The Disney Family Singalong is a series of American music television specials that were broadcast by ABC in 2020. First aired on April 16, 2020, and all hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the specials featured performances of songs from Disney films by musicians and other celebrity guests from their respective homes. The performances featured on-screen karaoke lyrics, encouraging viewers to sing along.
The first special was seen by 10.3 million viewers. A second special—The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II—was aired on May 10, 2020, which was seen by 5.74 million viewers. This was followed by a Christmas-themed edition, The Disney Holiday Singalong, on November 30. The specials gained a spin-off in November 2021, The Queen Family Singalong, featuring similar performances of songs by British rock band Queen. Another spin-off titled Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong aired on February 1, 2023, featuring similar performances of songs from Schoolhouse Rock!
Production
Produced by Done and Dusted, the special was first announced on April 10, 2020, for a premiere on April 16. It was produced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, and as part of impact on television. The special would include public service announcements highlighting Feeding America's COVID-19 response, featuring various Walt Disney Television talent.
Kenny Ortega organized a cast reunion of High School Musical for the special, with a performance of "We're All In This Together". Ortega noted that the song had experienced a resurgence in popularity amid the pandemic (including videos of medical workers and others singing the song in support of their responses), explaining that "I can’t imagine that Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil, who wrote this song, had any idea that it would have the legs and perhaps mean more now than when we first did it." The performance featured cast members from the film, as well as Raven-Symoné, and cast members from fellow Disney Channel films Descendants and Zombies, and the film's Disney+ spin-off High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Zac Efron was unable to participate, but made a special guest appearance to introduce the performance.
Performances
{ | class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |+Performers & Songs featured on The Disney Family Singalong |- ! scope="col"| Artist(s) ! scope="col"| Song(s) ! scope="col"| Film |- |- | Derek HoughHayley ErbertJulianne Hough | "Be Our Guest" | Beauty and the Beast |- | Josh Groban and friends | "You've Got a Friend in Me" | Toy Story |- | Little Big Town and their respective children | "A Spoonful of Sugar" | Mary Poppins |- | Auliʻi Cravalho | "How Far I'll Go" | Moana |- | Beyoncé | "When You Wish Upon a Star" | Pinocchio |- | Amber Riley(introduced by her niece) | "Let It Go" | Frozen |- | Darren Criss | "I Wan'na Be Like You" | The Jungle Book |- | James Monroe IglehartThe cast of Aladdin | "Friend Like Me" | Aladdin |- | Ariana Grande | "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" | Hercules |- | Bobby BonesCarrie Ann InabaErin AndrewsMarcus Scribner | "The Bare Necessities" | The Jungle Book |- | Josh GadLuke EvansAlan Menken | "Gaston" | Beauty and the Beast |- | Donny Osmond and his grandchildren | "I'll Make a Man Out of You" | Mulan |- | Christina Aguilera | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" | The Lion King |- | Jordan Fisher and friends | "Under the Sea" | The Little Mermaid |- |Tori Kelly |"Colors of the Wind" |Pocahontas |- | John StamosCaitlin McHughBilly Stamos and friends | "It's a Small World" | Disneyland |- | Thomas Rhett and daughters | "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" | Frozen |- | Kenny OrtegaRaven-SymonéCharli D'AmelioThe cast of High School MusicalVanessa HudgensAshley TisdaleMonique ColemanLucas GrabeelCorbin BleuKaycee StrohThe cast of DescendantsSofia CarsonDove CameronSarah JefferyBooboo StewartThe cast of ZombiesMilo ManheimMeg DonnellyThe cast of High School Musical: The Musical: The SeriesOlivia RodrigoJoshua BassettMatt CornettSofia WylieLarry SapersteinJulia LesterDara ReneéFrankie RodriguezJoe Serafini | "We're All In This Together" | High School Musical |- | Michael BubléDemi Lovato | "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" | Cinderella |- | Various | Thank You (sung to the tune of Heigh-Ho) | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs |- |}