69 Fun Facts About DCOM Trivia: Disney Channel Original Movies

Which 1997 comedy is considered the very first Disney Channel Original Movie?

Under Wraps premiered in October 1997 as the first film branded a Disney Channel Original Movie; Bill Fagerbakke played the revived mummy, and Disney remade it in 2021.

Before the DCOM brand was introduced in October 1997, what were the network's TV movies branded as?

Disney Channel branded its TV movies as Premiere Films, starting with Tiger Town in 1983, until the Disney Channel Original Movie label arrived in October 1997.

Which 2016 remake was celebrated as the 100th Disney Channel Original Movie?

Adventures in Babysitting premiered in June 2016 as the 100th DCOM; Disney Channel built up to it with a Memorial Day weekend marathon of 51 earlier DCOMs.

The 100th DCOM paired Sofia Carson with which Girl Meets World star as rival babysitters?

Sabrina Carpenter, Maya Hart on Girl Meets World, played babysitter Jenny Parker opposite Sofia Carson's Lola Perez in the 2016 remake.

Which DCOM premiere set an all-time basic cable record with 17.2 million viewers in August 2007?

High School Musical 2 drew 17.2 million viewers on August 17, 2007, at the time the largest audience ever for a basic-cable telecast.

In 2007 a DCOM sequel took the most-watched basic-cable record from Monday Night Football on which network?

ESPN's Monday Night Football game between the Giants and Cowboys in October 2006 drew 16 million viewers, the basic-cable record that fell in August 2007.

Troy Bolton's East High is set in Albuquerque, but the 2006 film was primarily shot in which state?

High School Musical was shot in Utah: the real East High School in Salt Lake City doubled as the fictional Albuquerque campus.

How many million viewers watched the January 2006 premiere of High School Musical?

High School Musical's January 2006 premiere drew 7.7 million viewers on a budget of about $4.2 million, and its soundtrack topped the Billboard 200.

What is the name of the Evans family's country club where Troy and the Wildcats work in the 2007 sequel?

Lava Springs is the Evans family's country club in the 2007 sequel; Sharpay gets Troy hired there, and the staff talent show ends the film.

Which director-choreographer helmed the Wildcats trilogy and the first three Descendants films?

Kenny Ortega directed all three High School Musical films and Descendants 1-3; he also choreographed Dirty Dancing and directed The Cheetah Girls 2.

Which 2009 DCOM drew 11.4 million viewers at its premiere?

Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie drew 11.4 million viewers on August 28, 2009, and won the 2010 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program.

In the 2009 DCOM spun off from Selena Gomez's sitcom, the Russos hunt what magical object in the Caribbean?

The Stone of Dreams grants one wish; Alex and Justin race to find it to undo Alex's wish that their parents had never met.

Which 2009 film was the first DCOM ever shot in Puerto Rico?

Princess Protection Program was filmed in Puerto Rico in 2008, with Demi Lovato as a princess in hiding and Selena Gomez as the American teen who shelters her.

Demi Lovato's Rosalinda, hidden in Louisiana in a 2009 DCOM, is princess of which fictional country?

Rosalinda is princess of Costa Luna; when General Kane of neighboring Costa Estrella seizes her country, she is hidden in Louisiana as plain 'Rosie Gonzalez'.

Halloweentown (1998) was shot in which small Oregon town?

St. Helens has hosted anniversary screenings of the film; a bed and breakfast called Nob Hill Riverview stood in for the exterior of Aggie Cromwell's house.

Which Hollywood legend played the witch grandmother Aggie Cromwell in the Halloweentown films?

Debbie Reynolds played Aggie Cromwell in all four Halloweentown films, from the 1998 original through Return to Halloweentown in 2006.

What is the name of the Halloweentown mayor who turns out to be the first film's villain?

Kalabar, Halloweentown's mayor, is the first film's villain, unmasked as a warlock who once dated Marnie's mother Gwen.

Who replaced Kimberly J. Brown as Marnie in Return to Halloweentown (2006)?

Sara Paxton took over Marnie Piper for Return to Halloweentown, which sends her to Witch University; Kimberly J. Brown had played the role in the first three films.

