Walt Disney once said that a man should never neglect his family for business. Disney has long explored the theme of family in many of its shows and movies. For example, Lilo & Stitch is a film that explores this theme with its iconic line: ‘Ohana means family.’
The upcoming Disney film Freakier Friday continues this tradition of exploring family dynamics by examining the relationship between a mother and daughter. Speaking of family, National Siblings Day is on April 10, which means social media will be flooded with social posts with #National SiblingsDay tags on pictures and videos that people post of their brothers and sisters.
National Public Radio even did its own reporting discussing the impact of National Siblings Day. Disney Channel has its fair share of exploring the dynamic of siblings in its shows. Here are 6 Disney Channel shows featuring iconic sibling duos that helped define the 2000s.
Alex, Justin, and Max Russo – Wizards of Waverly Place
In Wizards of Waverly Place, Alex, Justin, and Max Russo have a close but special sibling relationship as they live their lives as wizard apprentices, keeping their magical powers hidden from the non-magical world.
Despite their differences, the siblings' strong bond is evident, as they encourage one another through their magical mistakes and family escapades, demonstrating how their bond is based on love and loyalty.
Lizzie and Matt McGuire – Lizzie McGuire
The show is about the life ofa teenager,Lizzie, who constantly fights with her little brother, Matt, since he just teases her all the time. Despite their constant arguing, Lizzie and Matt have an extremely close bond, and even if they may not always get along eye to eye, they support each other.
Zack and Cody Martin – The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
Dylan and Cole Sprouse are twins in real life who were in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Dylan was Zack, the school goof, and Cole was Cody, a genius. They lived at Boston's Tipton Hotel, where their mother worked as a singer. Each show had the brothers engage in new adventures with hotel staff and guests. Camilla and Rebecca Rosso who were twins were Milly and Becky in a few episodes.
Phil and Pim Diffy – Phil of the Future
Its theme song tells it all: Phil Diffy and his family, on holiday from the 22nd century, time-travel to the past, experiencing life in the past while hiding their futuristic lives. In Phil of the Future, Phil's family includes his troublesome sister Pim and his parents, Barbara and Lloyd Diffy, and their great-great-grandfather Kyle Speckle.
Phineas & Candace Flynn and Ferb Fletcher – Phineas and Ferb
In Phineas and Ferb, Phineas and Candace Flynn are siblings, and Ferb Fletcher is not biologically their brother. However, Ferb is their stepbrother since his father, Lawrence Fletcher,got married to Phineas and Candace's mother Linda Flynn.
During summer, Phineas and Ferb are constantly building and inventing something new each day, where as Candace is constantly plotting to "bust" her brothers and present their crazy inventions to their mom.
Miley and Jackson Stewart – Hannah Montana
Imagine having a sister who’s a pop star. In Hannah Montana, Jackson is the brother of Miley, a pop star who goes by the name Hannah Montana. In one episode, Miley and Jackson cheat together on a test.
In one episode, Miley and Jackson are both cheating together on a test. Miley writes the answers on her body, but all goes wrong when the answers start to melt. Jackson tries to help, but they both learn that relying on cheating was not the correct choice, with Miley learning thatthe key to successis studying.
In conclusion, there were many notable shows on Disney Channel that explored the family dynamic of siblings. Children from the 2000s who are now adults grew up watching these Disney shows, remembering them fondly as a nostalgic look back. National Siblings Day is an important occasion to celebrate our own siblings and recognize the importance of family.
Who's your favorite set of siblings?