Oh, September! Summer is coming to an end, fall is just around the corner, and a new season of Dancing with the Stars is about to begin. If you’re not a huge DWTS fan like I am (AKA you aren’t a 55-year-old woman trapped in a 20-something’s body) then I seriously suggest you give the show a chance. What’s not to love about total hotties (Val Chmerkovskiy and Sharna Burgess, anyone?) performing amazing dances with celebs you haven’t thought about in years?
It’s always fun to predict who Dancing with the Stars will cast as its next round of celebrities each season. And prime candidates to choose from usually include Disney stars. DWTS has had their fair share of Disney stars over the years and this season Jordan Fisher from Liv & Maddie and Teen Beach Movie is joining DWTS and partnered up with Lindsay Arnold. While we prepare for his debut on September 18, we can’t help but wonder how he’ll size up compared to the Disney stars who have come before him.
Check out all 12 Disney celebs who have performed and how they rank. Let’s just say we’ve most definitely got high hopes for Jordan this season! Perhaps he’ll be the first Disney star to ever get first place on Dancing with the Stars…
12. Billy Ray Cyrus, Season 4, 5th Place
Watch him perform here:
Are you surprised? Billy Ray Cyrus is the oldest person on this list, and more often than not that is one indication of how well a contestant will do. TBH he went decently far for his skill level, so he can’t complain about being last on my list. But as per usual with the men who can’t dance, Karina Smirnoff did an amazing job dancing around him.
11. Jake T. Austin, Season 23, 13th Place
Watch him perform here:
Jake T. Austin from Wizards of Waverly Place was eliminated first, so he didn’t really give us much to work with. But from the two dances he did perform, he was just alright. The only reason he is above Billy Ray is that at least he can actually move. Truthfully, his ranking on this list probably could have improved if he stayed longer, but can’t say I missed him after he was gone.
10. Cody Linley, Season 7, 4th Place
Watch him here:
Aside from the last two people on this list, honestly everyone is pretty good. Those Disney stars, they really have something going for them! Cody Linley stole our hearts as Jake on Hannah Montanna and he stole the public’s hearts on DWTS too. I’m not including one of his dances in this post (I highly recommend checking out his samba on your own time) because this clip of him getting emotional about his partner, Julianne Hough is too good not to share. We appreciate him being in touch with his sensitive side!
9. Monique Coleman, Season 3, 4th Place
Watch her perform here:
We all love a good High School Musical alum and Monique Coleman did not disappoint on DWTS. She came out strong week one and nailed some pretty great dances. And fans were in for a treat when Ashley Tisdale visited her on set (omg)! My personal fave dance is her Mambo because she dances to “Bop to the Top,” and kills it. Don’t mind me reliving my childhood over here!
8. Joey Lawrence, Season 3, 3rd Place
Watch him perform here:
Ah Joey Lawrence! King of the 90’s, one-third of the Lawrence brothers, and the voice of Oliver in Oliver and Company. It’s pretty hard to judge his dances because most of these videos look like they were dug up from some ancient history museum. But from what we can tell, the guy has got some serious moves. Now let’s get another Lawrence brother on an upcoming season please!
7. Kyle Massey, Season 11, 2nd Place
Watch him perform here:
It’s everyone’s favorite annoying little brother from That’s So Raven! Kyle Massey had some rhythm (not surprised) and his infectious energy made him a stand out on on the show. I didn’t watch his season live, but thankfully YouTube exists so I can rewatch whenever my heart desires. He just always looks like he’s having fun, which is what DWTS is all about!
6. Chelsea Kane, Seaso1 12, 3rd Place
Watch her perform here:
Chelsea Kane, from the Disney show Jonas, really improved in her time on DWTS. Comparing her earlier dances to the later ones you can see her confidence grow. And she was part of some iconic Mark Ballas dances (which most of Mark’s dances are in my eyes). I mean this Harry Potter dance is everything! Of course, the judges often criticized Mark’s creativity, what ele is new?
5. Sabrina Bryan, Season 5, 7th Place
Watch her perform here:
Cheetah girl, Sabrina Bryan goes down in DWTS history as being eliminated from the show wayy too soon. This was before my time watching, but even I remember hearing about it. Time and time again, DWTS has a shocking elimination where a deserving star gets sent home over people who are way worse. Is it all for the ratings? Probably. But it still has me asking, who didn’t vote for her?! (She was also on DWTS: All Stars and yet again, went home too soon).
4. Roshon Fegan, Season 14, 6th Place
Watch him perform here:
Another star that went too soon! Roshon Fegan, from Shake it Up, definitely deserved to go farther. Luckily we were still able to get a freestyle from him because pretty much everyone wanted it. I mean — look at this samba, dare I say it’s iconic! I’m currently wishing I could go back in time and vote for him… because that’s how seriously I take this show.
3. Corbin Bleu, Season 17, 2nd Place
Watch him perform here:
Don’t let Corbin Bleu’s number in High School Musical 2, “I Don’t Dance,” fool you, he can dance indeed! HSM clearly came in handy because he killed it on DWTS. I’m partial to his jive to “Kiss You,” (sorry Jake T. Austin, there is no comparison) but pretty much all his dances were great. His partner, Karina, once said he was one of her dream partnerships. Come on, who can blame her?
2. Zendaya, Season 16, 2nd Place
Watch her perform here:
It’s pretty well known in the DWTS world that Zendaya, star of Shake it Up, was robbed of the mirror ball trophy. I mean, she was seriously amazing! And as the youngest star on DWTS to compete at the time, she impressed everyone. While I’m sure she’s moved on from the tragedy of her loss, I certainly haven’t. If the show decides to have another All-Star season, I want her back to claim what is rightfully hers.
1. Riker Lynch, Season 20, 2nd Place
Watch him perform here:
So technically Riker Lynch isn’t a Disney actor but his band, R5 is signed by the Disney Music Group and his brother Ross Lynch starred on Austin and Ally so he’s a Disney musician and therefore a Disney star (not that I had to explain myself…). Either way, he’s earned his spot on this list and that spot just so happens to be number one. Riker and his partner Allison Holker were a perfect match and once again, I feel they were robbed of the mirror ball trophy. I mean LOOK AT THIS DISNEY-THEMED DANCE! I’m sensing a theme here… why has no Disney star ever won?