
Disney High
The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire
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Narrated by:
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Lalaine
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By:
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Ashley Spencer
About this listen
Long-listed, Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2024
This program is read by actor Lalaine, known for her roles in Disney’s Lizzie McGuire, The Disney Channel original movie You Wish, and her role as Kate in the 1999 remake of Annie. It features a foreword and an epilogue read by the author.
The first unauthorized look at the inner workings—and ultimate breakdown—of the Disney Channel machine
For many kids growing up in the 2000s, there was no cultural touchstone more powerful than Disney Channel, the most-watched cable channel in primetime at its peak. Today, it might best be known for introducing the world to talents like Hilary Duff, Raven-Symoné, Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, and Zendaya.
It wasn't always destined for greatness: when The Disney Channel launched in 1983, it was a forgotten stepchild within the Walt Disney Company, forever in the shadow of Disney’s more profitable movies and theme parks. But after letting the stars of their Mickey Mouse Club revival—among them Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling—slip through their fingers, Disney Channel reinvented itself as a powerhouse tween network. In the new millennium, it churned out billions of dollars in original content and triple-threat stars whose careers were almost entirely controlled by the corporation. Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of the pie—and there were constant clashes between the studio, network, labels, and creatives as Disney Channel became a pressure cooker of perfection for its stars.
From private feuds and on-set disasters, to fanfare that swept the nation and the realities of child stardom, culture journalist Ashley Spencer offers the inside story of the heyday of TV’s House of Mouse, featuring hundreds of exclusive new interviews with former Disney executives, creatives, and celebrities to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
©2024 Ashley Spencer (P)2024 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“If you can scrupulously recite the lyrics to ‘Best of Both Worlds’, then this book is for you. Equal parts sentiment and scoop, Disney High is chock full of details about the child stars of Disney's once-prized asset, and the journey to questioning whether wearing those mouse ears was ever really worth it.”–Lynette Rice, bestselling author of How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy
“An unprecedented level of dish and detail! Spencer pulls back the curtain on one of modern pop culture’s most important (and drama-filled) eras.”—Omid Scobie, bestselling author of Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family
"An obsessive, loving deep dive into the 2000s-era Disney Channel that launched Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Hilary Duff, the Jonas Brothers, and many other icons. This is the book millennials have been waiting to read since childhood." —Andy Greene, New York Times bestselling author of The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s
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Overall
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As you'll hear in this audiobook, Walt found resourceful ways to earn money even in his youth. The warm reminiscences present Walt as a creative and energetic business person and loving family man. His story includes fascinating details about animation, his cartoon characters and films, the movie and TV industries, and technological processes he invented.
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The way Walt Disney daughter caught his essence
- By Thomas Brides on 06-12-24
By: Diane Disney Miller, and others
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DisneyWar
- By: James B. Stewart
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 25 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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DisneyWar is an enthralling tale of one of America's most powerful media and entertainment companies, the people who control it, and those trying to overthrow them. It tells a story that - in its sudden twists, vivid, larger-than-life characters, and thrilling climax - might itself have been the subject of a Disney classic - except that it's all true.
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Really interesting story... No ending.
- By rotinaj on 12-18-17
By: James B. Stewart
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Opening Weekend
- An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops
- By: Jim Fredrick
- Narrated by: Jim Fredrick
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In a world where movie marketers are the stars of the story, Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops recounts Jim Fredrick's journey through the realm of movie marketing. Fredrick offers readers exclusive access to behind-the-scenes anecdotes and firsthand accounts of working with studio executives and navigating relationships with famous movie stars and directors.
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Excellent, detailed and SO engaging.
- By J Bomb on 12-01-24
By: Jim Fredrick
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Hanna-Barbera, the Recorded History
- From Modern Stone Age to Meddling Kids
- By: Greg Ehrbar, Leonard Maltin, Tim Matheson - foreword
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Whether it's Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, the Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Top Cat, Huckleberry Hound, or hundreds of others, the creations of the Hanna-Barbera studio continue to delight generations worldwide. The groundbreaking company employed thousands in the art and business of animation. Some of them were vintage-era veterans, others were up-and-coming talents, some of whom found blockbuster success at other studios. The power of the sounds that Hanna-Barbera crafted to accompany the compelling visuals was a key factor in its spectacular success.
By: Greg Ehrbar, and others
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Very Bad Company
- A Novel
- By: Emma Rosenblum
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Every year, executives at the trendy tech startup Aurora gather the company’s top employees for an exclusive retreat in Miami, and this year Caitlin Levy—Aurora’s newest hire—is joining the team as head of events. The benefits are outstanding: a seven-figure salary, stock shares, a discretionary bonus, limitless vacation days—what could possibly go wrong?
