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 +Performers & Songs featured on The Disney Family Singalong Artist(s) Song(s) 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 MermaidTori 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
Appearances
Kristin Chenoweth Chris Harrison AJ Michalka Nathan Fillion Jaina Lee Ortiz Anthony Anderson Wendi McLendon-Covey Cobie Smulders Jimmy Kimmel Marcella Izaguirre Lionel Richie Robin Roberts Taran Killam Elle Fanning (introduced Ariana Grande) Tracee Ellis Ross (introduced Christina Aguilera) Zac Efron (introduced Kenny Ortega and the casts of High School Musical, Descendants, Zombies, and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) Elizabeth Olsen Sebastian Stan Jeff Goldblum Paul Bettany Anthony Mackie Emily VanCamp Don Cheadle Raven-Symoné Charli D'Amelio
Broadcast The special received 10.3 million viewers during its initial airing, making it the most-watched program of the evening. It also held a 2.6 share of the key demographic of adults 18-49, beating its nearest competitor Young Sheldon.
On April 24, 2020, an encore of the special on Disney Channel (accompanied by an airing of the sing-along version of High School Musical) drew 515,000 viewers.
On April 21, the special was made available for streaming on Disney+, before being removed exactly one year later.
Follow-ups
Volume II On Mother's Day, May 10, 2020, ABC aired a follow-up special, The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II.
Volume II was seen by 5.74 million viewers, with a 1.3 share among viewers 18-49; albeit lower than the initial special, it was still the highest-rated program of the night. The special served as a lead-in for that night's American Idol, which also featured Disney songs as a theme.
Performances +Performers & Songs featured on The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II Artist(s) Song(s) Film The MuppetsSeth Rogen "The Muppet Show Theme" The Muppet Show Billy EichnerSeth RogenWalter Russell IIIDonald Glover "Hakuna Matata" The Lion King Rebel Wilson "Poor Unfortunate Souls" The Little Mermaid Merle DandridgeHeather HeadleyAdam JacobsCaissie LevyKara LindsayKevin MasseyJosh Strickland "You'll Be in My Heart" Tarzan Keke PalmerDancing with the Stars professional dancersLindsay ArnoldAlan BerstenWitney CarsonVal ChmerkovskiyJenna JohnsonSasha FarberEmma Slater "Zero to Hero" Hercules Idina MenzelBen Platt "A Whole New World" Aladdin Halsey "Part of Your World" The Little Mermaid Katy Perry and her poodle, Nugget "Baby Mine" Dumbo Josh Gad and friends "When I Am Older" Frozen II Chloe x HalleAnika Noni Rose(introduced by her godchildren) "Almost There" The Princess and the Frog Jennifer HudsonJohn Legend "Beauty and the Beast" Beauty and the Beast Shakira "Try Everything" Zootopia MiguelChristina AguileraMariachi Divas de Cindy Shea "Remember Me" Coco Derek HoughHayley ErbertJulianne Hough "Step in Time""Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" Mary Poppins Sabrina CarpenterLang Lang "Your Mother and Mine" Peter Pan
Appearances
Kermit the Frog Miss Piggy The Muppets Tituss Burgess Chris Harrison Charlie Day Dan Orlovsky Edward James Olmos Gordon Ramsay Jason Schwartzman Jimmy Kimmel Katie Stevens Lionel Richie Michael Eaves Michael Strahan Morgan Freeman Nathan Fillion Robin Roberts RZA
The Disney Holiday Singalong
On November 30, 2020, ABC aired a third, Christmas-themed edition of the special, The Disney Holiday Singalong, as a lead-in for ABC's CMA Country Christmas special. The special was seen by 5.73 million total viewers, with a 1.3 share among viewers 18-49.
Performances +Performers & Songs featured on The Disney Holiday Singalong Artist(s) Song(s) Michael Bublé, Luisana Lopilato and their family "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" Chloe x Halle "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" (Frozen) BTS "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert "Jingle Bells" Pink and Willow Sage Hart "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" Ciara, Future and Sienna "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"Disney Theatrical Group casts Frozen North American tour castCaroline BowmanAisha JacksonTracee BeazerAustin ColbyNicholas EdwardsNina LaFargaAdam PerryJohn RiddleAnn Sanders The Lion King Broadway castLindiwe DlaminiBongi DumaBen JeffreyKyle MitchellNteliseng NkhelaL. Steven TaylorNicholas Ward Aladdin Broadway castOlivia DonaldsonApril HollowayTelly LeungIsabelle McCallaPaul HeeSang MillerAmber OwensDennis Stowe "Finale: Let It Go (reprise)" (Frozen) DCappella "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (no on-screen lyrics)"Deck the Halls" (no on-screen lyrics) Julianne Hough "Whistle While You Work" (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) and "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" Kerry Washington "Joy to the World" Leslie Odom Jr. "What's This?" (The Nightmare Before Christmas) Katy Perry "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Cozy Little Christmas" Adam Lambert "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Andrea Bocelli "Silent Night" (no on-screen lyrics)
Appearances Kermit the Frog Miss Piggy Robin Roberts
Notes
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