Addressing a full theater, top executives from Disney Kids & Family took the stage for the highly anticipated panel, ‘From First Favorites to Lasting Fandom: Disney’s Approach to Kids & Family’. The session provided a rare, comprehensive look at how the entertainment giant is overhauling its strategy to meet the demands of a rapidly changing, highly fragmented youth demographic.
The panel gathered the division’s core leadership: Ayo Davis, President of Disney Kids & Family; Alyssa Sapire, Head of Disney Jr. Original Programming and Strategy; Charlie Andrews, Executive Vice President of Live Action; Zack Olin, Senior Vice President of Development and Current Series for Animation; and Gino Guzzardo, Vice President of Multiplatform Content.
Acknowledging the massive disruption in children’s viewing habits, Ayo Davis addressed the reality of modern households, noting that today’s youth consume everything from Bluey to Squid Games. «Change is the new normal,» Davis stated. «We had to step outside of ourselves and actually take a look at how we were approaching our strategy. What did that mean? Looking at how we told stories with our beloved franchises, how we were connecting with our audience around originals, how we were connecting through new formats, and taking a look at how our content actually showed up across our platforms.»
A crucial pillar of this revamped strategy relies on capturing audiences early. Davis highlighted that Alyssa Sapire‘s preschool division often serves as the very first gateway to the Walt Disney Company for young viewers, laying the groundwork for lifelong fandom long before they ever step foot in a theme park.
While legacy properties like Spidey and his Amazing Friends and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse remain foundational, Sapire emphasized the division’s heavy investment in original intellectual property tailored to the developmental needs of preschoolers. She pointed to the breakout success of SuperKitties as a prime example of a modern, scalable franchise. ‘The fandom is real’, Sapire explained, revealing that the company is actively building an entire ecosystem around the IP, including 60-minute specials, shorts, long-form content, and consumer products.
As viewers outgrow preschool animation, the strategic baton is passed to executives like Charlie Andrews and Zack Olin. Andrews explained how live-action development relies heavily on the data and trends spotted by Disney Jr. For instance, knowing that preschoolers resonated deeply with supernatural themes in shows like Vampirina, the live-action team recently launched Coven Academy, a fresh series centering on vampires and witches that has already seen a strong global debut. ‘My job is to take [the preschool] demo’s hand and bring them into live action for the first time’, Andrews noted, explaining that these transitions allow kids to explore familiar themes but with the added emotional complexity and authentic relationships relevant to their age.
This interconnected pipeline—bolstered by Olin‘s animation slate featuring hits like Kiff and upcoming projects like Dragon Striker and Kingdom Hearts, alongside Guzzardo‘s multiplatform and vertical storytelling—demonstrates Disney’s commitment to surrounding its audience with diverse, accessible touchpoints.
As Davis concluded, the ultimate goal across all formats and age groups remains unchanged: treating the audience with a deep sense of care and respect while delivering the wonderment, adventure, and joy that has always defined the brand.
