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Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Nonfiction (2024)Long-listed, Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2024
This program is read by actor Lalaine, known for her roles in Disney’s Lizzie McGuire , The Disney Channel original movie You Wish , and her role as Kate in the 1999 remake of Annie. It features a foreword and an epilogue read by the author.
The first unauthorized look at the inner workings—and ultimate breakdown—of the Disney Channel machine
For many kids growing up in the 2000s, there was no cultural touchstone more powerful than Disney Channel, the most-watched cable channel in primetime at its peak. Today, it might best be known for introducing the world to talents like Hilary Duff, Raven-Symoné, Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Zendaya.
It wasn't always destined for when The Disney Channel launched in 1983, it was a forgotten stepchild within the Walt Disney Company, forever in the shadow of Disney’s more profitable movies and theme parks. But after letting the stars of their Mickey Mouse Club revival—among them Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling—slip through their fingers, Disney Channel reinvented itself as a powerhouse tween network. In the new millennium, it churned out billions of dollars in original content and triple-threat stars whose careers were almost entirely controlled by the corporation. Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of the pie—and there were constant clashes between the studio, network, labels, and creatives as Disney Channel became a pressure cooker of perfection for its stars.
From private feuds and on-set disasters, to fanfare that swept the nation and the realities of child stardom, culture journalist Ashley Spencer offers the inside story of the heyday of TV’s House of Mouse, featuring hundreds of exclusive new interviews with former Disney executives, creatives, and celebrities to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
This program is read by actor Lalaine, known for her roles in Disney’s Lizzie McGuire , The Disney Channel original movie You Wish , and her role as Kate in the 1999 remake of Annie. It features a foreword and an epilogue read by the author.
The first unauthorized look at the inner workings—and ultimate breakdown—of the Disney Channel machine
For many kids growing up in the 2000s, there was no cultural touchstone more powerful than Disney Channel, the most-watched cable channel in primetime at its peak. Today, it might best be known for introducing the world to talents like Hilary Duff, Raven-Symoné, Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Zendaya.
It wasn't always destined for when The Disney Channel launched in 1983, it was a forgotten stepchild within the Walt Disney Company, forever in the shadow of Disney’s more profitable movies and theme parks. But after letting the stars of their Mickey Mouse Club revival—among them Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling—slip through their fingers, Disney Channel reinvented itself as a powerhouse tween network. In the new millennium, it churned out billions of dollars in original content and triple-threat stars whose careers were almost entirely controlled by the corporation. Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of the pie—and there were constant clashes between the studio, network, labels, and creatives as Disney Channel became a pressure cooker of perfection for its stars.
From private feuds and on-set disasters, to fanfare that swept the nation and the realities of child stardom, culture journalist Ashley Spencer offers the inside story of the heyday of TV’s House of Mouse, featuring hundreds of exclusive new interviews with former Disney executives, creatives, and celebrities to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
Audible Audio
First published September 24, 2024
424 people are currently reading
33865 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Spencer
1 book72 followersAshley Spencer is a culture writer and reporter whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair, The Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, Vice, Vulture, and elsewhere. Disney High is her first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,507 reviews
January 14, 2025
reading vlog: https://youtu.be/p5s8uKBGRg4
10/10 no notes. i would read this 1,000 times over. getting to see behind the scenes of all my favourite shows and movies from my childhood was just SO special and Ashley Spencer did an amazing job putting all the puzzle pieces together
10/10 no notes. i would read this 1,000 times over. getting to see behind the scenes of all my favourite shows and movies from my childhood was just SO special and Ashley Spencer did an amazing job putting all the puzzle pieces together
September 26, 2024
I would’ve liked for this to be 10,000 pages.
February 12, 2025
3.5 stars. I greatly appreciated the research and time with interviews that went into this. The nostalgic walk behind the scenes of all the most famous Disney shows was fascinating and heartbreaking, as I have long read about child stars and how their lives tend to be. I wish a darker side was researched, but perhaps the author simply didn't want to get sued. Many Disney stars, including Demi Lovato and Bella Thorne, have publicly stated that they were abused and molested ON SET during their young years at Disney, but as usual, it's a dirty, well-kept secret that no one wants to talk about, including in this book.
October 9, 2024
3.5 stars 🌟
Review:
I was a DisneyGirl growing up (still enjoy it but not like I used to).
I remember falling in love with characters like Belle, Ariel, Jasmine, Simba, Aladdin, Genie...the list goes on.
I looked forward to watching Disney every day when all the Tween shows exploded onto the scene (for some reason our dish network at the time had Disney Channel in east coast and west coast time so I'd often watch the same shows 3 hours apart... I'm sure that drove my parents nuts 😄.
I fell in love with So Weird, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Demi Lovato... I was fascinated by the network as a whole, especially the Disney Channel original movies 🎬 (Halloween town , Tru Confessions, and The color of Friendship were three favorites). Fanfiction was read,.friends and cousins week roped in to watch and became fans.
It's hard for me to completely convey in words how much these people and shows/movies/music meant/means to me.
As a kid and teen, you don't stop to wonder usually how the Disney Machine worked in all aspects... you watch the behind-the-scenes on DVD and watch videos but not how everything came together, how people were casted, what it was really like when cameras weren't rolling.
