Dana's new Journey Girl Outfit

Mid-Season London Outfit

I was glad to see that Toys R Us released a mid season wave of outfits.  I am reviewing one of the outfits today.  It is an everyday outfit with orange-red pants, knee high black boots, a baby blue, white polka dotted sleeveless shirt, and a brown sweater.  The outfit is a great fall outfit.

Journey Girls mid-season London line has some great casual outfits.

As soon as I bought this outfit I washed it.  I was not going to take any chances with color transfer from the orange-red pants.  I really like the colors of this outfit.  They are different, which is nice.  I also like that the outfit is not for something specific.   The original London outfit line had a lot of clothes for specific things.  For instance there was a riding outfit, a swimsuit, a soccer outfit, a school outfit, etc.  This outfit is more general and can be used for many things.

Dana in her new outfit.

The pants are great.  They are made out of a stiff cotton fabric.  The have elastic at the top.  There are not pockets, but that is fine since the Journey Girls can’t bend their arms to put their hands in pockets anyways.  The blue shirt has buttons on the front, but actually uses Velcro to secure.  I like the collar on the shirt, especially when the sweater is on.  I also like that the shirt goes below the waistline so that it pokes out of the sweater.  It’s nice to have such a great shirt in the set, since it can be used on it’s own as well.  

Why does the Velcro only go 3/4 of the way down Dana's back?

The sweater is really more of a jersey fabric sweatshirt, but it is made to look like a sweater…so that is what we are going to call it.  The sweater has a looser neckline so that the shirts collar can poke out the top of it. It Velcro’s in the back, but not all the way down.  It’s too bad that they didn’t make it Velcro all the way down the back…it makes it look unfinished.  Other than that the sweater it nice.  It’s well made, is big enough to fit over the shirt with no problems, but doesn’t look gigantic on Dana.

Ughh!  Seriously with the boots?  I love the look from the front…and they are pretty easy to get on and off, but they are horrible looking from the back!

The boots are fine.  Nothing fancy… just the normal knee high boots that the outfits come with.  I’ve mentioned before that I really hate the slit back boots.  They look stupid from the back.  I understand the functionality of them (which is very good), but they just look cheap that way.  I love that American Girl boots have some sort of strap to close them up.  Of course the Journey Girl outfits are half as much as many of the American Girl outfits.

Dana looks great without the sweater on also.

I think that this is a great casual outfit.  It fits Dana and Kelsey’s persona perfectly as the girls that want to get outside and explore or help animals.  The colors are a nice change and versatility of the outfit is awesome.  I would wait for it to go on sale, but I would definitely pick this outfit up.

The whole outfit.

Rating

All ratings are out of 10

Value 7 – The outfit has a lot of versatility because of all of the components that it is made of.  The quality is good, but not as great as the green dress.  Plus I wish it had a headband or clip or something for Dana’s hair.

Fitment 9 – Great fitment.  I think the sweater could have been a little better.  But it’s not bad at all.

Versatility 9 –  This outfit has so many pieces to it that can all be used for other outfits.  It’s great when the main components of the outfit are versatile, not just the accessories.

Cuteness 7 – I like this outfit as a nice casual outfit.  It’s a great going to school outfit, playing outside, being active type of outfit.  The blue top is very cute.  I like the colors of the pants and the top.  It’s just not one of the cutest outfits I have.  Practical, not necessarily cute.

Overall 8 –  It’s not stunning like the teal Celebration outfit, or out of your mind cute like the pink polka dot dress, but it is super functional.  And it’s kind of cute.  This is a good outfit for Kelsey and Dana as the active girls.  I can see either of them wearing this outfit as they save animals or go on a hike.  Any of the girls would look great in this outfit.

Journey Girls Pink Plaid Outfit

A Great Casual Outfit

When I saw this outfit in the store I immediately thought that it was design with Kelsey in mind.  Kelsey is the adventurous Journey Girl, enjoys being outside, hiking, and exploring.  This outfit look like a great exploring outfit. 

Journey Girls pink plaid outfit.

The outfit starts with grayish brown boots (the same boots that are always with Journey Girl outfits) for trudging around in the great outdoors.  Then there are black leggings for pants (leggings are not pants, not for dolls…not for humans), a cute pink gingham long sleeved shirt, a brown puffy vest with pockets, and a brown belt.  And as always…there is a purse.  The purse does not seem to fit with this outfit, but maybe that’s because I think that this an exploring outfit.

