33 Disney Channel Original Movies, ranked

We've ranked 33 of the best Disney Channel Original Movies (or DCOMs, as they've come to affectionately be called) including Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, The Color of Friendship, The Even Stevens Movie, and more. 

The Famous Jett Jackson TV series stands as one of the more memorable Disney Channel properties with the titular Jackson (Lee Thompson Young) playing a secret agent on a show within the show. While never the most beloved series, it had a devoted enough following to earn itself a DCOM that saw Jackson switching lives with his fictional TV counterpart. The film can’t really stand the test of time compared to other DCOM classics, but deserves a spot on the list for its unique premise and for keeping the franchise alive beyond its three seasons. —Jonathon Dornbush

Rip Girls ultimately feels like a lesser combination of Disney’s other sports movies: The surfing of Johnny Tsunami, the skating of Brink!, and the message of celebrating the importance of friendship in… well, every DCOM. The movie has its moments, with a young Camilla Belle at the center, but it ends up as a forgettable though still enjoyable mishmash of the DCOM sports genre without staking a claim for itself. —Jonathon Dornbush

Teen angst ain't easy — especially when you're not from this planet. Megan Larson and Ariel Cola couldn't be any more different: Megan's a social climber looking for love with cool boy-next-door Cutter, and Ariel's a bright pink bubble from the planet Circulon (now in the form of a blond-haired, well-spoken teen with a penchant for Coca-Cola). The two have trouble seeing eye-to-eye, but when the emperor of Ariel's planet arrives and disturbs the peace, Megan and Ariel put their differences aside to defeat him with a little wind power. Ah, family bonding! —Megan Daley

Just about every kid is scared of what could be under his or her bed. Disney, taking advantage of that, created a somewhat memorable tale about the bogeyman. Was it inventive? No. Was it scary? Kind of. Would we rewatch it if it were on? Probably. —Samantha Highfill

It was refreshing to see a depiction of a young boy’s passion for cooking in the 2003 DCOM, even if it did come with the stereotypical apron and “Eddie Crocker” jokes. Taylor Ball delivered a winning portrayal as a high schooler whose father wants him to be the next A-Rod, while he secretly aspires to be a Tyler Florence. The cooking sequences were cool to watch, and maybe it’s the nostalgia talking, but the recipes Eddie concocted looked pretty damn delectable (well, not his earlier attempts). —Rachel Yang

DCOM movies were never short on inspirational, uplifting messages, and Double Teamed drew on real life to score with its girl power message. Based on real professional basketball players Heather and Heidi Burge, it follows two high school girls who are pushed by their overly competitive father to play basketball in pursuit of college scholarships. While initially reluctant to give into his whims, the two sisters learn the value of teamwork and a love of the game that ultimately propels them to the WNBA. While other DCOM entries might handle it with more subtlety, you can’t knock the winning combo of sibling rivalry, overbearing parents, and team sport as a metaphor for life. This one is nothing but net. —Maureen Lee Lenker

The Halloweentown series was definitely subject to diminishing returns, but the first sequel managed to retain some of the original’s magic. In the grand tradition of Carnivale — when rich became poor and up was down — Kalabar’s villainous son plans to turn Halloweentown boring and the real world monstrous. The result was some genuine horror, if you were the right age at the time. —Christian Holub

The truth is out there, and Mike Pillsbury wants to believe: Mulder-in-training Mike feels out of place on Earth because he's terrible at sports and even worse with the ladies, so he reaches out to the citizens of the galaxy — and every creepy, slimy extraterrestrial in the Milky Way arrives to help. While Can of Worms isn’t as iconic of a PG-fright fest as Halloweentown, it does have a Malcolm McDowell-voiced pup — and an alien has never been so friendly and adorable. (Bonus points for a special appearance by a pre-Parenthood Erika Christensen.) —Megan Daley

Disney Channel’s Halloween-themed films give more mature scary movies a run for their money, mixing fun and fear together with a little bit of heart. In Under Wraps, some kids befriend a mummy (whom they’re initially terrified of, because who wouldn’t be?) with far more problems than just being dead. The unlikely friendship highlights the lesson that one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover — or, in this case, a mummy by its wraps — and manages to be absurdly (as in, this movie is flat-out absurd) amusing all the while. —Ariana Bacle