Some of this I remember hearing and some was eye opening, others I had only heard snippets of but I did enjoy reading this one for the most part (I did skip parts I had no interest in , full disclosure) .
The author presents everything clearly and in a tone that makes it an easier read (reluctant non fiction readers would probably enjoy this) .
There were times I shook my head, glared and rolled my eyes at certain policies and times when Disney and the people around dropped the ball and could have done better. Even if it meant losing money 💰. The reasoning behind what people said about each different situation... I felt sad and mad that money rules the world 🌎 and that was a reason for plowing ahead.
One thing I hadn't realized also as a younger person was that Disney wasn't always a huge deal in the markets that the book talks about. I assumed (as I'm sure others did) that they had been the top of the pile always.
I would recommend this, interesting and fascinating read even if you didn't grow up during this time.
Review:
I was a DisneyGirl growing up (still enjoy it but not like I used to).
I remember falling in love with characters like Belle, Ariel, Jasmine, Simba, Aladdin, Genie...the list goes on.
I looked forward to watching Disney every day when all the Tween shows exploded onto the scene (for some reason our dish network at the time had Disney Channel in east coast and west coast time so I'd often watch the same shows 3 hours apart... I'm sure that drove my parents nuts 😄.
I fell in love with So Weird, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Demi Lovato... I was fascinated by the network as a whole, especially the Disney Channel original movies 🎬 (Halloween town , Tru Confessions, and The color of Friendship were three favorites). Fanfiction was read,.friends and cousins week roped in to watch and became fans.
It's hard for me to completely convey in words how much these people and shows/movies/music meant/means to me.
As a kid and teen, you don't stop to wonder usually how the Disney Machine worked in all aspects... you watch the behind-the-scenes on DVD and watch videos but not how everything came together, how people were casted, what it was really like when cameras weren't rolling.
Some of this I remember hearing and some was eye opening, others I had only heard snippets of but I did enjoy reading this one for the most part (I did skip parts I had no interest in , full disclosure) .
The author presents everything clearly and in a tone that makes it an easier read (reluctant non fiction readers would probably enjoy this) .
There were times I shook my head, glared and rolled my eyes at certain policies and times when Disney and the people around dropped the ball and could have done better. Even if it meant losing money 💰. The reasoning behind what people said about each different situation... I felt sad and mad that money rules the world 🌎 and that was a reason for plowing ahead.
One thing I hadn't realized also as a younger person was that Disney wasn't always a huge deal in the markets that the book talks about. I assumed (as I'm sure others did) that they had been the top of the pile always.
I would recommend this, interesting and fascinating read even if you didn't grow up during this time.
September 27, 2025
I've never watched Disney Channel but I vividly remember the relentless stream of Hannah Montana merchandise. I've picked up this book hoping that it will be focusing on the corporate machinations that made Disney Channel one of the most viewed kids channels but unfortunately that's not the case. Instead we are following the stories of the series and movies that were running there.
Since Disney Channel was not very popular in the country I was growing up in I don't have any emotional connection to it and Disney High failed to show me why this channel got so popular in the US. It feels like author writes for people that are opening the book already feeling something towards Disney shows because she immediately taps into that nostalgia. For me that meant reading lists of people that I've never heard about before. There is still a handful of interesting pieces of information but overall narration failed to engage me.
It's a book mainly for people that were crazy about Disney Chanel between 2001 and 2011. Rest can go ahead and skip it.
Since Disney Channel was not very popular in the country I was growing up in I don't have any emotional connection to it and Disney High failed to show me why this channel got so popular in the US. It feels like author writes for people that are opening the book already feeling something towards Disney shows because she immediately taps into that nostalgia. For me that meant reading lists of people that I've never heard about before. There is still a handful of interesting pieces of information but overall narration failed to engage me.
It's a book mainly for people that were crazy about Disney Chanel between 2001 and 2011. Rest can go ahead and skip it.
September 26, 2024
Disney High
By: Ashley Spencer
Miley isn’t the only one coming in like a wrecking ball. Ashley didn’t come to mouse around (sorry, I had to). The amount of research and number of interviews Ashley conducted to get this story to her readers is impressive. This book goes behind the scenes of all the glitter and teeny bopper smiles we knew and loved on the Disney Channel. She reports on everything from Miley, Selena, Zac, the Jonas brothers, and Demi Lovato. This book was impressive.
I’d like to request the next book to back it up another decade and write about the Mickey Mouse Club days (Britney, Christina, Justin ... .I want that scoop too!)
By: Ashley Spencer
Miley isn’t the only one coming in like a wrecking ball. Ashley didn’t come to mouse around (sorry, I had to). The amount of research and number of interviews Ashley conducted to get this story to her readers is impressive. This book goes behind the scenes of all the glitter and teeny bopper smiles we knew and loved on the Disney Channel. She reports on everything from Miley, Selena, Zac, the Jonas brothers, and Demi Lovato. This book was impressive.
I’d like to request the next book to back it up another decade and write about the Mickey Mouse Club days (Britney, Christina, Justin ... .I want that scoop too!)
January 6, 2025
The first third of the book was the most interesting as the Author goes through the creation and early confusion of the channel fitting into the overall Disney brand, and its desire to overtake the then dominant children’s entertainment channel, Nickelodeon.
