Get ready for big adventures with Dora and Friends: Into the City!

My daughter is now 11 years old... she grew up fed on a diet of Playhouse Disney and Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer and so on. So when I learnt about Dora and Friends: Into the City and told her about it, she was so excited about it. And why not, she grew up with Dora and now Dora is also growing up with her !! I am sure many parents can relate. I for one love the new illustrations which are so vibrant and pretty cute... anyway, read on for more about it....

Dora’s growing up! She’s moved to a beautiful metropolis by the sea called Playa Verde, entered a diverse new school, and is busier than ever. She’s also found a new group of friends with a shared passion for learning and exploring, who join her on new pop/rock-infused adventures in the city.

But this is no ordinary city. Down side streets, in the park and even under the school, there are portals to magical worlds filled with surprises, obstacles and villains, all waiting to test our friends. Armed with an ancient magical charm bracelet, a trusted Map App and the strength that comes from working with bright, funny, and loving friends, Dora invites preschoolers to join her in saving the day, solving problems, speaking a second language, and giving back to the community.

In each episode, Dora and her friends are faced with finding solutions to problems in their community. They set off into the  city where they enter a magical world and face certain challenges that up the stakes and add jeopardy and adventure. 

More cinematic and musical than Dora the Explorer stories, it builds on our tradition of using magical realism and offers us more opportunities to feature Latin American culture in a meaningful way.

 The show premiered on Nickelodeon on Monday (10.00am), 16 March and will be premiering on Nickelodeon Jr. on Monday (11.35am), 23 March, so don't miss out on it...

“DOGGIE DAY ”

While trying to shoot a video to help her friend Alana promote the animal shelter’s Doggie Adoption Day, Dora’s video camera mysteriously becomes enchanted. When she points her magic camera at one of the shelter’s dogs, Cusco, he breaks out into song about being separated from his brothers. Dora and Pablo head out to help Cusco reunite with his family.

“WE SAVE A PIRATE SHIP”

Dora and her friends are at a Pirate Festival to celebrate the restoration of the city’s ancient seaside fort. Dora promises a little boy named Jorge that he can steer the festival’s pirate ship ride. But when the pirate ship ride doesn’t show up, Dora, Kate and Pablo must build their own. They find an enchanted ship’s wheel that takes them to a talking pirate ship with secret treasures.

“THE ROYAL BALL”

Dora and her friends are having a Royal Ball in honour of all the kids who helped clean up the city park. But there was a mix-up at the post office, and the package of royal dresses for the kids isn’t coming today! Dora and Alana head to the costume shop to get dresses, and find a golden gift box with a beautiful royal dress that comes to life and tells them that the dress is for the princess — it’s his job to get it to her!

“THE MAGIC RING”

Dora and Naiya are helping out at storytime with the younger kids at  school when Pablo discovers a mysterious ring that shrinks him. Dora and Naiya search through the library and find the secret of the ring, discovering that it’s been stolen and lost by an evil wizard from long ago. The only way the spell can be broken is by putting the ring back n the owner’s finger – an ancient princess.

“DANCE PARTY ”

Dora and her friends are putting on a dance party to raise money for the town’s new dance school. Alana, Pablo and Dora are magically transported to the land of Baila via a mirror ball. They meet a girl named Celia, who explains to them that her overprotective father, the mayor, has outlawed dancing after she stubbed her toe at her first dance. Celia needs Dora and her friends’ help to convince the mayor that dancing is safe and fun.

About DORA

Dora is a natural leader and problem-solver who takes on challenges with enthusiasm and confidence, using each one as an opportunity to discover new things about her city and her friends.

Loyal and loving, Dora will go to great lengths to help her friends. A musician, singer, athlete, and devoted student, Dora finds many ways to take advantage of living in a bustling city, and many ways to give back to her community. She lives in an apartment with her parents, her twin siblings, and her dog Perrito, while her Abuela lives in an apartment upstairs. Dora is an active girl, fluent in both Spanish and English, and ready for any adventures that come her way

Fátima Ptacek, 14, is the voice of Dora in Dora and Friends: Into the City! and the Emmy Award-winning series Dora the Explorer. She has been the voice of Dora since November 2010, and received NAACP Award and Imagen Award nominations for her work. She is also known for her lead role in the Academy Award-winning 2012 short film Curfew.

