The channel would eventually split its programming into three distinct blocks: Playhouse

Disney (which debuted in May 1997, focusing on series aimed at preschoolers), Vault Disney
(which began as a Sunday-only nighttime block in September 1997 before expanding to seven
nights a week by late 1998, featuring older Disney programs, older television specials and some
of the older feature films shifted off its daytime and prime time lineup), and Zoog Disney (a
weekend afternoon and evening lineup hosted by anthropomorphic robot/alien hybrid characters
called "Zoogs" that was introduced in August 1998, compromising original and acquired series
aimed at preteens and teens).[20][21] The Zoog Disney brand would later expand to encompass most
of the channel's weekend daytime and evening schedule under the "Zoog Weekendz" banner in
June 2000.
In 1999, Disney Channel began mandating that TV providers which continued to offer it as a
premium service shift the channel to their basic channel tiers or else it would decline to renew
carriage agreements with providers (such as Time Warner Cable and Comcast, the last major TV
providers to carry the channel as a pay service) that chose to continue offering it as an add-on to
their service.[22] In the fall of 2002, Disney Channel discontinued the Zoog Weekendz and Vault
Disney blocks – phasing out the "Zoog" brand on-air, and replacing the latter block with a lineup
of same-day repeats of the channel's original and acquired programming – and reduced its
nightly prime time movie lineup from showcasing an average of two to three features to a single
feature daily.[23] Its original programming slate also became heavily reliant on live-action sitcoms
and animated series, eschewing reality series and scripted dramas.