The rest was just a timeline and behind the scenes accounting of each show’s lineups from inception, casting challenges, gnashing of corporate teeth, and finally to its eventual demise.
The rest was just a timeline and behind the scenes accounting of each show’s lineups from inception, casting challenges, gnashing of corporate teeth, and finally to its eventual demise.
July 6, 2025
This is a super fascinating peek into the Disney Channel’s “golden” era—roughly spanning Lizzie McGuire to Hannah Montana. It’s exhaustively researched, with perspectives from folks involved at all levels of the channel’s operations (some shared anonymously). There’s definitely gossip in this book—including which stars got plastic surgery or did drugs during their show’s run, as well as a highly entertaining peek into Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens’ dramatic relationship. But this book also contains a lot of critical analysis on issues like how the channel handled race and sexuality.
If you were born in the 90s, you’re going to enjoy this book.
If you were born in the 90s, you’re going to enjoy this book.
August 29, 2025
A fascinating history of the Disney Channel’s imperial age. Through careful reporting, Ashley Spencer shows how inextricable the business and personal sides of kids’ entertainment inevitably are.
Among her insights: that the turn to reality TV in the early 2000s led to a decline in network sitcoms and corresponding glut of talent Disney could tap—in other words, shows like Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place were made by writers and producers who’d cut their teeth on shows like Seinfeld and Friends. Which explains why they were so damn funny.
Another insight: Hilary Duff was central, as an individual, to the creation of the Disney Channel machine. It was Duff’s personal charisma, star quality, work ethic, earnest good humor, and notable lack of a rebellious streak around which the first iteration of the Disney Channel machine crystalized, almost of its own accord. In fact, at every stage, the Disney Channel was mostly focused on making entertaining shows for tweens; their massive cultural success mostly caught them by surprise. High School Musical, for example, was made for 4 million dollars with a cast of unknowns. Disney executives acted as if they’d planned a cultural juggernaut, when in fact they’d just sort of shrugged and told the producers to give it a shot.
Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez especially—but really all the child actors—come off incredibly well in Spencer’s account; they’re talented, kind, and resilient. The executives and producers (the most consistent players from chapter to chapter, as shows and stars come and go) also seem to at least have had their hearts in the right place. The broader culture, on the other hand, comes off terribly. The way the media treated these 14 and 15 year old kids was appalling.
The book is almost all rise and no fall, but then, what killed Disney Channel is what killed basic cable and also the idea of a single American culture we all experience together, so…
The last chapter, on Demi Lovato, is heartbreaking. But it struck me that the struggles Lovato and other child stars faced were, on a terribly larger stage, not so different from what kids go through in High Schools across the country: bullying, self-harm, eating disorders, acting out, drugs. Outside of the Disney bubble, it’s all part and parcel of teenage America. Just without a venomous, lecherous tabloid press breathing down your neck.
I see no point in reading this if you don’t know the shows, but if you watched Disney Channel, I highly recommend it.
Among her insights: that the turn to reality TV in the early 2000s led to a decline in network sitcoms and corresponding glut of talent Disney could tap—in other words, shows like Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place were made by writers and producers who’d cut their teeth on shows like Seinfeld and Friends. Which explains why they were so damn funny.
Another insight: Hilary Duff was central, as an individual, to the creation of the Disney Channel machine. It was Duff’s personal charisma, star quality, work ethic, earnest good humor, and notable lack of a rebellious streak around which the first iteration of the Disney Channel machine crystalized, almost of its own accord. In fact, at every stage, the Disney Channel was mostly focused on making entertaining shows for tweens; their massive cultural success mostly caught them by surprise. High School Musical, for example, was made for 4 million dollars with a cast of unknowns. Disney executives acted as if they’d planned a cultural juggernaut, when in fact they’d just sort of shrugged and told the producers to give it a shot.
Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez especially—but really all the child actors—come off incredibly well in Spencer’s account; they’re talented, kind, and resilient. The executives and producers (the most consistent players from chapter to chapter, as shows and stars come and go) also seem to at least have had their hearts in the right place. The broader culture, on the other hand, comes off terribly. The way the media treated these 14 and 15 year old kids was appalling.
The book is almost all rise and no fall, but then, what killed Disney Channel is what killed basic cable and also the idea of a single American culture we all experience together, so…
The last chapter, on Demi Lovato, is heartbreaking. But it struck me that the struggles Lovato and other child stars faced were, on a terribly larger stage, not so different from what kids go through in High Schools across the country: bullying, self-harm, eating disorders, acting out, drugs. Outside of the Disney bubble, it’s all part and parcel of teenage America. Just without a venomous, lecherous tabloid press breathing down your neck.
I see no point in reading this if you don’t know the shows, but if you watched Disney Channel, I highly recommend it.
January 8, 2025
My biggest takeaways from this peek behind the curtain at the House of Mouse is that:
I was a little aged out of the audience for things like Camp Rock and Wizards of Waverley Place but I still appreciated the pull The Disney Channel created.
A) at an enterprise level there are the typical siloes and in-fighting you’d expect. The magic up front hides the typical enterprise shenanigans you can find in any large multinational corporation. Creativity, Inc., written by a Pixar co-founder, goes into this in more detail, an excellent read.
