Dora the Explorer - Dora's Fairytale Adventure

Great DVD my grand daughter loves it. I only buy used DVDs now and save up to 50%. Never got a dud. Will shop again and would recommend to anyone.

Dora's Fairytale Adventure is a children's movie based on the popular Nick Jr. program, Dora the Explorer. This movie follows Dora on a long adventure as she sets out to become a true princess and save her best friend, Boots. The film follows a similar theme as the television program: Dora sets out on an adventure from one defined place to another. She asks the kids watching the show to help her, consults her backpack and the Map, and sets out to reach her goal.

But this movie also offers a few differences. As anyone who has watched the television program knows, Dora the Explorer almost always completes her adventure with Boots by her side. This time, she must complete the adventure herself because her friend Boots is fast asleep after falling under a spell. And each step of the way, she has to overcome obstacles to get what she needs. Not only must she complete a defined set of tasks, she has a time limit. If she doesn't complete everything in time and become a true princess, Sleeping Boots may never awake.

Like the other Dora the Explorer episodes, Dora's Fairytale Adventure offers much educational value. The movie introduces kids to several Spanish words and phrases and Dora asks the viewers to repeat the words back to her. Also, Dora teaches perseverance and positive attitude. It doesn't matter how difficult the obstacle in front of her might be; she is completely confident that she will overcome the challenge. She is self- assured not just in her own abilities, but also in the abilities of the young viewers to help her along the way.

Dora's Fairytale Adventure is the main feature of this movie, but it is actually only part of the DVD features. The other half of the DVD includes two more adventures: What Happens Next and The Magic Stick. What Happens Next is a take on the Three Little Pigs story, with Dora and Boots using their imaginations to extend the story and take it in a fresh, new direction. In the Magic Stick, Dora and Boots find a stick that will perform magic, but they have to reach the top of the highest hill in order for it to work. The adventure begins as Dora and Boots seek your help to reach the top of this hill. I found these two DVD extras to be good, but nothing better than I could see if I watched the regular television show with my little girls.

In addition to the movie and Extras, there are also several DVD special features and each has something unique to offer. However, they are not all as useful as they could be. My kids liked the sing along, the song selection, and the sneak preview. But the photo gallery was rather boring and the Find the Fairytale Friends Game needs something else added to make it more exciting for kids. Still, it was nice to have so many extras on a single DVD.

Dora's Fairytale Adventure is a good movie for preschool age children and most all kids in this age range will love watching the young heroine as she ventures from one place to the next. This movie and the television program not only teach Spanish, they also teach kids many positive traits like persistence and positive attitude. Dora never gets flustered or frustrated in any way, even when the task at hand seems difficult. She just sets out on her adventure and continues to strive until she reaches her goal. She has a few battles along the way in this adventure, with witches, giants, and dragons. But she completes her adventure like always, saving her friend Boots and saving the day for her legions of young fans.

Personnaly, I think the main advantage of Dora is to teach mu Daughter spanish, not just "vamonos". I am therefore looking for DVDs with the actual full Spanish soundtracks with few English phrases like "let's go".
Amazon does a poor job at distingishing the actual soundtrack. Although this one says "Spanish", it only has the English soundtrack. "Musical school days"; "Puppy Power" have the Spanish soundtrack.

My little girl LOVES to sing along with Dora. She especially loves the Spanish language tracks. I purchased this DVD because the description stated that the movie had movie English and Spanish Language tracks. Unfortunately this was not the case. I would've returned the movie but once my daughter saw it, it was too late. If you are looking for both language tracks, please be sure to check with seller to read the back of the case and ensure that both languages are there. This one only has ENGLISH track.

I rated this DVD 5 stars for parents who have a real 'girly girl' for a daughter. My tomboy likes it, but not as much as her sister. This DVD is wonderful for my daughter when I need to keep her occupied. Dora is such a fun character for children and they seem to love the adventures through rain forests, number lake, alphabet mountain, tallest mountain and the list goes on and on. It is educational and fun at the same time. Nick Jr. certainly got the twist on Dora DVD's right. We have several DVD and review new ones from the library and then come right back to Amazon and order the ones she likes. I highly recommend purchasing several of them.