Disney fans enjoyed the best of both worlds with Miley Cyrus returning as Hannah Montana during a very special performance.
There is an entire generation of folks who remember Miley’s rise to superstar status as a Disney Channel darling.
It’s been 18 years since Miley first debuted her alter ego, Hannah Montana – and fans were delighted to see her bring Hannah out of retirement for a very special reason.
Miley Cyrus Resurrects Hannah Montana For Disney Legends Ceremony
Every year, the House of Mouse celebrates a collection of creative contributors to their enduring brand. Over the past decade or so, the ceremony honoring the new Disney Legend inductees has been held at the D23 Expo.
It’s like Comic-Con, but for just Disney stuff!
This year, Miley Cyrus is among the 14 actors, musicians, entertainers, and more being honored at the event. It’s poised to be the highlight of the expo, closing out the event on Sunday, Aug. 11.
Details of the event were kept very hush-hush; all that’s known for sure is who will be inducted and that the event will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest.
However, musical guests who have been named Disney Legends in the past have performed before receiving their honor. For example, when Christina Aguilera was inducted in 2019, she performed Reflections from the movie Mulan.
And in 2011, Paige O’Hara, Lea Salonga, Anika Noni Rose and Jodi Bensen – the voice actresses behind Disney Princesses Belle, Jasmine, Tiana, and Ariel – all performed together after being inducted as Legends.
So, it wasn’t inconceivable that Miley would perform during her Legends performance.
The real question was – what would she sing?
Miley Cyrus Performs ‘The Best Of Both Worlds’ At Disney Legends Show?
Perhaps the most iconic and beloved song from Miley’s time as Hannah Montana is “The Climb”. From the Hannah Montana movie soundtrack, it’s a song Miley herself has enjoyed performing on every tour since she retired the blonde wig.
But Miley decided to throw it all the way back to Hannah’s roots and perform the theme song to the Hannah Montana show, “Best of Both Worlds“.
Miley Cyrus singing and doing the choreo of the “Best Of Both Worlds” ???? pic.twitter.com/uI6WChBHGP
— MileyUpdates | Fan Account (@MileyUpdates) August 12, 2024
Except she didn’t perform it, exactly. See, initially, the rumor was that Miley would throw on the wig one more time and bust out the jam on stage. But instead, Lainey Wilson performed “The Best of Both Worlds” while Miley watched on from her sear in the front row!
However, eagle eyed fans caught the newly crowned Disney Legends not only singing along word for word, but actually busting out the choreography from her seat!
Is it the same? No. Will we take it all the same? YES!
Miley Still Embraces Hannah
“I was Hannah Montana, and I was so proud to be,” Miley shared in her Disney Legends speech, choking up. “I stand here still proud to have been Hannah Montana because she made Miley in so many ways.”
Over the years, when asked about her experience as Disney’s number one superstar, Miley confessed that it was a lot of work, but that she looks back fondly.
In an interview with W magazine, Miley reflected on all the hard work that led her to become the youngest person ever to be given the Disney Legend honor.
“People have 50- or 60-year-long careers, but mine has been close to 20 years, and I’m 31. I have been in the public for more of my life than I haven’t,” she said. However, she still described her Disney years as “a great, safe experience overall.”
“They say that the creative adult is the child who survived. I worked really hard as a child,” she continued.
Indeed she did. Miley also recognized how much of her adult success is tied to her childhood persona. That’s why she so often does callbacks to Hannah on her social media pages.
She even penned the song, “Used To Be Young”, as a tribute to the kid who fought to be the woman she is today.
In the lyrics, Cyrus references how her appearance has changed over the years. “I don’t dress the same / Me and who you say I was yesterday / Have gone our separate ways.”
She also wore a vintage Mickey Mouse t-shirt, another nod that the song ties into her time as Hannah.
On her ABC special, she said wearing the t-shirt underneath her one-of-a-kind custom-made Maison Margiela bodysuit by designer John Galliano gets “the point across of what the song was really about” as it shows the layers of her life and career.
The Other Disney Legends of 2024
The lineup of inductees set to take the stage at the D23 Expo lives up to the legendary title.
They include Indiana Jones and Star Wars star Harrison Ford and Angela Bassett. She became the first performer to receive an Oscar nomination for a Marvel movie for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Other creatives include Haunted Mansion and Freaky Friday actress Jamie Lee Curtis and Avatar filmmaker James Cameron. They also include Muppets performer Frank Oz, ABC talk show personality Kelly Ripa and composer John Williams.