The 100 Best Disney Channel Original Movies

Ranker TV
Updated May 4, 2024 162.2K views 100 items
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249.7K votes
11.6K voters
13 reranks
Voting Rules
Vote up your favorite Disney Channel Original films - no Disney movies that were released in theaters.
Latest additions: Descendants 3, Descendants 2
Most divisive: Don't Look Under the Bed
Over 11.6K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Disney Channel Original Movies

Disney Channel Original Movies, or DCOMs, have been a staple of family entertainment for nearly three decades, offering viewers a mix of heart, humor, and adventure. From tales like Halloweentown to the song-and-dance sensation High School Musical, these captivating films continue to enchant generations. As audiences delve into the world of Disney Channel movies, it becomes increasingly apparent that each film holds its own special place within this classic collection. 

With a history spanning over twenty-five years, the best Disney Channel Original Movies offer something for everyone - from nostalgic trips down memory lane to fresh stories.  These films represent the pinnacle of family-friendly programming while also leaving an impact on pop culture as they push the boundaries of what television movies can achieve. By blending fantastical elements with relatable character arcs and messages about friendship and self-discovery, DCOMs provide hours of entertainment for fans both young and old. 

Several films stand as top examples of Disney Channel Original Movies. Halloweentown transports viewers into a realm where witchcraft and whimsy reign supreme. Meanwhile, twin sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry cast their spell on audiences in Twitches as they navigate newfound powers while uncovering their true destiny. And who could forget High School Musical - a cultural phenomenon that launched the careers of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, offering catchy tunes and high-energy choreography? 

Disney Channel Original Movies have shaped many childhood memories and they are still winning new generations with their storytelling prowess and charm. With plots filled with laughter, tears, and a dash of enchantment, these films have earned a place in the annals of family entertainment. By continuing to push creative boundaries and delivering cinematic experiences that resonate with viewers from all walks of life, the best Disney Channel Original Movies are and will remain a cherished part of our collective cultural consciousness. 

  • Halloweentown
    1

    Halloweentown

    Debbie Reynolds, Rino Romano, Kimberly J. Brown
    5,774 votes
    Halloweentown is a 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie released in October 1998.
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  • Twitches
    2

    Twitches

    Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristen Wilson
    3,359 votes
    Reunited on their 21st birthday, twin sisters (Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry) use their magic powers to save their kingdom from the forces of darkness.
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  • High School Musical
    3

    High School Musical

    Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale
    6,985 votes
    In High School Musical, Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), a star basketball player, and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens), a brainy newcomer with a knack for science, break the status quo at East High School when they audition for the school's winter musical. Their friends, Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu) and Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman), wrestle with their conflicting loyalties amid the unfolding drama. This teen musical comedy-drama, directed by Kenny Ortega, won the Billboard Music Award for Soundtrack Album of the Year in 2006. It explores themes of friendship, self-expression, and challenging societal norms through catchy tunes and captivating dance numbers.
  • Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge
    4

    Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge

    Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Judith Hoag
    4,155 votes
    Two witches (Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown) try to stop a villain who wants to permanently transform trick-or-treaters into their costume characters.
  • Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century
    5

    Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century

    Raven-Symoné, Kirsten Storms, Gregory Smith
    5,222 votes
    Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century is a 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie, starring Kirsten Storms as the eponymous heroine. The film was based on the book Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century written by Marilyn Sadler and Roger Bollen. The film was originally conceived as a pilot for a potential television series, but the series never got off the ground. Nevertheless, the movie proved popular and warranted two sequels, Zenon: The Zequel and Zenon: Z3.
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  • Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time
    6

    Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time

    Christy Romano, Will Friedle, Nancy Cartwright
    3,029 votes
    A teenager (Christy Carlson Romano) and her clumsy friend (Will Friedle) travel through time to stop villains from wreaking havoc.
  • Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
    7

    Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie

    Selena Gomez, Maria Canals Barrera, Jennifer Stone
    3,802 votes
    Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie is a 2009 American made-for-television comedy-drama fantasy film based on the Disney Channel Original Series Wizards of Waverly Place. It was directed by Lev L. Spiro and filmed primarily in San Juan, Puerto Rico in February and March 2009. The full cast of the series starred in the film, although Jennifer Stone only had a small role at the beginning of the film. The film focuses on the Russo family taking a vacation to the Caribbean. The film premiered on August 28, 2009 on the Disney Channel in the United States. It received 11.4 million viewers at its premiere, making it the second-most-viewed Disney Channel Original Movie premiere at that time, after High School Musical 2. It was also cable's No. 1 scripted telecast of 2009 in total viewers. It premiered in the UK and Ireland on October 23, 2009 as part of Wiz-Tober 2009. It was released on DVD on December 15, 2009 as an Extended Edition. The film won the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Best Children Program.
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  • Cadet Kelly
    8