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A bad company indeed
- By Sergio Roden1 on 05-17-24
By: Emma Rosenblum
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The Bookshop
- A History of the American Bookstore
- By: Evan Friss
- Narrated by: Jay Myers
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Bookstores have always been unlike any other kind of store, shaping readers and writers, and influencing our tastes, thoughts, and politics. They nurture local communities while creating new ones of their own. Bookshops are powerful spaces, but they are also endangered ones. In The Bookshop, we see the stakes: what has been, and what might be lost. Evan Friss’s history of the bookshop draws on oral histories, archival collections, municipal records, diaries, letters, and interviews with leading booksellers to offer a fascinating look at this institution beloved by so many.
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Fun if you like book stuff
- By Customer - Reader on 02-22-25
By: Evan Friss
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Cults Like Us
- Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America
- By: Jane Borden
- Narrated by: Jane Borden
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Since the Mayflower sidled up to Plymouth Rock, cult ideology has been ingrained in the DNA of the United States. In this eye-opening book, journalist Jane Borden argues that Puritan doomsday belief never went away; it went secular and became American culture. From our fascination with cowboys and superheroes to our allegiance to influencers and self-help, susceptibility to advertising, and undying devotion to the self-made man, Americans remain particularly vulnerable to a specific brand of cult-like thinking.
By: Jane Borden
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Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson's Creek
- How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television
- By: Thea Glassman, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong - foreword
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The untold stories of seven revolutionary teen shows (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, My So-Called Life, Dawson’s Creek, Freaks and Geeks, The O.C., Friday Night Lights, and Glee) that shaped the course of modern television and our pop cultural landscape forever.
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Behind the scenes view
- By anthony petro on 11-24-23
By: Thea Glassman, and others
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My Mother Was Nuts
- A Memoir
- By: Penny Marshall
- Narrated by: Penny Marshall
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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her life story going her humble roots in the Bronx to one of the most liked and respected figures in the entertainment business, also covering her marriage to Rob Reiner and relationships with Art Garfunkel, Carrie Fisher, and John Belushi, and her bout with lung and brain cancer in 2009, to Julia Cheiffetz
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The audio performance should get an award!
- By M. S. Cohen on 09-21-12
By: Penny Marshall
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Growing Up Urkel
- By: Jaleel White
- Narrated by: Jaleel White
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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At the tender age of twelve, Jaleel White auditioned for the role of Steve Urkel, the socially inept genius, who was in love with his next-door neighbor, Laura. Though Steve Urkel was intended to be in only one episode, Jaleel’s indelible performance catapulted Urkel into the pantheon of American pop culture. But success can cost as much as it pays. After nine years on the popular sitcom Family Matters, Jaleel is twenty-one, a UCLA undergrad, and adjusting to a world and industry that sees him as the nasally nerd in high water pants, suspenders, and coke bottle glasses.
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Jaleel’s Truth
- By David Ortiz on 11-22-24
By: Jaleel White
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Taking Manhattan
- The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America
- By: Russell Shorto
- Narrated by: Russell Shorto
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland’s canny director general.
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The Birth of America’s First Cosmpolitan City - Brilliantly Told
- By Judy on 04-25-25
By: Russell Shorto
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You Can't Have It All
- The Basic B*tch Guide to Taking the Pressure Off
- By: Stassi Schroeder
- Narrated by: Stassi Schroeder
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The two-time New York Times bestselling author, OG Vanderpump Rules star, and host of the successful chart-topping podcast Stassi is back and better than ever with a candid guide to rethinking the girlboss life, taking the pressure off, and lessons she’s learned since becoming a mom of two.
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Relatable
- By Mandi Wasik on 10-07-24
By: Stassi Schroeder
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Good Time Girl
- By: Heather Gay
- Narrated by: Heather Gay
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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With her “thoughtful, smart, and funny” (Kirkus Reviews) writing, Heather recounts the humorous trysts, mishaps, and serendipitous success she’s found as a life-long reveler in all things indulgent. From illicit high school trips to Tijuana and awkward dates set up by her overzealous costars, Good Time Girl is a charming and intimate meditation on community, love, independence, womanhood, and—most importantly—second chances.
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The True storyline
- By Debbie Bird on 01-23-25
By: Heather Gay
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Men Have Called Her Crazy
- A Memoir
- By: Anna Marie Tendler
- Narrated by: Anna Marie Tendler
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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In early 2021, popular artist Anna Marie Tendler checked herself into a psychiatric hospital following a year of crippling anxiety, depression and self-harm. Over two weeks, she underwent myriad psychological tests, participated in numerous therapy sessions, connected with fellow patients and experienced profound breakthroughs, such as when a doctor noted, “There is a you inside that feels invisible to those looking at you from the outside.”
