Disneyland tries out a new family-centric festival during the back-to-school season

Disneyland is test driving a new kids festival geared toward preschoolers and their families during the back-to-school season that could eventually expand into the annual kickoff of the busy festival season at Disney California Adventure.

The Disney Junior & Friends Playdate three-day event kicked off at DCA on Friday, Aug. 18 with a parade, shows, food, music and games.

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At the moment, the Disney Junior festival is little more than repurposed retreads and salvaged parts from other seasonal events cobbled together for young kids who don’t know any better and parents just looking for a way to keep them entertained on a sweltering hot day in late summer.

For now, the Disney Junior Playdate remains a work in progress with just enough newness to make it worth checking out this year and enough potential to hold out hope for next year.

Disneyland is trying out a new location, season and name this year for the Disney Junior kids festival geared toward kids 2 to 7 years old.

Last year’s event — dubbed Disney Junior Fun Fest — ran in April just a few days after the DCA Food & Wine Festival and was set at the edge of Paradise Bay. This year’s event moves to Hollywood Land and kicks off just before the start of DCA’s festival season that typically runs from September to April.

The highlight of the this year’s festival was the “Disney Junior Live Playdate” show at the Hollywood Backlot Stage. Disney dancers got the kids jumping, spinning, clapping and playing along as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Pooh and Tigger joined in the fun.

The 15-minute show was perfect for the little ones teetering between naptime and a sugar high who just needed to get their wiggles out and their groove on. The dancers led the kids in participatory games like head, shoulders, knees and toes as well as call-and-response cheers tied to Disney Junior shows.

After the first performance of the afternoon there was a world-premiere screening of the new Disney Junior TV series “Playdate with Winnie the Pooh.”

Calling the Playdate Party Parade a “parade” was a stretch for the fledgling Disney Junior event. The brief procession was little more than Disneyland’s rainy day cavalcade with a single float, a handful of energetic dancers and a few characters riding on Main Street U.S.A. vehicles.

The Playdate Play Zone offered meet-and-greet opportunities with Doc McStuffins, Vampirina and other Disney Junior characters. Donald Duck and Daisy Duck seemed thrilled to give out big hugs to visitors on a hot day with little shade in sight.

Kids also took part in Alice’s Wonderland Bakery Unbirthday Party cupcake decorating course — a mainstay of the DCA Food & Wine Festival. The show mostly involved the live host talking to a video screen with a brief appearance by Minnie Mouse while kids at the foot of the stage made cupcakes.

The Animation Academy had Disney artists teaching kids how to draw characters from the “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” children’s animated TV series and other Disney Junior shows.

The Disney Junior craft zone provided a shady place for the little ones to color while Mom and Dad waved hand fans that Disneyland employees passed out by the boxload.

The “Disney Junior Dance Party” stage show in DCA’s Hollywood Land continued with its regularly scheduled performances during the Playdate event.

Disney Junior Playdate specialty food offerings included Honey Pot Caramel Apples and Tigger Marshmallow Tails at Trolley Treats and cotton candy at select outdoor vending locations.

The candy apple and marshmallow snacks were nothing really special beyond the fact that they are usually exclusive to Disneyland — and not normally available in DCA.

The Disney Junior festival offered very little in the way of specialty food and beverages — an opportunity for improvement from Disneyland’s talented culinary team in years to come.

Overall, the target audience for the Disney Junior Playdate festival seemed happy — and when the kids are happy, so are the parents. But Disneyland will need to do more to make the Disney Junior festival an annual tradition.

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The three-day Disney Junior & Friends Playdate continues on Saturday, Aug. 19 and Sunday, Aug. 20 in the Downtown Disney outdoor shopping mall with live entertainment, arts and crafts activities, photo opportunities, search-and-find games and specialty foods.

The Disney Junior event kicked off just a few days before the popular Oogie Boogie Bash that runs on select dates in September and October — suggesting the family-centric festival could eventually be expanded in upcoming years.

Disney California Adventure has become the seasonal festival headquarters at the Disneyland resort much like Epcot at Walt Disney World in Florida. DCA is already home to a series of events and festivals during the off-season celebrating Halloween, Christmas, Lunar New Year and California food and wine. A family fun festival could serve as a bridge between the summer season and the busy fall and winter holiday seasons.

Epcot festivals run year-round with often only a few weeks or even days between events. DCA already has versions of Epcot’s winter holidays and food & wine festivals. What’s missing at DCA are the back-to-back arts and flower & garden fests found at Epcot. The Disney Junior & Friends Playdate is DCA’s latest addition to the festival season that currently runs from September to April.