Kids

Disney Kids & Family will join MIPJUNIOR 2026 as a Presenting Partner, marking the division’s first partnership with the global market and conference for kids and family entertainment. Taking place on October 10-11, MIPJUNIOR will welcome Disney Kids & Family executives to its stage on Sunday, October 11, for a dedicated session examining how Disney is evolving its approach to storytelling for today’s young audiences, from preschoolers and children to teens and families.
The partnership comes as the global kids and family entertainment sector undergoes significant changes in the way young audiences discover, consume and engage with content, creating new challenges and opportunities for producers, platforms and IP owners.

Under the title From First Favorites To Lasting Fandom: Disney’s Approach To Kids & Family Franchises, the session will take place on Sunday, October 11, from 12:00 to 12:30. Drawing on Disney’s decades of experience developing some of the world’s most enduring kids and family properties, the panel will explore how the company creates stories and characters that resonate with today’s audiences and build long-term fandom.

The discussion will examine how Disney continues to find new approaches to established worlds through different storytelling techniques and formats, while also working with creative partners to develop original ideas with the potential to become the next generation of major franchises.

The panel will feature Ayo Davis, President, Disney Kids & Family; Alyssa Sapire, Head of Disney Jr. Original Programming & Strategy, Disney Kids & Family; 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. The session will be moderated by Emily Horgan, Director, The Kids StreamerSphere. The showcase will be followed at 12:30 by a Disney Kids & Family Cocktail Lunch, open to all MIPJUNIOR delegates and offering attendees an opportunity to meet the Disney team and continue the conversation.

Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM CANNES and MIPJUNIOR, said: “Disney has helped define entertainment for generations of young audiences, so welcoming Disney Kids & Family as a Presenting Partner for the first time, and during this important time for our industry, is hugely significant for MIPJUNIOR. As the kids and family business evolves at extraordinary speed, hearing directly from Disney’s leaders about how they are thinking about today’s audiences and the future of kids and family storytelling is exactly what MIPJUNIOR is about: connecting the world’s creative community with the people, insights, and opportunities shaping what comes next.”