Spoilers ahead for the Disney Night episode of Dancing With the Stars Season 29 lie ahead!
The most magical night of Dancing With the Stars came to Season 29 when all 14 remaining celebrity dancers hit the dance floor in their Disney best alongside their pro partners. Disney Night is always a highlight of a season of Dancing With the Stars, whether it's due to an act so great that you wind up rooting for an iconic villain, getting the best of the best songs stuck in your head, or calling shenanigans on some celebrity scores. Disney Night in Season 29 went down without the usual roaring crowd, but Dancing With the Stars still brought the Disney magic... and costumes.
And what incredible costumes! Dancing With the Stars dished out dances ranging from live-action Disney characters to unforgettable love stories to anthropomorphic animals strutting their stuff on stage. So, in the spirit of the season, check out a ranking of all the latest costumes. Of course, I couldn't just order them based on the amount of sparkle or swing or flare. Not on Disney Night! These 14 costumes are ranked by their varying levels of Disney magic, whimsy, and spectacle. Take a look!
14. Johnny Weir and Britt Stewart
Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir hit the floor with Britt Stewart and went full Mulan for a rumba to Christina Aguilera's "Reflection," and their dance was great enough to tie them for the top score of the night with 24 out of 30. They were less successful in the costume department. Neither one seemed to be dressed or acting as a character from the movie, and it overall felt like a great dance in some pretty costumes, but not pretty enough to rank among the best on Disney Night.
13. Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem Chigvintsev
Former Bachelorette leading lady Kaitlyn Bristowe and Artem Chigvintsev went for an ocean-themed rumba to the tune of Moana anthem "How Far I'll Go." Kaitlyn continues to be a lovely dancer who was well-paired with Artem, but their costumes didn't scream Moana or even anything particularly aquatic to me. Again, they earned their high score of 23, but no higher than #13 for costumes. That said, I could appreciate Kaitlyn's clear love for Moana!
12. Nelly and Daniella Karagach
The ranking starts to get a bit harder from here. Rapper Nelly and Daniella Karagach were full of soul for their foxtrot to "It's All Right" from the upcoming Disney movie Soul, which is currently scheduled for theatrical release in November 2020, although only time will tell if it gets that theatrical release or goes the way of the live-action Mulan. Their dance was solid enough to score an 18, but they were at a Disney disadvantage since Soul hasn't released yet.
11. Nev Schulman and Jenna Johnson
Nev Schulman and Jenna Johnson embraced their inner buccaneers for an Argentine tango to "Angelica" from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. They looked like they could have strutted off of the set of a Pirates movie to perform a tango and earn a 24 to tie Johnny Weir and Britt Stewart for first. At the end of the day, though, they wore pirate costumes, and pirate costumes don't cut it compared to some of the others.
10. Jesse Metcalfe and Sharna Burgess
Actor Jesse Metcalfe and Sharna Burgess went back to an early '90s movie for "The King of New York" from Newsies, and their jive scored just a 20. Jesse's costume as a newsie couldn't get much simpler, and the cap does most of the work. Sharna's dress, on the other hand, is just delightful. Did one of the few female characters in Newsies wear one just like it? Definitely not, but the whole lower part of the dress is patterned like the pages of a newspaper. Throw in her saddle shoes, and they get some extra points from me.
9. Vernon Davis and Peta Murgatroyd
Former NFL tight end Vernon Davis and Peta Murgatroyd were all hospitality for their quickstep to "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast. Vernon went full-on yellow to play Lumiere the Candlestick, and he is responsible for their ranking at #9. Peta looked lovely, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out who she was supposed to be for part of the number. While I eventually landed on the Featherduster, her look paled in comparison to his and kept them from achieving a better rankng. They earned their solid 22, though!
8. Monica Aldama And Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Cheer star and coach Monica Aldama and Valentin Chmerkovskiy took their Viennese waltz under the sea for "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid, and their score of 21 was solid, if not spectacular. The same can be said for their costumes. Val looked like a perfect live-action Prince Eric, but Eric isn't exactly the Disney prince with the most elaborate look. Monica went for more of an ocean look than an Ariel look, and that's where the costumes fall short. In her defense, dancing a waltz in a mermaid tail couldn't have worked, and this was a respectable substitute.
