Disney Channel has become known for making sparkly, happy sitcoms about sparkly, happy people. Usually, their adventures are intercepted by misunderstandings, but soon everything is cleared up, and when the series ends everyone gets a happily ever after. The trouble is, not every fan is watching this show with sparkly, happy goggles!
In every TV show, there are unanswered questions. Sometimes something is brought up but isn’t resolved, intentionally or unintentionally. Sometimes small details that were just supposed to be funny or meaningless are spotted by fans. Then the fans start to think about these things, adding their own meanings or explanations to what they mean. Add the internet to this equation, and that’s where fan theories come from! Every TV network has shows that fall victim to fan theories, and if you thought Disney’s happy, sparkly reputation was going to save them from it, then you are an incredibly optimistic person.
To warn you now, some of these theories get a little dark. Some might not seem that harmful at first, but then creepy explanations chime in. Not all of them are, though; some of these I find really sweet and hope that the creators would confirm them. Whether they are canonical or not, or even if they are in the spirit of Disney, these theories show a lot of love for the shows that inspired them. It takes a great love for something to analyze it this deeply. So, keep that in mind even when you’re creeped out!
25 Kim Possible Is Genetically Engineered
Kim Possible was the ultimate teenager. She got good grades in school, was a cheerleader and, in her spare time, liked to save the world from super villains! When I was a student, I could barely handle my coursework and extracurricular activities!
An explanation for her abilities is that she was genetically engineered, possibly by her mother, in some attempt to create “super children.”
Kim and her brothers have been modified to make them superhumans, giving them more energy and higher athletic abilities. Given the scientific advancements in Kim’s world, it’s certainly possible.
24 Oscar Proud Is Up To Some Weird Business
You know what I mean! In this quirky Disney Channel cartoon, Dad character Oscar runs a company called “Proud Snacks.” A running joke in the series is that the actual snacks are awful and make people who eat them ill. But despite the snacks being awful and sales being poor, the family still manages to make money.
A theory suggests that Oscar, along with his neighbors, the “Boulevardez,” uses the snack company as a front for deals and as a way to launder money. Another reason why you should stay away from Proud Snacks!
23 London Tipton Is A Former Hogwarts Student
London Tipton was the ditzy, rich girl character from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Repeatedly, her naivety and low intelligence are used as a source of laughs on the show. But what if there is a good reason for her cluelessness?
A Tumblr discussion soon lead to a theory that London is actually a witch, struggling to come to terms with the muggle world.
She struggles with muggle objects, as she is unfamiliar with them and hides in the muggle world due to her parents being famous wizards working in the Ministry of Magic.
22 Lilo’s Parents Were In The CIA
At the end of the Lilo & Stitch film, we learn that Mr. Bubbles is an ex-CIA agent who retrained as a social worker. That’s a pretty drastic career move, isn’t it?
This theory suggests that either one or both of Lilo’s parents were CIA agents and Bubbles was their partner. After they passed, Bubbles retrained to keep an eye on the children, maybe because he was somehow involved in their passing.
This also explains the eccentric collection of books in their home, and how a blind eye was turned to the many aliens.
21 Candace Is Not A Cis Woman
Candace plays the role of the annoying big sister in Phineas and Ferb. One Tumblr user has observed moments from the show that might imply the character isn’t cis. Candace’s chest is flatter than other teenage girls on the show, meaning that she could be developing at a slower rate due to hormone therapy.
She also has visions of a zebra who calls her Kevin; this could be her deadname and the vision a result of her dysphoria. She also reacts quite strongly to her mother referring to her in fly-form as a “little guy.”
20 All Of King Triton’s Daughters Have Different Mothers
For this one, I want to reference The Little Mermaid TV series the ran from 1992 to 1994. Here, Ariel’s family and sisters played a much bigger role than in the film. But did you ever wonder why none of Ariel’s sisters looks like each other or Ariel’s mother? They all have different facial features and have blond or dark hair, despite Ariel’s mother and Triton being redheads.
Assuming that mermaids procreate the same way as fish, Triton had them with different women to extend his bloodline. Ariel gets all the attention because she is the only daughter of the Queen.
19 Rick And Morty Is A Sequel To Gravity Falls
This theory comes from multiple Easter eggs found in episodes of Rick and Morty. From a coffee cup, pen, and pad belonging to Grunkle Stan coming through one of Rick’s portals, to Morty versions of Dipper and Mable appearing in The Rickshank Rickdemption, this confirms that the two shows are in the same multiverse.
But real links come from the Gravity Falls: Journal 3.
In the corner of Ford’s wanted poster, in coded letters, reads “Rick Was Here.” The book also contains many links to universes we see in the Rick and Morty series, such as the world of sentient furniture.
18 Voldemort Wins In Wizards Of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place might seem like a cute little show about a wizard living the life of an everyday girl… but what if it has a darker history? What if it’s an alternative universe where Voldemort beat Harry Potter?
There are several dark Death Eater-esque messages throughout the show. Wizards are forbidden to marry non-wizards. Elves are given their names based on what job they’re going to have. Since history is written by the victors, this is the world where Voldemort was the hero.
17 King Roland Is Sofia’s Real Father
I know this one sounds cute, but believe me, this gets dark.
Sofia the First is the sweet story of a little girl who becomes a princess after her mother, a humble shoemaker, marries the king. The king has two other children from a previous marriage, but we never learn about their mother or Sofia’s father. This theory suggests that Roland had been in love with Miranda for a long time and even had Sofia with her. Despite trying to hide Sofia, he eventually decided to be with Miranda. He did away with his wife to marry her.
