Disney Junior

Disney Junior is a current program block on Disney Channel and an American basic cable and satellite television network that replaced Soapnet on March 23, 2012. It began airing on February 14, 2011, replacing Playhouse Disney. However, some cable channels still had it and ended Soapnet on April 19, 2012.

The first new programs were Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Tinga Tinga Tales and Babar and the Adventures of Badou. Carrying over from Playhouse Disney were Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, Little Einsteins, Jungle Junction, Chuggington, Imagination Movers, Special Agent Oso, and Timmy Time.

History
In May 2010, it was announced that Playhouse Disney and Soapnet would rebrand as Disney Junior.

Disney Junior first launched as a programming block on February 14, 2011, replacing Playhouse Disney. On the day before the launch, Playhouse Disney's Ooh and Aah mascots and programs were deleted completely during the process of the transition from Playhouse Disney to Disney Junior. The first program was Jake and the Never Land Pirates. In its first week since its debut, Disney Junior delivered Disney Channel’s best ratings ever in the daypart among Kids 2-5 (474,000/2.8 rating)

Cable and satellite channel
A 24-hour basic cable and satellite channel for Disney Junior launched on March 23, 2012, replacing the soap opera channel, SOAPnet.

The channel was originally set to debut in January 2012, but on July 28, 2011, soap opera-focused websites listed the launch date as moving from January to a more non-specific date in late-spring 2012, and later in 2011, to February 2012. Soapnet's definite closing date (March 23, 2012) was announced by Disney-ABC on January 9, 2012. However, like the transitions from Nick GAS to TeenNick and Fox Reality to Nat Geo Wild, an automated version of Soapnet's program schedule will continue on some cable and satellite services, as deals for Disney Junior are finalized.

The channel is expecting its original series (Jake and the Never Land Pirates, 3rd & Bird, etc.), shows from the Playhouse Disney library (that are currently airing on the block) (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, Special Agent Oso, etc.), a programming block titled The Magical World of Disney Junior and short-form series in its lineup. On June 17, 2011, it has been confirmed that the Disney Junior channel will include previously discontinued Playhouse Disney series, in reruns, in its lineup when the channel launches. Five such Playhouse Disney series were confirmed on January 9, 2012: Stanley, JoJo's Circus, Rolie Polie Olie, The Koala Brothers and Higglytown Heroes.

It also provides video on demand, a high-definition version (Disney Junior HD) and a Spanish language SAP audio track.

Programming
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Chuggington, Imagination Movers, Jungle Junction, Handy Manny, Little Einsteins, Special Agent Oso, and Timmy Time, all popular Playhouse Disney series, were moved to the block and continue to broadcast.

Disney Junior broadcasts from September until late May from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm ET (5:00 am to 1:00 pm CT) on weekdays, and from 6:00 am to 9:00 am ET, (5:00 am to 8:00 am CT) on weekends and also during major holidays (Christmas, Easter, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and also 6:00 am to 10:00 am ET (5:00 am to 9:00 am CT) on weekdays from late May (post-Memorial Day through Labor Day), each running a different schedule. They feature 25-minute standard length shows, interspersed with short 5 minute shorts and music videos. Amongst these shorts are A Poem Is..., The Bite-Sized Adventures of Sam Sandwich, Choo Choo Soul, Small Potatoes, and several others. Between these times, there are no commercials played during Disney Junior (though Disney Channel, being a commercial-free cable channel, does not air regular commercials anyway), though short "promotional spots" do run every so often, such as often seen on PBS. Between 4:00 and 6:00, when Disney Channel animated programs air under the regular Disney Channel branding, there are commercials for Disney properties as there are for other Disney Channel programs. Although Disney Junior does not air standard ads, it utilizes underwriter sponsorship by companies such as Chuck E. Cheese's and Best Western for its programs.

Former shows on the former Playhouse Disney block, as well as previous Disney shows based on pre-existing franchises, will air reruns by popular demand on the Disney Junior channel in its launch on March 23, 2012, replacing Soapnet.

