Sometimes canon is just not enough. Don’t get me wrong, I love the shows that made the Family Channel (the Canadian version of the Disney Channel) what it was. I mean, these shows practically raised me and I owe them a lot. I grew up with these characters and they grew with me. My love for these shows has grown so much over the years and it is truly saddening that these characters are locked into time. They will forever remain at the age when their show ended while I continue to grow, age, and experience new things that these characters will never know. And there is both beauty and sadness in that. But fanfiction, theories, and all things like that exist to expand the world of each and every one of these shows that shaped us.
But some of these theories veer into bizarre territory as they often attempt to explain aspects of the series that most of the time, do not need further explanation. And while I support every fan’s right to create whatever they please, I do want to address some of the more far-fetched fan theories. Some of them are true and some of them… not so much.
From mental illness and alternate dimensions to time travel loops and government conspiracies, I will do my best to address these theories that have sprouted up on the internet over the years. So, without further ado here are thirty Disney Channel fan theories; debunked and confirmed.
30 True: Was Hannah Montana All A Dream?
It turns out that, yes, the original ending to the beloved show Hannah Montana was intended to be completely different than the one that eventually aired. Originally, the ending was supposed to feature a 10-year-old Miley Cyrus (not Miley Stewart) and reveal that everything (even the show itself) was nothing more than the playtime fantasies of a small girl entertaining herself in her bedroom before bedtime. Now, that is one elaborate daydream. Luckily, it bombed with test audiences and was cut from the show.
29 Fake: Is There Something More To Suite Life?
No, The Suite Life is not brimming with Illuminati messages or references to other dark secret societies. Yes, the word does appear on a blackboard in one episode, but breaking down each and every episode and outlining every triangle with a red marker is honestly, a waste of time.
It’s a kids show about a mother and her twin sons.
There is no need to make it into something that it is not. Let’s stop with the hidden Illuminati theories. Please.
28 True: Did Topanga Make It To Law School?
Though not a Disney show, it was included in the Canadian version of the channel so I made the decision to include it in this list. Before Girl Meets World, fans of the original show wanted nothing more than to know if Topanga eventually made it to law school in the end. Luckily, the spin-off show confirmed that she not only went to law school but she also became one of the top lawyers in New York. Topanga deserves every happy ever after she craves.
27 Fake: Were Hannah’s Friends Hired?
No, Lily and Oliver are not actors that Robbie Ray hired to pretend to be Miley’s friends in order for her to achieve her goal of living a normal life. They are just children that she met through shared classes and became friends with. No one knew she was Hannah until she told them. It happens. Someone once told Emma Watson that she looks like the girl from Harry Potter. Dolly Parton lost a look-a-like contest. No one recognized Zooey Deschanel without bangs. People are dumb. Her secret was safe.
26 True: Did London Get Held Back?
In early seasons of The Suite Life, London’s constant absences cause her to be kicked out of school. Forcing her to join Maddie at the nun-run academy, where they share several classes as they are in the same grade. However, in the spin-off, London, Zack, and Cody find themselves in the same class.
One could explain that fact away by saying that there was only one classroom for all ages on the ship.
But that doesn’t explain why London is graduating 3 years later than Maddie did. Clearly, London’s constant skipping caused her to be held back several times.
25 Fake: Did Magic Make Alex A Worse Person?
No, the magic in the Wizards of Waverly Place world does not corrupt their minds and result in abnormal or atypical behavior and personality traits. It’s fine. Magic does not work that way. Alex is a lazy, selfish narcissist for no reason other than that being how she is. There is no magical excuse for her behavior. That simply is who she is. Stop looking for things to blame her sucky tendencies on. Some people are just jerks. Simple as that.
24 True: Is She Basically James Bond?
If you were ever watching the hit animated spy show Kim Possible and couldn’t help but to notice similarities between it and James Bond films, you would not be alone. It turns out that the show was created as a tribute to both classic spy films and girl power. No girls had been placed at the front and center like Kim before the show premiered and the show often plays on the gender stereotypes which dominated those old films (.e.g. Ron Stoppable being a male version of the classic, blonde, ditzy sidekick).
23 Fake: Did Bridget End Up On Big Bang Theory?
There is a theory which states that Bridget Hennessy from 8 Simple Rules (which aired on the Family Channel, so it counts) changed her name, moved to Pasadena, became a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory after failing at her dream of becoming an actress, and moved into an apartment across the hall from two lovable (yet irritating at times) scientists. Though I love this theory, there are just some things that do not add up. For starters, Bridget is from Michigan while Penny is from Omaha. Funnily enough, the same actress does play her mother on both shows.
22 True: Was It More Than A Playground?
Not only was Recess created to be a microcosmic reflection of our grown-up society, but it also did so through several homages and parodies. The playground had its own rules and was supposed to reflect the rules and lessons that society, at large, was struggling with. Some issues tackled include economic monopolies, capitalistic charity, the ways in which cults can be formed through unquestioned ignorance, the psychological damage that solitary confinement has on people, and the corrupting nature of power.
