Guaranteed to hit you right in the nostalgia.
Growing up, some of the most exciting days of the year were when Disney Channel would premiere a new original movie. So many of the network’s made-for-TV flicks became truly integral to an entire generation. Everyone knew the choreo to High School Musical’s “We’re All in This Together,” and spooky season just wasn’t complete without a Halloweentown marathon. But there were a lot more great DCOMs that were just as much nostalgic fun, but may have been forgotten by some fans.
Thankfully, you don’t have to wait until Disney Channel is playing a throwback classic to revisit your fave DCOMs anymore. The whole catalogue of original movies is streaming on Disney+, which includes plenty of beloved throwbacks you might have forgotten about over the years.
Let’s face it, you can already recite all of Camp Rock and have revisited the Descendants movies your fair share of times. So for your next nostalgia trip, try streaming one of these gems that are sure to unlock even more memories of grade-school movie nights.
With A.I. more prevalent than ever these days, something about Disney Channel’s 2004 romcom Pixel Perfect feels oddly prescient. In it, tech wiz Roscoe creates a free-thinking pop-star hologram to help his friend Sam’s struggling band. But of course, things get tricky as the lines of reality begin to blur.
Fresh off High School Musical, Corbin Bleu found his own sports-centric, mismatched romance in Jump In! Bleu plays an aspiring boxer who becomes ensnared in a competitive double dutch tournament by his neighbor, played by Keke Palmer.
If you loved watching The Simple Life, this is the DCOM for you. Cow Belles stars Aly and AJ Michalka as spoiled sisters who are forced to work at their family’s dairy farm when their father grows fed up with their superficial and materialistic lifestyle. Naturally, antics ensue.
One of the earliest DCOMs is arguably also one of the most iconic... even if only to a certain group of fans. Brink! basically represents everything cool about the ‘90s, from skater slang to neon ‘fits. It’s the perfect selection for the next time you’re feeling nostalgic for ‘90s style, or just want to laugh at the outdated lingo.
Two decades before America Ferrera delivered the monologue to end all monologues in Barbie, she was inspiring movie fans through her dance moves in Gotta Kick It Up! The movie follows a down-on-their-luck dance team who learns to work together to fulfill their dreams.
Stuck in the Suburbs really has everything that makes a DCOM feel so special: teenage hijinks, a pop star experimenting with a double life, and Brenda Song. The story about two fangirls who jump on the chance to rub elbows with their favorite singer will instantly transport you back to the mid-2000s.
Coming-of-age stories have never been fishier than The Thirteenth Year. The early DCOM finds a popular swimmer begin to realize he’s actually a merman as his body starts changing after he turns 13. Oh, and you can also catch a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from Kristen Stewart in her first acting role.
In her Disney Channel days, Brenda Song was most associated with playing ditzy roles like The Suite Life’s London Tipton, but Wendy Wu totally flipped that script. At first, Wendy seems to be another version of London, solely focused on popularity — but when she learns she’s the descendant of a powerful warrior, she trains in martial arts to defeat an evil spirit.
It’s a well-known truth that all of the best teen movies are based on Shakespeare, and Motocrossed is further proof. The adrenaline-fueled movie sees the motocross-loving Andrea switching places with her twin brother Andrew so that she can compete in the sport. If you love the Amanda Bynes classic She’s the Man, this should be next on your watchlist.
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