
If you were a kid who grew up in the late 1990s/early 2000s, then you know that it was an incredible time to be a Disney fan. Especially a Disney Channel fan. There are so many shows from that time that we remember and love. Shows like Boy Meets World, Even Stevens, Lizzie McGuire, Smart Guy, and so many more. We also grew up during a time when Disney Channel Original Movies were all the rage. I mean, who didn’t love rocking out in their bedroom as they sang “Supernova Girl” along with Protazoa? Zoom, zoom, zoom, am I right?
Halloweentown
There’s no doubt that Halloweentown needed to be at the top of this list. What young girl didn’t dream of what it would be like to be a witch? To have magical powers? In Halloweentown, that’s exactly what happens to 13-year-old Marnie Piper. Marnie learns that she is from a powerful family of witches and follows her grandmother, Aggie — played by the late, great Debbie Reynolds — to Halloweentown. While there, Marnie must save the town from an evil curse that is taking over.
Halloweentown premiered on the Disney Channel in 1998 and is a staple for any Disney Halloween movie marathon. The outfits are fantastic, the characters of Halloweentown are memorable, and it brings us back to a time before all witchery began to revolve around Harry Potter.
Smart House
Ahhh, to wonder what it would be like to live in a house run on sophisticated AI technology. Back in 1999, having a house that could cook your meals, play the music you wanted, and even clean, was just an ideal dream. That’s probably why 1999’s Disney Channel Original movie Smart House was such a hit. The movie starred Katey Sagal as Pat, the advanced computer system that runs the house, young Ben wins in a contest. However, things take a creepy turn when Pat begins to care for the family and wants to control their every move.
Of course, today, many of the things we do can be done in a hands-free manner, thanks to technology. We have machines that can control the lights, and the temperature, answer almost all of our questions, even tell jokes, make rhymes, and write stories. We better be careful, though, we don’t want to make it angry!
Zenon: Girl of the 21st Girl
Zetus Lapetus! There’s no way we could ever leave Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century off this list! This out-of-this-world movie tells the story of Zenon, a young girl who lives on a state station (or space stay as we like to say). Zenon was constantly getting in trouble, and her parents decided to send her to Earth to live with a relative. While there, Zenon learns that everyone on the space station is in danger, and she fights to get back to them and save everyone.
Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century was full of great costumes and even greater music. Protazoa was an icon, and Zenon totally deserved to win that contest.
The Thirteenth Year
One of Disney’s most recent movies, Turning Red, received a lot of backlash for the semi-sensitive material it covered concerning changes young girls go through. However, Turning Red was not the first Disney movie that discussed puberty. Let me bring you back to the 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie, The Thirteenth Year. The film stars Chez Starbuck as Cody Griffin. When Cody turns 13, he begins to notice strange changes happening to his body. But these aren’t normal hormonal changes. Turns out, the extreme changes Cody is experiencing are because he’s a merman!
Gotta Kick It Up!
Si se puede! If you know what I’m talking about, then odds are, you were a fan of the 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie Gotta Kick It Up!. This film is often overlooked, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fabulous. Camille Guaty and America Ferrera star as Daisy and Yolanda, two young girls on a high school dance team. Disney star Susan Egan plays Heather Bartlett, a former dancer who comes in to coach the girls and help them bring a championship to their school.
The film focuses on an underserved minority community that is brought to life by these young women.
High School Musical
High School Musical is one of Disney’s most successful franchises ever. But before it was High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and before the stars of the movie were superstars, it was a 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie. In fact, High School Musical 2 also premiered on the Disney Channel. The franchise didn’t hit theaters until the third film.
Wildcats, everywhere, wave your hands up in the air! If you remember sitting in your bedroom jamming out to “Start of Something New” and “Bop to the Top”!
Hocus Pocus 2**
Okay, so technically, Hocus Pocus 2 didn’t come out during the key development years for a millennial, hence the asterisk. However, the original film was released in 1992 and has become a cult classic in the years since. Even though Thackery Binx wasn’t in this film, nearly every person I know was excited to see Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker return as the Sanderson sisters.
This also isn’t technically a “Disney Channel Original Movie”, HOWEVER, since the launch of Disney+ in 2019, Disney Channel Original Movies have since become Disney+ originals. Hocus Pocus has become a staple every Halloween for people of all ages, but especially among millennials. So, while this may be more of an honorable mention, we couldn’t leave it off the list.
There were so many Disney Channel Original Movies to choose from, narrowing down the list was incredibly difficult. Thankfully, almost all these movies are available to stream on Disney+ to your heart’s content! Did some of your favorite movies make the list?
🎶 Let’s watch a Disney Channel Movie! 🎶
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s and may not reflect the sentiment of Disney Fanatic as a whole.