vanilla ice

Dora the Explorer grows up and is getting a "new look" in the soon to be released Dora Links Fashion Doll. Can we still call her Explorer? You all know Diego's cousin...she is a young explorer full of spark and energy and she loves a good adventure. She is a kind, exciting, bilingual preschooler. She enjoys adventures and shares them with her friends, Boots Back Pack and sometimes her cousin Diego, the star of Go Diego Go. We have all enjoyed her show for years on Nick.

Wait...that describes the Old Dora...the one we knew and loved. As her audience ages, her parent company wants to keep up with her fans as they grow by making her older too! As with all of us, time has passed and our sweet little explorer has grown up...The Explorer is now a tween and we will see her new look this fall when Nickelodeon and Mattel introduce us to her new line and virtual world. Living in the city and going to middle school, it seems our explorer has grown into a Diva Girl...who likes to do tweenaged things like shop, wear jewelry and she is now into fashion. There's even going to be a virtual Dora Links web world where we can hang out...just like with Webkinz, Neopets, Littlest Pet Shop Pets and the other very popular virtual world toys we have become familiar with. I guess this Virtual Shopping Explorer will have secret codes, code cheats, games and possibly some favorite tween secret recipes too!

There is no mention of Dora's friends...You know the gang...Boots the Monkey...Swiper the Fox...Fiesta Trio...Backpack and Map...Isa...Tico and Benny the Bull. Since most of these characters are not city animals...it makes me think they won't be included in this new world, but since it's virtual, there might be a park in it for them. And I don't know that Backpack and Map won't be traded for Purse, Cel Phone and GPS! I'm just guessing of course, but it does make sense.

It makes us all wonder what the new grown up Links Fashion Doll will be like...will she be the same adventurous soul we knew and loved as a child? Of course, we certainly all hope we can recognize the old Spirit in this new grown up form. It's not likely that such a spirited soul could totally disappear into a shrieking, shopping Teen Princess...is it? Nick and Mattel tell us that Tween Dora will still solve mysteries, let's hope it's not where to find the shiniest glitter eye shadow or the most exciting goth halloween costume!

With your new Dora Links Fashion Doll you can hook her up to your computer, and when you change her look virtually, you change your doll's look in the real world too. How do they do that? This Magical world can change her hair, eyes...and more. When you visit this "Virtual World" it will be a Webkinz World kind of experience for tween girls. Girls will be able to explore, earn virtual money and be challenged by mysteries which will be introduced to you online. There is even an alert you will receive to notify you when a new mystery has been released. The company is marketing this new Dora at girls aged 5 and up...and it will probably retail at 59.00 each...will this doll pass our initial inspection? Most likely, her virtual world sounds really cool, and I imagine this older explorer doll will have quite a Webkinz like following among the soon to be Tweenaged girls. Bottom line, unless some information sneaks out, we will all have to wait for the release of this new Tween Dora Links Fashion Doll. We all will just have to wait and see if we like the new version of our favorite Explorer as much as we like the younger version we all are used to.