Sofia the First: Holiday in Enchancia Synopsis
“Holiday in Enchancia” is the 24th episode from Disney’s first season of the “Sofia the First” series of computer animated cartoons. It is also the title of the fifth DVD compilation of “Sofia the First” cartoons and the second such compilation to be themed after a holiday. The special is comprised of is eponymous episode, as well as episodes 9, 11, 21 and 25 of Sofia’s first season, played in that order. A light-up ornament of Sofia was included as a pack-in accessory with new releases.
As every Sofia the First special has her receiving guidance from one of the other Disney princesses, this special has Sofia gaining advice from Princess Aurora of “Sleeping Beauty,” voiced by American voice actress and musician Kate Higgens.
The special begins with Sofia basking in the seasonal trappings of “Wassailia®,” a non-denominational wintertime holiday celebrated by her people. As Sofia anticipates spending the holiday with family, her siblings, Princess Amber and Prince James, are contrasted by showing a deep longing to open their Wassalia™ presents. Concerned for King Roland II’s absence, Sofia asks around for his status. Miranda informs Sofia that Bailywick and the king went off on a matter of royal business. The perspective then shifts to Roland, whose “royal business” is merely purchasing eleventh-hour presents for Amber, James and Sofia.
The perspective returns to Sofia, who has gone to spend time with Minimus, her flying derby-horse. As Sofia treats the equine to some candied carrots, she learns that he is the only flying horse that has not succumbed to sickness. As if things are not bad enough, Roland’s present-laden royal carriage gets ensnared by a blizzard. Spooked by the inclement weather, the horses towing the carriage flee, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves in the woods. Fortunately for the group, a local woodsman soon comes across the royal party and offers them a warm place to stay.
The perspective returns to the royal castle, with Sofia and her mother, Queen Miranda, growing anxious over Roland’s absence. Miranda calls Constable Myles to prepare the carriage for a trip, with only the healthy Minimus able to serve as the carriage’s beast of burden. Everyone gets onto the carriage to search for Roland, with Sofia’s animal friends Clover, Mia and Robin stowing away in order to help Sofia reunite with Roland. As the group travels the skies in search of the king, they notice the royal horses running rampant and figure out that something unpleasant befell the king. as if things were not already a challenge, the blizzard grows intense enough to cause the carriage to land.
Concerned for her father, Sofia asks Miranda and Myles what to do. While Myles advises that everyone should return to the coach and wait for conditions to improve, Sofia’s unrest is lessened when Miranda explains that Roland is fine. Sofia questions how Miranda could know this, to which Miranda simply states that she knows it to be true. Unsatisfied with her mother’s proclamation, Sofia checks on Minimus and asks for his advice. Unfortunately, Minimus is too panic-stricken from the crisis to contribute anything meaningful. Sofia’s magical Amulet of Avalor begins to glow and, aware that this is a signal that a summoning is bound to occur, heads into the forest for some privacy.
Sofia makes it into the woods just in time for Princess Aurora, the sleeping beauty, to appear. When Sofia asks Aurora if she was summoned to aid Sofia, Aurora denies this and instead tells Sofia that she already has all the help she could need. Disbelieving the princess, Sofia explains the whole situation regarding Roland’s disappearance. After airing all of her problems to Aurora, Sofia’s various animal friends show up to do whatever Sofia needs. Aurora then vanishes, making her the first princess cameo to not have a singing role on the show, after Mia and Robin set off to find the king, as Clover prefers to cozy up to Sofia within the carriage. The animals eventually stumble upon the woodcutter’s cottage with Roland inside. Roland tells them that he can’t spend the holiday with the royal family.
While Mia and Robin return to tell Sofia the news, all anyone but Sofia can hear is the chirping of birds. Sofia realizes that she can’t explain that she understands the birds because of her magical amulet, and instead intimates that the birds likely know where Roland is. Sofia then flees from the carriage in order to follow the birds and reunite with her father. Miranda, unaware of the magical properties of Sofia’s necklace, goes to stop Sofia from getting lost in the woods. She explains to Sofia that while she understands her daughter’s urgent desire to reunite with her father, she also believes that Sofia overextends herself to her own detriment. Miranda then empathizes with her daughter, stating that even though she also wants to reunite with Roland, the constant howling and obscured visibility of the blizzard makes such a reunion a virtual impossibility. Miranda then casts doubt on the notion that Mia and Robin could possibly know where Roland might be only for Sofia to prove she understands the birds; the two avians soon return bearing the royal flag. The birds then convince the family to follow the flight path of a snow owl, eventually leading them to the woodcutter’s cottage, where a heartwarming reunion between Roland and the Enchancian Royal Family occurs.
As Roland explains everything that happened to Bailywick and he, Sofia takes the presents that Roland had bought for his children and, having already grown quite satisfied with everything she has received this day, hands them over to the woodcutter’s family. Moved by the generosity of their younger sister, Prince James and Princess Amber also give their presents to the commoners. The special concludes the reunion with a celebration of the season, along with the singing of a Wassalian carol.
The moral of this special is concerned with defining what really matters for a person to be happy. All a person truly needs in order to consider herself happy is to have great friends and a warm, loving family; everything else, like nice toys, is just nice to have.