Disney Channel is doing it again. Just when you thought the Baxter family saga had reached its natural conclusion with the series finale of Raven’s Home in 2024, the House of Mouse decided to pivot. We aren't getting another season of Raven Baxter navigating San Francisco or Chicago. Instead, the upcoming Raven’s Home spin off, officially titled Alice in the Palace, is shifting the lens entirely. It's a bold move. Honestly, it's the kind of move that either cements a franchise's legacy or makes fans wonder if we’ve reached peak nostalgia bait.
The news broke back in May 2024. Deadline and Variety confirmed that Disney Branded Television had ordered a pilot for a new series centered on Alice Baxter. You remember Alice. She’s Raven’s youngest cousin, the daughter of Ronnie, who moved in during the fifth season. Played by Mykal-Michelle Harris, Alice became a breakout star almost instantly. She’s got that high-energy, comedic timing that feels like a direct descendant of Raven-Symoné’s iconic physical comedy from the early 2000s.
But this isn't just a continuation. It’s a total reimagining of the setting.
What Exactly is Alice in the Palace?
The premise is straightforward but different. Alice heads to England. Specifically, she’s spending the summer at Buckingham Palace with her cousin Alice—no, not herself, but a royal relative. Look, the Disney naming conventions can get a little messy, but the core of the Raven’s Home spin off is about a "normal" American kid trying to navigate the rigid, stiff-upper-lip world of British royalty.
Think The Princess Diaries meets That’s So Raven.
The pilot is being helmed by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas. These are the same guys who developed Raven’s Home, so the DNA of the show remains intact. They know the rhythm of a multi-cam sitcom. They know how to write for Mykal-Michelle Harris. Most importantly, Raven-Symoné isn't just walking away. She is heavily involved as an executive producer through her Low Profile production banner. While she isn't the lead, her fingerprints are all over the creative direction.
The Reality of Why Raven's Home Ended
You’ve probably wondered why they didn't just go for Season 7. Raven's Home was a massive hit for Disney Channel. It bridged the gap between the millennials who grew up with That's So Raven and Gen Alpha. However, the show had already gone through a major soft reboot in Season 5. They moved the setting from Chicago back to San Francisco. They brought back Rondell Sheridan as Victor Baxter. It felt like a homecoming.
By the end of Season 6, the story felt finished.
Disney is currently in a phase of "franchise management." They saw what happened with Girl Meets World. They saw the success of the Wizards of Waverly Place revival, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. The strategy now is to take a singular, high-performing character and build a smaller, more focused world around them rather than dragging out a massive ensemble cast for a decade. The Raven’s Home spin off is the logical next step in that corporate strategy. It keeps the IP alive while lowering production costs and refreshing the aesthetic.
Breaking Down the Cast and Characters
So, who is actually in this thing?
- Mykal-Michelle Harris as Alice Baxter: She is the undisputed lead. Her character is known for being hyper-intelligent, slightly manipulative in a cute way, and fiercely independent.
- Raven-Symoné: Expect cameos. She is the anchor. Even if she isn't in every episode, her presence as the "cool older cousin" or mentor figure is expected to be a recurring element to keep the legacy fans tuned in.
- The Royal Ensemble: Casting calls for the pilot suggested a host of new British characters, including stuffy stewards and rebellious royal teenagers.
It's a fish-out-of-water story. Alice has always been the smartest person in the room in San Francisco. Seeing her struggle with royal etiquette is where the comedy lives. It’s a classic trope, but it works for the Disney demographic.
The Production Timeline and What to Expect
The pilot was filmed throughout late 2024. In the world of cable television, the gap between a pilot order and a series greenlight can be agonizingly slow. However, given the branding, industry insiders expect Alice in the Palace to hit Disney Channel and Disney+ by late 2025 or early 2026.
The shift to London isn't just a plot point. It’s a visual reset. Raven's Home was very much a "city show." It was colorful, loud, and cramped. Moving to a "palace" allows for a grander scale. It gives the cinematographers more to work with. Plus, let's be real: British accents and royal tea parties are catnip for younger viewers.
Why This Spin Off Matters for Disney’s Future
We have to talk about the "Raven-Verse." Yes, people are actually calling it that now. Between the original four seasons of That's So Raven, the short-lived Cory in the House, and the six seasons of Raven's Home, this is one of the longest-running live-action continuities in children's television history.
By launching the Raven’s Home spin off, Disney is testing whether the brand can survive without Raven-Symoné as the primary protagonist. It’s a huge risk. The entire franchise has been built on her back since 2003. If Alice can carry a show on her own, it opens the door for even more expansions. Could we see a Booker-led series down the line? Maybe a return to the White House?
The stakes are higher than they look for a kids' sitcom.
Addressing the Skepticism
Not everyone is thrilled. If you look at Reddit or Twitter (X), there’s a segment of the fanbase that feels Raven’s Home was cut short. People wanted to see more of Nia and Booker's transition into adulthood. There’s a feeling that by jumping to Alice, the show is "de-aging" its audience again.
That’s a fair critique. Raven’s Home had started to tackle some slightly more mature themes for a Disney show—peer pressure, social justice, and the complexities of blended families. Alice in the Palace looks like it might return to a more whimsical, slapstick tone.
But here’s the thing: Disney Channel knows its numbers. The data likely shows that the younger segments of the audience connected most with Alice. She was the "memeable" character. In an era of TikTok and short-form content, her expressive face and quick quips are gold.
Real-World Influence: The Success of Mykal-Michelle Harris
You can't talk about this show without acknowledging the talent of Harris. Before the Raven’s Home spin off was even a conversation, she was making waves in Mixed-ish and Big Little Lies. She isn't just a "child actor." She’s a professional with a massive following.
Her ability to carry a scene is what convinced Disney to gamble on this. Usually, spin-offs happen when a show is dying. In this case, the spin-off is happening because a specific star is rising too fast to keep in a supporting role.
What Fans Should Do Next
If you’re a fan of the franchise, don’t expect a carbon copy of what came before. This is going to be a different beast. To prepare for the launch, there are a few things you should keep an eye on:
- Watch the Final Episodes of Raven's Home Season 6: There are subtle nods to Alice’s future and her relationship with the broader Baxter family that set the stage for her move.
- Follow the Producers: Keep tabs on Raven-Symoné’s social media. She’s notoriously transparent about her projects and often shares behind-the-scenes glimpses of the sets.
- Check Disney+ Region Updates: Often, these spin-offs get "sneak peek" releases in certain territories before a global rollout.
The Raven’s Home spin off represents a changing of the guard. It’s the end of the "Raven as a Mom" era and the beginning of "The Baxter Legacy" era. Whether it lands or not depends entirely on if the audience is willing to trade the streets of San Francisco for the halls of a palace.
One thing is certain: the Baxter family isn't going anywhere. They are just expanding their empire, one "vision" at a time. The transition from Raven's Home to Alice in the Palace is a pivot toward a more global, polished version of the slapstick comedy we've loved for two decades. It’s a big swing, but if anyone can pull off a royal entrance, it’s a Baxter.
How to stay updated on the latest news:
- Set Google Alerts: Use specific terms like "Alice in the Palace Disney" or "Mykal-Michelle Harris new show" to get news the second a trailer drops.
- Monitor the Disney Branded Television Press Site: This is where official casting calls and series orders are posted before they hit the major news outlets.
- Review the Original Series: Go back and watch the "Alice-heavy" episodes of Raven's Home (specifically Seasons 5 and 6) to understand her character arc before the spin-off begins.