Where to Stream Home Alone, Christmas Vacation and Other Holiday Classics

Max, Disney+, Hulu & more services are home to popular Christmas classics in 2023.

By Charlie Ridgely - November 9, 2023 07:21 pm EST

We're more than a week into November and that means, for many people around the country, the holiday season is underway. As Thanksgiving approaches in just a couple of weeks, plenty of folks are already planning their holiday festivities, pulling out their Christmas decorations, and starting their annual festive rewatches. There's a roster of classic holiday films that are on the annual list for quite a few of us, and the recent streaming surge has made it a lot easier to find many of those movies online.

While streaming has made movies more accessible for many, it has also complicated things a little bit. With so many streaming services out there, it can be hard to track down some of your favorite Christmas films. That's where we come in.

From It's a Wonderful Life to Elf, and everything in between, we sought out the most popular holiday movies and where they're currently streaming. There are obviously going to be a lot of personal favorites that may not be on this list, but this will address the most talked-about and rewatched Christmas titles out there.

So, where can you find your favorite movies this holiday season?

Home Alone Movies

Heading into the month of November, the original Home Alone movie couldn't be found on Disney+, the streaming service where fans are used to seeing them. Fortunately, that has already changed. Disney+ continues to be the home of the Home Alone film franchise.

Disney+ has Home Alone and Home Alone 2, both of which star Macauley Culkin as Kevin McAllister. The streaming service is also the place to find Home Alone 3, Home Alone 4, Home Alone: The Holiday Heist, and Home Sweet Home Alone.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

One of the most beloved Christmas comedies of all time, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation remains an annual rewatch for most holiday movie fans.

As of November 9th, Christmas Vacation is streaming exclusively on Max. That will change later in the month.

Elf, A Christmas Story, and Polar Express

These three popular holiday movies may not seem like they have a ton in common on the surface, but they're lumped together here because their situation is the same across the board.

Elf, A Christmas Story, and Polar Express are all currently streaming on Max. Like Christmas Vacation, all three of these titles will also be added to Hulu on November 23rd.

In addition to A Christmas Story, Max also has A Christmas Story 2 and A Christmas Story Christmas available to stream.

The Santa Clause and Other Disney+ Christmas Offerings

In addition to streaming the Home Alone franchise, Disney+ has quite a few holiday offerings to choose from. The Santa Clause and both of its sequels are streaming on Disney+, along with the new series The Santa Clauses, which is entering its second season.

The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Jingle All the Way are among the most popular holiday titles on Disney+.

Miracle on 34th Street

If you're looking for the classic 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street, you have multiple options for where you can stream it. The film can be found on Hulu, Prime Video, and Disney+.

That said, if you want to watch the 1994 remake with Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson, Hulu is the place to go. It's the only streaming service hosting both films.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

The Peanuts holiday specials used to air on TV every year, but that changed when Apple TV+ acquired the exclusive rights to those specials. Now, Apple TV+ is the only place to find them, and that includes A Charlie Brown Christmas.

While you typically need a subscription to Apple's streaming service to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, the beloved TV special will be available to watch for free on December 16th and 17th.

Rudolph, Frosty, and Other TV Specials

Many of the popular Rankin/Bass holiday specials are a little more difficult to find in the world of streaming. The most popular of the specials — Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, The Year Without Santa Claus, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town — aren't on any major streaming services. To watch them online you'll need to buy or rent them from an on-demand service like Amazon, Apple, or Vudu.

If you still have traditional TV, the more notable specials will still be airing a few times throughout the season, including as part of Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

With Illumination's 2018 release of The Grinch, there are now three different Grinch movies to watch throughout the holiday season.

The classic TV special, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, remains the favorite for many, and it's currently streaming on Peacock. Illumination's new Grinch is also available on the same service.

Unfortunately, Ron Howard and Jim Carrey's How the Grinch Stole Christmas from the year 2000 isn't readily available like the other Grinch films. You'll have to buy or rent that one.

It's a Wonderful Life

One of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time, It's a Wonderful Life is one of the most accessible films on this entire list. Starring James Stewart as George Bailey, Frank Capra's 1946 classic is on a number of streaming services.

You can find It's a Wonderful Life on Prime Video, but it's also streaming for free on Plex and the Roku Channel.