B) shows and stars launched to great success but not always to formula. This meant a lot of exceeding expectations to the suits clamouring, “oh yeah, we totally planned that all out, strategically and stuff”.
C) the thoughtful analysis of the trainwrecks emerging from these studio systems (by alumni like Alyson Stoner are necessary and important.
I was a little aged out of the audience for things like Camp Rock and Wizards of Waverley Place but I still appreciated the pull The Disney Channel created.
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January 28, 2025
This hit me right in the childhood.
I was entering my teens/early high school when Disney Channel started to get its legs in the early, early 00s. By the time it was at its height, I was already aged out.
But So Weird? Christy Carlson Romano? Halloweentown? Hilary Duff? Cadet Kelly? Raven? Phil of the Future? Double Teamed? Motorcrossed? They were my jam.
While in many cases I feel like Spencer tried too hard not to anger the Mouse, I did like her perspective on how the show runners by and large fought to both create teen stars, and to keep their teens relatively protected (behind the scenes so they wouldn't go against the Disney family-friendly image)—even if they often couldn't protect them from their own parents.
The balance of managing extreme talent when that talent is a minor, and the huge potential for exploitation and abuse is particularly awful when reading about Shia and Demi (of course, Shia is in a completely different league than Demi), and the rivalries that happen when young, ambitious and talented stars want fame and get sidelined for their coworkers. And what happens when child stars want to break free of their squeaky clean image—or when their privacy is exploited by the paparazzi.
Things were SO bad for the child actresses, especially at the height of the series, and the relative sexism portrayed both by the media and the screenwriting (not to mention the racism despite a diverse cast). See Christy Carlson Romano and Shia, an on-screen dynamic that wasn't really challenged or changed on Disney Channel until Selena Gomez and Wizards of Waverly Place. See Vanessa Hudgens and the excoriation she received when someone hacked her phone and shared her UNDERAGE nude photos. She was raked through the coals for taking them. See Miley Cyrus. See Demi Lovato. See Raven. See all the list of actresses, the list going on and on.
I did find it absolutely ironic that Lalaine was the narrator for the book. How she kept a straight face when narrating the beef between her and Hilary on Lizzie Maguire is beyond me. She did a fantastic job overall.
Anywho, if you're looking for a book that deep dives into the business of being Disney and also read about the making and management of child stars, this is the book for you.
I was entering my teens/early high school when Disney Channel started to get its legs in the early, early 00s. By the time it was at its height, I was already aged out.
But So Weird? Christy Carlson Romano? Halloweentown? Hilary Duff? Cadet Kelly? Raven? Phil of the Future? Double Teamed? Motorcrossed? They were my jam.
While in many cases I feel like Spencer tried too hard not to anger the Mouse, I did like her perspective on how the show runners by and large fought to both create teen stars, and to keep their teens relatively protected (behind the scenes so they wouldn't go against the Disney family-friendly image)—even if they often couldn't protect them from their own parents.
The balance of managing extreme talent when that talent is a minor, and the huge potential for exploitation and abuse is particularly awful when reading about Shia and Demi (of course, Shia is in a completely different league than Demi), and the rivalries that happen when young, ambitious and talented stars want fame and get sidelined for their coworkers. And what happens when child stars want to break free of their squeaky clean image—or when their privacy is exploited by the paparazzi.
Things were SO bad for the child actresses, especially at the height of the series, and the relative sexism portrayed both by the media and the screenwriting (not to mention the racism despite a diverse cast). See Christy Carlson Romano and Shia, an on-screen dynamic that wasn't really challenged or changed on Disney Channel until Selena Gomez and Wizards of Waverly Place. See Vanessa Hudgens and the excoriation she received when someone hacked her phone and shared her UNDERAGE nude photos. She was raked through the coals for taking them. See Miley Cyrus. See Demi Lovato. See Raven. See all the list of actresses, the list going on and on.
I did find it absolutely ironic that Lalaine was the narrator for the book. How she kept a straight face when narrating the beef between her and Hilary on Lizzie Maguire is beyond me. She did a fantastic job overall.
Anywho, if you're looking for a book that deep dives into the business of being Disney and also read about the making and management of child stars, this is the book for you.
June 7, 2025
If you are expecting scandalous, juicy gossip; this is not that. Instead, it fuelled my nostalgia curiosity.
I am on a behind-the-scenes non-fiction binge at the moment and learning about Disney’s rise was incredibly interesting.
This shed light on our favourite shows and their conception, casting, doubts, hiccups, where that led the child stars.
You will recognise a lot of the child stars’ names, you will know perhaps some of the the executive and directors, you will definitely appreciate the impact and influence Disney had on Millennials, Gen Z, heck, even older audiences who crave that comfort.
This is completely accessible and told in a tone that would make it palatable for even non-fiction newbies or avoidants.
This didn’t cover darker secrets or cover-ups such as sexual assault etc and I think this was a deliberate decision. This makes this book more accessible to more people, it doesn’t dig into sore topics and bring up trauma for these stars, and doesn’t risk allegations or speculation.
This was a more positive look at Disney overall (in complete contrast to Careless People which I am also currently reading, absolutely dragging Facebook), more based on the shows and the stars’ trajectory. Child friendly.
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I am on a behind-the-scenes non-fiction binge at the moment and learning about Disney’s rise was incredibly interesting.
