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Stream Olaf’s Frozen Adventure Now
The gates of Arendelle are open for the first holiday season in forever, and Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) are hosting a community celebration in this 2017 short directed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers, a spin-off of 2013’s Frozen. As the guests all leave early for their own family holiday traditions, the sisters are unsettled by a realization—they don’t have any.
That’s when Olaf (Josh Gad) and Sven team up to find the best holiday traditions from around the kingdom and bring them back home. Can they save their friends’ first big Christmas together? Watch Olaf’s Frozen Adventure online to find out what antics these lovable characters will get into this time, and read on in this Olaf’s Frozen Adventure streaming guide for more about the film’s cast, music and critical reception.
Here’s how to stream Olaf’s Frozen Adventure right now:
How to Stream ‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is the Frozen spin-off short, and it’s streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Phineas and Ferb and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Olaf
- 5. Tap on Olaf’s Frozen Adventure
- 6. Tap the Play Button
- 7. Enjoy!
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’: Overview
Release Date: October 27, 2017
Creators: Executive Producer John Lasseter, Producer Roy Conli, Writers Jac Schaeffer and Brian Kesinger
Director: Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers
Starring: Josh Gad, Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell and Jonathan Groff
Rating: G
Synopsis: Olaf sets off in search of a family Christmas tradition for Elsa and Anna in this 2017 short sequel to the instant classic Frozen (2013).
How Long Is ‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’?
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is a 21-minute animated comedy adventure.
‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ Plot
The gates of Arendelle are open for the first holiday season in forever, and Elsa and Anna are hosting a community celebration. As the guests all leave early for their own family holiday traditions, the sisters are unsettled by a realization—they don’t have any. With their parents dead and Elsa keeping herself isolated throughout the years, the sisters haven’t spent enough time together to build their own traditions. That’s when Olaf and Sven team up to find Elsa and Anna the best holiday traditions from around the kingdom.
They learn about peoples’ traditions for Christmas, Hanukkah and winter solstice and gather items related to the celebrations. After visiting Oaken, though, a coal from a portable sauna he gave them catches their sleigh on fire. Olaf and Sven slide down a hill and end up separated. Olaf sets off through the woods with nothing but a fruitcake but doesn’t get very far before being attacked by wolves.
As Elsa and Anna find some long-forgotten mementos in the attic, Sven returns to tell them Olaf’s in trouble. They enlist the help of their neighbors to search for Olaf. Olaf, meanwhile, has gotten free of the wolves, but when a hawk takes his fruitcake, he gives up, though he’s not far from the kingdom.
Fortunately, Elsa and Anna find him and cheer him up. They tell him they’ve realized they do have a tradition—him! All the years that Elsa was shut away, Anna would slide Olaf-inspired cards and gifts under the door each winter. As they celebrate, the hawk drops the fruitcake on Olaf, who calls it a Christmas miracle.
‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ Cast
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure features the original cast from Frozen and nearly four dozen additional voices. Here are a few of the main players.
Josh Gad as Olaf
When Elsa and Anna lament their lack of family holiday traditions, Olaf sets off on an adventure to bring them holiday cheer. Gad was the original voice of the lovable snowman Olaf in Frozen (2013), for which he won four major awards, and numerous other Frozen productions. He is also known for his roles in Pixels (2015), Beauty and the Beast (2017) and the television series The Comedians (2015).
Idina Menzel as Elsa
Elsa realizes that by shutting herself away for most of her life she has missed years of opportunity to build a relationship and traditions with her sister. Menzel received seven major awards for her performance as Elsa in the original Frozen (2013). She has voiced Elsa in the short Frozen Fever (2015), the Lego Frozen Northern Lights television series (2016) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). She is also known for her roles in Rent (2005), Enchanted (2007) and the popular television series Glee (2010-2013).
Kristen Bell as Anna
Anna is excited to throw a surprise holiday party for the kingdom, but her holiday cheer is dampened when she realizes she and her sister have no traditions of their own. Bell’s more than two-decade acting career includes the title role in the hit television drama Gossip Girl (2007-2012), the grown-up comedies Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) and Bad Moms (2016), the murder mystery television series Veronica Mars (2004-2019) and its 2014 movie, The Good Place (2016-2020) and Zootopia (2016). She won three major awards for her role as Anna in Frozen (2013).
