For years, Disney Channel has been home to many fantastic television shows about children and teenagers. Adolescence and what it means to grow up have been running themes in many shows on the network But, if viewers watch enough of their sitcoms, it becomes clear that there are some elements that nearly every show utilizes. While each series may be unique in its own way, there are storylines or character tropes in nearly all the shows on the network.
Although Disney Channel blew up with the popularity of Lizzie McGuire, many other shows followed in its footsteps once the network understood the formula viewers enjoyed. The channel did expand beyond this format to create different types of shows, but some fell into similar patterns of those that came before, leaving certain years with very similar shows.
Body-Switching
Similar to how Freaky Friday portrayed how two characters need to walk in each other's shoes to truly understand their life, Disney Channel shows have portrayed a similar version. In Lizzie McGuire, Lizzie and Matt switch bodies for an episode, showing Matt going to school as Lizzie and Lizzie portray Matt. Although they do not perfectly pull it off, their days give them each a better grasp of the other's life. It is also used similarly when Phil and Pim are forced to switch bodies for an episode during Phil of the Future.
There is a body-switching spell on Wizards of Waverly Place, but it is never used to understand the other person better. Instead, Alex uses it to give Theresa the Quinceañera she always wanted, one of the best things the Russos did for each other, while Max and Justin use it to convince their mother they attended dance classes. Alex uses the body-switching spell on herself and Harper during "Family Game Night" to get out of a test, but attempting to undo it later forced Alex and Harper to temporarily share a body due to issues with the spell.
Disguises
Commonly seen on That's So Raven, disguises are a near-constant in several Disney Channel series. It is one of the most used ways to have the main character get what they want while pretending to be someone else. That's So Raven also used a disguise to make a point about discrimination during "True Colors," in a truly groundbreaking Disney Channel moment.
When Raven-Symoné guest-starred on Sonny With A Chance as president of the Chad Dylan Cooper fan club, her character wore various costumes and disguises. Joey and Parker Rooney tried to use a disguise to get into a movie.
Singer/Musician Main Character
Hannah Montana, ANT Farm, Liv and Maddie, JONAS, and Austin and Ally all include a main character that is a singer or musician. Beginning with Hannah Montana's popularity, Disney Channel continued on that path and made several shows that featured a musical main character or occasionally had characters sing to get more involved.
Hannah Montana played on the double life of Miley Stewart and pop star Hannah Montana. Next, ANT Farm showed young prodigy Chyna Parks experience high school while learning more about music. Liv and Maddie showed actress Liv Rooney start a career in music and find herself as an artist. Also, Austin and Ally followed singer Austin Moon and songwriter Ally Dawson, showing their journeys in becoming successful musicians.
Powers And Gadgets
The Russo family are wizards. With the ability to cast spells and do magic, every episode brings another layer of magical mischief. Although Alex, Justin, and Max learn more spells and grow as wizards in training, they also prepare for the day they compete against each other in the wizard competition.
On That's So Raven and its spinoff, Raven's Home, Raven is a psychic with the ability to see visions, some that save the day and some that ruin everything, and her son Booker inherited that ability as well. On Phil Of The Future, Phil and his family are from the year 2121, and while they don't have any powers of their own, they do have gadgets with futuristic abilities.
Average Everyday Life
Sometimes, a Disney Channel show chooses not to concern itself with musicians or magic and decides to be about normal kids and teenagers in regular life. Lizzie McGuire was about ordinary people. The series took advantage of what it meant to be 13 years old and created an entire show about the highs, lows, and reality of middle school.
Good Luck Charlie, Girl Meets World, and Andi Mack are all shows that exhibit a rather simple and ordinary life. But, sometimes, a Disney Channel show focused on regular teens we could all relate to, giving the audience a chance to connect with the storylines.
Kids That Create Mayhem
When the parents are away or not paying attention, the kids will play. Creating chaos was common in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, with the Martin twins constantly doing something that nearly destroyed the Tipton Hotel. Those storylines later were included in The Suite Life On Deck.
The Russo siblings also caused magical mischief that resulted in releasing monsters into New York City, ruining Theresa's birthday, and almost taking the Russo siblings out of existence. Other series also used parties, arguments, pranks, or other excuses to create craziness.
Sibling Rivalry
Sibling rivalry is a constant on Disney Channel shows. On The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and The Suite Life on Deck, Zack and Cody Martin had completely different outlooks on life, and that played a lot into the way they interacted and fought. However, usually, by an episode's end, Zack and Cody would resolve their conflict.
Maddie insisted on beating Joey at something after he retires from all competition because he won against Maddie in a game of HORSE on Liv and Maddie. In addition to the Russo family's Wizard Competition, Alex, Justin, and Max also had other squabbles. Also, on Hannah Montana, Miley and Jackson fought plenty of times.
Bullies
While some bullies, such as Amber and Ashley on Hannah Montana, are recurring characters, good for not much other than saying some nasty comments then disappearing for a while, others make a far larger impression. Kate Sanders is a constant bully in Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo's lives.
On Girl Meets World, there are at least two episodes dedicated to discussing bullying and how people respond to it. First, Farkle hides in school after being made fun of for his turtlenecks. Second, Riley has a heartbreaking response to a bully attacking her personality, but the bully is never shown on screen.
Crossovers
That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana, Wizards on Deck With Hannah Montana, and more -- Disney Channel loves a good crossover event. Watching fan-favorite characters in different environments and seeing how they interact is exciting and gives viewers something new and different to look forward to.
Although some may feature more interactions than others, several Disney Channel characters have crossed paths one way or another at different points in time.
Doing The Impossible
If any shows truly proved what it meant to do the impossible, they were Kim Possible and Phineas and Ferb. Kim Possible relied on that for Kim, Ron, Wade, and Rufus to come through and defeat villain after villain bent on world domination. So while it may be considered unrealistic for a high school cheerleader to get away with all the world-saving she does, look no further than the phrases "Anything Is Possible For A Possible" and "She Can Do Anything" that proves the series is aware of what it knows Kim can achieve.
Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher are overachievers in the quest to make summer vacation the best one ever. Driving their sister crazy with their inventions, Phineas and Ferb always have something new to build and an exciting new goal to achieve. They have built incredible things in their backyard alone and have always proven they can do the impossible.