This shed light on our favourite shows and their conception, casting, doubts, hiccups, where that led the child stars.
You will recognise a lot of the child stars’ names, you will know perhaps some of the the executive and directors, you will definitely appreciate the impact and influence Disney had on Millennials, Gen Z, heck, even older audiences who crave that comfort.
This is completely accessible and told in a tone that would make it palatable for even non-fiction newbies or avoidants.
This didn’t cover darker secrets or cover-ups such as sexual assault etc and I think this was a deliberate decision. This makes this book more accessible to more people, it doesn’t dig into sore topics and bring up trauma for these stars, and doesn’t risk allegations or speculation.
This was a more positive look at Disney overall (in complete contrast to Careless People which I am also currently reading, absolutely dragging Facebook), more based on the shows and the stars’ trajectory. Child friendly.
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April 16, 2025
If you were a Disney Channel kid, you should read this! Very well researched and written, and the audiobook is read by LaLaine. Will absolutely be spending this upcoming weekend binging old DCOMs.
September 27, 2024
hands down my favorite non-fiction i have read this year !!!!!!!!!
as the biggest disney channel kid (especially during the best era) this meant so much to me. i’ve always been interested in the behind the scenes of these movies and shows and the lives of celebrities this actually was the best thing for me. i knew some of the stuff but even for a seasoned pop culture expert there was so much new stuff i didn’t even know. each chapter is focused on a star or movie/tv show that made up this era starting in the 90s and ending in the early 2010s. although i appreciate the mickey mouse club and even steven’s, i didn’t get quite invested until the lizzie mcguire chapter and then after that i was all in and couldn’t stop listening. i was the BIGGEST hannah montana fan and hearing all the things about creating her brand and the show got me to remember so many things from my childhood. like going to see the movie in theater, buying her cds and the clothes. same with the high school musical franchise. hearing all this stuff healed my inner child???? bizarre but true. this era of disney was unmatched and these stars put in the work to make disney channel the most iconic channel of the 2000s. ugh highly recommended. the audio is also FANTASTIC as it’s narrated by lizzie mcguire star Lalaine. such a good book !!!!
as the biggest disney channel kid (especially during the best era) this meant so much to me. i’ve always been interested in the behind the scenes of these movies and shows and the lives of celebrities this actually was the best thing for me. i knew some of the stuff but even for a seasoned pop culture expert there was so much new stuff i didn’t even know. each chapter is focused on a star or movie/tv show that made up this era starting in the 90s and ending in the early 2010s. although i appreciate the mickey mouse club and even steven’s, i didn’t get quite invested until the lizzie mcguire chapter and then after that i was all in and couldn’t stop listening. i was the BIGGEST hannah montana fan and hearing all the things about creating her brand and the show got me to remember so many things from my childhood. like going to see the movie in theater, buying her cds and the clothes. same with the high school musical franchise. hearing all this stuff healed my inner child???? bizarre but true. this era of disney was unmatched and these stars put in the work to make disney channel the most iconic channel of the 2000s. ugh highly recommended. the audio is also FANTASTIC as it’s narrated by lizzie mcguire star Lalaine. such a good book !!!!
September 26, 2024
I read this over a weekend visiting friends, when I had every excuse NOT to read. On a Sunday, when everyone else was hungover and scrolling their phones, I could not put this book down. Ashley throws you right into the drama with a sobbing Shia LaBeouf and Hilary Duff’s parents not letting her “get away with shit.” Behind the scenes revelations, especially when it comes to That’s So Raven, shocked me, and that’s before you even get to some of the bigger household names like Miley, Selena, Demi, and the Jonas Brothers. Ashley let me relive the magic of my most beloved Disney Channel franchises (High School Musical at the top!), while unveiling what really happened when the cameras were off, while ALSO satisfying my adult hunger for business wheeling and dealing with everything from Miley’s early contracts to executives intimidating executives (like how an animation executive for The Lion King told future Disney Channel president Anne Sweeney on her first day, “I waste more money in a day than you make in a year.”) One minute you’re witnessing a producer rightly get kicked off a show, and the next you’re hoping Disney Channel will finally beat Linda Ellerbee for a Kids’ Choice Award. Don’t think twice about buying this book—it’s a ride as wild as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, without the waiting in line.
September 24, 2024
3.5 stars. Disney High dives into what made Disney Channel the major network it is today, crediting back to the early 2000s when everything changed. Disney started with its Mickey Mouse Club, housing future stars like Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake - but it became so much more with shows like Lizzie McGuire, That’s So Raven, Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and High School Musical. Ashley Spencer brings light to the challenges, on-set tension, and more.
I was absolutely thrilled to receive a copy of this book. I loved Disney Channel and enjoy books about pop culture that was important to me growing up. That said, I will say I definitely went into it with the wrong expectations. I was imagining more behind the scenes, untold drama. What I got was a research paper-esque retelling of how shows were created, intell from already published interviews/podcasts, and info about known feuds. I definitely learned new things and it started picking up as the book progressed, but with each chapter on a show only being 15 pages, it is challenging to really dive in to the depth of what was happening. I think this book will be a great start and I hope to see more people speak out about their time on Disney Channel.