Kelsey in her exploring outfit.

The pink shirt is a long fitted shirt.  It goes past Kelsey’s thighs.  That makes the leggings more acceptable.  The shirt Velcro’s, which makes it easy to get off and on, but buttons would have made it look really nice.  The shirt also has a wide collar that is very cute.  It is a well made shirt.  It can be worn without the vest and still look nice. 

Even without the vest, the outfit looks nice.

I like the vest.  It looks like an explorers vest.  It has “pockets” to hold things in…well you could hold things in them, if they were really pockets.  All they are is flaps sewn over fake pockets.  It looks nice, but it would be neat to have real pockets to put things in as Kelsey goes exploring. The brown is a good color and can go with other outfits pretty easily.  I like the belt that comes with it also.  It helps break things up.  It is really nice when the vest is off.  It’s too small to double as a headband.  It has an easy Velcro strip in the back for getting it on and off.

The belt Velcros in the back for easy removal.

I’m not a fan of leggings, but in this situation they look okay.  I can see where jeans may have looked funny with this outfit…so okay the leggings work.  The boots are nice.  I’m glad that they are a different color other than brown or black.  They don’t quite match anything, but they aren’t off enough to take away from the outfit.  As I have mentioned before…I hate the slit down the back.  I wish Journey Girls would come up with a different design for these boots.  From the front they are super cute though!

Let's get some nicer boots Toys R Us…come on!

Oh, I forgot to mention the purse.  It's black and shiny.  That’s it.

The Journey Girls pink plaid outfit with all of it's accessories.

Rating

All ratings are out of 10

Value 8 – Like the blue bloused outfit the quality on this outfit is good.  There is good versatility with the pieces also.  If the price was closer to $12 all of the time, I would give it a higher value score.  But since most of the time it is closer to $20…the value score is a little lower.

Fitment 9 – Great fitment.  Everything fits great.  Wish the boots were better.

Versatility 9 –  There are a lot of great pieces that can be used with all sorts of other outfits.  The other thing that is great is that some of the pieces of clothing can be used for casual, work clothes, or more going out types of outfits.

Cuteness 9 –  I think this is one of the cutest non-dress outfits.  The only outfit that compares to it is Dana’s meet outfit.  It’s cute and functional at the same time.

Overall 9 –  This is a wonderful everyday outfit.  Kelsey can go out exploring in this outfit.  She can go camping, or biking, or even go to school in this outfit.  It’s a wonderful all around outfit.  That and the versatility of the pieces make it a great addition to your wardrobe.

Journey Girls Celebrate Outfits

Four New Journey Girls Dresses

Toys R Us has been ramping up the amount of accessories that are out for the Journey Girls this year.  Many of the new outfits that have been released with the London line have been very cute.  When the Celebration outfits came out I bought all 4 of them immediately.  The four outfits are fancier dresses for the Journey Girls to go out in. There is a purple satin, knee length dress, with black lace on top, and purple tulle shoulders.  A pink satin, knee length dress, with black polka dotted lace over the skirt.  A navy blue one shoulder floor length fitted gown that has a fabric flower on the waist.  And finally, a teal, flower printed dress that is knee length in the front and floor length in the back.

The entire Celebrate collection

The Celebration outfits are more expensive than the regular outfits, coming in at $24 per outfit.  They all come with shoes, a purse, a hanger, and the dress.  The question is…are these outfits worth it?  Let’s look at them individually to answer that.

Callie in the beautiful purple Celebrate dress.

The first outfit is a beautiful deep purple knee length dress.  It has wide sheer gathered straps from the bodice of the dress.  The bodice is a satin purple fabric with a layer of sparkly chiffon like fabric over it.    The gathered skirt has a layer of the purple satin fabric beneath a light chiffon gathered top layer.   The outfit also comes with black tights, shoes, and a matching purse.

Let’s start with the good.  This is a cute dress.  It is elegant and pretty, without being super dressy.  This is a great dress for a party or dancing; semi-formal, compared to Jordanna’s formal dress.  I really like the fabrics, the cut of the neckline and the color.  It’s not super ornate or complicated, but it is still very elegant.  The fabrics are higher quality than on of the normal outfits from Journey Girls.

