Former Child Star Genevieve Hannelius Reveals Her Ultimate Disney Channel Memory with Her ‘Idol’ Miley Cyrus (Exclusive)

• Genevieve Hannelius was on just about every Disney Channel series you could think of in the 2010s
• Despite being best known for Dog with a Blog and Good Luck Charlie, she says it’s actually her first bit part on Hannah Montana that stands out from the rest
• In an exclusive chat with PEOPLE, she opens up about some of those memories

Genevieve Hannelius will always be grateful for the opportunity to star in several Disney Channel shows — from Good Luck Charlie and Jessie to, of course, Dog with a Blog. But there’s one show that stands out above the rest.

“One of my favorite memories is actually when I was on Hannah Montana. I only had two lines, but Miley Cyrus was — and still is — my idol,” Hannelius, 26, tells PEOPLE exclusively over Zoom. “Just having the chance to be on that show was incredible. It was nearing the end of its run, so it felt like a now-or-never moment.”

“Getting to meet her and be part of that show, even just for a scene, was honestly the best day of my life,” adds the actress, who grew up as a massive Disney fan.

Hannelius began her Disney journey in 2009, around the age of 10, with a guest appearance on Hannah Montana as a fan named Tiffany. Before her time on the Disney Channel, she made her acting debut in the ABC sitcom Surviving Suburbia, starring Bob Saget.

She first came to Los Angeles from her home state of Maine at just 8 years old during pilot season — a time when studios pitch new shows to networks. What was supposed to be a three-month trip quickly turned into something much more permanent.

“I ended up doing this commercial that a Disney executive saw,” she recalls. “They reached out to I think to my mom or my agent at the time and said they wanted to bring me in for an audition. So we went to this studio in Burbank, up to the top floor, and I did a general audition for Disney. There was a table of executives. I think I did a scene, and then they had me sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ ”

“After that, you don’t really know what’s going to happen — you just wait and hope,” she adds.

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Luckily for Hannelius, that hope quickly turned into opportunity. From there, she says, Disney directors basically put her on every single show that was on Disney at the time.

Looking back, she credits her parents for making it all possible.

“My parents were so supportive, and you really need that to be able to do something like this. They sacrificed so much to bring me out here,” she says. “I’m an only child, so I think that made it a little easier for my mom to make the move. She drove me to every audition, every set. And when my dad was able to come out to L.A. and be with us full-time, he did — even though he was still working back in Maine.”

“I couldn’t have done it without them — obviously. I was a minor, I couldn’t drive,” she adds with a smile. “They really made it all happen.”

Over the years, Hannelius shared brief but meaningful moments with several fellow Disney stars — memories she still treasures.

“Miley was so sweet to me,” she says. “You don’t always remember exactly what people say, but you remember how they made you feel and she made me feel special. I only had one scene, but she was so nice. I remember going to a premiere she was at, I think it might’ve been the Hannah Montana movie — and she recognized me and said ‘hi.’ That made such an impact on me.”

“It’s those little moments that stick with you,” she continues. “Now, when someone comes up to me, I think about that — I just want to make them feel special too.”

She also recalls a sweet bond with with cast of Good Luck Charlie, including Bridgit Mendler, and a friendship with Sonny with a Chance star Demi Lovato, who showed her kindness and mentorship behind the scenes.

“Demi was always so nice to me,” she says. “I remember texting her on my little BlackBerry. We had this sweet, older-sister, younger-sister kind of bond. She was really fun, very sweet, and protective of me as well.”

“I feel lucky to have had so many amazing women inspire me,” she adds.