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Felt incomplete
- By Anonymous User on 08-21-24
What listeners say about Disney High
Highly rated for:
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- Kindle Customer
- 01-07-25
Interesting but not as juicy as I’d hoped
This was a good overview of the rise of the Disney channel. It doesn’t provide juicy stories or new information but rather a summary using quotes from other news sources. I don’t think it ended abruptly like other reviewers noted.
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- Alicia Hill
- 10-22-24
Missing a conclusion
The focus of the book is more on the business side, which I enjoyed. I was afraid it was going to be heavy on teen gossip. It feels like the book just abruptly ends. I wish them was a better conclusion and summary before the epilogue.
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- N. Halpern
- 11-21-24
In-Depth and Educational, Yet Abrupt
I love books like this - retrospectives on cultural moments and biographies - and this one was no exception. It’s immensely nostalgic for me, as I grew up alongside the shows and stars mentioned, being around 11 years old by the book’s end. The book gripped me the whole way through and led me to a lot of independent googling throughout.
However, I found that it ended abruptly and each section, or star, also ended abruptly. I wish there had been smoother transitions between the sections and especially at the end. Going straight from the cancellation of Sonny With a Chance to an epilogue was jarring and I felt that there was a missed opportunity to properly conclude that section before the epilogue.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-27-24
For all who wished for a Wand ID
The perfect listen for the fans that grew up during the golden age of Disney Channel. I can’t imagine who I would be, or what my interests would be, if it wasn’t for the massive amount of time I spent watching disney channel shows and DCOM’s, reading tiger beat and j14, coating my walls in posters. This book is both heart warming and heart breaking. A great read/listen.
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- Ryan Arko
- 09-24-24
Inside the Machine
The initial announcement, I was ready for an attempt at an exposé by the author that would shake Disney. Just prior to release, Lalaine explained that this was a look behind the magic and that it wasn't to trash Disney or child acting. Expectations set. Cool.
Except what Ashley Spencer does is create one of the most informative understandings of not only how Disney Channel works/worked, not only how the lives of the stars from its peak era were lived, but it details how modern Disney was a machine decades in the making.
I wasn't expecting to hear how Disney shirked the home market in the 70s or how Jett Jackson's success as a minority led drama was also the reason it was pushed on its own sword by the decision makers of the day. I didn't expect how candid it would be about things like Christy Roman's boob job, and this book delivers candid while never crossing into tabloid sensationalism.
Lalaine does a beautiful job in narration. Listening to her the last ten hours has been a welcome decision by all parties involved, and I'd be happy to hear her read my tax return filings if it meant more opportunities for her as a narrator.
Ashley Spencer is a journalist, so I was ready for her to put feet on ground to do the work, but I wasn't ready to absolutely run the ground like it was her killing field. Modern journalism is mostly bloggers telling the reader how to feel or think, but Ashley is a real journalist who tells it how it is instead, and that's so refreshing in 2024.
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- Leslie
- 10-05-24
Reads like fiction!
I’m listening to the audiobook and it’s great! It’s non-fiction that reads like fiction. Storytelling is superb and I’m wowed at the sheer number of insiders that participated in this project. The author paints a vivid picture of how a network shaped pop culture and affected those involved, either centered on the big stage, lurking behind the curtain or watching from in front of a screen. Narration by both author and Lalaine is phenomenal!
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- Glenda Brown
- 11-13-24
Sold by Lalaine's narration, stayed for the tons of uncovered production info
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I found out about this book through Lalaine's Instagram. While some of this book is already public Information, I was so intrigued by all the production/branding info that this book contained.
Interview excerpts from producers, directors, costume designers, Radio Disney Djs!
I also enjoyed Lalaine's narration for the most part. You could tell she wasn't the most experienced, but her voice had that optimistic but cool, perhaps world-weary quality that only a former Disney Channel actor would possess.
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- Ingrid
- 03-24-25
The equivalent of meeting an old friend and coming away with a deeper understanding of who they are as a person.
I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this book at first, as I was much more interested in Disney Channel’s animated fare, and there are some brief mentions of certain shows as they pertain to the topics at hand, but this book focuses on the live action series and movies that would come to define multiple eras and childhoods for many. In this age of streaming and Disney’s various faults in their shows and movies, perhaps looking back as to where something of this magnitude for them began, can help us begin to understand their position and understand where they might be heading.
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-16-24
Educational Nostalgia
Absolutely loved this book! So nostalgic to revisit so many of the series and DCOMs I loved as a kid and hear the business side as an adult who can now appreciate that angle.
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- Jessica
- 12-09-24
A delight for this elder millennial
This was such a fun read especially for those of us who followed some of this drama in real time. The subjects are treated with care and respect and the glimpses into the behind-the-scenes happenings were titillating. Having Lalaine read the audiobook was the cherry on top. Highly recommend!
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