The bad; let’s start with the shoes.  They are the same old shoes that all of the Journey Girls come with.  Nothing special.  I would like to see something different for a special outfit like this.  The plastic shoe is just boring.  That being said, it is very functional, fits well, and looks nice. 

Same old shoes…although they are shiny!

The bigger problem with this outfit is the color.  I made the mistake of not washing this outfit out of the packaging, and just putting it on Callie.  After a few days on Callie, she had purple on her chest and back where the dress rubbed against her.   After washing the dress I have not had anymore dye transfer issues…but I should not have had any in the first place!   If you buy this outfit, make sure to wash it at least once, before it goes on your doll.

Purple marks showed up on Callie after a week of the outfit being on her.  The marks line up perfectly to where the dress was on her chest and back.

This is her back. 

Rating

All ratings are out of 10

Value 4 – If there had not been the issue with the color transfer I would give this an 8.  For the cost, this outfit has some great accessories.  It is also a beautiful dress that is sewn well.  The fact that it has to be washed a few times before it can be put on the doll is not acceptable.

Fitment 9 – The dress is made for the Journey Girls, so it fits wonderfully.  For some reason the shoulder straps are difficult to get up onto Callie’s shoulders.  They are tight.  Otherwise, the tights and shoes fit perfectly.

Versatility 7 – The shoes, tights, and purse can be used with other outfits.  The dress is an elegant dress.  It is only going to be used for fancier occasions.

Cuteness 8 – The color on this dress is wonderful.  I love the cut and design of the dress.  It is just a cute dress.

Overall 4 – Why so low if most of the scores are good…the color transfer.  When an outfit is purchased there should never be any worry about if it will ruin the doll it is going on.  Yes, if the dress gets washed a few times there are no more issues with color transfer, but that shouldn’t have to happen by the consumer.  Or there should be a warning.  I guess that we wash our clothes before we wear them so there is no color transfer.  I just don’t like that it happens with the doll clothes.  I think especially since I have American Girl outfits that do not need to be washed before use. 

If you look past the dye issue, this dress is wonderful.  Very cute, very fun.  Buy it on sale.  Make sure to wash it a few times before it goes on a doll. 

Callie is very cute in her purple dress.

The second outfit is very similar to the first one.  A knee length satin fabric, gathered waist dress.  The neckline is a high, frilled neckline, with no sleeves.  The skirt has a layer of black polka dotted tulle over it, accented by a black ribbon around the waist with a cute bow in the middle.   The dress also comes with the good old plastic shoes, but these have a pink ribbon on the toes.  There is also a fuzzy black purse with a silver chained strap.

Jordanna wearing the pink polka dotted dress.

I like this dress.  I think it is cute, especially for the Journey Girls age.  The fabric is wonderful.  The neckline is really cute.  And I love the polka dotted tulle.  The only negative is that it is $24.  It is really not fancy enough to warrant the extra cost.  Maybe if there were some tights or a sweater/shawl that came with it, the price would make more sense.  I happened to get it when it was on sale, so I didn’t pay $24, and felt that it was worth the price I paid.  Just a note…after the issue I had with the purple dress I made sure that I washed this dress.  I did not see any color transfer from this dress.

The frilled neckline is cute.

Rating

All ratings are out of 10

Value 7 – I would have liked to see a few more accessories with an outfit this expensive.  Still, the quality of the fabric is higher than a normal outfit…so I think the value is acceptable.

Fitment 10 – Fits perfectly.  As it should, being made specifically for the Journey Girls.

Versatility 5 – Not much to use with other outfits.  Just the shoes and purse.  I do like that the shoes have a cute pink bow on them. 

Cuteness 8 – What a cute dress.  I love polka dots, but have never really seen a fancy dress with polka dots.  I have seen casual dresses and business dress, but never really party dresses.  This dress is very elegant and cute at the same time.  I love the neckline on it!

Overall 8 – This is a great dress to have in the wardrobe.  It is a wonderful dressy outfit that is not a ball gown.  It is mad well, the shoes are cute, the purse is nice…I just wish there was maybe one more accessory with it. Even without the extra accessory I would buy this dress, especially if it is on sale!

Jordanna posing in her pink dress.

