Every Disney Channel Original Movie Cliché | STARTER PACK

The Disney Channel Original Movie Starter Pack

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re unpacking the ultimate checklist of essentials that make a DCOM iconic.

A Lesson in Morals

With great power comes great responsibility. Disney Channel Original Movies are idealized by young people from all over the world. So, naturally, they tend to get a bit didactic. After all, what’s a good DCOM if it doesn’t tell you to follow your heart and be yourself? Sure, that’s easier said than done, but films like “High School Musical” and “Camp Rock” are crash courses in manifesting self-confidence. Occasionally, there are some questionable takeaways, too, because let’s be real, Sharpay and Tess deserved better. However, there’s only so much complexity Disney can pack into ninety-something minutes.

A Sprinkle of Magic

Disney’s penchant for adding a touch of fantasy to ordinary life is peak escapism and very on-brand. What’s interesting is that most such DCOMs follow the same formula. An ordinary kid’s mundane life is turned upside down by a sudden magical revelation. However, this whimsical plot twist is simply a device for their coming-of-age. Kyle discovers his leprechaun heritage in “The Luck of the Irish,” Cody turns into a merman in “The Thirteenth Year”, and Camryn and Alex find out they’re twin witches in “Twitches”. Underneath all the chaos, they’re just figuring out who they are and where they belong, and that’s why it resonates with viewers.

Parents Who Just Don’t Get It

This one’s a universal experience, isn’t it? Dealing with parental figures who think your self-discovery journey is just a phase and have zero faith in your passions is a key ingredient in DCOMs. That dash of disbelief is what drives our protagonists to pursue their dreams and prove themselves. Perhaps the most famous example of this trope is Troy’s dad in “High School Musical.” The coach just can’t wrap his head around his son’s love for anything other than basketball. Izzy’s father in “Jump In!” doesn’t approve of him picking Double Dutch over boxing. Cyrus’s pastor pops grounds him for rapping in “Let It Shine”. Obviously, they come around eventually, because otherwise, the movies would hit too close to home.

The Meanies

At an age where a lunchtime taunt can feel like the end of the world, DCOM antagonists are understandably petty at best. With the power of a fat wallet, fashion, and shade on their side, they peak in high school. In most cases, they’re accompanied by a trifling posse of minions, but everyone knows they have no real friends. Many of these characters are actually struggling with hidden issues bad enough to elicit pity, but not empathy. Cases in point: Sharpay’s insecurities in “HSM” and Tess's craving for her mother’s approval in “Camp Rock”. Some are more irredeemable, though, like Alexis from “StarStruck” and Uliana from “Descendants: The Rise of Red”. Either way, these villains are indispensable.

An Unexpected Romance

A general rule of thumb for writing a solid DCOM love story is to make both characters loathe each other at first. They could be chaotic opposites, competitive rivals, or have extreme prejudice against each other. Sparks fly when they realize they’re not so different after all. Troy and Gabriella from “High School Musical” paved the way for this trope. They walked so Dylan and Josh from “Geek Charming”, Shane and Mitchie from “Camp Rock”, and Jessica and Christopher from “StarStruck” could run. Everyone, say ‘thank you, Troyella!’

A Critical Dilemma

Most DCOM protagonists, at one point or another, are faced with a life-altering choice. They’re caught between duty and dreams, authenticity and fame, comfort and challenge, or self-acceptance and fitting in. To keep viewers guessing, characters usually choose the wrong option before changing their minds and doing the right thing. This is the emotional crescendo the movie leads up to, and reflects how our MCs have grown. Such predicaments are famously featured in “HSM”, “Brink!”, “Princess Protection Program”, “Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior”, and “The Cheetah Girls”. They never fail to tug at our heartstrings.

A Big Secret

The backbone of many a famous DCOM is a lie. Sometimes, this means our characters live a double life, like Andy in “Motocrossed,” Charlie in “Genius”, and Mitchie in “Camp Rock”. Other times, it’s more fantastical, like Cody being a merman in “The Thirteenth Year” or Will cloning himself in “The Other Me”. These secrets are usually revealed at extremely inconvenient times, and dramatic conflicts follow, but they ultimately set our protagonists free. As it turns out, your loved ones will embrace you no matter what! Classic Disney.

The Dream

Disney Channel rarely ever makes movies solely about abstract concepts like love and belonging, without giving their protagonists a sense of purpose. First, they introduce a specific sport or talent, like drag racing in “Right on Track”, motocross racing in “Motocrossed”, and snowboarding in “Cloud 9”. Then, they set up a big match or goal as the central conflict, such as Sharpay’s Broadway debut in “Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure”. The stakes are high, and there’s too much to prove, but the trophy is not the end-all and be-all. It is more important to win hearts and earn respect with integrity, like in “Lemonade Mouth”. Watching the haters fuming is pretty satisfying, too, though.

Friends Save the Day

Leave it to a DCOM to preach the power of friendship like it’s the greatest thing in the world. No matter how cool, capable, or independent our MCs are, they need their friends to succeed. After all, they’re stronger together, and there’s nothing a group hug can’t fix. There might be a major fall-out here and there for flavor, but the final act always brings the gang back together. The music swells, everyone shares cheesy, knowing looks, and suddenly they’re unstoppable. Disney found families have a fandom of their own.

Fish-Out-of-Water MC

A true-blue DCOM adventure never comes with a roadmap. Central characters are thrown into unfamiliar environments where they’re completely out of their depth. They feel like they’re too much or not enough, and are awkward in a quirky way that no one seems to understand. Lo and behold, that’s what makes them special! The wild-hearted Kelly Collins finds herself stuck in a military academy in “Cadet Kelly.” There’s also Jack and Ellie who have to live as each other in “The Swap.” These protagonists learn to navigate the real world while staying true to themselves, but not without at least one ‘I don’t belong here’ rant.

The Montage

No DCOM is complete without one of these, set to exhilarating pop music that gets our hearts beating faster. Montages almost always signal an upgrade. There’s either a drastic makeover happening, a plan is taking shape, or someone’s shedding blood, sweat, and tears ahead of a big contest. Whatever the case may be, these sequences inspire awe and never fail to get us hyped.

The Transformation

How do you visually represent a character’s growth in a way that young viewers can immediately connect to? A glow-up, of course! This can be aesthetic, like going from plain to princess, or a personality change from insecure to self-confident. Magical transformations are even cooler, especially when the characters accept their uniqueness. They step into their true power, making us all proud.

The Disney Knees

You know you know this iconic pose. Knees bent inward, upper body hunched, belting as if their lives depend on it, Disney girls have been showing their passion in this stance for years now. It’s hard to say exactly where the Disney knees originated, but they were immortalized by Demi Lovato in 2008’s “Camp Rock.” After that it was impossible to miss them popping up, or rather, in, across the musical performances of numerous Disney names, including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and even next generation stars like Olivia Rodrigo. It just goes to show, you can take the girl out of Disney, but you can’t take the Disney out of her knees. And it proves that DCOMS aren’t just entertainment, they’re a pop culture force all on their own.

Who is the best DCOM protagonist, in your opinion? Share your picks in the comments!