Review: Road Trip Saved By Disney Junior App

— August 5, 2017 —

Editor’s Note: On this blog, I refer to my daughter as “Dear Daughter” (DD) and my wife as “Dear Wife” (DW).  

Review: Disney Junior App

Dad Approval Rating:  

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hree years ago this month, my wife and I began a journey of parenthood with the birth of our Dear Daughter (DD). In her characteristic way, she has brought us immense joy—and a never-ending subscription to the Disney Junior channel.

So when I decided to take DD with me to a family reunion in Detroit last month, I was presented with a potential disaster: the hotel we’d be staying at for three nights did not offer the Disney Junior channel. Oh sure, they had Disney. They had Nickelodeon. They even had the Cartoon Network. But no Disney Junior. Mickey was MIA. This was, as the lovely ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha would say, “A serious matter. A very serious matter.”

See, y’all don’t understand. My daughter reclaims ALL her time when it comes to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

DD can watch back-to-back episodes for hours. She has watched her favorite shows so many times she has practically memorized the dialogue and, when excited, can act out entire scenes. (These Leo babies are so dramatic).

If DD could create a greatest hits compilation of her favorite Clubhouse episodes, her top three would no doubt include: “Minne’s Bee Story” featuring Buzz-Buzz the Bee (she gets a kick out of his buzzing cuteness); “Road Rally” that follows the adventures of Mickey and his Clubhouse pals on a wild road trip; and “Secret Spy Daisy” in which a James Bond-inspired Daisy is sent on a mission to protect Clarabelle Cow’s secret recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies from Pete the Cat. (The fact that I can summarize these episodes so succinctly lets you know I’ve seen more episodes than any 42-year-old man should).

Before hitting the road to Detroit, I downloaded the free app to my iPad from iTunes (it’s also available on Google Play) and went on my merry way. I’d forgotten to take the login credentials for our cable provider (AT&T U-Verse), but that problem was quickly resolved through a text message home to my wife. Note: This app will only work if Disney Junior is included in your TV subscription package.

App Highlights

Three things I like about this app:

• It offers a library of 40 shows. Everything from Doc McStuffins and PJ Masks to Octonauts and Miles From Tomorrowland. DD only has eyes for Mickey, so the expansiveness of the offerings was lost on her. When I handed her my iPad, she swiped straight to Mickey. #Loyal.
• It groups Clubhouse episodes by character (Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Minnie, Daisy) and type (Whole New World episodes, Time to Celebrate episodes, Mickey’s Adventure episodes, etc.) which makes it incredibly easy to find what you’re looking for.
• It automatically plays episodes back-to-back, so I was actually able to take a shower and get dressed one morning while DD was preoccupied with the Clubhouse gang. #DontJudge

Surprisingly, the app crashed only a few times over the days we used it through the hotel Wi-Fi. Overall I was impressed by the high-quality video it delivered.

So if your child is like mine and can’t live without their favorite Disney cartoons, do yourself a favor and download this app before your last road trip of the summer. #WinParenting

Father on,

P.S. Want additional tips for traveling with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Check out this great resource article from Bankrate: Overcoming obstacles while traveling with people who have ASD. It includes a breakdown of the travel process including packing, pre-trip advice, and tips for the plane or car. #TravelTogether