Disney+ is officially HERE. The hype train has left the station and suddenly hundreds of Disney properties are at our fingertips, from the MCU to the animation vault to the galaxy far, far away.
If you had a cable subscription during a certain period of Disney's TV prosperity, you're probably vibrating with excitement about the library of DCOMs — Disney Channel Original Movies — most of which are now streaming for the first time in history. Whether you grew up catching these reruns every night of the week or had never heard of Zenon except in the periodic table (an imposter!), here are 10 DCOMs to stream right away.
Most of these are from the late '90s and early '00s, before the onset of streaming when the only way to watch a TV movie you love was to record it to a VHS (help??) or track down a DVD, if it even existed. At long last, Disney+ is rewarding our patience, and these beloved titles are just a click away.
Halloweentown (1998)
Thirteen-year-old Marnee (Kimberly J. Brown) is obsessed with Halloween and all things witchy, as is her grandmother Agatha (Debbie Reynolds) but not mom Gwen (Judith Hoag). When Marnee follows Agatha away from a brief Halloween visit to the family, she learns that her grandmother lives in a parallel world called Halloweentown, where magical, mythical creatures and magic exist in the open and it’s basically Halloween year-round. The kids try to save Halloweentown from a looming threat but risk their mother finding out — and the portal to the mortal world closing and leaving them stranded.
The Thirteenth Year (1999)
Middle school star swimmer Cody Franklin (Chez Starbuck) is finally a teenager, but that brings about some unexpected bodily changes. Forget the puberty and hormones (though there’s some of that, courtesy of Cody’s crush, late-'90s / early-'00s Disney mainstay Courtnee Draper) — all signs point to Cody transforming into a merman. He teams up with endearing nerd Jess (Justin Jon Ross) to learn more, unaware that Jess’s father John (Brent Briscoe) is known in their waterside town as the man-who-cried-mermaid, who’s intent on catching Cody and his biological mermaid mother as proof.
Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999)
Before a Blade Runner sequel appropriated the year 2049, it was the year of our girl Zenon (Kirsten Storms), a teen raised on a space station (“spay-stay”) that is suddenly in danger of being shut down for good. Zenon sniffs out a scheme to sabotage the spay-stay while also figuring out life on Earth, romance, and getting a chance to meet her musical idol Proto Zoa (Phillip Rhys). In 2049, women can have it all!
Smart House (1999)
Ben (Ryan Merrimen) is tired of feeling uncool and overstressed by taking care of his single father and little sister, so he enters the family in a sweepstakes that wins them a smart home. The home OS, “Pat” (Katey Sagal) takes care of everyone, growing not only sentient but attached to the family, thinking of itself as their mother figure — including presenting a human form. As Pat grows insecure and unruly, the family must figure out what to do.
Johnny Tsunami (1999)
When Johnny Kapahala’s (Brandon Baker) parents suddenly move the family away from his beloved Hawaii, there’s nothing he misses more than the freedom of surfing. He chases the feeling by taking on snowboarding in his new home of Maine, but it’s complicated by a local feud between skiers and snowboarders on either side of the mountain.
Up, Up, and Away (2000)
Years before The Incredibles, there was the Marshall family, a superpowered nuclear unit living incognito when not saving lives in their community. Only young Scott (Michael J. Pagan) doesn't have powers, but lies about it to avoid disappointing his family. When Scott's school is infiltrated by a group of alleged environmentalists who turn out to be testing mind control software, he has to save the day — without any superpowers.
The Luck of the Irish (2001)
Kyle (Ryan Merriman) is a cocky jock at the top of his game — literally, as the star of his high-school basketball team. When a series of seemingly unrelated events including the opening of a nearby potato chip factory and a project about his family heritage don’t add up, Kyle finds out the truth: He’s a leprechaun. Now he has to bring together his estranged mother and grandfather to save the family gold, not to mention fight some classic DCOM body changes, win the Big Game, and get the girl before everyone hates him.
Gotta Kick It Up (2002)
In 2019, Hollywood still struggles to make big bets on women and people of color carrying films. The beauty of the DCOM was that it didn't answer with box office receipts, but with Nielsen ratings, reruns, and — almost 20 years later — emotional longevity. This film about a dance team in a predominantly Latinx school and neighborhood falls neatly into the poignant I-taught-them-but-really-they-taught-me subgenre of movies about teens and teachers, but it also embodies a time when Disney Channel took a bet that so many others still won't.
Cadet Kelly (2002)
One of the few DCOMs that streamed before Disney+ (it had a brief but glorious Netflix run), Cadet Kelly could have gone wrong in so many ways and didn't. Kelly (Hilary Duff) gets a strong reality check when she has to move to military school with her mom and new stepdad, but she eventually finds excitement in the campus drill team, even if it means interacting with her commanding officer and nemesis (Christy Carlson Romano). The film boasts Duff and Romano at the top of their TV fame from Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens, gamely stretching their legs in less lived-in characters and performing the drill routines.
The Cheetah Girls (2003)
Four musically talented New York teens take their after school hobby professional after being discovered in a talent competition. Anxious to go pro, the Cheetah Girls aren't ready for the trials and tribulations on the path to fame, and the terrifying choice between friendship and stardom.
All of these movies are now streaming on Disney+.
