What Happens When Santa Changes Course?

Even the best Christmas Eve plan sometimes needs to change.

Maybe a storm grows stronger than expected. Perhaps winds shift. Maybe Santa finishes a region ahead of schedule and can take a more efficient route to the next one.

When that happens, Mission Control doesn’t panic.

They recalculate.

The first alert usually appears at the Navigation Desk. The team looks at Santa’s current location, destination, weather conditions and available routes.

The Weather Team provides updated information while Navigation compares possible paths.

A new route has to do more than avoid a problem. It needs to keep Santa moving efficiently while maintaining the rest of the Christmas Eve schedule.

Once the team chooses the best option, Mission Control sends the route update to Santa.

Santa confirms the change.

On the Giant North Pole Map, the old route fades and a new line appears.

Then Santa turns the sleigh.

Route changes are one reason Mission Control prepares backup plans before Christmas Eve even begins. The elves practice these situations throughout December so everyone knows what to do.

To children watching from home, Santa’s journey may look perfectly smooth.

Inside Mission Control, that smooth journey is the result of a lot of elves thinking very quickly.