7. Skai Jackson and Alan Bersten
Disney Channel star Skai Jackson and Alan Bersten kicked off Disney Night with an energetic jive to The Princess and the Frog's "Almost There," and they would be Top 3 for sure if this was a ranking of the most endearing performances. Their score of 18 was on the low end, with the judges calling Skai out for some nerves after her close call with a fall last week, but Skai looked amazing in her Tiana dress adapted for jiving, and Alan gets points for going full green to embrace his inner frog.
6. AJ McLean and Cheryl Burke
Backstreet Boy AJ McLean and Cheryl Burke went to a whole new world for an Aladdin number, but there was no magic carpet ride. They went for the animated version of "Prince Ali," and both dancers were decked out in costumes that definitely felt like dance-appropriate versions of looks from the film. They weren't quite in character -- not least because Jasmine wouldn't be part of this song and I'm not sure Cheryl could have pulled off Genie -- but they both looked their parts and earned their 21.
5. Jeannie Mai and Brandon Armstrong
TV host Jeannie Mai and Brandon Armstrong danced a Viennese waltz to "Married Life" from Up, and it was thankfully a whole lot less heartbreaking on Dancing With the Stars than in the movie. Not only did Jeannie and Brandon wear some pretty perfect costumes, but they went for the full aging process, complete with gray hair and glasses. Jeannie's skirt had amazing flow and swing, and who can argue with their score of 22? Plus, nobody died at the end of the song a la Up, so I personally wasn't in tears for the rest of the episode.
4. Anne Heche and Keo Motsepe
Actress Anne Heche and Keo Motsepe channeled their inner heroes for a quickstep to Hercules' anthem, "Zero to Hero." Anne looked the part much more than I would have guessed, and I honestly would not object to Keo wearing his Hercules costume for the rest of the season, no matter what the dance. It was not a bad look on him. In fact, Anne and Keo would rank higher if not for a misstep that Anne attributed to the dress. Hey, Megara made her share of Herculean missteps herself, right? Anne and Keo were in the bottom two with only 15.
3. Chrishell Stause and Gleb Savchenko
If this was a ranking of celebrity dancers who completely and utterly looked their parts, Chrishell Stause would easily take the #1 spot. As the Cinderella to Gleb Savchenko's dashing Prince Charming, they won a 22 for their waltz to "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes." They even acted the parts to just about perfection. All of this said -- and I really had to split hairs for the Top 3 -- there was nothing too surprising or exciting to go with the romance and whimsy. And they can't all be #1!
2. Justina Machado and Sasha Farber
Actress Justina Machado and Sasha Farber couldn't have looked any more super as Mary Poppins and Bert from 1964's Mary Poppins, dancing a Charleston to -- what else? -- "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Justina was all energy and smiles, and I think her dress is a perfect example of Dancing With the Stars taking an iconic movie outfit and adapting it for dancing without losing the magic. Of course, these outfits didn't need that much adapting, but Justina and Sasha crushed in these costumes, and my only disappointment was that the judges only gave them 19. And this leaves us with...
1. Carole Baskin and Pasha Pashkov
I had no shortage of doubts about Tiger King's controversial Carole Baskin landing a spot on Dancing With the Stars, and her numbers were pretty predictable before her elimination on Disney Night. That said, dubious dance moves aside, who can deny that she and Pasha Pashkov didn't look incredible as lions for "Circle of Life" from The Lion King? Their samba wasn't the best, as proven by their score of 12, but they had killer costumes. From the mane down to the tail, I give them credit for pulling these looks off. Especially to Pasha! Going full feline had to be a new experience for him.
And that concludes Dancing With the Stars' Disney Night for Season 29! You can catch new episodes on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. For some additional viewing options now and in the coming weeks, check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule!