The navy blue dress is made with a satin fabric that has a chiffon fabric overlay on part of the dress.  It has an asymmetrical, off the shoulder neckline, where the left shoulder has a strap and the right side does not.  The chiffon forms a circular cap at the left shoulder of the dress, covers the entire bodice, gathers at the waist and then angles to the left, draping over the satin of the dress all the way to the floor.  So it half way covers the dress.  There is a matching blue ribbon around the waist with a white fabric flower on the right hip.  The dress also comes with a matching purse and blue plastic shoes.

Chavonne is modeling a very elegant shimmery blue dress from the Celebrate collection.

I really like this dress.  It is fitted to the Journey Girls, making the cut that much more impressive.  I would have rather had a second should strap, even if it was thinner.  To make it so that the neck line can go under the dolls opposite arm, the cut gets a little low.  I love the chiffon on top and the way that it drapes around the hip of the dress.  It makes the dress modern and elegant.  To me it is a bit of an older style cut for the Journey Girls age, but it is okay.  Again I wish that it came with another accessory, maybe a necklace, bracelet, or something for the hair.  Still a very nice gown for the cost.  Again I washed this dress and had no color issues.

The cute seems a little low on the left side…but it is okay.

Rating

All ratings are out of 10

Value 7 –  Another Journey Girls dress that is made well, it just doesn’t have much else to it.  This really only has the shoes and purse as accessories.  Still, it is a wonderful dress, with a great design, and nice fabric.

Fitment 9 – As I mentioned there is a bit of an issue with the asymmetrical neckline not fitting real well.  Also this is a snug dress, so it just Velcro’s in the back.  The good thing about that is it makes the dress form fitting.  The more stuffed new Journey Girls are a tight squeeze though.

Versatility 5 –  Shoes and purse.  The shoes are a dark blue and will not match many outfits.  The dress is definitely an evening out dress.  Chavonne is not going out to see a movie in this outfit.  So like all of the Celebration outfits it is limited in that aspect.

Cuteness 8 – Very cute! This dress is more sophisticated than the purple or pink dress.  It is an elegant dress, where those two are cutesy.  It is simple, but I think that is part of what makes it elegant.

Overall 8 –  This dress wants to be a 9.  I almost gave it a nine…it’s just missing that one thing that would put it up there; an accessory, a lower price, better shoes, etc.  That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t buy it, it just means that there are other dresses that I may buy before this one.  At one point before the holidays Toys R Us had the Celebration outfits at $20, plus in store they were buy one get one free!  That is a great price.  Keep your eyes out and pick this one up.

Chavonne is stunning in her navy blue evening gown.

Finally, my favorite of the quartet.  The teal dress is a thicker cotton fabric with a raised flower pattern on it, with a satin lining on the inside.  The dress has a jewel cut neckline, is sleeveless, has a gathered waist, with a micro skirt cut up front that curves down into a full length gown in the back, flaring out to give a gorgeous gown look.  Because the cut is so high in the front there is a knee length off white straight skirt sewn into the dress.  The gown hangs in waves off of Kyla’s hips and can be fluffed out to give it more volume.

Kayla in the pretty teal dress.

The dress comes with teal shoes and a handbag that matches the dress.  Again I wish that this outfit had some more interesting shoes than the standard low heel plastic shoes that come with every outfit.  This outfit would look amazing with a ballerina tie-up heel.  It’s okay though. 

A cute matching handbag comes with the outfit.

I would have liked to see another accessory with it also, but the craftsmanship on this dress is the best I have seen with the Journey Girls.  It’s still not as intricate as Jordanna’s dress, but it is the best individual outfit that they sell.  If there was one of the Celebration Outfits I would suggest, this one is it.  Very stylish, well made, beautiful color, and cute as can be! 

Rating

All ratings are out of 10

Value 8 –  Again…this dress is a well made dress.  Out of the four, this is one has the best design, stitching, and fabric feel. All that is missing is the accessories.

Fitment 10 – Perfect!  It fits tights in the right spots and loose where it is supposed to be loose.  Wonderful dress.

Versatility 5 –  This dress is for an occasion.  It is elegant and beautiful.  The shoes, because of the teal color, are going to be more difficult to use with other outfits.  The purse is the same way.  I don’t think that they should be a different color, but as far as versatility it limits them.