About PABLO

Dora’s classmate Pablo is one of her best friends in the city. He’s energetic, playful, and smart, and always comes up with ingenious ways to solve problems – though he often finds the solution by accident!

A natural athlete, he’s on many of sporting teams, so he’s always on-the-go. Easily excitable and often distracted, Pablo can push Dora and the other girls’ buttons – but there’s no better friend. Like Dora, he’s a born explorer; they share a curiosity and interest in all the city has to offer. Pablo is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Eduardo Aristizabal, 13, is the voice of Pablo. An actor and singer, Aristizabal is currently in middle school where his favourite subjects are science, physical education, reading and band. He enjoys playing golf, soccer and basketball. Aristizabal has been featured in Nickelodeon’s Go, Diego, Go! and many radio, print and TV commercials.

About NAIYA

Perhaps the smartest girl in school and particularly adept at solving puzzles, Naiya excels at maths and

science, and has a true passion for studying the stars.

Naiya is very proud of her indigenous heritage and is an expert in its history and traditions. Some may see her as shy, but Dora sees her as someone with a quick wit, a sly sense of humour and an intense

interest in the natural world. She’s very literal, analytical and gifted in languages, being fluent in English, Spanish and French - and she wants to learn more!

Alexandria Suarez, 15, is the voice of Naiya. At age six, she was cast as Backpack on Dora the Explorer, a show she grew up watching. Suarez has appeared on TV shows including Blue Bloods, Saturday Night Live and Law & Order, and has had leading roles in award-winning short films. She also co-hosted a web series and has been featured in radio and television commercials.

About EMMA

An accomplished musician, with the drive to be the best, Emma is the star of the school band, and for good reason!

Emma is a dedicated musician, practicing her violin for hours every day, as well as playing guitar and piano. Between her music and her studies, Emma hasn’t made much time for a social life, but Dora appreciates how hard she works and how helpful she is to the younger musicians in the elementary band. Emma is a bit more conservative than the rest of Dora’s friends. She tends to be serious, but

shines the brightest when she takes the stage to play with the band. Emma speaks both English and Spanish.

Kayta Thomas, 13, is the voice of Emma. Thomas is a busy young actress who lives in Valley Stream, New York. She is a featured dancer in The Gloria Eve Dance Company in New York where she recently performed in productions of The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. Thomas also recently played the Narrator in her school’s production of The Little Gingerbread Boy.

About KATE

With a flair for the dramatic and the heart of an artist, Kate is known throughout the school for her colourful personality. A voracious reader with a vivid imagination, Kate enjoys trading books with Dora.

She loves writing plays for the neighbourhood kids and dressing up in dramatic outfits, inspired by a book she is reading or a story she is writing. Kate speaks both English and Spanish.

Isabela Moner, 13, is the voice of Kate. Moner is highly regarded for her talents as a singer, actress, dancer and songwriter. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she made her debut on Broadway with the revival of Evita at age 10. That same year, Moner made her national and international television debut as a singer in The Next Big Thing New York. She earned her first lead role in the critically acclaimed film The House that Jack Built, and finished that year joining the Tony Award-winning team of the new musical Fly, in the lead role of Wendy.

About ALANA

Athletic, confident and a great soccer player, Alana is clearly a popular kid at her school, but she’s also very nice and goes out of her way to welcome any newcomers.

Alana coaches a kids soccer team, volunteers at the local animal adoption clinic and is a gourmet chef in the making! She speaks both English and Spanish.

Ashley Earnest, 14, is the voice of Alana. She was born in Washington, D.C., into a family of five children, one of which is her fraternal twin. Earnest began modelling and acting at the age of nine, appearing in numerous television commercials. She lent her voice to the 2014 Academy Award-nominated film Ernest and Celestine, portraying the precocious Antoinette. Earnest has walked the runway for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York, as well as other fashion shows. She is fluent in three languages, has visited over 30 countries and summited Kilimanjaro.