    Cadet Kelly

    Hilary Duff, Christy Romano, Shawn Ashmore
    4,452 votes
    At the behest of her new stepfather, Joe (Gary Cole), a straight-laced ex-military man hellbent on teaching her discipline, easy-going teenager Kelly Collins (Hilary Duff) enrolls in the George Washington Military School. Kelly struggles to adjust to the demands of her new environment while facing the abuse of her commanding officer, Jennifer Stone (Christy Carlson Romano). Kelly almost drops out -- until she falls for a hunky classmate (Shawn Ashmore) and decides to join the drill team.
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  • The Luck of the Irish
    9

    The Luck of the Irish

    Ryan Merriman, Alexis Lopez, Glenndon Chatman
    4,757 votes
    A teenager (Ryan Merriman) must battle for a gold charm to keep his family from being controlled by an evil leprechaun.
  • Smart House
    10

    Smart House

    Jessica Steen, Kevin Kilner, Katey Sagal
    4,588 votes
    A boy tries to stop his father from dating by programming their computerized house to be a surrogate mother.
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  • The Cheetah Girls
    11

    The Cheetah Girls

    Raven-Symoné, Lynn Whitfield, Adrienne Bailon-Houghton
    4,040 votes
    Four diverse New York teenagers (Raven, Adrienne Bailon) hope their music group will hit the big time.
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  • The Thirteenth Year
    12

    The Thirteenth Year

    Chez Starbuck, Justin Jon Ross, Courtnee Draper
    3,514 votes
    As a boy (Chez Starbuck) approaches adolescence he grows scales and fins, communicates with fish and breathes underwater.
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  • High School Musical 2
    13

    High School Musical 2

    Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale
    5,144 votes
    During summer vacation, Troy (Zac Efron) gets a job at Sharpay's (Ashley Tisdale) resort but doesn't realize she has an ulterior motive for hiring him.
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  • Halloweentown High
    14

    Halloweentown High

    Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Judith Hoag
    3,131 votes
    Two witches (Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown) protect a group of students from the legendary Knights of the Iron Dagger.
  • Camp Rock
    15

    Camp Rock

    Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas
    5,000 votes
    Celebrity singers (Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas) coach aspiring musicians at a special summer camp.
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  • Princess Protection Program
    16

    Princess Protection Program

    Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Jamie Chung
    3,867 votes
    Princess Protection Program is a 2009 Disney Channel Original Movie, directed by Allison Liddi-Brown and starring Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. The film premiered on June 26, 2009 in the United States and was released on DVD on June 30, 2009. The film won the 2009 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Summer Movie.
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  • Lemonade Mouth
    17

    Lemonade Mouth

    Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko
    3,947 votes
    Five high-school students (Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko) form a music group and prepare to compete against a popular rock band.
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  • My Date with the President's Daughter
    18

    My Date with the President's Daughter

    Dabney Coleman, Will Friedle, Elisabeth Harnois
    3,892 votes
    Duncan (Will Friedle) is just an ordinary high school student. Hallie (Elisabeth Harnois) dreams of an ordinary life, but is actually the daughter of the president of the United States (Dabney Coleman), living with a high profile and a rigid schedule. The unlikely pair happen to meet at the local mall, and Duncan nervously asks Hallie out, unaware of her family situation. When their eventual date is ruined by the intrusive Secret Service, the young lovebirds cut loose for a night of mischief.
  • Motocrossed
    19

    Motocrossed

    Alana Austin, Mary-Margaret Humes, Trever O'Brien
    3,554 votes
    Feeling responsible for her twin brother's (Trever O'Brien) injury, a teenager (Alana Austin) pretends to be him and competes in a series of motocross races.
  • Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama
    20

    Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama

    Christy Romano, Will Friedle, Raviv Ullman
    2,291 votes
    Ron (Will Friedle) realizes he has feelings for Kim (Christy Carlson Romano), while Drakken hatches a scheme to take over the world.
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  • High School Musical 3: Senior Year
    21

    High School Musical 3: Senior Year

    Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale
    2,958 votes
    Amid preparations for a basketball championship, prom, and graduation, sweethearts Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) vow to savor every moment, knowing that college plans put the future of their relationship into question. An elaborate spring musical is just the thing for these two Wildcats and the rest of their classmates to express their fears and hopes for the future.
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  • Zenon: The Zequel
    22

    Zenon: The Zequel

    Kirsten Storms, Shadia Simmons, Lauren Maltby
    3,230 votes
    Armed with a restricted-zone roaming pass awarded to her for heroism, 15-year-old Zenon Kar (Kirsten Storms) and her best friend, Nebula (Shadia Simmons), stir up trouble all over the Space-Stay. When their antics come to the attention of Cmdr. Plank (Stuart Pankin), he sentences Zenon to work in the alien patrol lab, where she will spend hours waiting for signs of alien life. After Zenon receives what she believes to be a radio signal from an alien, she tries to convince the skeptical crew.
  • Descendants 2
    23

    Descendants 2

    Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Sofia Carson
    2,967 votes

    2017 Fantasy/ Action Film Directed by Kenny Ortega - When the pressure to be royally perfect gets to be too much for Mal, she returns to the Isle of the Lost. She discovers that Uma, the daughter of Ursula, has taken over as queen and that her gang is finalizing plans to bring down the barrier. 

