It all started with a short opening just before a film was about to begin. A black and white Mickey Mouse, known as Steamboat Willie, whistled along to tunes and tapped his foot to the beat while steering a boat. Then, came the iconic Disney castle with fireworks bursting in the background and majestic music playing in the surroundings, signifying to the audience that they are in for an enchanting experience. 

The majority of today’s generation will know it as being a young child, sitting down on the couch, dressed up in an extravagant Princess dress or Prince suit, watching a fairytale movie. An experience even more enticing for children that live in Florida is the opportunity to experience the wonders of it all: driving to Orlando and going to the magical place of Walt Disney World. Even as time went on, Disney still stuck by. As kids grew into teenagers, fondness of shows such as Drake & Josh and Liv and Maddie arose. Moments that still live on in the minds of many are the monumental blue wand introductions in which actors would wave and say, “and you’re watching Disney Channel,” as well as the unforgettable seasonal airings of Christmas and Halloween episodes.

“I watched the classics. [Disney] has changed so many lives everywhere. It is the creation of many new movie styles. During the Great Depression, many Americans couldn’t pay for everything, so Disney was a relief; [Americans] could forget about their troubles.” – Alejandro Agudelo, Freshman

“Every single Disney princess movie I watched. I love watching them, it takes me back to sitting in my pajamas on Saturdays.”- Lyla Masson, Freshman

“I watched Gravity Falls and Jessie. It introduced me to many different backgrounds, personalities, lessons, and morals.” – Jocelyn Perez, Freshman

“I watched a lot of Sleeping Beauty, The Wizards of Waverly Place, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I feel like when I look back and watch the movies, the quality is so bad, it makes me feel so old.” – Adriana Camara, Sophomore

“The princess movies were nostalgic because I used to watch them all the time.”- Kayla Gomez, Sophomore

“I watched Hannah Montana, Mickey Mouse, Jessie, and The Little Mermaid. It feels crazy that it is 100 years old because when I was watching them, it felt like they were just random movies. I feel old.” – Juliette Othon, Sophomore 

“Growing up, I watched Princess and the Frog, Austin and Ally, the Lion King, and Jessie. It makes me feel like I’m growing up and I’m not a kid anymore.” – Jasmyn Daniels, Senior

In its 100 years, Disney has been a part of tens of generations starting from the Greatest Generation (born 1900-1925) to the current generation, Generation Alpha. While everyone has grown up watching many other equally nostalgic channels like PBS Kids and Nickelodeon, Disney will always hold a special place in what is called childhood.