Iconic pictures of Christmas time from classic Disney theatrical films…

Let it not be said I do not enjoy a challenge! Even one that I quixotically pose upon myself that no one cares enough to hold me accountable for. Today, I’ve chosen to find Winter/Holiday imagery from every theatrically released Disney movie. I wanted to do this since the inception of the site, although this year it became something of a necessity. Sadly, I’m sort of running low on “classic” Disney stuff to cover. So unless I want to start covering direct-to-DVD Xmas fare, I was going to have to make some concessions. I decided to included instances of Winter – “Christmas Time” – because hey, animated snow will always have a place here. Let’s go!

FANTASIA  |  1940

From Fantasia (1940)

Disney’s third theatrically released movie was a ultra-ambitious doozy that nearly killed the company. Luckily, Fantastia found an audience decades later so this imagery of the Sugar Plum Fairies skating during the “Nutcracker Suite” is recognized by millions today.

Toe Pic!

DUMBO  | 1941

From Dumbo (1941)

During the “Pink Elephants on Parade” sequence, better known as the scene where Dumbo and Timothy get hammered, the big-eared elephant hallucinates tiny pachyderms gallivanting through the snow and ice.

Precursor to TRON?!

BAMBI  | 1942

From Bambi (1942)

Instead of hibernating like good little mammals, Bambi and Thumber hit the ice in this famous sequence we wrote about previously in A Disney Christmas Gift.

Shoulda stayed in bed

 MAKE MINE MUSIC  |  1946

From Make Mine Music (1946)

 Jumping ahead in Disney movie history up to its eighth film, the company wasn’t doing so hot and was producing mostly compilation films. That ain’t all bad, without that format we wouldn’t have the unforgettable Peter and the Wolf sequence.

Apologies for the picture quality. I’m taking all these myself

 MELODY TIME  |  1948

From Melody Time (1948)

In the sing-songy tradition of the last film, Melody Time featured “Once Upon a Winter Time” which we previously covered briefly regarding another cost-cutting collection of Disney shorts.

“The sky is pink… and we don’t care!”

 THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD  |  1949

From The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

Opting for a film compiling two longer form shorts, the “Wind in the Willows” portion of Ichabod and Mr. Toad ends with a Christmas scene.

D’oh… you screwy sociopath

101 DALMATIANS  |  1961

From 101 Dalmatians (1961)

 Jumping ahead to Disney’s 17th film, more than 100 dalmatians escape a tyrannical seamstress and return to the Radcliffes just in time for Christmas.

101 more problems

 THE RESCUERS  |  1977

From The Rescuers (1977)

It might be a little difficult to tell, but Bernard and Bianca get Penny out of the swamp and adopted somewhere close to December 25th. To further solidify The Rescuers place in Holiday history, Mickey’s Christmas Carol made its debut before a 1983 theatrical rerelease of the film.

No need to be Evinrude

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST  |  1991

From Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Although Christmas isn’t mentioned specifically, Beauty and the Beast pretty clearly takes place around the Holiday season, most notably during the “Something There” sequence. Hmmm… Do you think they had the foresight to know they’d eventually do this?!

Belle’s jacket sure looks like a sign of the Holidays

That’s all for now! I plan on updating this list because, yes, I already realize I missed a few. Snow, winter, or Christmas, let me know which Disney moment I missed in the comments below.

Yesterday’s Christmas Special
JOHN DENVER & THE MUPPETS: A CHRISTMAS TOGETHER

2010′s Dec. 2 Christmas Special
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN

2009′s Dec. 2 Christmas Special
THE SNOWMAN