A mother and her 5-year-old daughter both dress up as popular comic book characters at the same festival. [PHOTO BY XU FAN/CHINA DAILY]

He visited China for the first time in 2001, where he noticed that "the business had just started".

"It's such a difference visiting today to see so many different animated productions being done in China. Chinese writers, directors and animators have really jumped into rich storytelling and created really fascinating worlds that the global audience will enjoy seeing," he says.

Over the past eight years, D'Ambrosia has overseen production of such popular Disney Junior's shows such as the Emmy Award-winning Sophia the First and The Lion Guard, which is based on Disney's Oscar-winning 1994 film The Lion King.

Speaking about the key to appealing to children aged between 2 and 7, he reveals that the tales his team creates are built on down-to-earth research.

"We actually do go into preschools and talk to children about the stories and the characters. So we find their words very valuable and adapt our stories to make sure that they not only comprehend the stories but also relate to the aspirations of the characters," says D'Ambrosia.