Looking for a feel-good new show to watch or a classic fave to revisit? Well, luckily, most Disney Channel series still continue to be hits even after all these years. Some of the most popular Disney Channel shows, from That’s So Raven and The Suite Life to Lizzie McGuire and Wizards of Waverly Place, are where some of your favorite stars, including Raven-Symoné, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and Cole and Dylan Sprouse, got their starts. Not only is it fun to revisit them in some of their first roles, but their Disney Channel shows will bring you right back to your childhood with a fun dose of nostalgia. Plus, let’s face it: Sometimes it’s nice to just zone out with a feel-good show and the beloved characters you grew up with. So if you’re looking for something fun to binge, here are some of the best Disney Channel shows that you may have watched when you were younger and may want to re-watch now that you're older.
1. A. N. T. Farm (2011)
This show was set up to be the musical we all needed. In her first role on Disney Channel, China Anne McClain plays Chyna Parks, a musical whiz kid who gets accepted to the Advanced Natural Talent (A.N.T) program at a high school. Even though she's only 11 years old, she makes friends with the other kids in her program and tries to navigate life with the big kids.
2. Brandy & Mr. Whiskers (2004)
You can make the strangest friendships when you're stranded in the Amazonian Rainforest. That's what happened when a dog named Brandy with a pretty upscale lifestyle met an overly excited rabbit named Mr. Whiskers. They fall out of an airplane and have to make the best of their lives together while trying not to get eaten and figure out how to make it home.
3. Kim Possible (2002)
Call her, beep her, if you want to reach her. The Disney Channel hit was one of the few shows that had a powerful heroine as one of its main characters and featured every gadget under the sun that anyone would’ve wanted. Kim Possible helped make cargo pants cool again and even came back as a live-action movie.
4. Lizzie McGuire (2001)
Lizzie, Gordo, and Miranda were the ultimate friendship squad that everyone wishes they were a part of. As the group tries to navigate high school, their very real problems surrounding bullies, growing up, and popularity were something every kid could relate to. On top of that, it also became one of the greatest Disney movies of all time and left everyone wanting more from this series that finished too early for its own good. Here's hoping the rumored reboot actually happens because it would be great to see it back.
5. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (2005)
Twins Zack and Cody move into the Tipton Hotel after their mom gets a job as the hotel’s lounge singer. They end up really bonding with the hotel staff and start to rely on them as they grow up. While the show only lasted 3 seasons, it also got its own spin-off where Zack and Cody attend high school on the SS Tipton called The Suite Life on Deck.
6. The Proud Family (2001)
From the theme song (thank you, Destiny’s Child!) to the sound of Oscar yelling out “Trudy” once every single episode, this show was incredibly iconic. The show centers around Penny Proud as she navigates high school with her group of friends and her crazy family. Not only did the show focus on important topics, but it was one of the first to showcase real diversity with its characters.
7. Wizards of Waverly Place (2007)
Everything is not as it seems, especially when it comes to the Russo family. The Russo siblings – Alex, Justin, and Max – seem normal, until it is revealed that they are actually a family of wizards that use their powers throughout their day-to-day lives. They must keep their powers a secret from any mortal or they risk losing their powers for good. Eventually, it is revealed that only one of the three Russo children will get to keep their powers when they become adults, which causes tension among the family and their loved ones.
8. Good Luck Charlie (2010)
After her younger sister being born, Teddy Duncan feels inspired to leave behind video messages with advice on what to expect from her crazy family when she grows up. On top of dealing with her new sister, Teddy must also try to survive high school, relationships, and the rest of her family that can sometimes cause trouble for her and those around them.
9. Recess (1997)
Recess follows a group of fourth graders as they try to survive school and, most importantly, recess. The friends, led by T.J., try to enjoy their time during recess while adhering to the rules of King Bob and others who rank above them in the school’s hierarchy. They also try to avoid Miss Finster, who has the power to keep them away from recess, and her teacher’s pet Randall, who is always looking to get someone into trouble. The series was such a big hit, it lasted for six seasons and even had four movie spin-offs.
10. That’s So Raven (2003)
She can see the future, but sometimes things aren’t what they seem. This Disney Channel classic follows Raven Baxter as she tries to live a normal life despite getting visions of future events that may or may not seem like they’re really going to happen. Raven tries to use these visions to her advantage and help her friends and family along the way, but mostly gets herself in an even bigger mess than she intended and must find her way out before things get worse.