Cuteness 10 – I love this dress!!!  Especially on Kyla.  It is gorgeous!  I think I may even like it more than Jordanna’s dress.  Here’s why; Jordanna’s dress is a gown and as such is not as versatile as this dress.  Plus I love this color.

Overall 9 –  Giving this dress a few accessories (a tiara or head band, gloves, fancier shoes) would make this a 10, even with the versatility issues.  If you can only pick up one of the Celebration dresses, this is the one that I would pick.  It is such a modern fashion.  It’s a wonderful color.  It’s made really well.  It’s a very good outfit.

This dress is the favorite of the four dresses in the Celebrate collection.

Overall these dresses are fabulous and are all worth your money.  There are a few that stand out and are better than the others (namely the two blue dresses), but all of them are cute.  Not quite as nice as American Girl dresses, but much less expensive, and they fit better to the Journey Girls body type.

Chavonne Modeling

Chavonne Models an Our Generation Dress

This past summer Chavonne received a beautiful new dress.  She wanted to show it off to everyone…so we did a photo shoot!

Chavonne loves her sea foam green dress.

Peeking around the corner.

Chavonne loves the pearl necklace that comes with this outfit.  It real accents the dress.

Chavonne leaning against a rock wall.

Chavonne's friend Alexis swings buy to see what is going on.  They have to get there photo taken together!

A purse can make an outfit.

Chavonne's outfit is from the Our Generation line at Target.   It is a very cute little dress! And Chavonne looks great in it.

Kelsey's Freckles

How to Put Freckles on a Journey Girl Doll

My Kelsey has freckles…but she was not bought that way.  I added the freckles.  How do you put freckles on a doll?  When I looked this up on the Internet I found a lot of different answers.  Most of them were non permanent.  I wanted Kelsey's freckles to be permanent.  After some research and a lot of nervous "do I really want to do this?" questioning…I freckled Kelsey. And I have never regretted it!

Non-freckled new Kelsey on the left and my older, freckled Kelsey on the right.

So how do you give your doll freckles?  There are a few ways to do this peremanently.  I decided to use permanent markers, mostly because it is the easiest way of making freckles.  You can use acrylic paints,(no oils…they never dry on the vinyl) but then you have to seal the entire face…and I didn't want to do this.  The permanent marker fades a little over time, but not much.  I used "BIC Mark it permanent markers" because they make a 36 pack of colored markers with a fine point.  The pack comes with 4 brownish colored markers, plus a few other skin toned markers.  It's a good set for making freckles.

WARNING: This is permanent!  The only way to get this off is with pimple treatment cream.  It will not wash off!

The colors I used are (from left to right) Tiki Hut Tan, Honey Brown, and Woodsy Brown.

I used 3 of the colors from this set; woodsy brown, honey brown, and tiki hut tan.  I found that the two browns were closest to what I felt like would be the natural color of Kelsey's freckles.  Before I put a mark on Kelsey I tested the markers on an old Barbie doll to see if I liked the colors.  I also took a picture of Kelsey, loaded it in to Photoshop and put freckles on her in Photoshop.  This way I could decide where I wanted the freckles, how big they should be, and how many I wanted, before I made a mark that was permanent on Kelsey.  If you don't have photoshop, take a photo of your doll, print it out and put freckles on the print out with the markers.  I really thought this helped me plan what I wanted Kelsey to look like.

On the left is the photo sop mock-up of what I wanted Kelsey's freckles to look like.  On the right is what they actually look like now.  They were a little darker when I first put them on.

Once you are happy with your mock-up get the markers, your doll, a couple tissues or paper towels, and a wet paper towel.  Wash your dolls face with the wet paper towel to make sure her face is free of dirt and oils.  This helps the marker stay on better.  Make sure her face is dry.  Take the woodsy brown marker and start making the larger freckles, using your printout (or photo) as a guide.  You are going to want to vary the size of the freckles to make it look more realistic.  I started on Kelsey's nose with a few of the larger freckles and then worked my way onto her left cheek.  

Using the Woodsy Brown add the larger freckles.  I started on her nose and worked to her cheek.

After you have put most of the bigger freckles on with the woodsy brown, use the tiki hut tan to lighten a few of the freckles.  You don't have to do this, but I like the looks of this.  It makes the freckles look more natural.  Take the tiki hut tan and draw on top of the freckle that you have already drawn.  