Disney Junior HD
Disney Junior HD is high definition simulcast feed that broadcasts a moderate amount of Disney Junior's programming in 720p HD. It began broadcasting on March 23, 2012. Many cable providers carry the HD simulcast feed, along with DirecTV, AT&T U-verse, and Verizon FIOS. Currently, Dish Network doesn't carry any Disney/ABC HD channel including Disney Junior, but due to a retransmission deal with Walt Disney Company is set to get Disney Junior in the near future.

HD versions of Disney Junior have also launched in Canada, Asia, France and The Netherlands. Currently, Disney Junior HD appears to be a block on the HD feed version on Disney Channel.

Disney Junior On Demand
Disney Junior On Demand is the video-on-demand service, which offers select episodes of Disney Junior's original series. It is available to most digital cable and IPTV providers.

Watch Disney Junior
In June 2012, Disney introduced a new set of apps for Apple devices for the three youth-oriented Disney Channels - Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior - similar to their ESPN service. The service is also available online via select providers such as Comcast.

Logo variations
In addition to revealing the standard Disney Junior logo, other variations were released as well, most shows that air on Disney Junior have their own variation of the logo, with the standard "Disney" written in Walt Disney's famous handwriting and a large chunky font displaying "Junior" with each letter designed from an aspect or character from that particular show.

Here is a list of Disney Junior logo variations:

International versions
All versions of Disney Junior serve as the replacement of Playhouse Disney.
 * In Latin America, Disney Junior and Disney Junior on Disney Channel launched on April 1, 2011.
 * In the Middle East, Disney Junior launched on May 5, 2011.
 * In Canada, Disney Junior English and French launched on May 6, 2011, which replaced Playhouse Disney (Canada).
 * In the UK & Ireland, Disney Junior launched on May 7, 2011, which replaced Playhouse Disney (UK & Ireland).
 * In Italy, Disney Junior launched on May 14, 2011.
 * In France, Disney Junior launched on May 28, 2011.
 * In Australia & New Zealand, Disney Junior launched on May 29, 2011 which replaced Playhouse Disney (Australia and New Zealand).
 * In Brazil, Disney Junior launched on April 9, 2011 and May 31, 2011.
 * In Portugal, Disney Junior launched on June 1, 2011.
 * In Turkey, Disney Junior launched on June 1, 2011.
 * In South Africa, Disney Junior launched on June 1, 2011.
 * In Hungary, Disney Junior launched on June 1, 2011.
 * In Poland, Disney Junior launched on June 1, 2011.
 * In Czech Republic, Disney Junior launched on June 1, 2011.
 * In Romania, Disney Junior launched on June 1, 2011. The channel replaced both Playhouse Disney block and Jetix Play.
 * In Bulgaria, Disney Junior launched on June 1, 2011.
 * In Greece, Disney Junior launched on June 1, 2011.
 * In India, Disney Junior launched on July 4, 2011.
 * In Austria and Germany Disney Junior launched on July 14, 2011.
 * In Japan, launched on July 3, 2011.
 * In Asia, Disney Junior launched on July 11, 2011 which replaced Playhouse Disney Asia.
 * In Southeast Asia, Disney Junior launched on July 11, 2011.
 * In Taiwan, Disney Junior launched in September 1, 2011 as a block on Disney Channel.
 * In Israel, Disney Junior launched on July 18, 2011.
 * In Scandinavia/Nordic, Disney Junior launched on September 10, 2011 and replaced Playhouse Disney Scandinavia.
 * In China, Disney Junior (迪斯尼兒童, Dísīní Értóng) launched on February 6, 2013.
 * In South Korea, Disney Junior launched on July 11, 2011 as a channel and as a block on Disney Channel.
 * In Zimbabwe, Disney Junior launched on April 29, 2013. (Being the last to switch)
 * In Hong Kong, Disney Junior launched on July 11, 2011 as a channel and as a block on Disney Channel
 * In the Philippines, Disney Junior launched on July 11, 2011 as a channel and as a block on TV5.
 * In Vietnam, Disney Junior launched on July 11, 2011 as a channel and as a block on Disney Channel
 * In Belgium, Disney Junior launched on September 1, 2011.
 * In Netherlands, Disney Junior launched on September 10, 2011.
 * In Russia, Disney Junior launched in 2012.
 * In Malaysia, Disney Junior launched on July 11, 2011 as a channel and as a block on RTM TV2.