Though the gates to Disneyland may be closed, the nostalgia that comes along with it sure is not. Through director Hamish Hamilton’s “Disney Family Singalong,” icons from the childhood of every family member made an appearance on screen.

Those featured include people we haven’t thought about since the 2000s- stars from the cast of “Glee” like Amber Riley who played the character Mercedes Jones and Darren Criss who played Blane. Donny Ozman broke out in a rendition of “I’ll Make a Man out of You.” But alongside these cross-generational characters, stars who spend lots of time in the public eye, like Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, chime in with their living-room shows. 

Since COVID-19 has everyone – including household names- stuck in their homes, Disney brought together these creative talents to produce 52 minutes of nostalgia. All performances were produced from their own homes. It’s always interesting to see the background of a teacher’s home on “Zoom” calls, but seeing the multi-million dollar kitchens and living rooms of Disney star’s homes gives us more than a character to connect to.

 Seeing Jordan Fisher from “All the Boys I’ve Loved Before 2” sing “Under the Sea” with his painted nails and a multitude of kids surrounding him proves why we all idolized him growing up. Disney gave these stars freedom in presenting their favorite ballads. Some incorporated the original movie, some lip-sank, some sung a cover and some let their kids and grandkids sing their hearts out. But no matter the special effects, the videos were all heartfelt and genuine. 

 The second-to-last production was the one we all needed. After years of begging, we finally got a “Highschool Musical” reunion. What began with the core members of the cast, broke out into a rendition of the childhood anthem: “We’re All in This Together.” But after the first couple of bars, the cast of “High School Musical The Musical: The Series” joined in on singing. Following that, stars from all dimensions of social media appeared. Tik Tok stars, Country stars and Pop-culture icons all came together on one screen. It was beyond a reunion: it was iconic. 

To end the roller-coaster-of-emotions, they closed it off with a thank you. In a tear-jerking finale, the stars sent in thank you videos to all of the essential workers. Thanking nurses, doctors, truck drivers, grocery workers and everything in between. These 52 minutes provided an escape from our living rooms and down a trip of memory lane. They managed to pull together the most iconic reunion and play on all heartstrings. Disney is a corporation based on creating nostalgia- and during these times. we all needed a reminder of how happy life can be.