HSMTMTS Cast Reunites Nearly 1 Year After Finale to Celebrate Dara Reneé and Kylie Cantrall in Descendants

Just as the Wildcats once sang, the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series cast is still “all in this together.”

Almost one year after the hit Disney+ series came to an end, the cast had a sweet reunion in honor of Dara Reneé and Kylie Cantrall’s roles in Descendants: The Rise of Red, in which they play Ursula’s sister Uliana and the Queen of Hearts’ daughter Red, respectively. 

On HSMTMTS, Reneé starred as Kourtney throughout the series, while Cantrall joined the show as a recurring star in the fourth and final season, which notably brought back several High School Musical stars. 

HSMTMTS showrunner Tim Federle captured the sweet reunion on Instagram, which showcased Reneé surrounded by her costars, including Joshua Bassett (Ricky), Julia Lester (Ashlyn), Larry Saperstein (Big Red), Adrian Lyles (Jet), Saylor Curda (Maddox), Joe Serafini (Seb), Frankie A. Rodriguez (Carlos), Liamani Segura (Emmy), Kate Reinders (Miss Jenn) and Mark St. Cyr (Mr. Mazzara). 

“One year (-ish) @highschoolmusicalseries reunion *and* a celebration of @dararenee and @kyliecantrall in DESCENDANTS: RISE OF THE RED on @disneyplus,” Federle captioned the group photo, which also featured a snap of them holding up Reneé’s Barbie doll, adding, “Look ma, they’re Barbie dolls! 🥹🎈❣️❤️♥️🌹” 

Ahead of the premiere of the new Descendants spinoff, Reneé spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about how the HSMTMTS cast has supported each other since their hit series ended. 

“They're definitely very supportive,” Reneé said of her costars. “I would say every single person in that cast is family, and I'm just so proud of all of them. I mean, seeing Olivia [Rodrigo] on tour, anybody with new music, it's truly an impeccable cast.”

She added that even after all this time, the cast has remained incredibly close. “No matter how successful or great they're going to be, which I know is going to be massive, they are still the kindest person, and they have not changed. There's still just that beautiful young teenager inside and out who's playing spicy UNO in a conference room.”

“I really got lucky with that cast,” she continued. “The fact that we're all still so close is really a big part of my life. They're really, really good people and you rarely find that in this industry. I was lucky.” 

During PEOPLE’s set visit for the final season in December 2022, the cast further emphasized their strong bond with one another. 

“It's a uniquely musical theater experience that no matter how short or long the time is, you become a family,” Bassett told PEOPLE. “I'm going to know these people for the rest of my life and some of them will probably be in my wedding.” 

Sofia Wylie (Gina) echoed that same sentiment, calling her costars “the best people” she’s ever met. "I have learned so much from everybody,” she added. 

“The joy that Dara [Reneé] brings every day, the professionalism that Julia [Lester] brings, the humor that Frankie [A. Rodriguez] has, the angel glow that Joe [Serafini] has, Saylor [Bell Curda] is my favorite human being. And of course, Josh [Bassett] brings such a wonderful leadership that I think really has affected the show in such a positive way every single day. I know I will look back at this experience and always remember it to be one of the best times of my life.”

As for whether the cast would ever reunite onscreen for an HSMTMTS spinoff down the road, Reneé is totally down! "I would love to reprise my character. Please shout it from the rooftops. I would love a spinoff," she told PEOPLE, adding that she'd love to see the characters go to college. "I would love that. That would be hilarious. We take on new challenges of being an adult. I'm down."

Descendants: The Rise of Red and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series are currently streaming on Disney+