By Beth Deitchman
“There are no fans like Disney Channel fans,” said Joshua Rush, who plays Cyrus on the network’s fan-favorite live-action series Andi Mack, at the Disneyland Resort on Saturday, May 12. Rush joined a host of Disney Channel stars from series such as DuckTales and Raven’s Home, as well as Disney Channel Original Movies ZOMBIES and Freaky Friday, for the first-ever Disney Channel GO! Fan Fest. From the star-studded cavalcade on Main Street, U.S.A., that kicked off the event to an afternoon of exciting panels inside Stage 17 at Disney’s California Adventure, an unforgettable time was had by both stars and fans alike.
“I love parades so much I’ve already warned everyone I might cry out of happiness,” said Kate Micucci—the voice of DuckTales’ Webby Vanderquack—when D23 caught up with her at the beginning of the fan-centric day. The Leader of the Club led the way: Mickey Mouse and his motorcar were the first to make their way down Main Street, U.S.A., followed by the casts of Raven’s Home, BUNK’D, Bizaardvark, Andi Mack, Stuck in the Middle, ZOMBIES, Freaky Friday, and DuckTales—accompanied by the likes of Pluto, Goofy, Launchpad McQuack, and Scrooge McDuck. As they say in Duckburg, woo-oo! You can re-live the special procession, which was streamed live on the Disney Parks Blog, in the video below:
Throughout Saturday afternoon, fans were able to meet some of their favorite stars outside of Stage 12 in Hollywood Land—while Stage 17 was the place to be for panel discussions that were full of surprising revelations about the beloved Disney Channel series and their casts.
To begin the afternoon, the cast of Bizaardvark found themselves in a spirited debate over who in the cast is truly the funniest. Season three newcomer Maxwell Simkins made a pretty compelling case for himself, but we encourage fans to tune in this summer and decide for themselves.
Peyton List and Mallory Mahoney revealed that when BUNK’D returns, the Ross kids will be fixing up Camp Kikiwaka following the fire that took place at the end of season two. List reassured fans that the camp’s food will continue to be a source of dismay for the campers (and deliciously amusing for the audience).
We spoke with actor David Tennant, the voice of Scrooge McDuck, in advance of the DuckTales live table read. “It’s a white-knuckle ride! It’s a leap into the dark today,” he told us, adding, “We’ve never all been in the same room reading at the same time together.” Realizing that they were about to rewrite history, Bobby Moynihan (Louie Duck) shared, “I’m slowly realizing that this is the most important day of my life!” Of course, the actors had no cause for worry. The staged reading was a duck-blur of fun and frivolity, with actors doubling up on roles in some cases: David Tennant read the role of Flintheart Glomgold in addition to Uncle Scrooge, and Toks Olagundoye voiced the very proper Mrs. Beakley as well as the very improper Ma Beagle. To see the cast as they were literally out there making DuckTales, the entire table read is here for your viewing pleasure:
The Andi Mack panel proved that the cast members are truly a family on screen and off. The series is filmed on location in Utah, and on a typical Saturday night during production, you might just find all of them at the local roller-skating rink, tripping the disco-light fantastic together. Fans can tune in to the new season to see relationships continue to grow and evolve. Lilan Bowden (Bex) teased that we’ll learn more of the characters’ secrets, while Joshua Rush promises new “ship names” and more “baby taters.”
When the Stuck in the Middle cast came to the stage, the bond they have formed was apparent, as well. The actors agreed that they feel like they have two families—at home and on set—and when asked by a fan which role they would like to play (other than their own), it sounds like it’s pretty good to be Beast—a fact confirmed by Malachi Barton, who enjoys the stunts and set pieces the writers dream up for his character.
Raven-Symoné executive produces Raven’s Home, in addition to reprising the role she originated on That’s So Raven, but her involvement with the new series goes deeper than that. Issac Ryan Brown thinks of her as a surrogate aunt and mother figure on set—and Raven-Symoné explained that as a onetime child actor, she appreciates the responsibility she now has toward the young cast. She referred to herself as “strict” on set, banning cell phones and fidget spinners, and wanting the kids to be able to walk on to any other set and conduct themselves professionally—but first and foremost, she wants them to have an amazing experience. Sky Katz confirms that the plan has succeeded: “Without Raven, on-camera and off-camera, the show would be completely different,” she said.
After a look back at the Disney Channel Original Movie ZOMBIES, the Fan Fest ended with a peek at what’s still to come: Freaky Friday, which premieres this summer. Fans in Stage 17 were the first to see a scene from the upcoming movie, and hear from stars Heidi Blickenstaff and Cozi Zuehlsdorff about the production. Zuehlsdorff detailed how she and Blickenstaff would attend “mannerism meetings” that allowed them to study each other’s physical habits and quirks, and learn how to portray each other. “The best part [of the production] was the time we spent together building these two characters,” said Blickenstaff. You can see these two amazing actresses in action right here:
This fan-tastic event ushers in an unbelievable summer of new and original programming on Disney Channel (and the DisneyNOW app) that includes the series premieres of Big Hero 6 The Series, Bug Juice: My Adventures at Camp, the 2018 Radio Disney Music Awards, and so much more. You won’t want to miss a minute, but never fear—we won’t either. Stay tuned to Disney Channel—and D23.com—all summer long!