There are three main standalone Frozen short films: Frozen Fever, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, and Once Upon a Snowman. That count covers the widely recognized narrative shorts, not every Frozen-themed episode or short-form series.
The number can seem confusing because Disney has also released LEGO episodes and several Olaf-centered shorts. Here’s what each of the three films is about, how they fit with the two feature movies, and where related projects belong if you’re counting more broadly.
how many frozen short films are there? The clear count
The straightforward answer is three standalone Frozen short films: Frozen Fever (2015), Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017), and Once Upon a Snowman (2020). Each is a separate animated story connected to the Disney franchise.
This count uses a practical definition: a short film is a distinct, self-contained animated movie, rather than an episode in a series, a collection of tiny clips, or a feature-length movie. That distinction matters because Frozen has several other short-form projects that viewers may reasonably include in a broader list.
There isn’t one universal count for every kind of Frozen-related video. If you include every episode and miniature short, the total depends on what you count. But when people ask about Frozen short films as standalone stories, the useful answer is three.
The three standalone Frozen shorts
The three films vary in length and purpose. One is a birthday story, one is a holiday featurette, and one fills in a small gap from the first movie. The table gives you a quick guide before the details.
| Film | Release | What it’s about | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen Fever | 2015 | Elsa plans a birthday celebration for Anna, but catches a cold. | A quick return to the sisters after the first film. |
| Olaf’s Frozen Adventure | 2017 | Olaf looks for a holiday tradition for Anna and Elsa. | A longer seasonal story with songs. |
| Once Upon a Snowman | 2020 | Olaf discovers who he is during the events around the first film. | A brief companion story about Olaf’s beginning. |
Frozen Fever
Frozen Fever is the first of the three. Released in 2015, it follows Elsa as she tries to give Anna a birthday celebration. Elsa comes down with a cold, and each sneeze produces little snow creatures called Snowgies, making the preparations increasingly chaotic.
The short takes place after the events of Frozen. Its story is light and self-contained, so you don’t need to watch anything else to follow it. It also offers a small look at how the sisters’ relationship has changed since Elsa’s powers became public.
Frozen Fever was shown in theaters alongside Disney’s live-action Cinderella. It’s brief, so it works well as a quick watch between the two feature films. It is not a substitute for a full sequel; it’s a small, playful follow-up.
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is a longer holiday featurette, released in 2017. Anna and Elsa realize that they don’t have a family holiday tradition of their own. Olaf sets out to find one, visiting people around Arendelle and collecting ideas to bring back to the sisters.
Unlike the shorter, compact stories, this one gives its holiday premise more room. It includes several songs and has the feel of a seasonal special. The story centers on Olaf, but Anna and Elsa remain important to its emotional point: building a tradition can help a family feel connected.
The featurette first played in theaters before Coco. Its original theatrical presentation was longer than a typical animated short, which is one reason some viewers describe it as a short film while others call it a featurette or holiday special. For the three-film count, it belongs on the list because it is a separate, complete animated story.
Once Upon a Snowman
Once Upon a Snowman arrived on Disney+ in 2020. It follows Olaf during the events surrounding his creation in the first Frozen movie. The short shows him coming to life, trying to understand himself, and searching for what a snowman is meant to do.
The story fills in a small part of the original film’s timeline, particularly Olaf’s first steps into the wider world. It doesn’t change the main events of Frozen, and you don’t need it to understand either feature movie. Think of it as an extra perspective on a character viewers already know.
Because the short revisits familiar events, it’s especially enjoyable after you’ve seen the original film. It can also be watched on its own if you simply want a short Olaf story.
What counts as a Frozen short film?
The word “short” is used loosely in entertainment. It can mean a standalone movie that runs for a short time, a television special, a brief episode, or even a collection of animated clips. That’s why one list may give a different number from another without either list being completely wrong.
For a clear count, separate standalone films from episodic projects. The three titles above are distinct stories presented as individual films or featurettes. Other Frozen projects are better described as series, episodes, or short-form videos.
Stand-alone stories versus episodes
A standalone short has its own beginning and ending. It may refer to the feature films, but it doesn’t depend on being one installment in a run of episodes. Frozen Fever and Once Upon a Snowman fit that description particularly well. Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is longer and often called a featurette, but it also tells a complete story in one viewing.
An episode belongs to a larger series. It may be only a few minutes long, but counting each episode as another Frozen short film mixes two different formats. That can make a simple answer confusing, especially when a project has multiple parts.
Featurette does not mean it should be excluded
Some viewers leave Olaf’s Frozen Adventure out because it is longer than the other two. Its length and holiday-special style make “featurette” a fair label. However, it is still a separate animated Frozen story, so including it is the most useful approach when counting the main standalone shorts.
There is no need to treat the labels as a dispute. “Three main standalone short films and featurettes” communicates the scope clearly. It avoids implying that every Frozen-related video has been counted as a movie.
