No matter how old you are, it’s likely that Disney Channel original movies were an integral part of your elementary, middle school and maybe even high school years.
Maybe you’re not in Disney Channel’s target demographic anymore, but their original movies can still be a ton of fun to watch, especially if you’re in the mood for a little bit of nostalgia. I mean, isn’t it still fun to watch High School Musical even though it’s over a decade old at this point?
And with Disney+, watching Disney Channel original movies is easier than ever. Here are 10 Disney Channel original movies you can (and should) watch right now, and all of them are available on Disney+!
The 2002 film Double Teamed is a good pick if you’re a fan of sports or you’re in the mood for a story of good old-fashioned sibling rivalry. Double Teamed is based on the real-life story of Heather and Heidi Burge, two twin professional basketball players.
The story follows their time on their high school’s basketball team and all of the sibling rivalry that you’d expect to arise when two highly talented twins play on the same sports team together.
Cadet Kelly follows the story of eighth grade Kelly who is forced to attend a military academy high school after her step father becomes the officer in charge. Throughout the film, Kelly struggles to fit in, especially as she runs into conflict with Cadet Captain Jennifer Stone. It fits the mold of a high school coming-of-age story, but with a unique setting.
Hillary Duff and Christy Carlson Romano, who you may know better as Lizzie McGuire and Kim Possible respectively, are the stars of this film. Needless to say, this is a great pick if you’re looking for movies featuring well-known Disney veterans.
If you’re looking for a Disney Channel original movie with a killer soundtrack, Pixel Perfect is the way to go. Pixel Perfect tells the story of Roscoe, played by Phil of the Future‘s Ricky Ullman, and his attempts to help his best friend’s band, the Zetta Bytes, by creating them a humanoid hologram to dance for the band.
The movie itself is entertaining—and pretty unique from any other movie I’ve seen, Disney Channel or otherwise—but the soundtrack is one of the most notable parts. There are a ton of catchy songs performed by the Zetta Bytes, including Nothing’s Wrong With Me, Get Real, and Notice Me.
Stuck in the Suburbs is a 2004 film about middle school student Brittany (played by Danielle Panabaker) who wants more than her boring life in the suburbs, her friend Natasha (played by Brenda Song), and pop star Jordan Cahill (played by Taran Killam). Conflict arises in the film when Brittany accidentally exchanges cell phones with Jordan Cahill, and chaos ensues as a result.
It’s easy to feel like life in your hometown is boring, especially now that the school year is drawing to a close. Stuck in the Suburbs challenges that notion and shows just how exciting life in a small suburban town can be with the right company.
Read It and Weep is basically a high schooler’s nightmare come to life. Imagine if your diary, where you lamented about the struggles that you face in your every day life, suddenly was published and became a best selling novel. That’s exactly what happens to high school freshman Jamie Barlett (played by Kay Panabaker, Danielle Panabaker’s sister).
The film centers around the publishing of Jamie’s diary, her rise to fame, and eventual fall from grace when fame gets the better of her. It’s not exactly the typical high school experience, but it has the perfect levels of drama to draw you in and keep you entertained.
If you’re a fan of High School Musical, you might also be familiar with Jump In!, which stars Corbin Bleu as Izzy Daniels. Izzy Daniels is faced with the challenge of choosing between boxing and following in the footsteps of his father, and his new found love of Double Dutch, which he discovers after filling in on a team as a favor to his friend Mary, played by Keke Palmer.
The structure of the story isn’t anything totally new: it’s a coming-of-age story where the protagonist has to choose between two things, an obligation and a passion. But nevertheless, it’s a fun and heart-warming watch as far as Disney Channel original movies go.
Princess Protection Program stars two present-day pop princesses who got their starts on Disney Channel: Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez. Demi Lovato plays a princess of a small nation who is forced to go into hiding with Carter Mason (played by Selena Gomez) and her father in Louisiana after an assassination attempt.
It’s nice to watch the two girls bond and grow closer as the film progresses, making this the perfect film if you’re looking for a Disney Channel movie for a girls’ night in.
The 2010 film Starstruck is basically a Wattpad fan fiction come to life. It follows the relationship that buds between pop star and teen idol Christopher Wilde (played by Sterling Knight) and a regular, unfamous teenage girl, Jessica (played by Danielle Campbell).
It’s the perfect Disney Channel movie if you’re looking for a light teenage love story with all the appeal of a fanfiction where a normal girl ends up in a relationship with a famous celebrity.
Lemonade Mouth tells the story of a group of five high schoolers who form a band after meeting in detention and eventually overcome their personal struggles by making music together.
There’s a whole slew of famous faces in Lemonade Mouth, including Bridgit Mendler, Naomi Scott (who recently appeared in the live action version of Aladdin), and singer Hayley Kiyoko. It’s a great film that explores themes of self-expression and individuality, all while delivering a pretty killer soundtrack.
Teen Beach Movie can almost be considered the High School Musical for the next generation of Disney Channel fans. The film centers on Mack and Brady, who get sucked into a 1960s musical film and have to find a way to escape back to the real world without disrupting the events of the film, all while making friends with the other characters.
Teen Beach Movie is a musical, so there’s a whole soundtrack of songs to listen to and maybe even get up and dance to. Maybe it’s not High School Musical, but it’s a perfectly good Disney Channel movie musical to watch with friends and family.
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