CORRECTION:  Since this story was published, DisZine has been contacted by ABC Daytime and SOAPnet, who offered clarification on the transition of channels carrying SOAPnet to Disney Junior.  According to Publicity Director Mitch Messinger, SOAPnet and Disney Junior will run concurrently until SOAPnet is no longer available.  “SOAPnet will remain available for an undetermined period of time as additional carriage deals for Disney Junior are finalized with distributors,” a spokesperson has said.  Many thanks to Mr. Messinger for reaching out to DisZine with this helpful information.
Last week, we told you …

When the popular Disney Junior series Jake and the Neverland Pirates returns for its second season, there will be a new pirate in town.
Hunky actor Josh Duhamel will voice a brand new character on the uber popular kids show, which mixes new characters with classic comical bad guys, Captain Hook and Smee.
Duhamel will play Captain Flynn, who is described as:
…a dashing young pirate who is well-known for his legendary adventures on the Never Sea. Flynn and his boat, The Barracuda, are plucked from the sea in a giant windstorm and …

Disney has decided not to opt for a fourth season of the popular Imagination Movers TV series.
The show, which features Rich Collins, Scott Smith, Scott Durbin, and Dave Poche as a musical group who solves an “idea emergency” in each episode, premiered in September 2008, and quickly became one of the Disney Channel’s most popular series in the Playhouse Disney programming block.  The band has toured relentlessly in support of the show, which has been aired in more than 55 countries and territories, and translated into 12 languages.
The idea for …

Specialty channel Playhouse Disney has officially changed to Disney Juniorin Canada, and will be a subscription-based channel focusing on learning and development content for young children. Playhouse Disney Télé, the French-language version of the network, has also officially made the switch to Disney Junior.
Joining the Peter Pan-inspired series Jake and the Never Land Pirates on Disney Junior are short-form series A Poem Is…, featuring Disney-illustrated poems narrated by celebrity guests like Katie Holmes. Additionally, Special Agent Oso: Three Healthy Steps, designed to teach preschoolers healthy habits, will be joining the …

The numbers are in, and they look great:  based upon ratings, Disney Junior appears to be a resounding success.
The new block of programming, which debuted on the Disney Channel February 14, posted a big ratings boost over its predecessor, Playhouse Disney, from a year ago.  In its first week on air, Disney Junior gave the Disney Channel its best ratings ever among children in general (474,000, up 34% from the same period in 2010,) as well as with boys age 2-5 (262,000, up 48%.)  The block also posted its second-best weekly …

Guests of Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World will soon have the chance to see some of their favorite Disney Junior characters live, as “Disney Junior – Live on Stage!” debuts at both resorts next month.
The show, which celebrates the launch of Disney’s new block of programming, will take place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, as well as at Disney’s California Adventure.  The performance will feature new characters, as well as a new stage, and will include a segment based upon “Jake and the Neverland Pirates,” a new show …

Disney is kicking off the new Disney Junior network with a cool new contest!
Enter now for a chance to have your child’s picture shown on the Disney Junior block, which will begin broadcasting on the Disney Channel the week of February 14. 
Disney Junior, a new block of television created for children ages 2-7, will officially replace Playhouse Disney on Valentine’s Day.  The move is the first phase in Disney’s move to eventually split Disney Channel into two separate networks.  In 2012, Disney Junior will replace the existing SoapNet.
The premiere of …