Not to alarm you, but it’s been 20 years since your favorite childhood shows premiered. Although it’s a terrifying fact, it also means that Disney kids are about to see the stars they grew up with back on their screens.
As two decades have passed, Disney is digging into Gen Z nostalgia, adding the return of multiple fan-favorite shows and stars to its current line-up of reboots for shows like “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “That’s So Raven.”
Honestly, I don’t care if it’s a sign of decreased creativity and an unstable society; Disney is feeding early 2000s babies well.
Starting out strong, Disney announced that the long-awaited “Camp Rock 3” is on its way, which will hopefully answer the questions it raised at the end of “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam.”
Although it’s at least comforting to know that the beloved music camp survived this long despite its brutal, viral beating by Camp Star.
The film will star the Jonas Brothers and will be produced by Demi Lovato, who will not appear in the film. Maria Canals-Barrera, who played Mitchie’s (Demi Lovato) mom Connie, will also return to Camp Rock.
However, one fan-favorite character’s absence upset fans. Alyson Stoner, who played Caitlyn Geller and was recently trending on TikTok in the “She’s really good” audio, will not return for the film, telling People that they were not aware of the film’s production.
Like all Disney reboots, the film will be stocked by a younger generation of upcoming Disney stars. According to Disney, “The film picks up when Connect 3 lose their opening act for a major reunion tour, returning to their beloved Camp Rock to discover the next big thing.” Of course, this causes typical Disney drama, testing friendships and stirring romance.
And although Nick Jonas is married, I do believe that there is hope for at least a platonic “Niley” resurgence, 20 years after the pair started their very public relationship, especially because Miley Cyrus is back on the scene!!
After a series of social media teasers, Disney released a trailer for The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary special, which premieres on March 24th. The special will include Billy Ray Cyrus, which is a big deal considering the pair’s estrangement, and a new song.
(As a Hannah Montana superfan, this news rocked my apartment. We finished introducing my roommate to the show recently and cannot wait to host a release party.)
The announcement was paired with an absolutely jaw-dropping Variety photoshoot featuring Miley Cyrus in an iconic Hannah outfit, a true 2006 throwback. In the corresponding interview, Miley says, “I wasn’t trying to kill Hannah off. I was just progressing,” and is later quoted saying that “It felt like home again.”
And just when you think it can’t get any better, Selena Gomez, who had a role as Hannah’s nemesis in the show, will also appear in the special, which was apparently arranged by podcaster Alex Cooper.
Speaking of Alex Cooper, Lizzie McGuire star, Hilary Duff recently went on “Call Her Daddy” and discussed her time as a child actress and her current life as a mom of four. Although independent from Disney, Hilary Duff has a new album out for the first time in 10 years and will tour starting in June 2026.
All in all, it’s a big time for Disney kids. Between reboots, reunion specials, and the return of some favorite faces, Disney is fully leaning into the nostalgia, and it’s working. It might not be the most original move, but it’s definitely getting everyone’s attention.
At the end of the day, these shows, movies, and people meant something to a whole generation, and bringing them back taps into that in a way that new content sometimes can’t. Call it predictable or strategic, but either way, people are watching, talking, and, honestly, a little bit emotional about it.
And right now, that seems to be exactly the point.