“We Are All In This Together” – Review of Disney +

For a lot of us growing up, Disney Channel was our lives. We dreamed to be stars like Hannah Montana, we learned the dances from High School Musical (1,2 AND 3) and we hoped that one day we will find life-long friends to travel the world like The Cheetah Girls…

This week, I made the decision to re-watch all the classics and relive my childhood through Disney’s new streaming service “Disney +”. While being embarrassed that I still remembered ALL the words, I’ve come to realise that while Disney Channel was providing our childhood with top-tier entertainment – it was also teaching us valuable life lessons that need to be reiterated at a time like this.

Hannah Montana taught us how to deal with pressure (yes okay, being a globally ranked superstar is maybe not the best comparison) but also how at the end of the day, your family and your loved ones are always going to be in your corner.

While some of us were disheartened to learn that high school life was nothing like HSM (I personally never witnessed a flash mob in our cafeteria) societal norms are only a myth and the path that you choose to take wherever in life can only be decided by you.

Finally, The Cheetah Girls taught us the importance of diversity. Looking past the whole “international music group travelling the world and signing record deals” saga - everybody is different and by accepting those differences, you yourself will become a better person.

The common theme throughout all the Disney classics is that people dream big. No matter what is thrown at you, if you stick true to who you are and be kind to others, things will work out. Applying this to reality, we are currently in a time where no one knows what is happening. Each day has been a struggle, some experiencing this more than others and we are unsure when it will end.

So, thank you Disney +, for reminding me who I am – I’m someone who loves to dream big and right now I’m dreaming of the day that this is all over. We have our loved ones standing in our corner, supporting us through the pressures of everyday life. While it does seem that what is happening in the world is out with our control, our narrative and the way we choose to handle the current situation can only be decided by ourselves. Finally, everybody is different – everybody is struggling in different ways, but if we are kind to those around us and reach out to those who need help… the memory of Covid-19 will be overshadowed by the memories we choose to create during this period of time. It is tough but once it is all over, we will appreciate the little things in life all the more.

“Life is a climb…but the view is great.” We are nearly there.