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Disney’s Vampirina premiered on October 1, 2017, with two back-to-back episodes simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. The title carries an “i” where plenty of searchers type an “e,” and the show has never once held that against them (it simply waits on the porch, like a lighthouse keeper with a clipboard). Created by Chris Nee, the animated musical ran for three seasons, 75 episodes and 147 segments before ending on June 28, 2021. It follows Vampirina “Vee” Hauntley, a young vampire whose family leaves Transylvania for Pennsylvania, where she starts at a new school and tries to make friends. That is the entire premise. It also became a franchise.
Premise and Format
The series is set in an urban Pennsylvania neighborhood, where Vee’s parents run the Scare B&B, a bed and breakfast for visiting ghouls and goblins. The show draws its inspiration from the Vampirina Ballerina book series by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by LeUyen Pham and published by Disney-Hyperion. Every episode includes original songs performed by the voice cast. Nobody asked a preschool comedy about a bed and breakfast to hold a full musical score, but it does (and the health inspector has still not been consulted).
The central conflict is simple. Vee wants to fit in with her new neighbors while staying proud of what makes her different. Disney Junior’s own executives described that as the relatable heart of the show when they ordered more episodes.
Production Personnel and Actors Involved
The Creative Team
Chris Nee, the creator of Doc McStuffins, created the series and served as executive producer. Norton Virgien, another veteran of that show, joined her on the executive side. Nicky Phelan, whose earlier credits include Octonauts, directed. Brown Bag Films, the Academy Award-nominated Irish animation studio, produced the series in association with Disney Junior. Broadway composers Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond wrote the songs, and Layla Minoui composed the score. The team reads like a heist crew assembled to steal one very polite vampire (and every member brought a thermos).
The Voice Cast
Isabella Crovetti voices Vee. James Van Der Beek and Lauren Graham play her parents, Boris and Oxana Hauntley, and the three of them also sing the theme song. Tony winners Patti LuPone and Brian Stokes Mitchell voice the grandparents, Nanpire and Grandpop, which is the preschool equivalent of hiring a Zamboni to defrost a freezer. Wanda Sykes plays Gregoria, the cantankerous but loyal gargoyle. Mitchell Whitfield voices the ghost Demi, Jordan Alexa Davis voices Vee’s neighbor Poppy, ViviAnn Yee voices Bridget, and Benji Risley voices Edgar. Dee Bradley Baker plays Mr. Gore and Wolfie. Cree Summer and Ian James Corlett also appear in the cast. Broadway names Sutton Foster, Audra McDonald, Andrew Rannells and Christian Borle showed up in guest roles as well.
Run and Reception
The first season arrived in October 2017 with ten of its fifteen episodes timed to Halloween. The second season premiered on December 7, 2018, and the third on October 5, 2020. The finale, “Home Is Where the Hauntleys Are,” aired on June 28, 2021. The show reached 115 countries and was translated into 15 languages, so a gargoyle with opinions now argues in more tongues than most United Nations interpreters. It also earned a 2019 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Preschool Animated Program, credited to Jay Culliton, Carlos Sanches and Eric Lewis. Critics were generally positive.
The numbers moved early. The October 1 premiere set a ratings high, and Disney Junior reported more than 90 million views across its apps, video on demand, social media and YouTube within months, which prompted the second-season order.
Industry Impact or Fan Significance
Trade coverage called it the first vampire series for preschoolers, and that distinction is smarter than it sounds. Preschool television makes its money in the toy aisle, and a premise with a built-in house, a mascot gargoyle and a ghost sidekick practically designs the playset for you. The Scare B&B Playset became a popular item in the 2017 holiday season, and Disney Publishing Worldwide added storybooks, early readers, comics and a magazine. Disney Studios released DVDs. Disney Consumer Products rolled out the toys.
The casting strategy also paid off. Hiring Broadway stars gave parents something to enjoy during the fortieth repeat viewing, and original songs in every episode turned each broadcast into a small stage production with a built-in soundtrack. Reusing the Doc McStuffins creative team lowered the risk of launching a new brand, since Disney Junior already knew that crew could deliver a hit for the age group.
The franchise has since grown with its audience. Vampirina: Teenage Vampire, a live-action musical series starring Kenzi Richardson as a teenage Vee at a performing arts boarding school, premiered on Disney Channel on September 12, 2025. A second season of that series was announced for October 2026. Keeping one character alive across picture books, animation and live action is a rare feat, and Disney did it with a girl who sleeps in a coffin-shaped bed.
Credits
Key Production Credits
- Created by: Chris Nee
- Based on the book series: Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
- Executive producers: Chris Nee, Norton Virgien
- Director: Nicky Phelan
- Songwriters: Michael Kooman, Christopher Dimond
- Composer: Layla Minoui
- Sound mixing (Daytime Emmy nominees): Jay Culliton, Carlos Sanches, Eric Lewis
- Production companies: Brown Bag Films, Disney Television Animation, Disney Junior
- Networks: Disney Junior, Disney Channel
- Original run: October 1, 2017 to June 28, 2021
Principal Voice Cast
- Isabella Crovetti as Vampirina “Vee” Hauntley
- James Van Der Beek as Boris Hauntley
- Lauren Graham as Oxana Hauntley
- Patti LuPone as Nanpire
- Brian Stokes Mitchell as Grandpop
- Wanda Sykes as Gregoria
- Mitchell Whitfield as Demi
- Jordan Alexa Davis as Poppy
- ViviAnn Yee as Bridget
- Benji Risley as Edgar
- Dee Bradley Baker as Mr. Gore and Wolfie
- DC Douglas as Speaker of Books
- Cree Summer and Ian James Corlett in supporting roles
Somewhere in Pennsylvania, a porch light stays on for guests who bite. The Scare B&B keeps no vacancy sign, only a gargoyle with firm views on check-in times, and the reruns keep arriving with their luggage. Bring your own garlic. The gargoyle will judge it anyway.
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