11. Even Stevens (2000)
Before Christy Carlson Romano became Kim Possible and Shia LeBeouf became a performance artist, they both starred in Disney’s craziest show, Even Stevens. Louis Stevens (Shia LeBeouf) is the clown of the family, which sometimes causes headaches for them, but also brings them together for truly heart-warming moments. Even Stevens was so huge that Disney gave it its own DCOM that was also the show’s series finale.
12. DuckTales (2017)
Huey, Dewey, and Louie have been living with their Uncle Donald after the disappearance of their mother, Della. One day, Donald Duck needs to go to a job interview and, with their babysitter unable to take care of them, he decides to drop them off with his uncle Scrooge McDuck who he hasn’t seen in years. It’s revealed that Scrooge is part of the reason that Della is missing and that’s why he and Donald don’t have a good relationship. After meeting the boys, along with their new friend Webby Vanderquack, they go on adventures together and try to solve the mystery of Della’s disappearance.
13. Phil of the Future (2004)
Imagine taking a normal vacation with your family, only to end up stuck 100 years in the past. That’s what happen to Phil and his family in Phil of the Future. With their time machine broken down and unable to call for help, the Diffys try to blend into the 21st century until they can find a way back home. Along the way, they start to enjoy their time in this new century even though they know they don’t belong there.
14. Hannah Montana (2006)
Who can forget when Miley Cyrus starred in a Disney Channel show?! During the day, she is Miley Stewart. But, at night, she turns into teen pop sensation Hannah Montana. Miley tries to juggle her double life while keeping her superstar status from everyone around her, even her best friends. Eventually, her friends find out and make sure no one else discovers who she really is outside of school.
15. American Dragon: Jake Long (2005)
Jake Long is a normal kid living in NYC, except for the fact that he is also able to transform himself into a dragon thanks to mystical powers that have been passed down in his family. He is trained by his grandfather in order to become powerful enough to stop the evil Dark Dragon. Along the way, he discovers that his crush, Rose, is actually the Huntsgirl and tries to get her to see that not all dragons are as bad as she was raised to believe.
16. Austin & Ally (2011)
Austin Moon is trying to become the next big hit when he discovers Ally Dawson, a shy singer with stage fright, practicing one of her songs by herself. He accidentally sings her song during a performance and becomes a pop star overnight. Realizing it was Ally’s song all along, he partners with her in order to try to make it into the music industry and the two start to fall for each other while they try to navigate their new careers.
17. K.C. Undercover (2015)
K.C. Cooper believes she’s a normal high school student until she discovers that her parents are undercover spies that work for The Organization. After finding out their secret, they recruit her and she starts to navigate her new life as a spy while trying to be a normal student during the day. This was Zendaya’s last show on Disney, after starring in Shake It Up with Bella Thorne.
18. Star vs. The Forces of Evil (2015)
Star Butterfly is a princess and heir to the throne of the Butterfly Kingdom in the dimension Mewni. After she’s given a magical wand on her 14th birthday and almost burns down her family’s castle with it, her parents send her to Earth as a foreign exchange student to train before she takes the throne. Along the way, she meets and lives with Marco, who soon becomes her best friend and joins her in her crazy adventures of protecting Earth and Mewni. The show used to air only on Disney XD, but it became such a huge hit that Disney decided to move it to Disney Channel.
19. Andi Mack (2017)
One of Disney Channel’s most groundbreaking shows, Andi Mack follows Andi as she discovers that her older sister is actually her mother. As Andi deals with this revelation, she must also try to survive crushes, middle school, and friend drama. The show made history for featuring the first gay main character on a Disney Channel series and also for touching on topics like unexpected pregnancy, panic attacks, and learning disorders.
20. Gravity Falls (2012)
Dipper Pines and his twin sister Mabel are sent to Gravity Falls, Oregon for the summer to spend some time with their Great Uncle Stan Pines, who runs the Mystery Shack. Dipper finds a mysterious journal in a nearby forest and discovers that things aren’t as they seem in Gravity Falls. Weird creatures and new mysteries await the twins as they discover more about the town and the people living there. The show only lasted 2 seasons, due to creator Alex Hirsh wanting to give the show a proper ending, but it was considered a big hit for Disney and continues on in a graphic novel series.