Zenon Kar is right back where she started in Zenon the Zequel, as the space station is now under a not-so-nice new commander. And when the now-threatened space station faces destruction, it’s up to Zenon to team up with Proto Zoa and a few friendly aliens in order to save the day. That’s no problem, it’s all in a day’s work for the galaxy’s coolest teen. We give it two and a half zooms out of three. (Notable difference: Zequel swaps Raven-Symoné for Shadia Simmons as Zenon’s trusty BFF, Nebula Wade. But don’t worry — Raven-Symoné returns for the final installment, Zenon: Z3.) —Megan Daley

Now that superheroes are a global blockbuster industry, many are calling for more diversification of the genre. In this context, it’s fun to remember Up, Up, and Away. The movie mostly focused on the relationship between a misfit “normal” son and his superpowered family, and barely cared that it’s still the most diverse superhero movie ever, of any type. —Christian Holub

The Jonas Brothers' acting debut followed the boys as they attended a music summer camp in hopes of rejuvenating their fictional group's creative juices. Joe's abs made an appearance as he sought out an unidentified songstress with a beautiful voice, while Kevin’s character constantly proclaimed his love of birdhouses and Nick made it clear he'd be the breakout actor of the three. Stocked with catchy original tunes, the 2008 DCOM paired Demi Lovato with the JoBros for this first time, sparking a summer tour together in 2010 tied to Camp Rock 2. In addition to a sequel that features Camp Rock going up against their ritzy rivals in a televised sing-off, the film also spawned two seasons of the JoBros' Disney series Jonas. —Dana Rose Falcone

Tru Confessions may not be as infinitely quotable as, say, Zenon, but that doesn’t mean it’s not memorable. The drama, which follows a sister making a documentary about her intellectually disabled brother (Shia LaBeouf), proved that LaBeouf’s acting skills could and do go deeper than the wise-cracking boy he played in Even Stevens. It also showed that Disney Channel can portray a different kind of family with tact and heart. —Ariana Bacle

Forgive the terrible, horrible, cringeworthy teen tagline (“As if life at 14 isn’t twisted enough!”) and you have a solid sisterly movie appealing to the big sister of five babies in all of us. There’s whatshername Kimberly J. Brown again, this time playing an only child whose world is — SPOILER! — turned upside down. Quints isn’t high art, but it is memorable for its awful use of breaking the fourth wall, when Brown’s Jamie would turn to the audience and make a completely bizarre joke before explaining that she was just making sure we were paying attention. IT WAS 2000, JAMIE, WE WERE WITH YOU THE WHOLE TIME. —Marc Snetiker

Everyone knows you can’t out-prank the ultimate prankster: Louis Stevens. The Even Stevens Movie finds the entire Stevens family swept away to what they believe is an exotic island for a much-needed vacation. They eventually field countless roadblocks before discovering the whole trip isn’t quite what it seems: They’re actually a part of a new, hit reality television show — but no one can outwit, outplay, and outlast the Stevens family. (Although who wasn’t a little worried for Louis with that moment on the cliff?) —Megan Daley

Many DCOMs are frivolous-but-fun affairs. The Color of Friendship is not one of those: This relatively dramatic movie tackles racism and acceptance through the intertwined story of two girls, one from Washington, D.C. and the other from South Africa. The Disney Channel took a risk by unapologetically making a completely necessary albeit heavy statement about prejudice with one of their kid-focused films, and it was well worth it. —Ariana Bacle

Call it a very loose adaptation of Twelfth Night (Shakespeare sure did love his motocross), but Motocross and its feminist message are among the finer examples of Disney’s girl power and sports films. Throw in the love story of Andrea and Dean as the former pretends to be her brother Andrew, and you’ve got one of the more well-executed unrequited loves of a DCOM peppered throughout some intense (OK… intense by DCOM standards) motocross action. —Jonathon Dornbush

All of the classic DCOM ingredients are present: A team sport (cheerleading!), an encouraging catchphrase ("Si, se puede!"), a true story (about a middle school dance troupe training for the big competition!), a big competition (see: previous sentence), a progressively refreshing Latina cast, a future star (pre-Ugly Betty America Ferrera), and an inexplicable old one (the woman who originated Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway). Yes, we can! —Marc Snetiker

