Disney Channel Original Movies

Background
Made-for-television films were produced for the Disney Channel as early as 1983, when the channel officially launched. However, up until August 23, 1997, they were released under the "Disney Channel Premiere Films" label. On October 25, 1997, Disney Channel started producing their own TV movies under the "Disney Channel Original Movies" banner. The first official Disney Channel Original Movie was Under Wraps. On June 24, 2016, Disney Channel premiered its 100th original film, Adventures in Babysitting (a remake of the 1987 film of the same name).

1st Logo (October 25, 1997- )
Logo: It's only an in-credit text reading: "A DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the TV movie.

Availability: Common on any Disney Channel movie releases such as Under Wraps, Minutemen, Genius, and High School Musical.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1999-2002)
Logo: In an outdoor environment at sunset with grass, shrubs and houses, we see a cream-colored '50s-esque car come driving down a road, before coming closer to us to show that it is actually levitating. All of a sudden, its front end and bumper slide out and the car opens up a la a Transformer to reveal green chairs, a projection screen that grows, a film projector, and bags of popcorn and drink cups that slide out from the inner sides of the car. The camera pans up to the projection screen as the car has fully transformed, as it shows a purple-colored film countdown with the 1997 Disney Channel logo in the center. As the countdown animates, "ORIGINAL" at the top and "MOVIE" at the bottom are wiped in.

FX/SFX: Very well-executed CGI that resembles stop-motion. Designed by Semuta Films. Animated by Head Gear Animation.

Music/Sounds: A whimsical orchestral tune that sounds like a jollier version of the 1994 Cinemax Feature Presentation music, alongside sound effects correlating to the actions on-screen.

Music/Sounds Variant: There was a prototype variant that used a rockabilly-esque tune throughout and different sound effects. It is unknown whether this version was used on TV or not.

Availability: Can be found on VHS releases of Disney Channel movies of the time, such as Double Teamed, Miracle in Lane 2 and The Color of Friendship. Also used as an opening at the time.

Editor's Note: It's a favorite amongst Disney Channel fans.

3rd Logo (March 26, 2010)
Logo: We see a close up of a filmstrip, with the Disney Channel Mickey Mouse head. It zooms out to reveal that it has a banner with the word "MOVIE" on it. When it's finished zooming out, pixie dust emerges out of it.

Trivia: This is basically the ending of the Disney Channel Movie intro during the period. Designed by Monkeyhead. Animated by Mac&Cheez.

FX/SFX: The zooming and the pixie dust.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the movie.

Availability: This was only seen on Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (June 1, 2012-January 17, 2014)
Nicknames: "The DCOM Mickey Head", "Shiny DCOM Mickey Head", "The DCOM Banner"

Logo: On a light blue background with two spotlights on it, a light blue trail of pixie dust brings in the 2010 Disney Channel logo (which is the 2002 Disney Channel logo inside a tube) with a banner reading "OrIGInaL mOVIe" in it. The logo then shines.

Variants:
 * There is a version used as a station ident in which the "OrIGInaL mOVIe" banner is absent.
 * Another version had the banner, but without the "OrIGInaL mOVIe" text.

FX/SFX: The pixie dust bringing in the logo.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the TV movie playing over it, or none.

Availability: First seen on Let It Shine, and went on to appear on other DCOMs during the period. It was last used on Cloud 9.

Editor's Note: It's another favorite amongst Disney Channel fans.

5th Logo (June 27, 2014-2017)
Nickname: "The Floating Banner"

Logo: On a perriwinkle background with a light, we see two trails of pixie dust flying by. We then see many other trails forming the 2014 Disney Channel logo and four curved sections. The top left sections are perriwinkle and clear. The bottom right sections are clear and blue. As the logo itself forms, a fancy white banner with the words "ORIGINAL MOVIE" in blue flips down to face the audience. The entire logo shines a bit.

FX/SFX: The pixie dust forming the logo, the banner flipping down, and the logo shining. Impressive VFX from BDA Creative.