I was absolutely thrilled to receive a copy of this book. I loved Disney Channel and enjoy books about pop culture that was important to me growing up. That said, I will say I definitely went into it with the wrong expectations. I was imagining more behind the scenes, untold drama. What I got was a research paper-esque retelling of how shows were created, intell from already published interviews/podcasts, and info about known feuds. I definitely learned new things and it started picking up as the book progressed, but with each chapter on a show only being 15 pages, it is challenging to really dive in to the depth of what was happening. I think this book will be a great start and I hope to see more people speak out about their time on Disney Channel.
February 23, 2025
This book goes behind the scenes of Disney Channel in the 90s and 2000s. Starting with The Mickey Mouse Club, then later discussing shows like Even Stevens, Lizzie McGuire, That’s So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and their staff and stars in depth. This was a very nostalgic read for me as I was a kid in the 2000s glued to Disney Channel every Friday night to watch DCOMs and listening constantly listening to Radio Disney. I don’t have much to say about this one except it made me want to go back and watch some of these iconic tween shows and movies!
October 17, 2024
I absolutely LOVED this!
Ashley is an amazing journalist, and I was so excited to read her first book-length work. And as an elder millennial whose adolescence was significantly shaped by Disney Channel, I loved getting a behind-the-curtain look at its inception and growth through the years.
The research is thorough and the writing is engaging. I would have read 1,000 more pages of this! An absolute must-read.
Ashley is an amazing journalist, and I was so excited to read her first book-length work. And as an elder millennial whose adolescence was significantly shaped by Disney Channel, I loved getting a behind-the-curtain look at its inception and growth through the years.
The research is thorough and the writing is engaging. I would have read 1,000 more pages of this! An absolute must-read.
October 6, 2024
•Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire was an absolutely fantastic audiobook. This book is a detailed account of some of Disney Channel’s biggest shows and movies. Reading this book was like taking a peek behind the curtain on the stars of my childhood.
•Throughout this book, certain scenes or episodes were discussed and I was instantly transported back to my childhood, remembering things so vividly. I enjoyed learning about the casting process for certain shows or movies, learning about the difference in producers and how some Disney stars struggled to live up to the impossible expectations.
•I don’t typically read nonfiction, but I made an exception and I’m thrilled I did. This book hit the shelves on September 24, 2024. Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Ashley Spencer, and St. Martin’s Press for this copy.
•Throughout this book, certain scenes or episodes were discussed and I was instantly transported back to my childhood, remembering things so vividly. I enjoyed learning about the casting process for certain shows or movies, learning about the difference in producers and how some Disney stars struggled to live up to the impossible expectations.
•I don’t typically read nonfiction, but I made an exception and I’m thrilled I did. This book hit the shelves on September 24, 2024. Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Ashley Spencer, and St. Martin’s Press for this copy.
April 7, 2025
i can't believe this book is real. best reading experience of my life.
September 30, 2024
Disney High gives a peak behind the curtain at Disney Channel in its prime. The closing line of the introduction had me eliciting the first of many silent screams, and when I flipped to the next page and saw the timeline of key shows and original movies that would be covered, I damn near lost my mind.
Spencer had so many tightropes to walk with this one and she balanced everything perfectly.
It was a millennial dream, with enough references to help me know I was definitely the intended audience, without being cringe. It was also full of facts, figures and contract information, but didn’t feel boring or business-y for even a second.
The most impressive feat in my opinion was how Spencer was able to highlight the shared experiences of many of the young Disney stars, without the book becoming repetitive. Some chapters touched on themes raised earlier but every one still felt so unique! This helped bring a cohesive feel to the book as a whole, rather than the focus on each show or movie being a standalone reading experience.
Yes, much of what you’ll read here is public knowledge, but there’s nowhere else I know of where you can succinctly read it front to back in such an entertaining manner and I guarantee you’ll learn a bunch that’ll make you gasp too. You’ll also get new perspectives on things you think you know, direct from sources involved.
We didn’t get every scrap of drama that occurred with the Disney Channel cast from that whole period of time, but that wasn’t an issue for me. It would’ve felt hypocritical to highlight the pressure and exploitation these literal kids faced then drag up every scandalous story they’d ever been involved in.
Ashley Spencer is a Disney fan, speaking to Disney fans. She’s able to convey her love for the franchise and reinforce mine as a reader, without glossing over the cracks of the organisation’s crappy behaviour and business practices. From intro to acknowledgments, any Disney fan will have fun with this. Favourite non-fic I’ve read in a long time!
Spencer had so many tightropes to walk with this one and she balanced everything perfectly.
It was a millennial dream, with enough references to help me know I was definitely the intended audience, without being cringe. It was also full of facts, figures and contract information, but didn’t feel boring or business-y for even a second.
The most impressive feat in my opinion was how Spencer was able to highlight the shared experiences of many of the young Disney stars, without the book becoming repetitive. Some chapters touched on themes raised earlier but every one still felt so unique! This helped bring a cohesive feel to the book as a whole, rather than the focus on each show or movie being a standalone reading experience.
Yes, much of what you’ll read here is public knowledge, but there’s nowhere else I know of where you can succinctly read it front to back in such an entertaining manner and I guarantee you’ll learn a bunch that’ll make you gasp too. You’ll also get new perspectives on things you think you know, direct from sources involved.
