Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Is A Throwback To The Early 2000s

Oh, the early 2000s. Sparkly scarves, skinny jeans and Disney stars taking over the world. Nothing like watching Hannah Montana sing “The Best of Both Worlds” in 2026. The 2006 version of me was truly exploding with joy. Miley Cyrus set out to release a Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. It came out on Tuesday, March 24 on Disney+, with many Gen Z and Millennial fans tuning in to relive a simpler time. 

Cyrus began by walking into the reconstructed Hannah Montana set and reminiscing, and getting noticeably emotional. 

Alex Cooper, host of Call Her Daddy, hosted the interview portion, with stars Selena Gomez, Chappell Roan, Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus popping in for chats with Miley throughout the special. Mitchel Musso and Emily Osment were noticeably missing and weren’t able to do the taping –– two actors who famously played Cyrus’ best friends on the original show. 

Disney Channel‘s former president Gary Marsh popped by for a chat with Miley, revealing how the initial audition process had gone. He said in an email, “Is she a risk? Unquestionably. Is she a potential star? Absolutely.” 

While Miley chatted with Gomez, they reflected on the length of their friendship and growing up together. Gomez said, “You created culture, babe.” Miley responded, “You too”. The pop singer chatted to Roan, who said, “You walked so I could run.” An emotional moment with two strong female pop stars. 

Cyrus dropped some hot gossip throughout the special. She revealed she “secretly” dated Dylan Sprouse, a Disney child actor on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. “Dylan was my crush,” she said. “Their dad would take us to sushi. I was into the whole culture, and it was a two-for-one. Like, bring the brother. Hello!” 

Some other hot gossip was about her relationship with the Jonas Brothers. Cyrus talked about how the trio were added to her 2007 “Best of Both Worlds” tour, saying, “I’d be like, ‘Okay, well, I’ll go on tour if my boyfriend can come,’ and they were like, ‘Cute, have your boyfriend open for the show.’ Boom.”

One of my personal favorite parts of the special was when Cyrus showed off her closet to the various assembled stars. It isn’t just any closet. It has a revolving function for all of the clothes hanging up as well as an elaborate shoe display that mechanically moved forward and backward. Cyrus also showed her mother Tish some of her favorite Hannah/Miley moments. Some pieces that stood out were the orange, strapless top adorned with gold lettering, a skirt worn in Hannah Montana: The Movie and a light-pink cropped cardigan, one of Hannah’s signature pieces. 

Other notable moments included Cyrus mentioning how she used to go to Panda Express to get white rice and diet coke, which she would eat together –– a culinary act which made headlines following the premiere of the reunion… funnily enough. Cyrus also sang more top hits from the series and spin-off movies, including “This Is The Life,” “The Climb” and “Younger You.” 

“The Climb” was a stunning performance that made me sob on my couch. The lyrics: “I can almost see it, that dream I’m dreaming / But there’s a voice inside my head saying, ‘You’ll never reach it.’” They resonated with me as an older Gen Z from watching Hannah Montana growing up till now being 26 and working my dream at a magazine with my best friends. 

The special ended with Miley doing her iconic wave and kiss through a window of the set house, and a rendition of  “Younger You,” which felt like a tribute to her younger self.  

Check more reviews that feels like an annual reunion:
Visualize Analog Freedom and Recklessness with The Best Summer
Film Review: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple