We haven’t even hit the “Christmas in July” portion of the upcoming Hallmark movie schedule, but already I can’t stop thinking about the lovely holiday fare that will be served on the family friendly network later this year. That’s particularly because we already know that Lacey Chabert partnered with Disney World for what will certainly be one of the season’s most magical movies, and seeing her in Mickey Ears is giving me the best TGIF flashbacks.
Millennials will likely remember ABC’s Friday night block of shows like Full House and Family Matters from the ‘90s, and it was always such a treat when one of those series did a special episode from the Happiest Place on Earth. As Hallmark announced Lacey Chabert’s cast for this year’s Countdown to Christmas offering Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True (what a mouthful!), I can’t help but be flooded with nostalgic feelings. See the Instagram post for yourself:
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OK, so technically Lacey Chabert wasn’t part of TGIF’s lineup back in the 1990s, but she was growing up alongside other young up-and-comers like Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Ben Savage, Jaleel White and Melissa Joan Hart — all of whom filmed episodes of their respective series at Disney World.
Lacey Chabert came to fame as part of Party of Five on Fox, which aired from 1994 to 2000 and launched the careers of not just the would-be Hallmark queen but also Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt. The series was definitely more drama than sitcom, but I still tend to lump it in with TGIF content when I think about my favorite ‘90s network TV shows.
Suffice it to say it was quite a treat to see Lacey Chabert in the Mickey Ears, finally getting that Disney World filming experience that so many of her peers had.
In addition to the Mean Girls actress, Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True will also star Travis Van Winkle, Christy Carlson Romano, Richard Kind, Bryce Durfee, Taegen Burns and Asher Alexander.
The movie sees Lindsey (Chabert) vacationing with her family at Walt Disney World for Christmas, only to find that Philip (Van Winkle), a bad first date she recently had, is staying in the room next to hers. However, the Disney holiday magic warms the sentiment between the two in what sounds like a lovely enemies-to-lovers arc.
Filming wrapped earlier this year in the most Disney way possible — with a fireworks display — and I simply can’t wait for this one to hit the 2026 TV schedule this Christmas.
This isn’t the first time Lacey Chabert has injected nostalgia into the Countdown to Christmas. Back in 2023 she reunited with her Party of Five sibling Scott Wolf for A Merry Scottish Christmas (don’t worry, they played brother and sister again, not romantic leads), and Jennifer Love Hewitt has pitched herself to also share the screen with Chabert again in a future Hallmark movie.
As far as I’m concerned, there can never be too much ‘90s nostalgia in my Hallmark movies, so I’m definitely all for that. Keep an eye on the Hallmark schedule for its ever-changing slate of new movies. We’ve still got a few months before we’ll know exactly when to find Lacey Chabert getting her Disney on in Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True.