16 Hannah Montana’s Wig Had Mind Control Powers
This one is an explanation as to why no one ever figured out that Miley was Hannah Montana, despite them having the same face.
Rather than being a normal, sparkly blond wig, the hair that Miley puts on to turn herself into Hannah is actually some super cool mind control device.
When she puts it on, everyone will believe anything she says (and will not recognize her face). The wig hypnotizes people and allows Miley to put whatever thoughts she wants into their minds. I guess the technology is hidden in the sparkles.
15 Mr. Feeny Is A Deity
Mr. Feeny is an ex-teacher of the show’s main character, Cory. Why does he stick around? How did he teach Cory for so long? Why is he always there when the family needs him? Well, maybe it’s because he isn’t a teacher, but Matthew’s family view of the man upstairs.
Every time someone needs advice or direction, he appears to offer words of wisdom. Every time someone called for him, he never had his own plans or something better to do… he was just there for them.
14 Candace Made Up All Of Phineas And Ferb
Phineas and Ferb has a regular formula. The boys try and do something exciting in their garden, and Candace tries to get their mother to see it, but the evidence is always hidden before she comes home.
But what if she doesn’t see them because they’re not there?
This theory suggests that Phineas passed when he was very young. Unable to cope with the loss, Candace imagines him coming up with all these crazy schemes with her step-brother Ferb, but it’s all in her head. Dr. Doofenshmirtz, instead of being a villain, is really her psychologist.
13 Tanya Baxter Left Her Family
Tanya was the mother of Raven and Corey in That’s So Raven. But after season three of the show, she isn’t seen, and never appears in the spin-off series Cory in the House.
According to Raven’s father Victor, his wife is attending law school in England. However, in England, actual law school isn’t really a thing, with lawyers mostly studying law at university. She also never visits her family or even calls her children after she leaves. Maybe because she left her husband! Rather than tell his children the truth, Victor spun this elaborate lie.
12 The Recess Kids Are Based On Robin Hood And His Merry Men
Parodies of the legend of Robin Hood are incredibly common, with many TV series and films inspired by the stories. It’s possible that there are more out there than we realized!
The Recess kids were known for rejecting authority and seeking freedom, just like the stories. Here, TJ is Robin Hood, Mikey is Little John, and Spinelli is Marion. Their enemies are Principle Prickly (Prince John), Miss Finster (The Sheriff of Nottingham), and Randall (Guy of Gisborne). The creators of the show have never commented on this theory, but the comparisons between the two do show.
11 Lizzie McGuire Has A Disorder
Lizzie McGuire was a show about a young girl in middle school surviving everyday life. But what if the show had a much darker subtext? Lizzie talks to the viewer through an animated version of herself. She says things Lizzie wants to say and appears when she is in a stressful situation.
But along with this character, the theory suggests that Miranda is also fictional.
She is an imaginary friend invented to help her. When Lizzie’s condition gets better Miranda disappears. Later, however, on her trip to Rome, her condition worsens again, causing her to invent Paolo, Isabella, and the whole adventure.
10 Jessie Is The Kids’ Real Mother
Jessie was a cute Disney Channel sitcom about a nanny to a group of adopted children. She is very devoted to the children and shows a lot of love for them. Is she just a nanny or is there a deeper reason for her commitment?
This theory suggests that Jessie is the biological mother of some or all of the adopted children. Jessie was forced by her father to give up her children, but was soon unable to be separated from them. The adoptive parents agreed to hire Jessie as a nanny so that she could spend time with her children.
9 Hannah Montana Is Really An Illusion In A Government Lab
The world of Hannah Montana makes little sense. Hannah is very successful but only ever performs at one stage and never travels. No one realizes that Miley is Hannah, because of a blond wig.
The show contains heaps of sitcom clichés, but no real consequences.
Because all the characters live in a government experiment, observed by Susan Stewart (Miley’s mother). The characters and world aren’t real, but illusions put in the minds of test subjects, for the observations of the scientists and Disney Channel. Sweet dreams!
8 Dr Doofenschmirtz Is Phineas’ Dad
Ever notice that in the world of Phineas and Ferb, the only characters with triangular shaped heads are Phineas and Dr. Doofenshmirtz? Both characters are also highly intelligent.
Since Candance and Phineas’ biological father has never been revealed on the show, so some fans believe that Doofenshmirtz is their father.He disappears from their lives, as the children don’t recognize him as their dad. It’s revealed in the show that Linda did once date Doofenshmirtz in the eighties, although nothing became of it. The creators of the show have rejected this theory, but some fans still stand by it.
7 Lilo And Nani Are Descendants Of Moana
Lilo and Stitch was the first Disney franchise to be set in Hawaii. Then in 2016, we got our first Polynesian Disney Princess with Moana.
What if, after the events of the film, Moana’s voyaging ends with her family settling in Hawaii (let’s say Maui, specifically)?
There she continues her line, starting a long line of descendants that leads to Lilo and her sister Nani. Moana and Lilo have a lot in common. They both have a love for the sea and a fascination with sea creatures. Lilo also claims to be able to communicate with nature, like with Pudge the fish.
6 Ann Possible’s Maiden Name Was “Credible”
When it comes to names, this show loved to make puns; Kim’s name being a pun on “impossible” and Ron’s name being a pun on “unstoppable.” But Ann’s name wasn’t a pun. Or was it?
Maybe it was a pun before she married and took her husband’s name. Some fans have put forward the idea that she was originally named “Ann Credible,” a pun on the word “incredible.” It’s a small thought, but one you really hope the creators are on board with.
