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How to Watch 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' Online

How to Watch 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' Online
Credit: Youtube / Disney+

Every year my family follows a strict holiday watch list, including a rule that The Muppet Christmas Carol must only be viewed on Christmas day—no earlier. The Muppet Christmas Carol is Jim Henson’s take on the classic transformation story of Ebenezer Scrooge. With characters like Gonzo and Rizzo The Rat adding hilarious spirit to the retelling. Believe it or not, for years my family had been watching the movie on VHS, until we eventually upgraded to DVD, and now we’re finally streaming. For others trying to keep the tradition alive this year, here’s how to watch Jim Henson’s The Muppet Christmas Carol online.

Subscribe to Disney+

If you don’t already have the streaming service, go ahead and sign up. The Muppet Christmas Carol and twelve other “Muppets” shows and movies are available to stream with no extra fees, (not to mention the hundreds of Disney and FOX programs). Costs for the Disney streaming service run $6.99 per month, or $69.99 for the year. Keep in mind though that Disney+ will be raising prices in the coming months, so expect the monthly subscription to increase by $1 starting March 26, 2021. You can always put the subscription on your Christmas list.

Use Disney+ group watch

Disney’s “group watch” feature allows subscribers to enjoy any Disney+ title virtually with family and friends. When you select “group watch” on a title, the site generates a shareable link. Up to seven people including the host can join, and up to four different profiles, so even if you are spending the holiday apart from loved ones, you can still watch The Muppet Christmas Carol as a family.

Rent on these platforms

Joining a new streaming platform is a monthly commitment, and if you’d rather avoid that you can rent The Muppet Christmas Carol online with the platforms below. I suggest buying the film for $9.99 so you can screen it any time of the year (just don’t tell the family).

  • iTunes, $2.99

  • Amazon Prime Video, $2.99

  • YouTube, $3.99

  • Google Play Movies & TV, $3.99

  • Vudu, $3.99

You may notice something missing

If you’ve been watching the film since its theatrical release and on VHS, you may have noticed a section missing when you upgraded to DVD. The beautiful ballad “When Love is Gone,” sung by Scrooge’s lost love Belle (Meredith Braun), was removed for the DVD release. A Disney Executive at the time, Jeffrey Katzenberg, felt the song slowed the film down, and it was removed to better keep kids’ attention. The song is integral to Scrooge’s emotional arc and deserves to return (maybe we can petition Disney to bring back the original cut), so supplement the film with the song available on YouTube to have the full movie experience.