    Ben, the teenaged son of King Beast and Queen Belle, invites the exiled children of defeated villains to attend a prep school with the heroes' children.
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  • Twitches Too
    24

    Twitches Too

    Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristen Wilson
    762 votes
    Twin sisters (Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry) who have magic powers uncover evidence that their missing father is alive.
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  • Good Luck Charlie: It's Christmas!
    25

    Good Luck Charlie: It's Christmas!

    Bridgit Mendler, Abbie Cobb, Leigh-Allyn Baker
    753 votes
    Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! is a 2011 Christmas film based on the Disney Channel Original Series Good Luck Charlie. The film was directed by Arlene Sanford and written by Geoff Rodkey, and stars Bridgit Mendler, Leigh-Allyn Baker, Bradley Steven Perry, Mia Talerico, Eric Allan Kramer, and Jason Dolley as the Duncan family. The Disney Channel Original Movie follows the Duncan family on their road trip to Amy Duncan's parents' house for Christmas. It premiered on December 2, 2011 on Disney Channel ten years after Disney Channel's last Christmas-themed original movie, 'Twas the Night in 2001.
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  • Brink!
    26

    Brink!

    Erik von Detten, Christina Vidal, Patrick Levis
    3,728 votes
    Andy "Brink" Brinker (Erik von Detten) is the leader of a group of inline skaters who disapprove of corporate sponsorship, believing that skating should be done for fun rather than profit. But when Brink's family starts having financial problems, he's forced to compromise his principles and join a sponsored team led by the arrogant Val (Sam Horrigan). Not knowing his motivation, Brink's friends are stunned by the decision and collectively shun him until the truth comes out.
  • The Color of Friendship
    27

    The Color of Friendship

    Carl Lumbly, Penny Johnson, Shadia Simmons
    3,005 votes
    In 1977, two girls from opposite sides of the world come together and change each other's lives. Young, white Mahree Bok (Lindsey Haun) lives in apartheid South Africa with her wealthy family. Piper Dellums (Shadia Simmons), the daughter of a black U.S. congressman in Washington, D.C., prepares to welcome Mahree to the U.S. for a semester abroad. Mahree is surprised to find her host family is black, and Piper is stunned that Mahree is white. Each will have to question the assumptions she had.
  • The Suite Life Movie
    28

    The Suite Life Movie

    Debby Ryan, Brenda Song, Cole Sprouse
    3,246 votes
    The Suite Life Movie is a 2011 comedy-drama science fiction film directed by Sean McNamara, written by Michael Saltzman, and starring Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song, Debby Ryan, Matthew Timmons, John Ducey, Matthew Glave, and Phill Lewis. The Disney Channel Original Movie is based on the pair of Disney Channel sitcoms The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. Dylan and Cole Sprouse were also co-producers for the movie. The film premiered on March 25, 2011 on the Disney Channel. A sneak peek was shown during the Disney Channel Shake It Up New Years event.
  • Johnny Tsunami
    29

    Johnny Tsunami

    Brandon Baker, Kirsten Storms, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
    3,368 votes
    Young Hawaiian surfer Johnny Kapahala (Brandon Baker) gets a rude awakening when his dad relocates to Vermont -- a state seriously lacking in waves. There, he struggles to fit in at a private school where everyone skis. Luckily for Johnny, he meets public school student Sam (Lee Thompson Young), who instructs him in the art of snowboarding. And when a rivalry brews between Johnny and snooty skier Brett (Zachary Bostrom), they decide to settle their rivalry on the slopes.
  • Sixteen Wishes
    30

    Sixteen Wishes

    Debby Ryan, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Cainan Wiebe
    2,486 votes
    16 Wishes is a 2010 Canadian-American television film starring Debby Ryan and Jean-Luc Bilodeau, which premiered on June 25, 2010 on Disney Channel and July 16, 2010 on the Family Channel. The film was directed by Peter DeLuise. The film was the most watched cable program on the day of its premiere on the Disney Channel. In addition, 16 Wishes introduced Debby Ryan to new audiences, such as the contemporary adult audiences since the movie received high viewership in the adults demographic. The film was the second most watched program on cable on the week 16 Wishes premiered. It was the second film to be released on the Disney Channel in 2010 that was not promoted as an "Original Movie" and is a co-production between Disney Channel, Family and Canadian production company Marvista Entertainment. In other countries, it is advertised as Disney Channel Original Movie. It was planned to have its UK premiere on November 19, 2010 on Disney Channel UK, but was replaced with Starstruck, which had already been shown in May. It was shown in December 2010 in the UK.