The nostalgia is real! Vanessa Hudgens just paid a visit to one of the most iconic landmarks of our childhood: the hallowed East High in Salt Lake City, Utah—yes, that’s the one from High School Musical! (And High School Musical 2, and High School Musical 3: Senior Year.) The actress’s Instagram followers are—understandably—losing it in the comments of the video she posted at the school (which is actually named Salt Lake High School East).
It would be one thing for Hudgens to visit the school and post a simple photo, but what really made everyone lose it was the fact that she was dancing to one very special song: “Breaking Free,” which the star sang as Gabriella Montez alongside Zac Efron as Troy Bolton in the 2006 film. It’s simply too much to handle! We’re itching to dig out our old soundtracks… Karaoke, anyone?
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And as if that wasn’t enough, Hudgens pulled at fans’ heartstrings with a classic quote from this Disney Channel Original Movie in the caption: “Do you remember in kindergarten how you’d meet a kid and know nothing about them, then 10 seconds later you’re playing like you’re best friends because you didn’t have to be anything but yourself?” she wrote. For anyone less educated on “HSM” lore, this is one of Gabriella’s lines from the first movie, spoken to Troy on the school’s rooftop garden in a total swoon-worthy scene. One commenter finished the quote for her: “Singing with you felt like that.”
Plenty of other quotes flooded the comments amidst the rest of the nostalgia, with fans gushing that the Spring Breakers star is “iconic” and that they’re “crying” because she’s bringing back their childhood. Same. “Honestly what a time, high school musical still that movie,” one follower wrote. Frankly, we couldn’t agree more.
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But one comment in particular took the cake. Hudgens’ co-star from the movie, Bart Johnson, who played Coach Bolton (otherwise known as Troy’s father) wrote: “I saw this and had a PTSD like I couldn’t find my team captains. LETS GO WILDCATS!!” We love it!
Despite the fact that it’s been over a decade and a half since the first “HSM” movie premiered on Disney Channel (I mean, seriously, how is that possible?!) it’s clear the love for the franchise is alive and well. In fact, Hudgens noted in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight that the younger generation has taken a liking to the films. “Kids are still being introduced to it,” she said. “I just heard the other day ‘Gotta Go My Own Way’ is trending on TikTok. It never dies!” Long live Wildcats!