21 Fake: Was Hannah Montana A Government Experiment?
Even though it is a little odd that every single person (save for a select few villains) is absolutely in love with Hannah Montana, that does not mean that the show is actually a government experiment which was held in order to study the lengths at which the public can be deceived by a false identity.
It is simply a show about a girl who wanted to rock the big stage while also being able to catch a movie with friends without drawing a crowd.
The reason why everyone loves Hannah is not that of a sinister government implant but rather the fact that her songs are incredibly catchy.
20 True: Does It Connect To Men In Black?
The Men in Black are a secret organization who wear nice suits and control the alien interactions with the humans on Planet Earth. In the film, Lilo and Stitch, Cobra Bubbles reveals that he has been working closely with the alien races of the universe for a long time and is never seen without a suit.
So, he is clearly a member of the Men in Black.
Though this has never been officially confirmed, it is exceptionally obviously true to anyone who is familiar with either series.
19 Fake: What Happened To Raven’s Mom?
No, Tanya Baxter did not run out on her family. She moved to Europe in order to pursue an advanced degree. Many fans have spent a worrying amount of time breaking down the later seasons of the show and claiming that the mother is not attending law school in England (as her program is rather uncommon at the school which she allegedly attends) and, instead, simply abandoned her family out of the blue. They explain that Victor is in denial and pretending that she is studying abroad helps him cope.
18 True: Were These Dads A Couple?
If you thought that Fredo the Monkey’s dads, who always seemed to pop up every now and then on the hit show Lizzie McGuire were “more than friends,” then you were right. No, you were not imagining things, they were actually originally written to have been explicitly married, however, Disney put its foot down. Though Disney channel shows now contain people all across the spectrum, 2001 was just a bit too soon for the company. Though the characters were not cut from the show, instead, their relationship was simply heavily implied throughout their many appearances.
17 Fake: Was Lizzie Ill?
This theory is one of my least favorite fan theories in the history of fan theories. Look, I know that we need more positive representations of mental illness in the media but becoming armchair psychologists and diagnosing existing neurotypical characters does not help anything. Lizzie McGuire’s animated alter-ego is a physical manifestation of her thoughts, not a delusion created by a broken mind. Miranda is not a delusion. For starters, Miranda has storylines independent of Lizzie and interacts with other characters multiple times. Stop forcing labels onto existing characters. If you want characters that represent certain things, write them.
16 True: Did Charlie Watch The Vlogs?
Since Teddy spent the better part of her teen years vlogging each and every idiotic and embarrassing blunder and mistake she had made during that period, many fans were worried that her efforts were done in vain and that Charlie wouldn’t even consider watching the vlogs her sister worked so hard on. She’s old, she’s lame, and has no idea what it’s like to be a kid nowadays. Why bother? But it was confirmed that Charlie not only loves the vlogs but regularly watches and follows their advice.
15 Fake: Was Kim A Robot?
People love tabloids because they remind us that the glamorous celebrities that we look up to are gross just like us. Which is exactly why some people are convinced that Kim Possible is nothing more than a robot designed by her brilliant parents. I know it’s hard to believe that one girl can be an amazing cheerleader, save the world, maintain a near perfect GPA, and also hold onto a semi-decent social life, but Kim Possible did not get her name for nothing. Sorry to disappoint you, but she is a real girl.
14 True: Why Was Lizzie Cancelled?
After being cut from her first show, Hilary was afraid that she would lose Lizzie McGuire after her early performances started to worry executives. Though, despite what the rumors claim, Hilary’s position was never in jeopardy. The showrunners loved her and their solution to her rusty acting chops was to simply bring an acting coach on set to help all of the child actors hone their craft. I, for one, feel like the awkward moments in the early episodes are true to character and her growing skill throughout the show can be read as Lizzie simply growing confidence in herself.
13 Fake: Does Recess Ever End?
The top three lazy fan theories are “it was all a dream,” “they have XYC illness,” and “they were deceased the entire time.” Three guesses as to which theory the people of the internet have used to explain why the kids on Recess seemingly never age as well as having created their own full-fledged society complete with a monarchy, social classes, and laws. Every piece of evidence that can be used to make a case against their existence as real people can simply be explained by the fact that the show is a cartoon. Suspend your disbelief and stop making everything so dark.
12 True: Were They Trapped In Time?
The Diffys are trapped in a stable time loop and there is nothing that they can do to escape it. If they were able to travel forward in time and prevent themselves from taking the trip then they would have disappeared midway through the show. But the travel was made illegal following their blunder and if they do not make it back to their proper timeline, they will live out entire lifetimes before they were even born. Then their future selves will still take the trip and be stuck in the early 2000s. Forever and ever.
11 Fake: Was Mr. Feeny A Deity?
No, Mr. Feeny is not a deity… though he might as well be. He is nothing more than a loving neighbor, teacher, and family friend that truly and deeply cares for those children and wants to see them succeed in life. Yes, he does weirdly follow them through life but it is simply for the sake of plot convenience and is often poked at within the show. I, for one, wish that this theory was true because that would make him immortal and I want that for him.
