The 40 Best Disney Channel Original Movies, Ranked

The Ringer’s April 18, 2023 ranking puts High School Musical at No. 1, followed by Smart House and Brink!. It is a critics’ and contributors’ taste list—not an official Disney ranking or a measured consensus—and its order reflects the movies people remember from the ages when they first watched them. Here is the full list, from No. 40 to No. 1.

How to read this ranking

The ranking below follows The Ringer’s published order. The outlet’s introduction notes that memories of these films can be tied to the ages viewers encountered them; it also describes the challenge of ranking them: “Now, ranking the 40 best DCOMs isn’t easy.” The quote is from The Ringer Staff’s April 18, 2023 article. A placement is an editorial judgment, not a definitive measure of a movie’s quality.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Goofy Movie, A	$7.98	Buy on Amazon
2		Little Vampire, The (DVD)	$5.00	Buy on Amazon
3		Disney Channel Holiday	$17.93	Buy on Amazon
4		Let It Shine (Extended Edition)	$9.99	Buy on Amazon

Disney Channel Original Movie (often shortened to DCOM) is the newer designation for films previously called Disney Channel Premiere Films. D23’s catalogue begins with Northern Lights (August 23, 1997), Under Wraps (October 25, 1997), and Brink! (August 29, 1998), and includes many more titles than these 40. This ranking is a selection, not a complete catalogue. See D23’s Disney Channel Original Movies catalogue for the broader list.

The 40 best Disney Channel Original Movies, from 40 to 1

1. No. 40 — Don’t Look Under the Bed
2. No. 39 — Teen Beach Movie
3. No. 38 — Cow Belles
4. No. 37 — Halloweentown High
5. No. 36 — Lemonade Mouth
6. No. 35 — Minutemen
7. No. 34 — Miracle in Lane 2
8. No. 33 — Read It and Weep
9. No. 32 — Rip Girls
10. No. 31 — Jump In!
11. No. 30 — Stuck in the Suburbs
12. No. 29 — Up, Up and Away
13. No. 28 — Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge
14. No. 27 — Mom’s Got a Date With a Vampire
15. No. 26 — Under Wraps
16. No. 25 — Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior
17. No. 24 — The Cheetah Girls 2
18. No. 23 — The Proud Family Movie
19. No. 22 — Alley Cats Strike
20. No. 21 — Zenon: The Zequel
21. No. 20 — Phantom of the Megaplex
22. No. 19 — Twitches
23. No. 18 — Gotta Kick It Up!
24. No. 17 — Get a Clue
25. No. 16 — Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook-Off
26. No. 15 — Motocrossed
27. No. 14 — Camp Rock
28. No. 13 — The Thirteenth Year
29. No. 12 — Double Teamed
30. No. 11 — The Even Stevens Movie
31. No. 10 — Johnny Tsunami
32. No. 9 — Cadet Kelly
33. No. 8 — High School Musical 2
34. No. 7 — The Luck of the Irish
35. No. 6 — Halloweentown
36. No. 5 — Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century
37. No. 4 — The Cheetah Girls
38. No. 3 — Brink!
39. No. 2 — Smart House
40. No. 1 — High School Musical

What the top of the list favors

The first three places make a varied top tier: High School Musical and The Cheetah Girls center music and performance, Smart House builds on a speculative premise, and Brink! is an underdog sports story. Those are useful ways to think about the range of appeal, not scoring categories The Ringer claims to have used.

#1 Best Overall

Goofy Movie, A

• Goofy finds himself up to his floppy ears in misadventure and is driven to distraction when he takes Max on a fishing trip in an effort to bridge the gap and spend some quality time bonding with his offspring. Max, who has nightmares about turning into a goof like his dad, would rather spend time with the lovely Roxanne--who has finally agreed to go out with him--but is dragged along for the ride

$7.98

Buy on Amazon

The ranking also places sequels on their own merits: High School Musical 2 is No. 8, The Cheetah Girls 2 is No. 24, Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge is No. 28, Twitches is No. 19, and Zenon: The Zequel is No. 21. A sequel’s position here does not measure the importance of its franchise as a whole.

Where to look for more films

Disney+ has an official DCOM collection page organized by decade, though its displayed collection is not a guarantee that every film is available in every country or at every moment. Check the service in your region for the current catalogue: Disney+ Disney Channel Original Movies collection.

Rank #2

Little Vampire, The (DVD)

• Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories

$5.00

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Hulu’s guide, revised March 7, 2025, points to selected Disney+ titles and describes access through its Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic or Premium, with the services accessed separately. Those details are date- and plan-specific, not a promise of current or universal availability. Check the current regional catalog and plan terms. The guide also highlights Halloweentown for seasonal viewing: Hulu’s Disney Channel Original Movies guide.

For age guidance on selected family titles, consult Common Sense Media’s Disney Channel Original Movies list. Its recommendations are a separate resource, not a basis for The Ringer’s ranking.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Goofy Movie, A

$7.98

Bestseller No. 2

Little Vampire, The (DVD)

Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories

$5.00

SaleBestseller No. 3

Disney Channel Holiday

Factory sealed DVD

$17.93

Bestseller No. 4

Let It Shine (Extended Edition)

Factory sealed DVD

$9.99

Rank #4

Let It Shine (Extended Edition)

• Factory sealed DVD

$9.99

Buy on Amazon

Rank #3

Sale

Disney Channel Holiday

• Factory sealed DVD

$17.93

Buy on Amazon

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.