We didn’t get every scrap of drama that occurred with the Disney Channel cast from that whole period of time, but that wasn’t an issue for me. It would’ve felt hypocritical to highlight the pressure and exploitation these literal kids faced then drag up every scandalous story they’d ever been involved in.
Ashley Spencer is a Disney fan, speaking to Disney fans. She’s able to convey her love for the franchise and reinforce mine as a reader, without glossing over the cracks of the organisation’s crappy behaviour and business practices. From intro to acknowledgments, any Disney fan will have fun with this. Favourite non-fic I’ve read in a long time!
September 28, 2024
Some of my fondest childhood memories center around the Disney channel (or the family channel as it was known here in Canada). From watching Lizzie McGuire and That’s So Raven, impatiently waiting for the holiday episodes, or staying up late at sleepovers to watch the newest Disney Channel Original Movie to performing choreography with friends outside to the cheetah girls and high school musical soundtracks. I grew up with these shows and their characters, their lessons and their actors. I had their clothes, their soundtracks and I remember screaming over my Hilary duff concert ticket Christmas morning and Nanny going what did she get???? Who is that???? It sounds cliche but I fully believe Disney channel and its programming had a huge impact on my childhood and it was so so so fun to pull a curtain and learn more about the behind the scenes.
Not ONCE did this book become dry, boring, or anything else that would have resulted in me putting this down. I was GLUED to the pages and finished cover to cover within hours. The author has an incredible writing style and while she has a journalistic background; this reads truly like a season fiction author but obviously with a true story.
Read this if you want to know:
- spin off shows that never happened
( arwin from the suite life!!!)
- The real reasons why shows ended
(Cory in the house will shock you)
- where did some of our beloved characters go? (Ravens mom, Lizzie’s friend Miranda)
- Behind the scene secrets like Hannah’s wig
- Who didn’t get along with who?!
- they made how much?
- Original titles (can you guess what show was almost the amazing hannigans?)
- Original casting (Alfonso in suite life)
- why there was a 65 episode cutoff and which shows were able to pass that!
Overall, this book was so nostalgic for me and while it is Nonfiction, this will definitely be a top read of the year for me
Not ONCE did this book become dry, boring, or anything else that would have resulted in me putting this down. I was GLUED to the pages and finished cover to cover within hours. The author has an incredible writing style and while she has a journalistic background; this reads truly like a season fiction author but obviously with a true story.
Read this if you want to know:
- spin off shows that never happened
( arwin from the suite life!!!)
- The real reasons why shows ended
(Cory in the house will shock you)
- where did some of our beloved characters go? (Ravens mom, Lizzie’s friend Miranda)
- Behind the scene secrets like Hannah’s wig
- Who didn’t get along with who?!
- they made how much?
- Original titles (can you guess what show was almost the amazing hannigans?)
- Original casting (Alfonso in suite life)
- why there was a 65 episode cutoff and which shows were able to pass that!
Overall, this book was so nostalgic for me and while it is Nonfiction, this will definitely be a top read of the year for me
January 25, 2025
A must read for anyone who came of age watching Disney Channel between 2000 - 2010. The targeted ad that suggested this to me on Instagram absolutely found the right audience. I listened to this as an audiobook, and it's one of the rare instances where I listened at only 1.5x speed to really savor the text. The audiobook is made all the more meta as it's narrated by Lizzie McGuire star Lalaine. It was a bit surreal to hear of Hillary and Lalaine's on set feud when read by the latter. Just one of the many behind the scenes juicy tidbits I learned while reading. Kudos to Ashley though for not making this a complete tabloid tell-all; it is nuanced and mature in its approach throughout.
Edited to Add on 2nd Reading: Loved this so much we made it our January 2025 Book of the Mouse Club podcast pick. You can find our discussion wherever you listen to podcasts!
Edited to Add on 2nd Reading: Loved this so much we made it our January 2025 Book of the Mouse Club podcast pick. You can find our discussion wherever you listen to podcasts!
October 1, 2024
Definitely brought back a lot of great childhood memories and may or may not have gone back to watch “That’s So Suite Life of Hannah Montana” and “Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana.” Honestly, could not put the book down. My only gripe is that I wish Ashley had added additional chapters for Jessie, Good Luck Charlie, and Shake It Up!
January 11, 2025
I can’t see someone who grew up with Disney Channel from 2000-2012 not enjoying this! Very nostalgic and interesting behind the scenes insight. Loved it!
February 2, 2025
Disney Channel's children's TV shows were a major cultural touchpoint during the 2000s, with hit TV shows like Hannah Montana and movies like High School Musical, which is all the more impressive considering that it was practically built from the ground up starting in the late 1990s.
It's hard to overstate the ubiquity of the Disney Channel's children shows during the 2000s. I never watched these shows because my parents were exceeding suspicious of non-cartoon children's entertainment when I was a child (I watched High School Musical for the first time last year, for example!), but pretty much everyone I knew was obsessed. Hannah Montana was the elementary school version of the water cooler show. So it was fascinating to have the curtain lifted and get a glimpse of the backrooms in this unauthorized history.
Spencer does a good job of capturing how massive a phenomenon Disney Channel was, but at the same time how unexpected it was - there was certainly a lot of luck involved, not least that many writers for adult multi-camera shows were forced to seek job security with Disney Channel on the heels of the rise of unscripted television and consequently brought their skills along with them.
