The Stepdad - Disney Christmas 2021

This year's story follows Nicole, the granddaughter from last year's ad, who is now all grown up with a family to make Christmas traditions with. We follow her and her two adorable children, Max and Ella, as their new stepdad Mike moves into their family home.

At the heart of the story is a very special storybook – a precious item belonging to Max from his birth father. The book celebrates the power of storytelling and how it can deepen family bonds; as the family are shown delighting in the magic of Disney storytelling, beautiful animation springs off the pages, igniting the true spirit of Christmas.

Follow their emotional journey as we see them combine existing festive traditions with wonderful new ones. We hope you enjoy this special Christmas ad, celebrating the joy that the stepdads of the world bring us. 

Classroom Ideas

• ​Discuss how the Step Dad's feelings develop and change throughout the film.
• Think about how the lyrics match to sections of the action e.g. 'When you open the door, I'll be standing there...' in the opening scenes.
• Discuss how the animation sets the scene:
  • How does it show that it is Christmas time?
  • How do we know what the man is doing?
  • How do we know who lives in the house?
• Design and build your own gingerbread house 
  • Card and white paint could be used.
• Create instructions for building a gingerbread house. 
• Write dialogue between two or more of the characters.
• Write from the point of view of the dog - what does he see?

Watch the film on YouTube here