Growing up in the ’90s and early ’00s, most kids would stay up late and enjoy the great Disney Channel original movies that would give us “the feels”, laughter, and overall enjoyable movie experiences.
With Disney + recently launching their streaming service, they brought back all the original Disney movies that really made this era a time to remember, and that was the best part of Disney Channel. It was good wholesome fun that had an easy favorite movie for everyone. With the opportunity to watch them again, here are 10 movies that will bring back nostalgia.
Don’t Look Under the Bed (1999)
The movie follows a logical thinking teen, Francis, whose world turns upside down when she meets an imaginary friend who claims to be able to help her deal with the destructive pranks caused by an evil “Boogeyman”. When the pranks all point to her as the culprit, she desperately looks to the imaginary friend Larry Houdini, who agrees to help her and get rid of the Boogeyman for good. The plan backfires when the Boogeyman kidnaps Francis’ little brother and she must make her way to the imaginary world to rescue him.
The movie ends happily and gives kids who were afraid of looking under their bed a sense of peace with the comical approach to the Boogeyman and imaginary friends.
Smart House (1999)
Arguably one of the most popular Disney Channel Original Movie, Smart House follows a teen who enters a contest to win a do-it-all house to help him take care of his single father and younger sister. At first, they live an extravagant life, getting chores done, cooking meals, even medical diagnosis without lifting a finger. The house quickly loses control and outsmarts its own program to become an overbearing parental figure that won’t even let the family out of the house.
The movie ends with the family realizing they don’t need a smart house and are perfectly happy settling for less. The movie stars Ryan Merriman, who was a well-known actor who starred in several Disney Channel Original Movies.
Zenon Girl of the 21st Century (1999)
This movie follows a teenage girl living in space with her futuristic family in the year 2049. After being sent down to earth to live with her aunt as a punishment, Zenon struggles to fit in with her earthling’s teens and their style. After uncovering a plot that will put her family in space in danger, she recruits the help of her best friend (who is still in space), her aunt, to save her family.
This movie defines girl power, as Zenon almost flawlessly saves her space station without much help from her parents or any other adult. The movie gained such popularity, Zenon went on to star in two other movies where she dealt with similar plots.
Johnny Tsunami (1999)
Another great coming of age movie and the beginning of an entertaining franchise, Johnny Tsunami started it all. Johnny was a care-free teen living in the tropics of Hawaii, excelling at surfing. When he was sent to snowy Vermont, he got caught up in the middle of a prep school rivalry between the snowboarders and skiers of the small town. He masters snowboarding and is able to defeat the bullies and make a name for himself as an extreme sports athlete.
This opened the door to two movies following Johnny and his love for extreme sports. He became an idol we can all relate to.
Get A Clue (1997)
Lindsay Lohan takes on the role of Lexy Gold, who is the hotshot reporter of her school’s gossip column. Her investigating skills are put to the test when her beloved English teacher goes missing and no one has an idea of where she is.
She recruits the help of her friends and they set out to find the one responsible for taking her teacher and bringing her teacher back. This is one of Lohan’s first starring movie roles and a role that really opened the door for bigger movies like Freaky Friday and Mean Girls.
Halloweentown (1998)
This movie follows a family of kids who discover their grandma’s a witch and a resident of Halloweentown, a mystical place where witches, vampires, and monsters of all sorts live in peace. When the oldest, Marnie, overhears her grandmother talking about Halloweentown and the disappearances, she and her brother sneak away and make their way to Halloweentown. There, they end up helping their grandma discover who is behind the disappearances happening in the city.
Marnie and her brother learn they have mystical powers like their grandma and decide they want to be more involved with Halloweentown. Their adventures are told throughout an entire series, following Marnie as she becomes a young adult and a powerful witch.
Horse Sense (1999)
Horse Sense follows a young man named Tommy who goes to spend some time with his spoiled cousin in Beverly Hills. After seeing his cousin live a completely different life, he challenges his older cousin to try his hand in ranching. After failing miserably, the two cousins come together after learning the ranch might be foreclosed and they work together to prevent that from happening. Like most original movies, Horse Sense is a coming of age movie, where Tommy learns to open up more and not be as angry with the world and his older cousin Michael learns that the world doesn’t revolve around him.
The Thirteenth Year (1999)
The Thirteenth Year follows a young man who on his 13th birthday starts experiencing weird changes. No, they are not the changes we all experience at thirteen, but a metamorphosis into his actual form: a mermaid. He discovers he is adopted after being found on the shore by his parents and gets an explanation of many things, including his superhuman ability to breath underwater and his gills.
Most of us have a hard enough time dealing with puberty, but imagine instead of body hair and growth spurts, you grow gills and a fishtail.
Quints (2000)
This movie puts younger siblings to a whole new level. When a young Jamie Grover becomes a teen, she gets tired of always being the center of her parent’s attention, and wishes they would find something else to divert all their suffocating love. Her wish gets granted when her mom announces Jamie would get five new brothers and sisters and they would need all the help they can get to raise the quintuplets.
Jamie takes her parent’s attention for granted when she sees all their attention on her siblings and not enough on her. She learns to love her siblings at the end and becomes a good role model as a big sister.
Miracle in Lane 2 (2000)
One of Frankie Muniz’s first movies, Miracle in Lane 2 follows a young kid in a wheelchair with a dream of going fast. His disability doesn’t stop him as he prepares to race and win his first-ever trophy. Against his parent’s wishes and despite the criticism for his disability, he manages to persevere and reach his goal of winning the big race.
Unlike other movies, this feelgood original has a very real take on the struggles of being a young, disabled kid and all the limitations of being in a wheelchair. It has us cheering for and glued to our seats to see the young kid achieve his goals.