In what year is Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century set?

Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century is set in 2049, with 13-year-old Zenon Kar living on an Earth-orbiting space station before being sent down to Earth.

What is the name of the pop idol Zenon Kar is desperate to see in concert on the space station?

Proto Zoa, frontman of the band Microbe, is Zenon's idol; he returns in Zenon: The Zequel as a washed-up star she coaxes back on stage.

Which actress played Zenon's best friend Nebula Wade?

Raven-Symoné played Nebula Wade, Zenon's best friend aboard the space station, four years before her own Disney Channel sitcom That's So Raven debuted in 2003.

Which Disney Channel series premiered immediately after Zenon: The Zequel in January 2001?

Lizzie McGuire debuted on January 12, 2001, right after Zenon: The Zequel's premiere; Hilary Duff's sitcom ran 65 episodes and spawned a 2003 feature film.

In Smart House, what does the name of the house's virtual assistant PAT stand for?

PAT stands for Personal Applied Technology, the computerized housekeeper voiced by Katey Sagal that grows dangerously protective of the Cooper family.

Which Star Trek: The Next Generation actor directed Smart House (1999)?

LeVar Burton, Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, directed Smart House, the 1999 DCOM about a computerized home whose AI turns possessive.

In Johnny Tsunami, a Hawaiian surfer has to adapt when his family moves to which state?

Johnny Kapahala's family moves from Hawaii to Vermont, where the surfer swaps his board for the slopes; the 2007 sequel Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board followed.

Brink! (1998) loosely updates which 19th-century novel?

Brink! reworks Mary Mapes Dodge's 1865 novel Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates: Erik von Detten's 'soul-skater' takes a paid spot on Team X-Bladz to help his family.

In The Thirteenth Year, swimmer Cody Griffin discovers on his 13th birthday that he is turning into what?

Cody learns he is becoming a merman, born to a mermaid mother; the signs include sticky hands, electric-shock kisses and scales that appear when he gets wet.

Motocrossed (2001), where Andrea races disguised as her twin brother, loosely adapts which Shakespeare play?

Motocrossed reworks Twelfth Night: like Viola posing as a man, Andrea Carson races as her injured twin Andrew, and the love tangle follows Shakespeare's.

In The Luck of the Irish, basketball star Kyle Johnson learns his mother is secretly what?

Kyle's mother is a leprechaun, and Kyle himself starts shrinking and turning Irish after his lucky gold coin is stolen; the film premiered on March 9, 2001.

How many viewers, in millions, watched the 2002 premiere of Cadet Kelly, then a DCOM record?

Cadet Kelly's March 2002 premiere drew 7.8 million viewers, then the biggest audience for a DCOM; Hilary Duff shot the military-school comedy around Toronto.

Which teen star played wealthy Manhattan sleuth Lexy Gold in Get a Clue (2002)?

Lindsay Lohan played Lexy Gold, a wealthy Manhattan schoolgirl turned sleuth, in Get a Clue, made between The Parent Trap (1998) and Freaky Friday (2003).

Which singer was first cast as Aqua in The Cheetah Girls but left to make her debut album?

Solange Knowles was originally cast as Aqua but left to record her 2003 debut album Solo Star; 3LW's Kiely Williams took over the role.

The Cheetah Girls 2 (2006) sends the group on a whirlwind trip to which country?

The Cheetah Girls 2 takes the group to Barcelona, Spain, for a music festival; its August 2006 premiere drew a then-record 8.1 million viewers.

The Cheetah Girls: One World (2008) sends the trio to film a musical in which country?

The Cheetah Girls: One World sends the trio to India, where they compete for the lead in a Bollywood musical; it was shot on location in Mumbai and Udaipur.

In Pixel Perfect (2004), what is the name of the hologram created to front the band the Zetta Bytes?

Loretta Modern is the hologram Roscoe (Ricky Ullman) creates with his father's technology to front Samantha's band the Zetta Bytes, and she becomes an instant pop sensation.

In Stuck in the Suburbs, Brittany accidentally swaps what with pop star Jordan Cahill?

