High School Musical Turns 20: Original Cast Reunites and Disney Drops New Anniversary Collection. It has been 20 years since Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez first met at a New Year’s Eve karaoke party. Disney is celebrating the 20th anniversary of High School Musical this week. The movie first aired on Disney Channel on January 20, 2006, and it quickly became something nobody expected.
It wasn’t just a TV movie; it became a massive global brand that launched the careers of Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale.
At its core, the movie was just about a basketball player who wanted to sing. It’s a simple story, but it worked. Director Kenny Ortega says the film has a “universal and timeless” quality. Even 20 years later, the message of not “sticking to the status quo” seems to be sticking around. As Ashley Tisdale put it in her tribute post: “We’re still looking fabulous.”
The cast looks back. Some of the original cast members recently talked about how much the movie changed their lives.
Zac Efron, who is now 38, said he never thought the movie would still matter to people two decades later. Vanessa Hudgens also posted a carousel of behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram, telling fans she can’t believe it’s been 20 years and that “we’ll always be in this together.”
A reunion at the studio. While there wasn’t a big televised special, a few Wildcats did reunite in person. Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, and Monique Coleman met up at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to celebrate.
She’s So Fabulous! Ashley shared the moment on her Instagram Stories, posting a photo of the three of them with the caption “Reunited.” She even brought her 4-year-old daughter, Jupiter, who wore a hot pink dress and posed in Sharpay’s famous pink golf cart. Ashley joked that her daughter was “upstaging” her. She even tried on her old graduation cap from the third movie and confirmed it still fits.
Music and “Bop to the Top” vibes, Disney Music is leaning heavily into the soundtrack that defined a generation. On their Instagram, they’ve been sharing clips of the most iconic musical numbers, including “Breaking Free” and “Bop to the Top.”
Here is what’s happening on the music side:
- The Soundtrack Experience: Disney Music Group posted that they are “re-living the iconic soundtrack” with fans, encouraging people to stream the 20th-anniversary playlist, which includes rare instrumentals and “sing-along” versions.
- Spotify Easter Egg: If you play the soundtrack on Spotify right now, there’s a special anniversary feature where you can see throwback photos from 2006 while the songs play.
- Vinyl and Collectibles: Disney Music Emporium is highlighting the anniversary with commemorative vinyl releases. There’s also a new “Sharpay Evans” limited-edition doll that comes with her own microphone and a “Bop to the Top” stage outfit.
New ways to celebrate. The anniversary isn’t just about music; there’s plenty of new gear for fans who want to rep East High. The official Disney Channel Instagram posted the original 2006 TV trailer, which had fans in the comments losing it over the “old Disney announcer” voice. Disney released a collection that includes East High Crocs (complete with pom-poms on the straps), “Bolton” basketball jerseys, and a limited Troy and Gabriella doll set.
From now through March, Disney+ has a dedicated “High School Musical” channel with all the movies and the HSMTMTS series.