Here’s your friendly reminder that Taran Killam was playing a Justin Timberlake-like pop singer in a DCOM before he was cast on Saturday Night Live. An accidental phone swap gives Danielle Panabaker and Disney Channel’s ubiquitous best friend Brenda Song control over the life of pop star Jordan Cahill (Killam). It’s basically 2004’s version of “hacking,” and is still amazing to watch — flip phone and all. —Dylan Kickham

Brenda Song stars as the reluctant heroine Wendy, who cares more about popularity than saving the world, even after she finds out it’s her destiny to stop the villainous Yan-Lo. But her priorities change when monk Shen (Shin Koyamada) teaches her about Chinese culture and trains her in kung fu, which makes for some exciting fight scenes. And although it was already a cliché even in 2006 for Asians to only show up in martial arts movies, this film went deeper than you’d expect for a DCOM. It was surprisingly moving to see Wendy and her parents, 3rd and 2nd generation Chinese Americans, grapple with their identity after losing touch with their roots. Song’s charming performance also helped redeem the film’s faults, and this role, along with her scene-stealing London Tipton in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, cemented her title as one of the reigning queens of Disney Channel. —Rachel Yang

What other DCOM — or movie for that matter — spreads a message about the wonders of weather? With Santa’s weather machine lost in the world (Side note: Santa can keep track of delivering presents to every kid on the planet but he can’t remember where he left a world-altering weather machine? No wonder Santa had his suit stolen in a DCOM a year later), he has to reclaim it from the two teenage girls who discover it. Delightfully cheery and cheesy, The Ultimate Christmas Present is one of the more adorable but ultimately uplifting holiday-themed DCOMs. —Jonathon Dornbush

This one makes the list because as a middle school-aged viewer, it was legitimately terrifying. Pete (Taylor Handley) tries to manage a movie premiere at the theater where he works while trying to impress his girlfriend and dealing with his siblings running around the multi-screen megaplex. Meanwhile, an unknown apparition seeks to destroy the evening by wreaking havoc on each theater, theming its disasters based on each movie playing. I have no idea how Disney got Mickey Rooney involved, but his endearing performance as a movie-loving old man makes you believe in the magic of cinema before Eli Wallach does the same as Arthur in The Holiday six years later. —Dana Rose Falcone

Plucked from his surfing life in Hawaii, Johnny Kapahala (Johnny Tsunami is actually his grandfather), faces the cold weather and even chillier competition on the slopes of Vermont as he adapts to the snowboarding community. One of the finest fish-out-of-water DCOMs around, Johnny Tsunami also acts as a mini-Avengers of Disney Channel movie stars, with the actors from Zenon and Jett Jackson appearing in supporting roles. From giving a snowboarding community soap opera-level lore to the ups and downs of Johnny's athletic and romantic lives, Johnny Tsunami is one of the most fun DCOM rides, no matter the weather. —Jonathon Dornbush

The story of a free-spirited city girl caught between her individuality and her duty to others, Cadet Kelly might as well be the DCOM version of The Princess Diaries — but instead of finding out that she’s a princess, Kelly Collins (Hilary Duff) gets sent to military school. When her new stepdad, "Sir" (Gary Cole), lands his dream job as the commandant of the same academy his father once ran, Kelly is thrown into a world of uniforms and obstacle courses, presided over by no-nonsense Cadet Captain Jennifer Stone (Christy Carlson Romano). The two go to battle over everything from drill competitions to the school’s cutest guy (Shawn Ashmore), but the relationship that saves the day in the end is the one between Kelly and her family — and ribbon dancing. —Kelly Connolly

Sadly, fellow made-for-TV movie Life Size is not technically a DCOM and thus is not eligible for this list — but thankfully Lindsay Lohan’s other preteen masterpiece Get a Clue is. The high school detective movie actually delivers on a pretty original plot about a missing teacher, plus we get to see Lohan as a little proto-Mean Girl stomping around Manhattan in puffy pink jackets and sunglasses with orange lenses. —Dylan Kickham

