From 18 months to 11 years old, I lived overseas in three different countries: Scotland, Qatar, and Russia. At the age of 4, my family packed up our things in Aberdeen, Scotland and moved to Doha, Qatar, where I discovered Disney Channel. In the early days of settling into my new house and country, I saw my first episode of Hannah Montana and became hooked. I spent every day glued in front of my television screen after school, consuming as much Disney Channel content as possible.
Even after I moved to Moscow, Russia, where this TV station wasn’t available, my love for Disney Channel did not fade but instead flourished with each trip I took to visit my family in America. I would always get excited to go back to the United States, where I could watch Wizards of Waverly Place and Phineas and Ferb episodes after months of not viewing any.
I have since grown out of Disney Channel and other children’s programming I enjoyed as a kid. Despite this, I rewatch cartoons from my childhood when I feel particularly stressed or nostalgic, especially now that many of them are available on the streaming service, Disney+.
My sentimental feelings have prompted me to share three cartoons that were essential to my childhood. These shows are currently on Disney+ and may bring up good memories and nostalgia for some people. Although these shows are geared towards children, I highly recommend them to those who haven’t seen them.
1. Kim Possible
This is probably the most well-known show on the list. This show follows the titular character, Kim Possible, a teenage cheerleader who fights crime while juggling school and her personal life. Kim is assisted in missions by her best friend, Ron Stoppable, his naked mole-rat pet, Rufus, and a young computer genius, Wade.
2. American Dragon: Jake Long
This program is about Jake Long, a Chinese American tween who shapeshifts into a dragon to protect the magical creatures and people of New York City. While Jake comes into his powers and role as the American Dragon, he also spends time trying to get the attention of his crush, the nice but mysterious Rose.
3. The Replacements
This show deals with two previously orphaned children, Riley and Todd Darling, who answered a Fleemco Replacement People ad and ordered a daredevil father and a spy mother. As Riley and Todd go through life and encounter adults that they butt heads with, they call Conrad Fleem, owner and founder of Fleemco, for others to replace said adults. While these kids can decide who to exchange, they don’t know who the replacements are until they arrive.
These are only some of the programs that I revisited after they captured my attention and heart as a child. I hope to rewatch more of my favorite Disney Channel cartoons from my childhood in the future.