Jonathan Groff as Kristoff
Kristoff shares his family holiday tradition with Elsa and Anna but it doesn’t suit them. Of course he’s there at the ready when Olaf needs to be rescued. Groff’s acting credits include the television series One Life to Live (2007), Glee (2010-2015), Mindhunter (2017-2019) and Looking (2014-2015) and the 2016 television movie Looking. He played Kristoff in 2013’s Frozen and won two Behind the Voice Actors Awards along with fellow cast members. He also played the role of King George III in Hamilton both on and off Broadway in 2015, part of the Grammy Award-winning cast honored for Best Musical Theater Album.
‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ Songs and Soundtrack
Unlike the previous two Frozen films, with music by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure features four new songs written by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson. “Ring in the Season” and “That Time of Year” are performed by Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad; the three are joined by Jonathan Groff for “When We’re Together,” which Slashfilm thought could be the next “Let It Go.” Groff alone performs “The Ballad of Flemingrad.”
‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ at the Box Office
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure was released on November 22, 2017, for a limited time in 3-D theaters ahead of the Pixar film Coco. Many audience members objected to the length of the short. It’s first television broadcast was on ABC that December, with 5.64 million viewers. The movie was released on home video on November 13, 2018, and has earned $2.9 million in domestic sales. The 2018 Blu-ray/DVD release included six additional historical Disney shorts, Polar Trappers (1938), Winter (1930), The Hockey Champ (1939), The Art of Skiing (1941), Once Upon a Wintertime (1954) and Pluto’s Christmas Tree (1952).
‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Critics generally agreed Olaf’s Frozen Adventure was a good way to appease fans awaiting the arrival of the much-anticipated Frozen II. The film has an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with five critic reviews, but 335 viewer ratings place it only at 37%. While IGN called it “unbearably long” and “a Christmas trifle one can add to a long roster of somewhat forgettable holiday specials,” Common Sense Media said it’s “better than you heard.” The film won two Behind the Voice Actors Awards recognizing Bell, Menzel, Groff, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk, Chris Williams, Ciaran Hinds, Livvy Stubenrauch and Eva Bella.
Where ‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is part of the Frozen franchise that started with the original movie Frozen in 2013. Olaf’s Frozen Adventure follows Frozen Fever, a 2015 spin-off short that debuted with Disney’s Cinderella in theaters that March. A sequel to the original movie, Frozen II, is set to come out in November 2019.
‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ Trailer
Stream Olaf’s Frozen Adventure Now
‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
[Brief intro to segue into the list below
1. The Stars May Have Been the Same, but ‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ Brought New Blood Into the ‘Frozen’ Movie Scene
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure mixed it up when it came to directors, producers and composers. The film was the first to be directed by someone other than Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers), and it was produced by John Lasseter and Roy Conli instead of Peter Del Vecho. Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who wrote the music for the first two Frozen movies, were also replaced with Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson.
2. Theater Audiences Were not Pleased With the Short Playing Ahead of ‘Coco’
For one thing, at 21 minutes long, it’s not exactly a short short—added on to a feature-length film, it was too much. Plus some fans speculated the Frozen short may have been added to help boost box office numbers for Coco, which, set in Mexico with Mexican characters and themes, they thought Disney may have feared would not perform well enough on its own.
3. You Might Miss a Couple of the Good Old Bad Guys
Two of the villainous characters from Frozen and Frozen Fever are missing from the third film. You won’t find Marshmallow the snow monster or Hans the conniving prince anywhere in Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.
4. Look for Some Easter Eggs When Olaf Sings “That Time of Year”
You might spy figurines of Lanny and Wayne from Disney’s Christmas special Prep & Landing, toys from The Ballad of Nessie, Wreck-It Ralph and Big Hero 6 in Kristoff’s sleigh, or the dolls that Anna played with during “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” in Frozen.
5. The Short Includes a Few Special Guest Voices
Songwriters Kate Anderson and Elyssa Samsel voiced characters in the short, as did Director Stevie Wermers. Anderson voices the Norwegian Cookie Lady and the Cat Lady, while Samsel voices the adorable kittens. Wermers plays the Candy Cane Kid’s Mom.