Using the Tiki Hut Tan, draw over some of the freckles that are already on your doll.

Immediately after doing this take your tissue and dab (don't wipe…you'll smear the marker) the freckle.  This will pull some of the marker off and make the freckle lighter.  If the freckle isn't as light as you would like, use the tiki hut tan again and draw over the freckle again, dabbing the tissue as soon as you have finished drawing.  I used this technique on 4 to 7 of the freckles.  It shouldn't be all of them.  Again, you are trying to give the freckles a little different look, so that they look more realistic.

Dab (don't wipe…it smears the marker) the freckle that you have put the Tiki Hut Tan on.  This will pull some of the marker off and make the freckle lighter.

Finally, go through with the honey brown and add little freckles.  These are just tiny dots very randomly placed to help make the freckles look more realistic.  The second color helps give a realistic look and adds depth to the freckles.  

Add some smaller freckles with the Honey Brown marker.

Here are the pictures of my originally Kelsey and my new Kelsey with newly added freckles.  Notice that new Kelsey's freckles are darker.  The color will fade a little as the doll ages.  My Kelsey has had her freckles for about a year and a half now…so you can get an idea of how the freckles fade.

Newly freckled Kelsey on the left and older Kelsey on the right.

I hope that this is helpful.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will answer your questions through the comment section.  Thanks!

Which Scooter?

Journey Girls Scooter vs Our Generation Scooter

I have had my eye on the Our Generation scooter for awhile.  But I always had some qualms about it.  First off it looks cheap.  It looks like those cheap plastic toys you get at the grocery store.  Second, I hate the big huge wheel in the back.  Ick!  So when Journey Girls came out with their own scooter I thought, "Yeah…here is an awesome scooter!"  Well…it's kind of awesome.

The Our Generation Scooter has a more vintage look to it than the Journey Girls scooter.

Let's look at the Our Generation scooter first, because even though I don't like some of the things about it, other design elements are amazing.  The look of this scooter is great.  From the side and front the scooter looks like a real vintage scooter.  The big head light is awesome.  The seat cushion is really nice. I really like the over all lines of the scooter, the design is beautiful.  I also really like all of the different colors that the scooters come in.  The one I bought is not my favorite color scheme, but it was what was available for the review.  I like the scooters with muted color schemes, like the pink and tan one.

I love the big headlight and the screws on the front of the scooter.

The Our Generation scooter is bigger then the Journey Girl scooter.  It has wider handlebars, a longer seat, and wider tires.  The Our Generation scooter also has a rack on the back…which is really cool.



Now the bad.  The Our Generation  scooter is made out a pressed plastic.  On the front of the scooter this looks really neat.  There are two different color pieces that are screwed together to make the front.  This makes the scooter look more realistic.  In other places the pressed plastic looks cheap…like in the foot wells and at the back of the scooter.  The seams are bigger in these areas and you can see through the scooter.  Plus it feels cheap…especially compared to the Journey Girls scooter.

The goofy looking big wheel makes this scooter look like a monster truck.

I love the functionality of the big fat wheel in the back.  The scooter can stand on it's own, with a doll sitting on it with no concern of tipping over.  I hate the look of that big fat wheel!  It makes the scooter look like a monster truck!  I think that the scooter would balance okay if the back wheel was the same width as the front wheel.  I think it looks goofy.

Chavonne's feet can't quite reach the foot wells on the Our Generation scooter.

The dolls don't fit very well on the Our Generation scooter.  It's a little too big for them and the seat is too wide to have their legs straddle it.  Chavonne sits okay on the seat, but not great.  The handle bars are wide enough that Chavonne can hold onto them, but with no straps, her hands just fall off.

Rating

All ratings are out of 10

Playability 7 - No fun sounds.  No cool lights.  It does have a rack and it stands up on it's own.  It's a fun little scooter.  The Our Generation jeep is probably a better form of transportation

Value 7 - The scooter is a fair price at $30.  I found it for sale for $28…which is a little better.  This scooter seems like it should be about $20.  It's still a good buy at this price though.

Quality 5 - I don't like the plastic of this scooter…it feels cheap.  Some of the colors make the scooter look cheaper also.  And what is up with the sticker for the gauges?  I do like the look of the light on the front and the back rack.

