By Lillie Liska
Disney+ and Hulu announced Thursday, May 21, that “Throwbacks” — last summer’s breakout ’90s and 2000s nostalgia push — is back for another go-round, with a summer of fresh programming drops, social content, in-person activations and brand partnerships rolling out across both streamers.
“It’s all about ’90s and 2000s nostalgia — think iconic characters, unforgettable stories, and era-defining moments that shaped a generation and continue to resonate today,” Disney said when it first unveiled the Throwbacks collection last year.
The lineup corrals the era’s heaviest hitters — LIZZIE MCGUIRE, BOY MEETS WORLD, HANNAH MONTANA, KIM POSSIBLE, THAT’S SO RAVEN, GOOD LUCK CHARLIE, PHINEAS AND FERB, RECESS and DUCKTALES — plus movies including FREAKY FRIDAY, THE PARENT TRAP, THE PRINCESS DIARIES, HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS and HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. Hulu On Disney+ bundle subscribers get GILMORE GIRLS, THE GOLDEN GIRLS and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER folded in for good measure.
Related: Fans Get ‘Best of Both Worlds’ in 20th Anniversary HANNAH MONTANA Special
Movieguide® first covered the Throwbacks rollout in July 2025, when Disney+ launched a 24/7 “shuffle” channel that drops viewers straight into classic episodes the way Saturday mornings used to — bumpers, intros and all. The lean-back format is half the appeal. Parents who grew up channel-surfing can hand their kids the remote and have a reasonable idea what’s coming next.
The nostalgia bet isn’t a hunch. Movieguide® has reported that Disney+ subscribers stream classic Disney titles more often than the company’s recent original content, and Throwbacks doubles down on that preference instead of trying to talk people out of it.
This year’s edition expands well beyond the screen. Disney is bringing back its Throwback Experience in Los Angeles — last summer’s pop-up recreated Topanga’s Denim Co. from BOY MEETS WORLD and the Tipton Hotel bellhop desk from THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK & CODY — plus activations at VidCon and Destination D23, themed playlists, cast reunion content, and partnerships with Swimply and ThredUp.
The timing lines up nicely with the Aug. 14 Disney+ premiere of CAMP ROCK 3, which brings the Jonas Brothers back to the franchise that helped define the late-2000s Disney Channel era. Connect 3 is back. So, presumably, is the eyeliner.
For Christian families, Throwbacks works better as a discernment exercise than a guaranteed-safe playlist. The same collection that includes the BOY MEETS WORLD storyline where Cory and Topanga decide to wait for marriage also includes teen content that, even by the standards of its day, ran the gamut. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and stretches of GILMORE GIRLS aren’t a children’s lineup, and parents will want to do their homework before handing over the remote.
But the bigger draw is worth naming. Parents are reaching for shows where families ate dinner together, where dads showed up, where teen romances weren’t built around hookup culture. That reach toward stories that “shaped a generation,” to borrow Disney’s phrase, is partly a reach for stories that built character — even imperfectly.
The Throwbacks collection is streaming now on Disney+, with Hulu On Disney+ bundle subscribers unlocking the expanded library. New drops will roll out across the summer.
Read Next: PHINEAS AND FERB Gets a Reboot, and Its Creators Are So Excited
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +2Share:
– Content: +1