I am in my senior year of college, and getting older has allowed me to reflect on many aspects of my childhood. I have been feeling sentimental lately, and one of my biggest memories (which you may also have if you grew up in the 2000s) is watching some really good Disney Channel original movies (DCOMs). I figured I would take this exciting and nerve-wracking time of my life to rank my favorite DCOMs as a 2002 baby. I grew up with an older sister who was born in 1993, so to start, I wanted to hear her favorites to see how they compared to mine. Even though 10 years may feel like a short time, she had a vastly different list of DCOMs than me. In case you’re interested, her top choices were Motocrossed, Ready to Run, Johnny Tsunami, Horse Sense, and Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. Out of her top five choices, I have seen one, which was Motocrossed, a fabulous movie that did not make it on my list. Without further ado, here are my top five DCOMs, and in case you haven’t seen them, I included summaries!
5. High School musical 2
Starting with number five, I have to go with what I would argue is one of my generation’s most popular DCOMs, High School Musical 2. This movie was released in 2007, so I would have been five-years-old at the time, but I definitely don’t think I watched this until a few years later. If you haven’t seen it, go watch it right away, but I’m still here to tell you about it. In the first High School Musical, viewers meet a group of high schoolers attending East High. You have popular jock and captain of the basketball team, Troy Bolton (played by none other than Zac Efron), the rich twins and theater kids, Sharpay and Ryan Evans, a few other friends, and the new girl, Gabriella Montez. As any DCOM goes, the shy, new girl meets the popular jock and what do you know, they start dating.
In this sequel, all the friends we meet in the first movie get hired at Ryan and Sharpay’s country club in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While it may seem like a good way for all the friends to spend the summer together, the only reason Sharpay wanted Troy there was so she could win him over. The movie goes through the friends’ adventures of the summer, and the viewers get taken on a ride of laughter, sadness, anger, and of course, music. The reason I put this at number five was because yes, it is a classic DCOM, but I think the storyline can get a bit repetitive. It has some key songs that all Disney fans should know, but I think after watching it a few times, it is a bit overrated.
4. Lemonade mouth
Lemonade Mouth was a DCOM released in 2011, which would have made me nine at the time. I LOVED, and to this day, still love this movie. It is another musical DCOM, but I think this one has better music and a better storyline than my number five pick. This movie focuses on five very different students attending high school, who all end up in detention together. There is Stella, the new girl at school with a rocker personality and a strong, stubborn voice, and Olivia, who is the shy girl who keeps to herself. Then you have Mo, who comes from a strict family, Charlie who is only playing soccer because his big brother was successful at the sport, and Wendell (a.k.a. “Wen”) who has been struggling with his dad’s new wife at home.
When they all end up in detention together, they start going through the old music room. Out of nowhere, they all start playing different instruments, and with Olivia as the lead singer, they perform a little song while in detention. Overhearing them and realizing they could be an amazing band, the music teacher encourages them to become a band and compete in an upcoming competition. Before they do this, the band needs a name and that is where “lemonade mouth” comes in; they get their name from lemonade cans that are downstairs near the detention room and the story just goes up from there. This is just a little synopsis, but this DCOM goes on to tell the story of each member of the band and how they evolve individually and together throughout the movie. This one holds a strong memory in my mind from when I was a kid and holds a solid spot at number four.
3. freaky friday
Freaky Friday, is another solid number three pick. It came out in 2003 when I was just a year old, but I think I ranked this movie so high because of my older sister, who was 10 when it came out and we would watch it together. Of course, I didn’t understand it until I got older, but I still wouldn’t change the ranking. While there is a small amount of music in this movie, it is not classified as a “musical.” It stars two amazing actresses, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, who work perfectly together in this movie. It is absolutely hilarious. It stars a mother, Dr. Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis), and her teenager, Anna (Lindsay Lohan). These two do not get along at all in the beginning of the movie, as Anna is trying to navigate a new father figure in her life because her mom is getting remarried soon. One night when the family goes out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant, a fight and fortune cookies change their lives when they wake up the next morning in each other’s body. In a comedy about the two navigating each other’s lives in different bodies and different roles, and the movie brings them closer together in the end. Without telling you anymore, if you haven’t seen this movie, go watch it right away, especially if you want a good laugh.
2. Halloweentown
Number two is Halloweentown, which was actually released in 1998, four years before I was born. Regardless of it being an older movie, it is a Halloween movie that I am sure to watch every year. Marnie, who is the main character in this movie, is a teenager who loves spooky things like Halloween and magic. Her grandmother comes to town and Marnie and her two siblings follow her back to her home in Halloweentown. Here, they learn about their family’s spooky heritage and meet many different people along the way. This is the perfect October movie to watch alone, or with friends and family, and is one of the best DCOMs I have ever seen.
1. Tangled
Without any hesitation, my favorite DCOM is Tangled. This movie is different from all the others in my ranking as it is fully animated, but the storyline, the characters, and the emotion just hit different. It was released in 2010 and goes through the story of Rapunzel, a Disney princess with long, blonde hair. In the movie, Rapunzel was taken soon after birth from her parents, who are the King and Queen of the city. Taken because of her magical powers, Rapunzel’s kidnapper uses her hair to keep her young. Rapunzel is locked up in a tall tower in the woods because she is told the outside world is dangerous, but all she wants to do is go out to see the floating lanterns which are only in the sky on her birthday. Soon, a bandit who steals a crown from the castle in the city makes his way to her tower where Rapunzel keeps him until he agrees to bring her to the lanterns. It is a rocky adventure with catchy music throughout, keeping viewers on their toes for what’s going to happen next. Tangled is a movie I love watching no matter what mood I’m in and clearly, I think is the best DCOM I have seen growing up in the 2000s.
Those were my top five DCOM movies! For some 2000s nostalgia, make sure to give these films a watch.