One of the best things about DCOMs is that they aren’t afraid to go genre. The Thirteenth Year addresses similar themes as other movies on this list — transitioning from childhood to adolescence and learning to accept responsibility for your actions — but does it through a fun dose of mermaid mythology. A successful high school swimmer gaining an unfair advantage through his sudden sprouting of gills and webbed feet remains one of the most fun Teen Wolf riffs to date. —Christian Holub

Fans of the show knew bits of the Waverly Place’s wizardly lore as exposition for the Russo family’s setup of three wizard kids learning magic from their ex-wizard dad Jerry and mortal mom Theresa. Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie turned the wizardly backstory into an epic adventure, opening a gateway for young unbeknownst fantasy fans everywhere while also delivering a classically wholesome story about the importance of family and a parent’s unconditional love. The most fun comes from watching young Selena Gomez as Alex (the reason we all were carrying our Harry Potter wands in our Hunger Games combat boots for years) using magic in every single way any kid would for both good (manifesting live subtitles to translate Spanish into English) and bad (accidentally wishing your parents never met). Sibling love (and Theresa exercising her Mortal Mom greatness) saves the day in this unforgettable DCOM. —Morgan Sanguedolce

First, take off your cool cap and check the scoreboard for a second: High School Musical's first broadcast reached 7.7 million viewers, its soundtrack went triple-platinum, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens launched into household-name superstardom, and the film’s 2007 sequel (also a DCOM, but not quite list-worthy) would become one of the single most-watched basic-cable shows ever. There’s no denying the sheer status quo-shaking power of HSM, but more importantly, it’s actually a pretty damn good musical in the grand theatrical tradition. Ensemble numbers, karaoke ballads, and whatever the hell Ryan and Sharpay did all bubbled together into a cohesive teen tuner worthy of following in the footsteps of Grease and Bye Bye Birdie. And perhaps its biggest achievement of all? It made musical theater kids like basketball. —Marc Snetiker

This DCOM is the tops (of the mornin’ to ya). When high school basketball star Kyle (Ryan Merriman) tries to learn more about his family heritage for a school project, he learns he’s Irish the hard way – by losing the family’s lucky coin to an evil leprechaun and watching his family of leprechauns revert to their original forms complete with red hair and pointy ears (you know, relatable teenage stuff). It puts a fun spin on the leprechaun myth, and the climax where Kyle battles the villainous Russell (a delightful Timothy Omundson) in traditional competitions like wrestling and step dance is both hilarious and exciting. But ultimately, it’s the message that we make our own luck that charmed it’s way into our hearts and has these Irish eyes smiling. —Maureen Lee Lenker

“Let’s blade, brah." Has there ever been a more perfectly '90s construction of words? Along with the hilariously nostalgic lingo, Brink! earns its place in the pantheon of great DCOMs for mixing adrenaline, drama, and one-time Disney golden boy Erik von Detten. The movie told the story of a teenager who loves in-line skating with his friends, but is lured to the cruel and dishonest Team X-Bladz to make money for his struggling family. In the end, we all learn what it truly means to be a Soul Skater. —Dylan Kickham

Hocus Pocus, I'mma let you finish, but Halloweentown is one of the greatest Halloween movies of all time. Of all time! Consider Kimberly J. Brown, a staple of “Who’s that girl?” familiarity who ravaged her way through Disney Channel Original Movies like Minnie Mouse through a mascara sample sale. In Halloweentown, the first of an eventual four-picture franchise, Brown warms your latte as a teen witch who discovers a family secret, rides a magical bus, defeats a demon sorcerer, and falls in love with a disfigured goblin. What a chameleon! You may have literally never known her name, but hell if she wasn’t the Jennifer Lawrence of late-'90s made-for-TV children’s films. —Marc Snetiker

Zenon put a new twist on a classic fish-out-of-water narrative. This time, the story was about a young girl getting sent to Earth after spending her entire life in a space station — sorry, she was “grounded”... get it? And that's the perfect example of how Zenon never takes itself too seriously. It has ridiculous language, ridiculous clothes, and is ridiculously fun. It will forever be one of the most addictive things Disney’s ever done. —Samantha Highfill