It was interesting to find the answers to many a question my classmates raised back then, like why popular shows still ended after two seasons (answer: Disney was incredibly, astonishing cheap), where on earth Lalaine went from Lizzy McGuire (answer: massive drama with Hilary Duff), and so on.
However, I did think Spencer spread herself a bit thin, covering half a dozen shows as well as their stars, the background jostling of directors and producers, drama within the Disney corporation, just to name a few. In a fairly short book this means that we don't get to perform a deep dive into any of them. As a result some issues within Disney are more alluded to than truly discussed. I also wished that there was a bit more discussion of how the work culture changed to work in favor of stars of later Disney TV shows when compared to those featured in this book.
It's hard to overstate the ubiquity of the Disney Channel's children shows during the 2000s. I never watched these shows because my parents were exceeding suspicious of non-cartoon children's entertainment when I was a child (I watched High School Musical for the first time last year, for example!), but pretty much everyone I knew was obsessed. Hannah Montana was the elementary school version of the water cooler show. So it was fascinating to have the curtain lifted and get a glimpse of the backrooms in this unauthorized history.
Spencer does a good job of capturing how massive a phenomenon Disney Channel was, but at the same time how unexpected it was - there was certainly a lot of luck involved, not least that many writers for adult multi-camera shows were forced to seek job security with Disney Channel on the heels of the rise of unscripted television and consequently brought their skills along with them.
It was interesting to find the answers to many a question my classmates raised back then, like why popular shows still ended after two seasons (answer: Disney was incredibly, astonishing cheap), where on earth Lalaine went from Lizzy McGuire (answer: massive drama with Hilary Duff), and so on.
However, I did think Spencer spread herself a bit thin, covering half a dozen shows as well as their stars, the background jostling of directors and producers, drama within the Disney corporation, just to name a few. In a fairly short book this means that we don't get to perform a deep dive into any of them. As a result some issues within Disney are more alluded to than truly discussed. I also wished that there was a bit more discussion of how the work culture changed to work in favor of stars of later Disney TV shows when compared to those featured in this book.
October 3, 2025
I almost wish this book was longer so it could delve even deeper! Overall an interesting read.
December 18, 2024
fuck yes give me all this hot tea! (as in Troy)!!! I could not put this down. I would say overall it isn't even so much that it's super dramatic reveals (not like I’m Glad My Mom Died for example) but just all the little details about the petty Disney execs and rivalries. and I like that it seemed fairly measured--obviously written by a fan of the but not someone who's wildly delusionally pro-Disney. It was really interesting to consider this era of Disney through a "go woke go broke" (lol) lens where it's like, they're sort of casually diverse in a marketing effort, and sometimes having wack stereotypes and other cases having a sitcom led by a Black girl with her name in the title. (And yet then making Raven stay in the closet.) Much to ponder!!
IDK! If you were a fan of Disney Channel in the 00s I bet you will find this compelling! If you were not, you will not!
IDK! If you were a fan of Disney Channel in the 00s I bet you will find this compelling! If you were not, you will not!
May 1, 2025
⭐️4.5 stars⭐️
I recognize I am the exact target audience for this book and I realize now how much a chokehold Disney Channel had on me and my peers. Every single reference in this book I not only knew, but was hoping for the author to reference.
Lizzie McGuire's specific style choices? ✅
Miley Cyrus' defiance after Hannah Montana? ✅
The Jonas Brothers' purity rings? ✅
We Went to The Moon from Even Stevens?? ✅
Etc., etc.
The thing I really appreciated about this book was that it wasn't a "let's ruin you childhood from all the seedy things that happened at Disney Channel in the 2010s". Some scandal was discussed (and I'm sure more existed), but overall it felt very factual and well-researched with lots of behind the scenes tidbits about all my favorite shows and DCOMs. My only critique is that it felt like an abrupt ending, without a fully sythasized final chapter.
Also- fascinating that Disney Channel was created in the late 80s and by 2014 had lost 90% of viewership. I was just lucky enough to grow up in that exact era- the sweet spot!
If you grew up in this era, you need to read this like Troy needs Gabriella❤️🤍
I recognize I am the exact target audience for this book and I realize now how much a chokehold Disney Channel had on me and my peers. Every single reference in this book I not only knew, but was hoping for the author to reference.
Lizzie McGuire's specific style choices? ✅
Miley Cyrus' defiance after Hannah Montana? ✅
The Jonas Brothers' purity rings? ✅
We Went to The Moon from Even Stevens?? ✅
Etc., etc.
The thing I really appreciated about this book was that it wasn't a "let's ruin you childhood from all the seedy things that happened at Disney Channel in the 2010s". Some scandal was discussed (and I'm sure more existed), but overall it felt very factual and well-researched with lots of behind the scenes tidbits about all my favorite shows and DCOMs. My only critique is that it felt like an abrupt ending, without a fully sythasized final chapter.
Also- fascinating that Disney Channel was created in the late 80s and by 2014 had lost 90% of viewership. I was just lucky enough to grow up in that exact era- the sweet spot!
If you grew up in this era, you need to read this like Troy needs Gabriella❤️🤍
November 22, 2024
4.5 rounded down - so fun and nostalgic even though I didn't necessarily learning anything groundbreaking
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