Brittany (Danielle Panabaker) accidentally swaps cell phones with Jordan Cahill, and she and her friend Natasha use the star's phone to meddle in his manufactured image.

Which twin sisters star as separated-at-birth witches Alex and Camryn in Twitches (2005)?

Tia and Tamera Mowry, the Sister, Sister twins, play Alex and Camryn, royal witches from the magical realm Coventry who were separated at birth on Halloween.

In a 2007 DCOM, young boxer Izzy Daniels secretly discovers a talent for which sport?

Izzy Daniels (Corbin Bleu) discovers a gift for Double Dutch jump rope and joins neighbor Mary (Keke Palmer) and her team, the Joy Jumpers.

Which 2007 DCOM briefly held the premiere ratings record with 8.2 million viewers?

Jump In! premiered in January 2007 to 8.2 million viewers, the DCOM record until that August; Corbin Bleu shot it in Toronto the previous summer.

In Minutemen (2008), what do outcasts Virgil, Charlie and Zeke build in their school?

Virgil, Charlie and Zeke build a time machine and, in white snowsuits, go back to undo embarrassments; their meddling eventually opens a black hole over the school.

Which June 2008 DCOM introduced Demi Lovato and drew 8.9 million viewers?

Camp Rock premiered on June 20, 2008, to 8.9 million viewers; Demi Lovato's Mitchie Torres shared the screen with the Jonas Brothers as Connect 3.

Starstruck (2010) follows a jaded teenager from which Michigan city who tangles with a pop idol?

Jessica Olson, the Kalamazoo teen played by Danielle Campbell, meets pop idol Christopher Wilde (Sterling Knight) while visiting her grandmother in Los Angeles.

The five bandmates in Lemonade Mouth (2011) first meet where?

The five meet in detention, where music teacher Miss Reznik overhears them jamming on a cup-and-desk beat and urges them to form Lemonade Mouth.

In Teen Beach Movie, Brady and Mack get sucked into a 1960s musical with what title?

Wet Side Story is the 1960s surfers-versus-bikers musical Brady loves; a freak wave pulls him and Mack inside it, where they meet Lela and Tanner.

Which actress played Mal, daughter of Maleficent, across the Descendants films?

Dove Cameron played Mal in the first three Descendants films; born Chloe Celeste Hosterman, she took the name Dove, her late father's nickname for her.

Which Broadway star played Maleficent in the first Descendants film?

Kristin Chenoweth, Broadway's original Glinda in Wicked, played Maleficent opposite Kathy Najimy's Evil Queen; the film drew 6.6 million viewers in July 2015.

In Descendants, the villains and their children are banished to which magic-free island slum?

The Isle of the Lost is the magic-free island where King Beast exiled the villains; Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos leave it for Auradon Prep, whose exteriors were shot at Hatley Castle.

In Descendants 2, China Anne McClain's Uma is the daughter of which Disney villain?

Uma is the daughter of Ursula, the sea witch from The Little Mermaid; her pirate crew includes Harry Hook and Gil, sons of Captain Hook and Gaston.

Descendants 2 premiered simultaneously across how many Disney-owned networks in July 2017?

Descendants 2 aired on six networks at once on July 21, 2017: Disney Channel, ABC, Disney XD, Freeform, Lifetime and Lifetime Movies, drawing 8.9 million combined viewers.

Which actor played Hades, revealed to be Mal's father, in Descendants 3?

Cheyenne Jackson played Hades, unmasked as Mal's father, in Descendants 3; Disney cancelled the red-carpet premiere after Cameron Boyce's death and dedicated the broadcast to him.

Which Descendants character steals Maleficent's scepter and becomes the villain of the third film?

Audrey, Sarah Jeffery's daughter of Sleeping Beauty's Aurora, takes Maleficent's scepter and the queen's crown after Ben proposes to Mal, becoming Descendants 3's villain.

Zombies (2018) is set in what conformist planned community?

Zombies is set in Seabrook, a pastel planned community that walls its zombies off in Zombietown; the film grew out of an unaired 2011 pilot, Zombies & Cheerleaders.

