Growing up with Disney Channel was such a special and unique feeling. For years, Disney Channel dominated the airwaves with hit series, incredible talent, and musical acts we could only dream of now.
That's why it was a no-brainer to pick up Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer. Published in September 2024, this book ended up being a favorite for many and even resulted in the book being nominated for a Goodreads Choice Awards last year.
With not even 3,000 ratings on Goodreads, this book is truly something special and helped to pull the curtain behind the iconic Disney Channel "machine." For those who grew up with this series and stars, some of these stories won't be a surprise to you or it'll feel like stepping back into a time machine. It will give you the feeling of being a kid or teenager, watching TV in hopes of seeing your favorite episode or character making an appearance.
However, Ashley Spencer isn't afraid to push back or give you the details we probably would have never known how she had not written this book. Regardless, Disney High feels like the ultimate homage to this era while also being critical of the choices that were made.
Disney High will entertain, surprise and anger you all at once.
The story starts where every great story starts and that's at the beginning. Ashley Spencer sets the scene by showing us the origins of Disney Channel and how at first, it was a luxury. Viewers would have to pay more to access it which is something I don't remember. Even so, that was just a small hiccup Disney was able to work through and eventually, it became something everyone could enjoy.
From there, the story is broken up into chunks with different sections focusing on iconic Disney trends and shows. There was a section on DCOMs which was honestly so interesting. It's so odd to think about all of these stars ahead of the 2000s without worrying about social media. The stars talked about how things happened with them or their co-stars including romances that no one was the wiser to.
Spencer even broke chapters down by series with the one focusing on Even Stevens, That's So Raven, and Lizzie McGuire. As you might guess, Lizzie McGuire and Hilary Duff ended up being a large focus of the book. Given that Hilary Duff felt like the blueprint of what a Disney star looked like, her impact was felt throughout this story. It was especially interesting to see how active Hilary's mother was in her career and how she made some tough yet incredibly smart decisions for the good of Hilary.
While Duff was focused on heavily, so were the High School Musical movies and the different treatment the cast received. The book even touched on Vanessa Hudgens' photo leak, Lucas and Monique being left off promotion for the third movie, and Zac Efron's rise to fame. It even touched on the possibility of making a 4th movie which wouldn't happen. It was truly incredible to see how impactful this film series was for its stars and the Disney Channel at the time.
Another large part of the book was focused on Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus. Seeing Spencer dive into the story, the casting, and how supportive Miley's mother and manager were was great. It was clear Miley was going to do what she wanted from the start and it was nice to know that. As popular and beloved as Miley Cyrus is now, it's hard to imagine her getting into the industry as a teenager at Disney.
While other shows didn't get as much page time, it was nice to learn some insider information about Selena Gomez, Wizards of Waverly Place, Demi Lovato, and Camp Rock. There was even a section about the Jonas Brothers. Honestly, as a Jonas Brothers fan, it wasn't any new information for me but might be helpful for people who didn't grow up loving the Jonas Brothers.
Ultimately, Disney High felt like a walk down memory lane where the rose-colored glasses are off and that's what a good author can do. It's clear Ashley Spencer loved this era of the Disney Channel but she wasn't afraid to share the unsavory moments as well. If you grew up during this era or just want to know more, I couldn't recommend this title more.
The one cool thing worth noting is that the audiobook is narrated by Lalaine who played Miranda on Lizzie McGuire. She does such a fantastic job as I'm sure it was tough to talk about some of those memories. Even so, Disney High ended up being one of those books I couldn't put down so if you're looking for something entertaining yet informative to read, why not go with Disney High?