Disney Channel Versus Nickelodeon

By Jordan Crayton

If you ask any kid born between the late 90s and early 2000s, there’s one question that is sure to draw up some controversy: Disney or Nick? Disney Channel and Nickelodeon were the pillars of our childhood, and have given us movies, music, shows, and endless memories we’ll never forget. But, one network obviously reigns supreme, and I’m here to figure out which one it is. I’ve created five different categories to evaluate and determine a winner for each.

Movies

Winner: Disney

There’s no denying that Disney Channel Original Movies, also known as DCOMs, are iconic. There is no shortage of DCOMs, and they set the bar high with classics like Cadet Kelly, trilogies like High School Musical, and newcomers like Adventures and Babysitting. Although Nickelodeon does have some gems, like Rags, there aren’t enough to compete with Disney. The endless songs and one-liners cement Disney Channel as the winner of this category.

Music

Winner: Nick

Music is such a hard category to judge because both have some bops. However, there’s something about Nickelodeon’s music that just hits different. Shows like Big Time Rush, Victorious, and the short-lived, yet extremely underrated, How to Rock were pushing out bangers every episode and kept us singing all the way to adulthood. While Disney admittedly has some pretty great songs, sometimes there were misses, mostly with the people they tried to force into making music. Nickelodeon had it on lock in the music industry, helping it win this round.

Shows

Winner: Nick

The TV shows were the real reason we came to watch Nick and Disney and was also the hardest category for picking a winner. Ultimately, Nickelodeon feels like the right pick. The comedies still holds up today, and we’re finally able to understand some of the lines and scenes. While Disney shows focused more on teaching us lessons (which is still a good thing), Nickelodeon did that and so much more. Nickelodeon shows were the right amount of cringe, humor, fun, and never took itself too seriously.

Cartoons

Winner: Nick

Nickelodeon feels like the obvious choice for cartoons. Disney was more of a live-action channel, even though they did have Kim Possible and Lilo and Stitch and The Proud Family. Programs like Spongebob Squarepants, Fairly Odd Parents, and Jimmy Neutron are just too iconic. Spongebob especially is a favorite for our generation, and it feels wrong to have something else win this one.

Overall Nostalgia

Winner: Disney

Disney Channel as a whole is nostalgic. When I think of 2000s nostalgia, Disney is the first thing that comes to mind. Forget the shows and music, because Disney was so much more than that. They aired things like The Time I (TTI), Pass the Plate, the Disney Channel Games, and Disney 365 to keep us entertained throughout the commercials. There were also so many toys and games that added to this. Disney Channel was truly an encompassing experience and they really thought of everything.

Overall Winner: Nick

While I considered myself a Disney kid growing up, I can now appreciate how great Nickelodeon is. The content has aged so well, and they have made so many good things over the years. This is all due to the hard work of people like Dan Schneider and Butch Hartman who oversaw the production of many classic Nick shows. That being said, both Disney and Nickelodeon were pillars of our childhood and their shows and content have really made us into the people we are today.