos – Entertaining Elf training videos shot in Santa’s workshop
• Elfdate.com/The Fruitcake Factory/Spa Navidad
• Welcome to Kringle Academy
• Kringle Academy Equipment Training
• Academy Do’s and Don’ts

Disc Specifications:
STREET DATES: November 22, 2011
Direct prebook: September 27, 2011
Distributor prebook: October 11, 2011

Release Format: 1-Disc DVD
Suggested Retail Price: $19.99 U.S. / $24.99 Canada
Feature Run Time: 22-minutes
Rated: TV-G (bonus material not yet rated)
Presentation: 16×9 Widescreen
Audio & Languages: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: French & Spanish

About Prep & Landing:
In his directorial debut, Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton (The Ballad of Nessie), worked with Executive Producer, Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios John Lasseter (The Toy Story films, Cars, Monsters, Inc.) in the production of this film. Prep & Landing is ABC TV Network’s first animated television special produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Prep & Landing first premiered in November of 2009 and became an instant favorite with viewers when it emerged as TV’s #1 holiday special. It was also the highest kids rating (kids ages 2-11), for any primetime telecast on broadcast TV in 2009. Since its first broadcast debut, the special has gone on to win an Emmy® Award in 2010 for Outstanding Animated Program, an Annie Award in 2010 for Best Animated Television Production and a Visual Effects Society Award in 2010 for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or a Special.

About Walt Disney Studios:
For more than 85 years, TheWalt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (DIS: NYSE) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel. Through the Home Entertainment division, innovative distribution methods provide access to creative content across multiple platforms. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!. For more information, please visit www.disney.com.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the movie to review. You can read my original Prep and Landing post from back in 2009 and search for Prep and Landing related posts on this blog as well. Opinions of the special are 100% mine.