Lacey Chabert and Travis Van Winkle star in Hallmark’s first movie made with Walt Disney World, and a new clip sets their bad first date at the Polynesian Village Resort.
Hallmark finally put a date on the Christmas movie Disney fans have been circling since last December. “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True” premieres Saturday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m. ET and PT on Hallmark Channel.
It’s the first time Hallmark Channel and Walt Disney World have teamed up on a movie. Lacey Chabert, who has made more Hallmark holiday movies than most of us have made Christmas cookies, plays the lead. Travis Van Winkle plays the guy next door.
And yes, next door means the hotel room next door. At Disney World. At Christmas.
What is Holiday Ever After about?
Chabert plays Lindsey, who takes her extended family to Walt Disney World for Christmas. The room next to theirs belongs to Philip, played by Van Winkle. He also happens to be her recent, very bad first date.
So the two keep bumping into each other around the resort. According to Hallmark’s logline, the rivalry starts to thaw, and a wish Lindsey makes at Cinderella Fountain may turn it into a romance.
Ryan Landels wrote and directed the movie. Richard Kind, Christy Carlson Romano, Bryce Durfee, Taegen Burns and Asher Alexander round out the cast, and Patrick Renna pops up in a cameo, per Hallmark’s announcement.
Here’s the official trailer from Hallmark Channel:
What’s in the new Good Morning America clip?
Good Morning America shared a never-before-seen scene on Nov. 5, per Mickey Visit. Laughing Place reports the clip shows Lindsey and Philip running into each other, unplanned, in the lobby of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
Hallmark says the whole thing was shot on location at Walt Disney World Resort, so expect plenty more park and hotel backdrops once it airs.
Chabert also talked about filming at the resort and fielded the question every millennial wanted asked: when does Gretchen Wieners get a Hallmark movie?
When and where can you watch Holiday Ever After?
The premiere is Saturday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m. ET and PT (7 p.m. Central) on Hallmark Channel. That’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so plan around the leftovers.
If you miss it, Hallmark’s movie page lists two encores:
Sunday, Nov. 29, at 10 p.m. ET (9 p.m. Central)
Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. Central)
It streams on Hallmark+ the day after the premiere. The movie is part of Hallmark Channel’s 17th annual Countdown to Christmas lineup.
How did Hallmark and Disney World end up making a movie?
Chabert announced the project from Magic Kingdom on Dec. 6, 2025, during Hallmark Channel’s “The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday.” Hallmark sent out the official release the next day.
Hallmark chief brand officer Darren Abbott said in that release that the company was “thrilled to expand our partnership beyond the products we create together and onto the screen.”
That partnership already lives in a lot of homes. Hallmark makes Disney cards, ornaments, gifts and gift wrap, and a Hallmark and Disney collection tied to the movie is sold at Hallmark Gold Crown stores and Hallmark.com.
The full trailer arrived July 2, 2026.
Can you shop the movie at Disney Springs?
You can, and you don’t have to wait for Nov. 28. A Holiday Ever After pop-up shop opened at Disney Springs in early October, across from Guest Relations. Laughing Place says it will stay open through the holiday season.
Laughing Place listed these prices when the shop opened:
Holiday Ever After Spirit Jersey, $89
Holiday Ever After Loungefly ear headband, $34.99
Matching pajamas, $30 for adults, $24 for kids and $20 for toddlers
Mickey and Minnie gingerbread nutcrackers, $68.99 each
A “Hallmark Hunk Lovers Club” crewneck, $44.99
There are also keepsake ornaments, cards from $12.99 to $19.99 and wrapping paper for $6.29. Prices can change, so check before you go.
Will Holiday Ever After show off Disney World at Christmas?
That’s the bet. Filming happened on property, and the story is set during the holidays, so Cinderella Castle in lights is a pretty safe guess for at least one shot.
If the movie sends you looking for the real thing, Disney World’s holiday season is already rolling. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party kicked off its season Sunday, Nov. 8, at Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s Jollywood Nights runs on select nights at Hollywood Studios.
Will it become a yearly Hallmark and Disney World tradition? Neither company has said. We’d watch the sequel.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Hallmark Channel (Nov. 2026), premiere, encore and Hallmark+ streaming dates
Hallmark and PR Newswire (Dec. 7, 2025), announcement, logline, cast, director and Darren Abbott quote
Laughing Place (Nov. 6, 2026), Good Morning America clip details; (Oct. 7, 2026), Disney Springs pop-up shop and prices
Mickey Visit (Nov. 7, 2026), clip timing and pop-up shop
WDWMagic (July 2, 2026), trailer release date
Hallmark Channel on YouTube, official trailer
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