Overall 6 - It's not horrible…it's just not awesome.  I have the bike that Our Generation makes.  The bike is an amazing toy!  Lots of little details…very cool.  I was hoping that the scooter would have some of these same types of cool features.  But it does not.  Some cool things…but lots of not so great things.  If you can find it for cheap I'd say buy it.  If it's more than $20 I would look for something else.

Journey Girls Scooter

The first thing I noticed with the Journey Girls scooter is how heavy it is.  This is partially because of the plastic it is made out of and partly because of the batteries that are housed in the foot well of the scooter.  The Journey Girl scooter makes noises and has lights…which is pretty neat.  I could do without the sounds, but they aren't overly loud and all of them make sense.  There is an engine sound, a start-up sound, a horn sound, and a blinker sound that corresponds to the blinkers turning off and on.  The lights turn on and off with the sounds also.  I can't figure out why the main headlight would blink when you are driving it…but okay.  I wish that you could turn the headlight on without the sound.

The Journey Girls scooter is smaller than the Our Generation scooter.  It is also made out of a thicker plastic.

The Journey Girl scooter is smaller than the Our Generation scooter.  It is not as long, or as high.  That's good and bad.  The seat of the Journey Girl scooter is a perfect height from the foot wells for Chavonne to sit correctly.  Unfortunately the handle bars are also lower, which makes it so that Chavonne has a difficult time getting her hands to them without bending way over.  If the handlebars were about an inch higher they would be in the perfect place…plus I think this would make it so that the windshield would be in the correct position.

On the left is the actual Journey Girls scooter.  On the right is my rendering of what the scooter might look like with a taller front end and a wider front light.

The back wheels looks too small in circumference.  I would have liked to see it a half an inch bigger or so.  Where the Our Generation wheel is huge and wide…the Journey Girls scooter wheels are skinny.  They look more realistic, but it they were just a little wider, the scooter could probably stand up on it's own.

I like that the scooter has a bumper on the back.  I like that it has "shocks"(they don't actually move, but they look good), a "motor" in front of the back wheel, the molded gages on the handlebars, the brake handles, and the side view mirrors.

It is nice that it comes with the clear plastic holder to help hold the doll on the scooter.  I was able to get Chavonne to stay on the scooter without help from the plastic, but she will fall off if she is pushed on the scooter.  Some of that is the boots I have her in.  Shoes wedge into the foot wells and help hold the doll on the scooter.

The little wheels don't stay locked in a position.  There is more resistance at this position, but they can still move out of place.

The little wheels that swing down are dumb!  Or the design is dumb is probably more of an accurate statement.  There is no notch for them to sit in, so they can move freely from the back position to the forward position.  They stay in the down position, but there is nothing to hold them down in that position.  As I positioned Chavonne on the scooter, the wheels folded up, and the scooter fell over…several times (then I finally learned my lesson).  The wheels do do help stabilize the scooter so that it doesn't tip…but they don't do a great job.

Chavonne riding the Journey Girls scooter

Rating

All ratings are out of 10

Playability 8 - This scooter has all the cool features that you are looking for (well a lot of the cool features).  The lights are really neat as well as the sound.  I love that there are working turn signals on the front and back of the scooter.  I wish the headlight was clear/white rather than blue…but okay.  The scooter is neat.  I wish that it was more stable to increase the playability.

Value 8 - I found the scooter for $23!  I noticed since Christmas it jumped up to $34.  At $23 it is a great value.  It is built well, has the sounds and lights, and has some neat design features.  At $34…the value goes down a little.  But it's still worth the purchase.

Quality 9 - The feel of this scooter is really good.  It does not feel cheap.  I think it looks a little cheap because it only has two colors.  I wish Toys R Us had the scooter in a few different colors. I would have loved to see a rack on the back of the scooter also.  Where is Chavonne supposed to carry her grocery bags?

Overall 8 - This is a nice scooter.  It's not American Girl quality, but it is nice.  There are some things that are a bit annoying (like the goofy little wheels and low handlebars), but overall it's a nice little machine.  I would choose this scooter over the Our Generation scooter any day.  It's not my dream scooter…but for under $40 this is a great scooter (as is the Our Generation scooter…just not as good).

The Our Generation scooter vs the Journey Girls scooter