Initially launched in 1983, Disney Channel has aired quality child-friendly programming which is now remembered fondly by millions of viewers. Yet, nostalgia can be a powerful thing, and, while some of Disney Channel's greatest original outings may have seemed like cinematic masterworks in the late 90s and early 2000s, they've undeniably aged in the decades since.
That's not to say that hits like Halloweentown and Horse Sense no longer hold any kind of appeal; they're arguably funnier now than they ever were, though it's the hammy acting and of-the-era ethos that make them interminably goofy.
Smart House (1999)
In the days when the ability to surf the internet could earn a kid the title of "computer whiz" and a voice-controlled thermostat seemed like far-future technology, Disney Channel debuted Smart House. The 1999 film centers around a family who move into an AI-controlled home sometime after the mother's death.
Though things are as rocky as one might expect in the beginning, PAT, the home's AI, adapts to the family over time and eventually helps them to cultivate meaningful relationships with others. It's sort of a D-COM version of the 2013 Jauqein Phoenix-led Her, though with much less nuance.
Stepsister From Planet Weird (2000)
Megan Larson's career as a high schooler seems to be going well; she's slowly growing closer to her crush Cutter, and she seems to be working her way into the student body's upper social echelons. All that changes, unfortunately, when her mother becomes engaged to a very strange man with an equally strange daughter.
It turns out that her new family members are aliens from a distant planet, and their true forms are gaseous clouds. While the movie does advance ideas of the struggles of moving to new places and accepting others no matter how different they are, it's—as the name suggests—outrageously weird.
Johnny Tsunami (1999)
The Hawaiian-born Johnny Kapahala is enamored with professional surfing, and his interests are spurned on by his grandfather, the legendary surfer Johnny Tsunami. Unfortunately, his ambitions to follow in his grandfather's footsteps are dashed when his family relocates to the landlocked state of Vermont.
There, his passion for surfing transitions into a love for snowboarding, but he finds himself embroiled in an ongoing conflict between local public school-attending snowboarders and private school-attending skiers. It's an interesting exploration of class drama that's framed so younger audiences might follow along, but, given its age and fascination with outdated tech, it's also very goofy.
Bad Hair Day (2015)
The teenage Monica is doing everything in her power to ensure she's voted class prom queen, but her plans go south once the competition gains a leg up on her and a series of unfortunate circumstances threaten to ruin her ambitions. However, ahead of the prom, she's sidelined by an international jewelry conspiracy involving British spies and duplicitous undercover detectives.
Though it's only seven years old, Bad Hair Day feels every bit as dated as Disney's turn-of-the-Millenium efforts. While the plot is about as stock as they come, the silly premise and outrageous performances make this a must-see for fans of silly Disney movies.
The Thirteenth Year (1999)
Cody is a middle school jock who has a penchant for swimming and a caring girlfriend. However, things begin to take a turn as he develops an incurable first, and his biology classmate eventually concludes that Cody is, in fact, a merman. Cody struggles to come to grips with this new reality, but he eventually fully transitions into a merman and adopts a new life with his birth parents.
The Thirteenth Year features perhaps the strangest premise in Disney Channel original movie history, and it teeters between being a weird teen drama and a sanitized body horror piece. Those looking for weird Disney Channel films need to look no further.
My Date With The President's Daughter (1998)
Duncan Fletcher is an average high schooler desperate to find a date for an upcoming dance, and he happens upon a girl at the mall who seems interested in him. Unbeknownst to him, she's the daughter of the President of the United States, and taking her out means helping her escape from the watchful eye of the secret service.
As outrageous as the premise is, the film is surprisingly endearing, and it's one of the best so-called D-COMs to release during the Disney Channel's golden age.
The Luck Of The Irish (2001)
Kyle Johnson is a teenage basketball phenom who derives his skill from a lucky coin that is stolen just ahead of a big game. To get it back, Kyle must uncover the secrets of his heritage and come to terms with his true identity as a leprechaun.
The Luck of the Irish is perhaps Disney Channel's most vexing outing; though it carries a message of acceptance, it's strangely tone-deaf in places, and it's aged remarkably poorly over the past two decades. Nostalgic viewers may still enjoy it, but it's certainly one of Disney's least palatable releases.
High School Musical (2006)
High school basketball star Troy Bolton develops a love for musical theater after meeting Gabriella Montez during a winter break retreat. However, his new interests detract from his athletic ambitions, and he's forced to choose between two of his life's greatest passions.
Considered by some to be a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, High School Musical was a huge part of the mid-2000s. Launching the careers of stars Zac Efron and Venessa Hudgens, it featured many memorable musical numbers and balanced drama with a healthy dose of comedy. However, the lives of these high school students could not be more over-the-top, and, more than fifteen years on, the whole affair feels like overblown hyperbole.
Zenon: Girl Of The 21st Century (1999)
Zenon is a teenage girl who is exiled to earth after she causes trouble for the commander of the space station on which she grew up. On Earth, she finds herself an outcast, but things turn from bad to worse once she uncovers a plot to destroy her native space station.
Cashing in on the Y2K craze of the time, Zenon's 21st-century flair feels distinctly late-90s. From far-future technology that's already out of date to pop culture trends that feel distinctly 1999, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century is a hilarious blend of tween melodrama and cassette futurism.
Up, Up And Away (2000)
Scott Marshall is the son of a superhero couple, but he has yet to manifest any sort of superpowers himself. Ahead of his fourteenth birthday—after which procuring any powers becomes impossible—Scott attempts to trick his family into believing that he's developed super strength, but a plot concocted by a corrupt environmentalist group necessitates real heroism on his part.
Something of a prototype of the much more renowned Disney film Sky High, Up, Up and Away is very evidently a product of the turn of the millennium. Outdated tech, dress, and references abound, and some shoehorned-in references to both Marvel and DC superheroes make this film feel extremely goofy.