21. Liv and Maddie (2013)
Liv and Maddie isn't the first Disney Channel show about twins, but it is the first one where the twins are played by the same person! Dove Cameron expertly captured the night-and-day personalities of Liv and Maddie Rooney in this instant classic that sees Liv, a famous Hollywood actress, moving back to her home in Wisconsin to be close to her awkward, basketball-star twin sister, Maddie. Even though the twins don't always see eye to eye, they realize that while they were sisters by chance, they're best friends by choice.
22. Jessie (2011)
When Debby Ryan's stint on Suite Life on Deck ended, can you blame Disney Channel for deciding fans needed more of the bubbly actress on the network? Like her Suite Life character, Bailey Pickett, Jessie Prescott is a young girl from a super small town with big dreams. Jessie moves to NYC to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, but in the meantime, she's making a living by nannying for the Ross family in a ritzy multimillion-dollar penthouse. Her fancy new digs aren't the only perks of her new gig, though. She ends up finding a family in her new wards, Emma, Luke, Ravi, and Zuri Ross.
23. Bunk'd (2015)
After Jessie ended (*sob*), Disney Channel decided they weren't done with the Ross children. The show got its own spinoff that saw Emma, Ravi, and Zuri heading off to the summer camp where their parents met, Camp Kikiwaka. While there, they're challenged to leave behind their pampered ways and learn so much about themselves. Obviously, a ton of crazy shenanigans go down in the process!
24. Girl Meets World (2014)
Disney Channel decided to get into the reboot game with this gem: a continuation of the ABC classic Boy Meets World that follows Cory and Topanga Matthews' 13-year-old daughter, Riley, and her best friend, Maya Hart. The series has the same real-life feel as the original series and tackles serious issues like bullying, beauty standards, and death. Sadly, the series got cancelled after three wonderful seasons, but this show continues to be one of Disney's best of all time.
25. Phineas and Ferb (2007)
Of course we gotta show some love to one of Disney Channel's most iconic animated series! The show follows the adventures of stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher who occupy their summer days by creating elaborate and sometimes dangerous projects. Every episode follows a similar formula: Phineas and Ferb come up with their latest OTT project, Candace vows to bust them to their mom, Perry the Platypus/secret spy sneaks off to defeat Dr. Doofenshmirtz and inevitably gets captured, he narrowly escapes and Phineas and Ferb's latest "project" disappears just moments before their mom gets home and discovers their shenanigans. And although every episode is virtually the same, they somehow entertain you regardless!
26. Mighty Med (2013)
Jake Short, a familiar face from Disney Channel's series A.N.T. Farm, plays Oliver in this series about two comic book nerds who become doctors at a secret hospital for superheroes called Mighty Med, thanks to their extraordinary knowledge of superheroes. This is technically a Disney XD show, but it’s too good not to include.
27. My Babysitter's a Vampire (2011)
Disney Channel knew what they were doing when they licensed this Canadian gem to air on this network. The story follows the supernatural adventures of a geeky freshman named Ethan who is also a Seer that has paranormal visions. Along with his spellmaster best friend Benny and his new babysitter Sarah — who just happens to be a vampire — they fight evil in their city.
28. Sonny with a Chance (2009)
After crushing it in Camp Rock it only makes sense that Disney decided to give Demi Lovato her own show. Demi plays Sonny a midwestern girl who has just won a talent search competition and moves to LA to star in a hit television show. The show follows her life on and off screen as she adjusts to life in spotlight.
29. Cory in the House (2007)
This show marked the first spin-off on Disney. Cory in the House follows Raven's little brother Cory from That's so Raven. After his father Victor is named the new personal chef to the president Cory Baxter moves across the country to Washington DC and into the White House and must navigate his new life in the living with the president.
30. So Weird (1999)
The teenage girl X-files. This 90s hit combines supernatural, mystery and science fiction to create one really weird show. Follow Fiona as she goes on a quest to solve her father’s death and post her paranormal findings on her blog way before social media was a thing.
When I'm not holed up in my room going on a completely unproductive Netflix binge or Tumblr stalking Timothée Chalomet, I'm searching for awesome celeb news stories that Seventeen readers will love!
Tamara Fuentes is the current Entertainment Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers TV, movies, books, celebrities, and more. She can often be found in front of a screen fangirling about something new. Before joining Cosmopolitan, she was the entertainment editor over at Seventeen. She is also a member of the Television Critics Association and the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
