As the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade concludes with Santa Claus’s grand entrance, and with a noticeable scarcity of tunes and films dedicated to Thanksgiving itself, this day of gratitude often serves as the unofficial kickoff to the holiday season. While you anticipate the oncoming food-induced drowsiness, you might ponder what to watch while snuggled up on the couch. Perhaps a Christmas special?

In the midst of the fierce competition among streaming services, with giants like Netflix expanding their holiday-themed content, a new addition to Disney’s Prep & Landing saga—Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol—is set to debut tonight. This animated series holds the potential to become a staple in the collection of beloved Christmas classics, thanks to its engaging story and charm.

First airing in 2009, the original 23-minute special introduced audiences to Lanny and Wayne, elves tasked with preparing homes for Santa’s Christmas Eve visits. Wayne, a seasoned veteran voiced by Dave Foley, is prideful and somewhat grumpy, often feeling undervalued by his superiors. On the other hand, Lanny, portrayed by Derek Richardson, is a cheerful graduate from Kringle Academy who becomes Wayne’s partner after the previous one, Peterson, secures a coveted Director of Naughty List Intelligence role. Completing the main cast is Sarah Chalke as Magee, the North Pole’s Christmas Eve Command Center Coordinator, who even has her own song in The Snowball Protocol, titled “Where Would We Be Without Magee?”

Stevie Wermers-Skelton and Kevin Deters, the creative minds behind this Emmy-winning special, are back to executive produce the latest installment, written by Colleen Evanson and Hilary Helding and directed by Shane Zalvin. The series continued with 2010’s short Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa and 2011’s Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice, which expanded the universe with the Coal Elf Brigade and introduced Wayne’s younger sibling, Noel, voiced by Rob Riggle.

The franchise is not short on talent, and The Snowball Protocol welcomes new voices to its ensemble. Joining the cast are Debi Derryberry as Commodore Charles Eggnoggington III, also known as Nog, Dulcé Sloan as Janice, Danny Pudi as Chef Geoff, and Manny Jacinto as Renato, a nod to characters from earlier Prep & Landing episodes.

Chock full of silly, seasonal word play—”frostbite” is frequently used as an expletive, the elves employ a gingerbread man device, or GBM for short, for a slew of spy-like tasks, etc. — and the merry magic that only the Mouse House can deliver, the festive franchise doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is convincingly self-aware. Each special’s opening credits begin with the cheeky introduction of “Lanny & Wayne the Christmas Elves in,” establishing the two elves as stars in a seasonal cinematic universe all their own. In the very first special, Wayne pops a squat on the recliner with a Christmas cookie iced to look like Santa, and skips over a Disney Christmas special on TV.

As someone who grew up on the traditional Rankin/Bass specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Year Without a Santa Claus, I understand the difficulty of welcoming a new franchise into your home around the holidays. But trust me when I say that Prep & Landing understands the assignment, remaining innovative while honoring classic Christmas culture. The Snowball Protocol follows (Santa’s) suit by leading in with a classic Christmas tune. Following Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” (Prep & Landing) and Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters’ “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” (Naughty vs. Nice), the new special kicks off with Ella Fitzgerald’s “Sleigh Ride,” before being interrupted by the elves’ Christmas Eve escapades. These songs not only help establish a cohesive rhythm within the franchise before each special briskly and seamlessly plays out within a half hour, but they also invoke a sense of familiarity for those easing into these titles.

A strength of this franchise is the manner in which it leans into the seasonal silliness, personifying the characters behind the scenes of these elusive, yuletide operations. You could almost argue that these specials hone in on the under-appreciated “little guy”(quite literally), reporting to Santa, who is literally referred to as “the Big Guy” and whose face is never shown in full. But why would I? Holiday specials like Prep & Landing are supposed to provide us with escapism, alleviating us of our real-world responsibilities for a half hour and reminding us of the child-like wonder we all can inhabit during this time of year.

The latest special, The Snowball Protocol, further promotes this escapism through flashbacks, as we become absorbed into Lanny and Wayne’s world after 14 years away. When a Christmas Eve mission goes awry, Wayne initiates the “snowball protocol” with Lanny, requesting he stay silent (night) about the incident. However, when they both get pulled into the Big Guy’s office separately on Christmas Day, Wayne nervously lets slip other slip-ups.

Most importantly, these specials leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, an essential tenet of TV Christmas specials that must provide snug resolutions in such a slim window for its characters, who in this franchise, are characters you enjoy seeing back on your screen. Unlike the Prep & Landing unit’s mission statement—”get in, get out, never be noticed”—Prep & Landing deserves your attention this holiday season.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (At least, that’s what Andy Williams promised.) The holidays are a time to celebrate with family, friends, food, and, let’s not forget, fun things to watch. Whether you’re huddled up with the whole family in your living room or cozying up under the covers with your tablet, let Decider be your guide to all things festive this holiday season.

Prep & Landing: The Snowball Protocol premieres tonight at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel, with next-day streaming on Disney+. While the special makes its linear debut on Thanksgiving on Disney Channel, the special will return for Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas, which kicks off on Dec. 1.