Most Popular Disney Channel Original Movie by State (Map)
What Disney Original TV Does Your State Tune Into?
Some things just feed our nostalgia: sugary breakfast cereal, childhood toys, our favorite cartoons. And oh, hello there, Disney Channel Original Movies. These made for TV originals are peak ‘90s film vehicles that have launched dozens of young actors to instant stardom. We’re looking at you, Zac Efron. Here at CableTV, we decided to take a trip down memory lane to determine which Disney movie each state is still, like, totally into (insert hair flip). Drum roll, please. What were the clear favorites across the country? The Luck of the Irish, featuring a teenage basketball player who discovers he’s a leprechaun (awkward!), and The Ultimate Christmas Present, where gal pals steal a weather machine from Santa. Both were popular across much of the northern and eastern regions of the United States. Go ahead and gawk at our map for a bit. You know you want to.
State | Top Movie | Description |
Alabama | Cow Belles | Spoiled sisters get summer jobs at the family’s dairy farm |
Alaska | The Luck of the Irish | Teen basketball player discovers he is a leprechaun |
Arizona | Life is Ruff | Boy meets dog |
Arkansas | Twitches | Teen witches separated at birth save the day |
California | The Jennie Project | Chimpanzee uses sign language |
Colorado | You Wish! | Boy gets everything he wishes for |
Connecticut | Go Figure | Teenage champion ice skater plays hockey instead |
Delaware | Twitches | Teen witches separated at birth save the day |
District of Columbia | Get a Clue | Lindsay Lohan stars as high school girl detective |
Florida | Twitches | Teen witches separated at birth save the day |
Georgia | Ready to Run | Girl meets horse, wins races |
Hawaii | Johnny Tsunami | Hawaiian surfer goes to ski in Vermont |
Idaho | Halloweentown High | Girl learns she’s a witch, saves town |
Illinois | Life is Ruff | Boy meets dog |
Indiana | Get a Clue | Lindsay Lohan stars as high school girl detective |
Iowa | Motocrossed | Girl loves motocross despite dad’s objections |
Kansas | The Ultimate Christmas Present | Girls steal weather machine from Santa |
Kentucky | The Ultimate Christmas Present | Girls steal weather machine from Santa |
Louisiana | The Color of Friendship | Two girls find tolerance and friendship |
Maine | ‘Twas The Night | Boy and uncle ruin Christmas by stealing Santa’s sleigh |
Maryland | The Ultimate Christmas Present | Girls steal weather machine from Santa |
Massachusetts | The Ultimate Christmas Present | Girls steal weather machine from Santa |
Michigan | Get a Clue | Lindsay Lohan stars as high school girl detective |
Minnesota | Zenon | Space girl gets sent to earth |
Mississippi | The Proud Family Movie | Animated movie about family |
Missouri | You Wish! | Boy gets everything he wishes for |
Montana | Go Figure | Teenage champion ice skater plays hockey instead |
Nebraska | Cow Belles | Spoiled sisters get summer jobs at the family’s dairy farm |
Nevada | Mom’s Got a Date With a Vampire | Comedy horror film |
New Hampshire | The Luck of the Irish | Teen basketball player discovers he is a leprechaun |
New Jersey | The Ultimate Christmas Present | Girls steal weather machine from Santa |
New Mexico | Cadet Kelly | Hilary Duff stars as a fashionista who goes to military school |
New York | Get a Clue | Lindsay Lohan stars as high school girl detective |
North Carolina | Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time | Animated crime-fighter cheerleader |
North Dakota | Halloweentown High | Girl learns she’s a witch, saves town |
Ohio | The Scream Team | Paranormal comedy |
Oklahoma | The Ultimate Christmas Present | Girls steal weather machine from Santa |
Oregon | Halloweentown High | Girl leans she’s a witch, saves town |
Pennsylvania | Stepsister from Planet Weird | Mom falls in love with alien |
Rhode Island | The Thirteenth Year | Boy turns into merman on his thirteenth birthday |
South Carolina | Twitches | Teen witches separated at birth save the day |
South Dakota | Quints | Girl’s mom gives birth to quintuplets |
Tennessee | Phantom of the Megaplex | Boy works at cinema with strange phenomena |
Texas | The Jennie Project | Chimpanzee uses sign language |
Utah | High School Musical | Two teens discover their mutual love of music |
Vermont | The Luck of the Irish | Teen basketball player discovers he is a leprechaun |
Virginia | Get a Clue | Lindsay Lohan stars as high school girl detective |
Washington | ‘Twas The Night | Boy and uncle ruin Christmas by stealing Santa’s sleigh |
West Virginia | Motocrossed | Girl loves motocross despite dad’s objections |
Wisconsin | The Luck of the Irish | Teen basketball player discovers he is a leprechaun |
Wyoming | The Luck of the Irish | Teen basketball player discovers he is a leprechaun |
Wanna have some more fun with Disney Channel originals?
Let’s take a look and determine if the Disney data tells us anything special about ourselves. It’s like a selfie for your state, no stick required.It’s totes about your hometown.
As we typically find with many of our TV and movie maps, states favor movies that look like home. Each of the following films was shot in the state that favors it or in a neighboring one.
- Cow Belles rings it in with rural states like Mississippi and Nebraska.
- The Jennie Project, shot in San Diego, speaks the language of California.
- New Yorkers Get a Clue as Lindsay Lohan’s Nancy Drew-esque character takes on mystery in Manhattan.
- Johnny Tsunami rides the wave all the way from Hawaii to Vermont.
- Oregon and Idaho aren’t spooked by Halloweentown, shot in a small town near the border between the two states.
- Utah rocks it with High School Musical, filmed at a local high school in Salt Lake City
We favor familiar faces.
States with less diversity per capita prefer movies that are a little white-washed, while those with greater diversity lean toward movies that embrace people of color or tackle diversity issues.
- The Luck of the Irish is winning in New Hampshire, Vermont, Alaska, and Wyoming, which are all in the top ten for highest percentage of primarily white, non-minority populations.
- One of just a handful of movies featuring actresses of color on this list, Twitches is winning hearts across the South in Florida, Arkansas, and South Carolina where minority populations can make up a majority of viewers.
- Louisiana, which straddles where South meets West, focuses on building bridges with The Color of Friendship.
Like real life—only better.
Some states have very specific reasons that their fav Disney Channel Original Movie was more than a little ironic. See what you think.
- Illinois, one of the states with the fewest pets in America, is totally living vicariously through Life is Ruff.
- It’s not hard to figure out why Connecticut loves Go Figure since the International Skating Center is located there and sports an entire team of Russian coaches.
- Iowa, third for most motorcycles in the United States, prefers to take a ride with Motocrossed.
- With one of the top five highest birthrates in the United States, it’s no secret why South Dakota loves Quints.