Related Frozen shorts and series that change the count
Several other projects feature Frozen characters in short-form animation. They are worth knowing about, but they don’t all belong in the same category as the three standalone films.
| Project | Format | Include in the main count? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEGO Frozen Northern Lights | A multi-part LEGO animated series | No; count it as a series. | Viewers who want another multi-episode Frozen adventure. |
| At Home with Olaf | A run of very short animated videos | No; count the individual videos as shorts, not standalone movies. | Quick Olaf clips rather than a longer story. |
| Olaf Presents | A short-form Disney+ series | No; it is episodic. | Olaf retelling familiar Disney stories in comic fashion. |
LEGO Frozen Northern Lights
LEGO Frozen Northern Lights is a LEGO-animated, multi-part adventure released in 2016. It brings Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven together in a story about the Northern Lights. Because it is divided into episodes, it is more accurate to call it a short series or special than one of the three standalone short films.
If you are making a list of every Frozen animated project, include it. If you are answering how many separate Frozen short movies there are, keep it outside the core count and explain why.
At Home with Olaf
At Home with Olaf consists of very brief animated videos featuring Olaf. The clips were created as a short-form series, not as one conventional short movie with a continuous plot. A broad count of all Frozen-related short animations could include these videos individually, but doing so answers a different question.
This is a useful example of why there is no single total for “all Frozen shorts.” A viewer counting standalone films gets three. A viewer counting every separately released mini-episode will get a larger number and should state the scope.
Olaf Presents
Olaf Presents is a Disney+ series in which Olaf humorously reenacts well-known Disney stories. It features the Frozen character, but it is not another Frozen movie or a continuation of the sisters’ story. Its episodes belong in a list of Olaf’s short-form appearances, not in the three-film count.
Where the shorts fit in the Frozen viewing order
You can watch the three shorts without following a strict order, but a simple release-order plan keeps the stories easy to place. Watch the first feature film before the shorts that refer to its characters and events.
- Watch Frozen (2013). This introduces Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and the world of Arendelle.
- Watch Frozen Fever (2015). It works as a light follow-up to the sisters’ reunion.
- Watch Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017). Save it for a holiday-themed viewing or watch it as a separate seasonal story.
- Watch Frozen II (2019), if you want the feature-film story in release order. The shorts are optional extras, not required chapters in the sequel’s plot.
- Watch Once Upon a Snowman (2020). It revisits the first film’s timeline, so it makes sense as an extra after you know the original story.
There is a difference between release order and story chronology. Once Upon a Snowman takes place around events in the first movie, but it was released years later. Watching it after the original lets you recognize the scenes it expands on.
For a short family watch, pair Frozen Fever with the first film. For a holiday program, choose Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. If the main interest is Olaf himself, add Once Upon a Snowman as a compact character-focused extra.
Where to watch the Frozen short films
Availability depends on country, service, and licensing. Disney+ is the most natural place to check for the standalone shorts and related Disney animation, but a title’s availability can change. Search the exact film title in the service rather than relying on a general Frozen collection page.
Frozen Fever has also been presented as a theatrical companion to Cinderella, while Olaf’s Frozen Adventure was originally shown before Coco in theaters. Those original pairings explain how the shorts first reached audiences; they don’t mean you need to watch either companion feature to understand the short.
If a title does not appear in your streaming library, check the official Disney listing for your region or the digital movie store you already use. Avoid assuming that a film is permanently included just because another Frozen title is available.
Common questions about the Frozen shorts
Are there two or three Frozen short films?
There are three main standalone Frozen short films when you include Olaf’s Frozen Adventure alongside Frozen Fever and Once Upon a Snowman. The confusion usually comes from calling the longer holiday story a featurette or special instead of a short film.
Is Olaf’s Frozen Adventure a movie or a short?
It is a standalone animated featurette and holiday special. It is longer than a typical short, but it is not a full-length feature movie. Including it in a list of the main Frozen short films is reasonable as long as the label is clear.
Do the shorts need to be watched to understand Frozen II?
No. The shorts are optional extras. You can understand the main story of Frozen II by watching the feature films; the short films add side stories and character moments rather than required plot information.
Does Frozen: Northern Lights count as one short film?
It is better described as a multi-part LEGO animated series or special. You can include it in a broad list of Frozen short-form projects, but it is not one of the three main standalone short films.
How many Olaf short videos are there?
That depends on which Olaf series you mean. At Home with Olaf and Olaf Presents are episodic short-form projects, so their episodes should be counted separately from the three standalone Frozen stories. State the series and counting method if you need an exact total.
How to choose what to watch first
If you only have time for one short, choose based on the kind of story you want. Frozen Fever is a quick sister-focused comedy, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure suits a seasonal watch, and Once Upon a Snowman adds a little more context to Olaf’s introduction.
- For Anna and Elsa: Pick Frozen Fever.
- For a holiday story and songs: Pick Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.
- For Olaf’s point of view: Pick Once Upon a Snowman.
- For more than standalone films: Explore LEGO and Olaf series separately.
One common counting mistake is to add every episode, clip, or special to the film total without saying so. The fix is simple: decide whether you mean standalone movies or all short-form animation, then use that definition consistently. That gives readers a number they can compare and prevents a series from being mistaken for a fourth movie.
There are three main standalone Frozen short films: Frozen Fever, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, and Once Upon a Snowman. Related series and brief Olaf videos can raise a broader count, but they are different formats.
For a simple watch plan, start with Frozen, then choose a short based on whether you want a sister story, a holiday special, or an Olaf-focused extra. If you’re counting every animated clip, name the series and format so your total is clear.