10 Times The Disney Channel Was Surprisingly Scary | ScreenRant – Screen Rant

Disney Channel is best known for its light entertainment, but between special Halloween episodes and movies, it can be surprisingly scary at times

Despite being aimed at children, some channels like Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network have had some pretty terrifying shows or episodes of shows air. Unlike these, the Disney Channel has basically always had a reputation for being relatively family-friendly without the same creepy episodes or spooky shows that these other networks might have. Despite the fact thatmost Disney Channel movies and shows had a silly nature to them, there were a few times when their programming veered closer to the scary side.

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From Disney Channel Original Movies that had a plot fit for a Stephen King novel to Halloween episodes of otherwise humorous shows, there have been some times when the Disney Channel got surprisingly dark. Although we're all used to some of the deeper, more emotional plotlines that would sometimes appear on the Disney Channel, these scary moments are definitely not what we expect from Disney.

Phantom of the Megaplex is a Disney Channel original movie that was released in 2000. This movie follows a teenager named Riley who just landed his dream job: working at a local movie theater that is going to be the home of a major premiere of a huge movie that's about to be released. But, when strange things start happening around the theater, Riley's big night at his new job is in jeopardy. The strange happenings at the theater are definitely pretty eerie, but this movie is still somewhat on the funny side with its twists and turns.

When it comes to Halloween on the Disney Channel, it's hard not to talk aboutHalloweentown. This Disney Channel Original Movie spawned a couple of sequels, but the original is definitely a favorite for many 90s kids - and for good reason. This DCOM was released in 1998 and follows a teenager named Marnie who just learned that she comes from a long line of magical beings. And to make things even more complicated, the magical world is trying to battle it out against a powerful, evil force.

"Night of the Day of the Dead" is the Halloween special from the classic Disney Channel seriesLizzie McGuire. It aired in 2001 and takes place at a special Halloween party at Lizzie's school. Miranda's parents bring special decorations for them to place at the party to honor Da de Muertos, but Kate insists that they toss them out instead of displaying them.

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Kate's disrespect of an ancient Mexican holiday doesn't go unnoticed and things at their school's Halloween party very quickly take a turn for the scary. As far as Halloween episodes of Disney Channel shows go, this classic one is definitely a creepy one during any time of the year and a fun introduction for kids to a traditional Mexican celebration.

Not all of Disney Channel's scary moments are necessarily horror-themed. In 2002, they released the Disney Channel movieGet a Clue, starring Lindsay Lohan and Brenda Song as best friends who become amateur detectives after something mysterious happens at their school. In the film, Lohan plays Lexy, the writer of her school's gossip column who publishes a steamy story and photo of two of her teachers kissing. But when one of the teachers disappears, Lexy starts to believe that her article may have lead to something sinister and she sets out to get to the bottom of it.

Released in 1999,Don't Look Under the Bed is definitely among the creepiest Disney Channel Original Movies that ever aired on the network. In fact, it was so creepy that parents complaining lead to Disney not playing this movie during the Halloween season anymore sometime after its release.

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The movie follows a teenager named Frances who refuses to believe in anything paranormal or supernatural. Until that is, she's confronted face-to-face with the bogeyman. After he pulls a prank on her neighborhood that Frances gets blamed for, she's forced to confront everything she had previously believed about the world of the supernatural.

Released in 1999, Disney Channel'sSmart House isn't typically what most people would remember as scary. The movie follows a tech-savvy teen named Ben who wins his family the ultimate smart device: an entire house that is run by a computer system that can give them anything they need. In order to try to fill the role of a mother in his family and give his single dad some companionship, Ben tries to teach the house to be a real mom but all he does is cause abig problem. The turn from a super-futuristic house that will care for their every need to overbearing prison as the house starts to change is pretty terrifying, at least for the Disney Channel.

Can of Worms was released in 1999 and is based on a novel by the same name. This Disney Channel Original Movie is slightly more on the goofy side than being super scary, but the idea of aliens that look like the ones in this movie is definitely enough to creep out any kid watching the Disney Channel. The movie follows a teenager named Mike who believes that he's an alien who simply doesn't belong on Earth. But, after he makes a wish to go back to the planet he thinks he came from, alienscome to Earth instead and not all of them are here to help Mike with his problems.

Released in 1997,Tower of Terror is a Disney Channel Original Movie that was created based on the iconic ride at their theme parks. The movie follows a journalist who travels to an allegedly haunted hotel in order to investigate the disappearance of several people who seemingly vanished in an elevator in the building one night in the 1930s.

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This movie is a unique one in that it was based on a ride at the Disney parks, which itself is actually aTwilight Zone-branded ride. This movie definitely has a lot of the warm, happy feelings of a typical Disney movie, but the fact that it's so focused on ghosts and mysterious disappearances of several people makes it oddly creepy for the channel.

The Ghost in Suite 613 is a Halloween-themed episode ofThe Suite Life of Zack& Cody. It originally aired in 2005 and follows as Zack and Cody, along with the rest of the Tipton staff and usual residents, decides to investigate the legend of a haunting that is said to take place in Suite 613 of the swanky hotel. According to stories about the hotel suite, a newlywed couple spent their honeymoon there before the husband went away to war. After the wife learned that he found another woman, she smashed a mirror and one of the pieces cut her, causing her to die in the suite.

So Weird is a totally terrifying Disney Channel series that aired from 1999 through 2001. The series follows a tech-savvy teenager named Fi who travels around the country with her rock star mom, her brother, and her mom's band's crew. While on the road, Fiona keeps a blog in which she details all the paranormal happenings in her life. Each episode follows a stop on her mom's tour and a supernatural happening that Fiona finds herself drawn to.

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Horror movie lover, number one believer that Stefan should've ended up with Elena, and aspiring future Sophia Petrillo. Still hasn't forgotten about the time Russell Hantz set everyone's socks on fire.

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Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero