Old Disney is superior

Amanda Kroll '19, Page Designer

Editor’s note: This story contains the opinion of the writer.

As we grow up and become adults there are some things from our childhood that we miss. One of those things are the Disney Channel shows and movies we grew up watching.  There is no denying it: Disney was at its prime when we were children.

“I miss the Disney we grew up with,” stated senior Riley McClester. “They taught us so many things that were going on when we were kids and you rarely see that now in the few shows they have.”

There were so many Disney movies and TV shows that aired, and a majority of them taught us, younger kids at the time, lessons that we could take with us into our teenage years and adulthood. In an episode of That’s So Raven, starring Raven Symone, Raven had modeled one of her dresses she designed but was shocked when the editors replaced her body with a thinner model’s picture instead. Raven then shows up and tells off the editor saying, “But in case you haven’t noticed, people come in all shapes and sizes and they’re beautiful. Put that in your magazine.”

In the most well-known and loved movie High School Musical stereotypes are broken. That is what the whole movie is about, the smart girl can get the popular guy, the popular guy can also love theater, the skater dude can play a musical instrument, and a basketball player can be a baker. This movie taught many of us kids that it is okay to be who were are and to accept ourselves and reject the status quo.

“This is one of my favorite Disney Channel movies,” McCluster stated. “I never realised until recently either that it had a message about breaking stereotypes.”

Disney also has a thing with groups of friends, usually TV shows have a trio or duo of best friends like Miley, Lily and Oliver; Alex and Harper; Lizze, Miranda, Gordo. Shows like these tell you that having friends are great and they always have your back. Asking for help is a thing Disney showed in an episode of Lizzie McGuire. During the episode, “Inner Beauty”, Miranda had developed an eating disorder because she suddenly felt fat and out of control of her own life. Towards the end of the episode, Miranda finally talked to Lizzie about it and convinced her to be comfortable with herself. There are so many more messages that Disney promoted during our childhood.  

“I remember how tight of a family of disney was, it still has that family aspects but its not shown like it once was,” sophomore Micah Andrews stated.

Also back when Disney was at its prime, they had aired a lot more cartoon shows, as well. You had many different types from Dave the Barbarian, American Dragon: Jake Long, The Proud Family, Kim Possible, Fish Hooks, Recess and so many more. Nowadays there are barely any cartoons on Disney. The only few cartoons that run are all drawn the same. If you have ever seen Gravity Falls and know the characters Dipper and Mabel, every character’s head shape is drawn like theirs. A lot of people feel as if Disney lacks the creativity that they did years ago.

“I believe Disney lacks the creativity and childhood wonder it once had,” Andrews stated while senior Riley McCluster agreed. “It lacks the adventurous aspect that it once held. Recently with the live action Kim Possible movie they just did, they recreated that because they have nothing new to create.”

Nowadays Disney has only a few shows that play and they aren’t that good. Some of the cartoon shows that they have aren’t even original or new ideas they have taken movies like Tangled, Star Wars, Big Hero 6 and have made TV show series out of it so they aren’t new and or original. The only few cartoon show that are airing are Milo Murphy’s Law which is from the creators of Phineas and Ferb. Big City Greens, Duck Tales which they had brought back and reanimated – the original is so much better.

Overall the Disney that we grew up with taught us so many things and entertained us. But Disney can never top what they had once created.