From First Favourites to Lasting Fandom: Disney’s Kids and Family Strategy
Children grow up quickly, and their interests change with them. A character they love at four may be very different from the hero they follow at twelve. For content creators, this raises an important question: how do you create stories that stay meaningful as audiences grow? Disney’s kids and family strategy offers an interesting way to look at this. Disney builds content for different age groups, from preschoolers to teens and families, while also finding new ways to bring familiar characters and worlds to new audiences. At MIPCOM 2026, Disney Kids & Family will explore this approach in its upcoming session, From First Favourites to Lasting Fandom: Disney’s Approach to Kids & Family Franchises. Ahead of the session, here are a few ideas creators can learn from Disney’s approach to building lasting kids and family franchises.
How Disney Kids & Family Builds Stories That Last
Disney Kids & Family creates content for a wide range of audiences. Its portfolio includes preschool shows, children’s animation, live-action series, movies and digital content for older kids, teens and families. This wide range is an important part of how Disney builds lasting fandom. Instead of creating content for just one stage of childhood, Disney offers stories and franchises that can connect with audiences at different ages. For example, a young child may first discover Disney through a preschool show on Disney Jr. As they get older, they may move towards animated series, live-action movies, or teen-focused franchises. Familiar Disney characters and worlds can also be introduced in new formats to reach younger or newer audiences. This is where a strong kids and family content strategy can make a difference. The goal is not simply to create a successful show. It is to create characters, stories and worlds that audiences can continue discovering over time.
Starting Early: How Preschool Content Becomes a Child’s First Favorite
For many children, entertainment begins with a simple story and a memorable character. This makes preschool content an important starting point for long-term fandom. Disney Jr. has a strong presence in this space with shows such as Bluey, Spidey and his Amazing Friends, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ and SuperKitties. These preschool animated series combine simple stories, familiar characters, humour, music and learning to engage young viewers. Its preschool approach also draws on educational expertise around play and child development. For a children’s animation franchise, creating a memorable first connection can help turn a favourite character into a lasting relationship with the wider world.
Growing With the Audience: A Kids & Family Content Strategy
Children grow, and their entertainment preferences change with them. A strong kids and family content strategy should consider how a property can stay relevant from childhood through the tween and teen years. Disney has developed content for older audiences through franchises such as Descendants, Camp Rock, ZOMBIES and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Franchises like High School Musical also extended their appeal through characters, music and stories beyond the original films. This is an important part of how Disney builds lasting fandom. As audiences grow, stories and characters can evolve with them. For a children’s animation franchise, planning this potential from the start can create more opportunities for long-term audience engagement.
How Disney Expands Kids Franchises Across Formats and Age Groups
A successful franchise does not always need a completely new story to reach a new audience. Sometimes, the opportunity lies in presenting a familiar world in a different way. This is another part of how Disney builds lasting fandom. Disney has been bringing established properties into new formats and age groups. Cars: Lightning Racers gives younger viewers a new way to experience the Cars universe, while Marvel’s Avengers: Mightiest Friends creates a preschool-friendly take on familiar Marvel heroes.
Short-form content also provides another way to keep audiences connected with established worlds. Digital videos and short-form series can offer quick, easy-to-watch experiences that work alongside longer shows and movies. The idea is simple: give audiences another way to enter a world they already know. For a children’s animation franchise, this can help keep characters relevant while also introducing them to new viewers. The format may change, but the core appeal of the characters and world can remain.
Original Kids IP: Building Characters, Worlds and Stories That Last
Established franchises are only one part of the picture. The next major children’s franchise has to come from somewhere, and that makes original children’s content an important part of the industry. Disney’s recent development slate includes projects connected to properties such as Messi and the Giants, Warrior Cats and Kingdom Hearts. These projects show how established entertainment companies can work with different creative worlds, creators and partners to develop new content. For creators, the lesson is not simply to look for the next big franchise. It is to understand what makes an idea strong enough to build on. A good children’s property needs more than an interesting visual style. It needs memorable characters, a clear world and a story concept that can give audiences a reason to return. That is especially important when developing kids’ entertainment IP that may eventually extend into multiple episodes, seasons, formats or markets.
What to Watch at Disney’s MIPCOM 2026 Session
The Disney session will take place during MIPJUNIOR in Cannes and will explore Disney’s approach to building lasting kids and family franchises. Titled From First Favourites to Lasting Fandom: Disney’s Approach to Kids & Family Franchises, the session is scheduled for Sunday, 11 October, from 12:00 to 12:30 at the Debussy Theatre. The panel will feature Ayo Davis, President, Disney Kids & Family; Alyssa Sapire, Head of Disney Jr. Original Programming & Strategy; Charlie Andrews, Executive Vice President, Live Action, Disney Kids & Family; Zack Olin, Senior Vice President, Development & Current Series, Disney Television Animation; and Gino Guzzardo, Vice President, Multiplatform Content, Disney Kids & Family, with Emily Horgan, Director, The Kids StreamerSphere, as moderator. For delegates attending MIPCOM Cannes 2026, three areas are particularly worth watching: how Disney moves audiences from preschool content to programming for older children, teens and families; how established franchises are introduced to new audiences through different formats, stories and platforms; and how original ideas and creative partnerships can contribute to developing the next generation of kids and family properties. As this is a session preview, these should be viewed as areas to watch rather than confirmed topics of discussion.
What Animation Studios and Creators Can Learn from This
The Disney approach also offers useful lessons for independent studios and creators developing original kids IP, including studios such as Prayan Animation Studio. A children’s story should work for its intended age group, but creators can also think about how its characters and world could develop as the audience grows over time. It is also useful to plan for more than one format from the early stages of development. A story may begin as an animated series, but it could also have opportunities to expand into shorts, books, games, specials or other forms of content. Thinking about these possibilities early can help create a stronger and more adaptable property. Just as importantly, creators can focus on building worlds rather than individual stories. A memorable character is a strong starting point, but a well-developed world gives that character somewhere to go and creates opportunities for more stories, new characters and different types of content. You do not need Disney’s scale to think about audience growth, format flexibility or the long-term potential of original kids’ content.
Building Kids IP That Grows With Its Audience
Disney’s kids and family strategy shows that lasting fandom is built over time. From a child’s first preschool favourite to stories that continue to engage older audiences, strong franchises give characters and worlds room to evolve. For creators developing original kids IP, the opportunity is to think beyond the first episode and build properties with memorable characters, flexible formats and worlds that can support new stories. For Prayan Animation Studio, this approach highlights the value of developing children’s content with long-term creative and franchise potential in mind.
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