Variant: This is used for a station ident, but with a different format. There is no banner beneath the logo, and the sections are placed differently. Also, the logo is a bit more 3-dimensional.

Music/Sounds: A synth tune, or no music at all.

Availability: Seen on How to Build a Better Boy and other movies such as Zapped! and Teen Beach 2. It was last seen on The Swap.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (June 24, 2016)
Logo: We start with a close-up of a laboratory-like environment with what appears to be some neon lights. We see a gear with the logo for Halloweentown on it spin around as a light lights up as it rises. The gear then reveals the logo for Descendants. We then cut to another close-up, this time showing two gears with the logos of Teen Beach Movie, The Cheetah Girls, Camp Rock, High School Musical and Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie on them. We then cut to yet another close-up with some more neon lights with a gear with the logos of Good Luck Charlie: It's Christmas!, the reboot of Adventures in Babysitting, and Zenon on them. We then cut to the number "100" made out of neon lights (with 6 outlines surrounding it and with the second "0" having Mickey Mouse ears) with "CELEBRATING" on top of the "10". Below that is the current Disney Channel logo with a black rounded rectangle that reads "ORIGINAL MOVIES" next to it. It is not lit up at first, but once the camera (which is at an angle) turns to face the logo head-on, everything lights up. A few blue and purple spotlights shine on the logo as we see some pixie dust fly by.

Trivia: This was used on the reboot of Adventures in Babysitting, which is the 100th original movie to be made by Disney Channel.

FX/SFX: Nice CGI from BDA Creative!

Music/Sounds: We start off with a deep whoosh, then we hear an orchestral tune that builds up, which ends with an orchestral version of the 2002 Disney Channel jingle.

Music/Sounds Trivia: This music was taken from the Disney Channel Movie intros from 2014-2017 and 2019-2021.

Availability: Seen on the reboot of Adventures in Babysitting.

Editor's Note: People may be expecting the previous logo, but it's a very nostalgic logo for people who grew up with Disney Channel's original movies.

7th Logo (July 21, 2017-February 15, 2019)
Logo: On a pink background, with a stylized Mickey Mouse head engrained, a yellow outline of the same head is seen to the right of the screen. Little emojis are seen on the bottom of the screen, floating from right to the left side of the screen. Parts of a yellow tab with it appears by sliding from the left, coming from the yellow outline. While this is happening, the background becomes light blue. When the tab is done forming, a white circle with the stylized head in the center of it appears, and it causes the tab to become larger and contain the 2014 Disney Channel logo. The tab goes away, leaving the logo and causing the background to become gray and two searchlights appear to the left and the right of the logo and start animating. When the tab goes away, a yellow banner, which design is similar to the one seen in the 5th logo slides down below the Disney Channel logo and the words, "ORIGINAL MOVIE" is written on it in purple.

Variant: On Descendants 2, the logo was shortened down to where the yellow tab transforms the small Mickey Mouse head inside of it to the 2014 Disney Channel logo.

FX/SFX: Everything is flat CGI. This logo was done by Mankine Studios.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the movie.

Availability: No longer current. Seen on Descendants 2 and Zombies.

Editor's Note: None.

8th Logo (August 2, 2019- )
Logo: On a black and blue background, we see a yellow circle zoom towards us. As it does so, many multicolored lines fly out towards us as well, ushering in the current Disney Channel logo, which zooms in as it is forming, as well as lots of multicolored stars, circles, and patterns. 3 big gold stars (drawn in the style of the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame) also appear, and 4 gold searchlights appear from the bottom of the screen. Now colored blue with white and light blue filling, the logo stops, and a banner (carrying the same design as the 5th and 7th logos) with the words "ORIGINAL MOVIE" on it drops down below.

FX/SFX: Flat CGI.

Music/Sounds: None or the ending theme of the movie.

Availability: Current. Seen on Descendants 3 and other current DCOMs.

Editor's Note: Design-wise, this is a bit of a step up from the previous logo.