What kind of creatures do the zombies and cheerleaders have to accept into town in Zombies 2?

Zombies 2 brings werewolves out of the Forbidden Forest into town; they take white-haired Addison for the 'Great Alpha' who can lead them to their lost moonstone.

Zombies 3 premiered first on which streaming service in July 2022, weeks before its cable airing?

Zombies 3 debuted on Disney+ on July 15, 2022, and reached Disney Channel on August 12; its plot adds an alien invasion during Zed and Addison's senior year.

Which star of the original animated series appears as pop star Poppy Blu in the live-action Kim Possible?

Christy Carlson Romano, the animated Kim's voice, cameos as pop star Poppy Blu; Sadie Stanley plays Kim, and Patton Oswalt returns as Professor Dementor.

The 2018 DCOM Freaky Friday was adapted from what unusual source for the franchise?

The 2018 Freaky Friday adapted the 2016 stage musical by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey; Heidi Blickenstaff reprised her stage role as the mother, with Cozi Zuehlsdorff as the daughter.

In Spin (2021), Indian-American teen Rhea Kumar discovers a talent for what?

Rhea Kumar (Avantika) discovers a gift for DJing in Spin, blending Indian music from her family's restaurant life with electronic beats for a DJ competition.

In both the 1997 original and its 2021 remake, what do the kids name the mummy they revive?

The kids name the mummy Harold in both films; the 2021 remake, directed by Alex Zamm, premiered on October 1, 2021.

Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006) was shot almost entirely in which country?

Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior was shot in Auckland, New Zealand, standing in for suburban America, with Brenda Song as a cheerleader reborn as a warrior to fight the spirit Yan-Lo.

In The Color of Friendship (2000), a congressman's daughter hosts an exchange student from which country?

Mahree Bok, a white teenager from apartheid-era South Africa, stays with Congressman Ron Dellums's family in 1977; the film is based on his daughter Piper Dellums's memory.

In The Even Stevens Movie, the island of Mandelino turns out to be the set of what?

Mandelino is the set of a hidden-camera reality show, Family Fakeout, pranking the Stevens family; the 2003 film doubled as the Shia LaBeouf sitcom's finale.

Which actress played Marnie's mother Gwen throughout the Halloweentown series?

Judith Hoag, April O'Neil in the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, played Marnie's mother Gwen Piper in all four Halloweentown films.

Radio Rebel (2012) stars Debby Ryan as a shy student secretly hosting a hit radio show in which city?

Radio Rebel is set in Seattle, where Debby Ryan's Tara Adams broadcasts anonymously as 'Radio Rebel'; the film adapts Danielle Joseph's novel Shrinking Violet.

Let It Shine (2012), about a shy rapper whose verses are delivered by his best friend, retells which play?

Let It Shine reworks Cyrano de Bergerac: Cyrus (Tyler James Williams) writes the lyrics his friend Kris passes off as his own to woo singer Roxie (Coco Jones).

Which teen novelist's book about a modern-day King Arthur was adapted into the DCOM Avalon High (2010)?

Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries, wrote the 2005 novel Avalon High; the DCOM starred Britt Robertson and Gregg Sulkin and premiered in November 2010.

In the 2012 Halloween DCOM starring Olivia Holt, what does Skylar discover she is?

In Girl vs. Monster, Skylar learns she is a fifth-generation monster hunter; her parents have secretly trapped monsters in the basement for years, and Deimata escapes to hunt her.

Cloud 9 (2014) is set in the world of which competitive sport?

Cloud 9 is a snowboarding drama: Kayla Morgan, dumped by her team, trains with disgraced former champion Will Cloud to land the trick the title names.

Who directed Teen Beach Movie (2013), starring Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell?

Jeffrey Hornaday, the choreographer of Flashdance, directed Teen Beach Movie, which premiered on July 19, 2013, and its 2015 sequel Teen Beach 2.

In Zombies (2018), what is the surname of Zed, the zombie who wants to play football?

Zed Necrodopolis, played by Milo Manheim, becomes his high school's first zombie football star and falls for cheerleader Addison Wells (Meg Donnelly).