DCOM or Disney Channel Original Movies were the best part of any night. Right at eight o’clock, you knew a classic was about to come on. These family friendly movies were a great combination of coming of age, comedy, and always a little thrill. They really don’t make them like they used to. Here are a few of my favorite Disney movies!

1. Halloweentown (1998)

Halloween is my favorite holiday and when I say this movie and its sequels were my life, I’m not lying. Marnie and her siblings have never been able to celebrate Halloween like the other kids because their mother, Gwen, never allowed it. But when Grandma Aggie comes to visit every Halloween and tells Marnie stories of witches and werewolves, she can’t help but think there’s a piece of herself missing.

When Aggie leaves, the kids follow her onto the bus and discover a land called Halloweentown and that they are destined witches. Gwen, objecting the knowledge of witches and Halloweentown, wanted the kids to grow up normal, but realizes that knowing who they really are and where they come from is most important.

2. Cheetah Girls (2003)

Everyone knows that the cheetah’s are the fastest and fiercest animal in the jungle right? Four friends from Manhattan aim to win their school’s talent show as the first freshmen ever. The girls form the Cheetah Girls which consists of Galleria (Raven Symone), Chanel (Adrienne Bailon), Dorinda (Sabrina Bryan), and Aqua (Kiely Williams).

Their dream skyrockets when record producer, Jackal Johnson, wants to sign the cheetahs. Then Galleria thinks she’s entitled to make decisions on the group’s behalf without their consent which results in a fight with Galleria leaving the group.

In the end, they come together when Galleria’s dog, toto, falls into a construction hole. Their singing bond makes the girls realize that their friendship isn’t worth ruining and ultimately win the talent show from being broadcasted on the news. Every song on the soundtrack is a bop. And let’s not forget how amazing "Cheetah Girls 2" was because what could be better than Barcelona and your girlfriends.

3. Twitches (2005)

“Twin, Witches, Twitches!” This classic starts in the magical land of Coventry where twin sisters, Apolla (named after the Greek God of the sun) and Artemis (God of the Moon) are born on Halloween night. After the Darkness takes over the land, killing their father, their mother, Miranda, decides to send them to Earth to save them.

Separated, the twins get adopted and on their 21st birthday finally reconnect. They both learn about each other lives and how Alex (Artemis) is a night owl who writes stories about a magical land and how Cameron (Apolla) wakes with the sun and draws pictures of their mother. When they finally return to Coventry they are reunited with their mother and defeat the darkness with love and realize together they can do anything.

4. The Thirteenth Year (1999)

Cody just turned 13 and if going through puberty wasn’t enough, he’s about to find out he’s part merman. He was left on the boat of his adoptive parents by his mother who is a mermaid when he was just a baby. He asks a classmate for help to figure out what’s happening to him. They then piece together that he can swim very fast, can generate electricity, climb walls, and even talk to fish! He tells his girlfriend, Sam, who faints in disbelief.

Cody has to learn to hide his growing scales, let alone his secret. When he goes for a swim, he finally meets his mermaid mother, but soon has to leave due to almost getting caught by a fisherman. After realizing his mother would be the only one to help him with his changes, he decides to live in the water with her. But before he leaves, Sam tells him not to fall in love with any mer-girls. This movie was that little piece of hope that mermaids were real, you just have to find them.

5. The Luck of the Irish (2001)

When Kyle’s school is putting on event called Heritage Day, he tries to find out about where his family comes from. Kyle and his friend, Russell, head to an Irish carnival where his lucky gold coin is stolen. He then finds out that his family is Irish and that it was a magic coin which prevented them from becoming their true selves as leprechauns. He learns that an evil leprechaun named Seamus has stolen the coin and eventually gets it back by defeating Seamus in a game of basketball. Heritage Day ends with Kyle leading with the song “This Land Is Your Land.” I remember every St. Paddy’s Day Disney would play this movie on repeat and I could not get enough of it.

6. Stuck in the Suburbs (2004)

Brittany (Danielle Panabaker) meets Natasha (Brenda Song), a new girl who tells her all about living in New York and several other places. Brittany is indulged in Natasha because she so desperately wants to escape her boring town where nothing exciting ever happens.

The girls make friends out of each other and go to Jordan Cahill’s (Taran Killam) music video shoot. After the shoot, Brittany accidentally knocks into Jordan’s assistant causing them to drop their phones which results in each other taking the wrong one. Brittany and Natasha then have the power of Jordan’s life in their hands. "Stuck In The Suburbs" was really what every girl wished would happen with their celebrity crush. I.E. Jesse McCartney in my case. Such a classic.

7. Go figure (2005)

This great movie follows Katelin, a girl who dreams of becoming a champion figure skater. When she wants to attend a very expensive boarding school, her coach, Natasha, convinces the ice hockey coach to give Katelin a scholarship, upon playing for the team. Katelin struggles with learning a new sport she’s never played, making new friends within her teammates, and the stress of her schoolwork. Go figure was one of the movies that inspired young girls to do anything they wanted. I really thought Katelin Kingsford was the coolest chick out there.