Forget the loud New Year’s parties or massive crowds in Times Square. Sometimes, chilling out at home with a good movie is the perfect way to celebrate – especially if you have kids or are with family. That’s why Disney+ is the perfect streaming service for anyone looking to get a good dose of New Year’s fun without the hassle of leaving home.
While Disney+ doesn’t have many movies with plots directly taking place on New Year’s (in fact, it only has one), it does have a bunch of fun films that perfectly capture the vibe of the holiday. And for all the Star Wars fans out there, we’ll even be talking about the iconic “Death Star on New Year’s” phenomenon. Check out these great Disney+ movies that are perfect for New Year’s.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Cruella (2021)
When you think of New Year’s, you think of Champagne, glitzy parties in fancy places, and everyone looking their very best. No movie encapsulates that better than Cruella. In the film, Emma Stone stars as the titular fashionista in this wild origin story that shows how the young Estella turns into the vigilante (and somewhat criminal) Cruella.
Fashion and style are at the center of the film, and its costuming even won an Oscar. Plus, Stone’s performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination as well. If you want a great movie that perfectly fits the vibe of New Year’s, this is the one to watch.
Watch Cruella on Disney+.
A Very Merry Pooh Year (2002)
The only Disney+ movie that’s actually about New Year’s is A Very Merry Pooh Year. The film starts on Christmas and ends on New Year’s Eve. In the movie, Rabbit becomes upset with the residents of Hundred Acre Wood. It’s a rocky few days between Christmas and New Year’s, but eventually, Rabbit reconciles with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and the others on New Year’s Eve, and they celebrate.
A Very Merry Pooh Year might not be the most action-packed New Year’s film, but it’s a good watch for anyone in the mood for a wholesome, cozy story. Plus, it concludes with all the characters having a New Year’s party where they sing Auld Lang Syne.
Watch A Very Merry Pooh Year on Disney+.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
For the uninitiated among us, there’s a tradition in the Star Wars fandom to watch A New Hope on New Year’s Eve and time it perfectly so that the Death Star blows up when the clock strikes midnight. New York drops a ball, Boise drops a potato, Key West drops a giant high heel, and Port Clinton drops a fish … but none of those compare to the grandeur of the Death Star explosion.
If you’re watching A New Hope on Disney+, you’ll want to start the movie at 10:02:43 p.m. to have the Death Star blow up exactly at midnight.
Watch Star Wars – A New Hope on Disney+.
Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)
Another great Star Wars entry for New Year’s is the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special. The special doesn’t technically focus on New Year’s and instead centers around the Life Day celebration within the Star Wars universe. Hey, that’s close enough for me.
Life Day is (obviously) inspired by the holiday season, so the Christmas and New Year’s vibes are everywhere with twinkling lights, presents, and snowy landscapes. Plus, if you’ve never seen one of the Lego specials before, they throw in some great one-liners, puns, and spoofs. So, for fans, they’re a lot of fun.
Watch the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+.
Wish (2023)
Part of New Year’s is making your New Year’s resolutions and New Year’s wishes, so why not watch a whole film about wishes? Disney’s 2023 film Wish takes place in a kingdom where one man controls the wishes of all his subjects, forcing them to live lives filled with hope … but never any reward. That is until one precocious girl (Argylle‘s Ariana DeBose) decides to fight back.
For some reason, Wish received negative reviews when it premiered. But I’ve watched it and thought it was entertaining with enjoyable original songs. Checking Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 80% audience score compared to its 48% critics score, so it seems I’m not the only person who thinks the critics were wrong on this one. Give the film a chance; you’ll be surprised how good it is.
Watch Wish on Disney+.