Wayne and Lanny Return for First Time in Over A Decade in New Trailer for "Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol"

After over a decade, a new Prep & Landing special is on its way to Disney Channel and Disney+ this holiday season, with a new trailer giving fans an idea of what to expect and a peek at some returning characters.

What’s Happening: 

• The official trailer for the upcoming animated holiday special Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol has arrived. 
• The Emmy-winning franchise returns after more than a decade, following Christmas elves Lanny and Wayne as their holiday mission unfolds with many merry mishaps. The fourth installment continues the holiday adventures of an elite team that prepares homes worldwide for Santa’s arrival. 
• The new special arrives with a Thanksgiving Day premiere on Disney Channel, Nov. 27 (7:00 p.m. EST/PST), before it streams on Disney+, starting Nov. 28th.  
• All previous specials - Prep & Landing (2009), Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa (2010) and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (2011) - are currently streaming on Disney+. 
• The new special will also make its ABC network premiere on Sunday, Nov. 30 (9:00 p.m. EST/PST), following encore airings of the previous specials Prep & Landing and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST/PST. 
• Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol will join Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” on Dec. 13 (2:40 p.m. EST/PST) following the original Prep & Landing at 2:10 p.m. EST/PST. 
• An official single from the special, “Where Would We Be Without Magee,” will be available on digital platforms Nov 21st.
• The returning cast includes Dave Foley as Wayne, Sarah Chalke as Magee, and Derek Richardson as Lanny. Joining the cast is Manny Jacinto as Renato, Dulcé Sloan as Janice, Danny Pudi as Chef Geoff and Christopher Swindle as The Big Guy, a.k.a. Santa. 
• The special is produced by Disney Television Animation, and as such is getting the full treatment, with new Prep & Landing-focused Chibi Tiny Tales and How Not To Draw shorts will join YouTube, Disney Channel and Disney+. Prep & Landing: As Told By Chibi premieres Saturday, Nov. 15th on YouTube and Disney Channel, and streams Nov. 26 on Disney+.  How Not to Draw short “Lanny and Wayne” premieres Saturday, Nov. 29th on YouTube and Disney Channel, and will stream in February 2026.

Prep & Landing Prep: 

• Prep & Landing is an animated holiday special franchise produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios (and later by Disney Television Animation) about the secret elite team of Christmas elves who “prep” homes for Santa’s arrival. 
• The first installment, Prep & Landing, introduces Wayne (a longtime elf) and Lanny (a rookie) on a Christmas Eve mission when things go awry and they must come together to save Santa’s landing at a particular boy’s house. 
• For a few consecutive years, each of the specials debuted with the last in 2011, proving its fan base and popularity. The franchise has even starred in a holiday preshow to the popular nighttime spectacular, World of Color, at Disney California Adventure.