As kids, Christmastime meant believing in something that didn’t exist. Our imaginations were filled to the brim with elves making toys, reindeer flying in the night, and Santa Claus watching over us, ensuring that we were good each year.
What was simply unrealistic brought a wholehearted sense of joy to us. Now when the holidays roll around, that feeling ceases to exist. That is, unless you watch Disney’s “Prep & Landing.”
Fueled by creative minds, including Pixar’s John Lasseter as executive producer, “Prep & Landing” sparks the childhood imagination that you stored away years ago. The 30-minute TV holiday special follows a prep-and-landing elf named Wayne and his newly appointed partner, Lanny.
Answering the question of how Santa is able to visit millions of homes in one night, Wayne and Lanny belong to an elite team of elves that prep houses for Santa’s arrival. They ensure that not a creature is stirring, that stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and that the milk and cookies left out are up to the big guy’s liking.
It seems like another childish holiday story, but that’s the beauty of this short. “Prep & Landing” brings life back into your imagination and revives the joy you used to feel as a kid.
As adults, we become more cynical with age. We see Christmas as a time when America’s obsessive consumerism runs wild, and as a time to overeat. We forget the simple joys, both in life and during this time when we should be spreading holiday cheer.
It sounds almost too cliche to believe, but it’s true, and that’s exactly what “Prep & Landing” will bring to you when you watch it. While it’s a newly added special to TV, it’s one that should be marked as a holiday classic.
You can watch this totally tinsel special Thursday, Dec. 17, on ABC at 8 p.m.
Reach contributing writer Sarah Anderson at development@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @sanderson794
