Journey Girls Scooter: Take Two

A "New" Scooter

When the Australian line released in 2017 a new and improved "Adventure Scooter" was also released.  This is the second scooter released by Journey Girls, the first being released in 2014 with the London line.  There are some improvements with the new Adventure Scooter, but there are also some new set backs.  At $40 on Amazon, the scooter is $10 more than Our Generation brand.  Let's take a look at the new scooter.

One of the first things I noticed was the colors.  Although both are blue and pink, the new scooter's blue is more vibrant, closer to aqua blue, while the old scooter's blue was more baby blue.  Besides the pink, which is close to the same on both, there is also purple on the new scooter.   For an added splash of color a pet basket on the back of the scooter is a nice yellow.

This new scooter is a completely different design.  The 2014 scooter is more of a vintage design, compared to the 2017 scooter that has a new Vespa feel.  The body of the scooter is aqua blue, with a pink accent along the edges.

One large working headlight sits atop the beautifully curved front of the scooter; the Journey Girls logo ("JG" in a circle) plastered in the middle of it.

Attached to the headlight's post are the purple handlebars and side view mirrors.

Reflective silver stickers mimic mirrors on the bright pink mirrors.

Another neat little new feature is a pocket.   It's not a huge pocket, but it can hold sunglasses and a small hand purse.  With this little pocket and the pet basket in the back, there is good storage, especially compared to the 2014 scooter.  When the handle bars are turned, the small front wheel turns with with it, but no blinkers.

Both the small front wheel and the larger, wider back wheel have a plastic gray rim and black rubber tires.

Giving the wheel weight, the rubber not only looks cool, but helps with stability of the scooter.  Which can be a challenge.  The 2014 scooter had tiny "training wheels" on the underside to help stabilize it, partly because both wheels were thin like the front wheel on this scooter.  In this iteration, Journey Girls has taken a cue from Our Generation and made the rear wheel much wider.  It is not as wide (and weird looking) as the Our Generation scooters, and it is rounded on the edges, making it less stable.

I found it a challenge to balance the scooter, not impossible, but definitely difficult, especially if the doll moves at all.  It would be wonderful to have a kick stand to prop the scooter up on when not driving it.

Covering 3/4 of the back wheel, the purple fender matches the handle bars.  "JG" is embossed in the fender along with a checkered line.

On top of the fender are gray "metal" tubes holding up the pet basket.  There is a stamped woven pattern similar to a picnic basket.

If you open the basket, which can be done by pushing in the latch on the front of the basket (made difficult by the seat of the scooter), there is a black cloth seat belt for your pet.

The seat belt is long enough to fit around most pets, but not all.

Of course, most of the pets that are too big for the seat belt are also too big for the basket.

A pink seat, similar to the one on the 2014 scooter, fits the Journey Girls well, as it is skinny.  The seat position as well as the larger flair of the front and foot rails makes it easier for most of the Journey Girls dolls to stay sitting.

Two issues with staying seated: one there is nothing that helps the doll stay on the seat besides the pressure of her feet on the foot rail.  The old scooter had a clear attachment that helped the doll stay in place.   I didn't love this piece, but would like to see a seat belt maybe.  Two: Some of the Journey Girls, especially the ones released from New York on, have had horrible leg spread, making it near impossible to get them to sit on the scooter.

Bianca's feet do not touch the scooter or barely touch the scooter when she sits correctly. Add that to the fact that the handlebars are positioned in a way that the doll has to lean forward a little to touch them.

This puts the doll in a constant state of stress, making sitting difficult (again for some of the dolls more than others).

While I am on the topic of the handle bars...it is a challenge to get the doll to hold on to the handle bar.  Both hands are more vertical, making it impossible to hold the handlebar.

The best that I could do was have the hand on the end of the handlebar.  I noticed in the official photos of  scooter Kelsey only has one hand on the handle bars and they are turned a little to make it easier for her to grab.  Not the end of the world, but it is a little frustrating.

Unlike the 2014 scooter, this scooter's gauges have a raised outside and then a sticker in the middle.

Push the gauge cluster and the lights turn on as well as the sound of a revving engine.

Unfortunately the new scooter does not have turn signals, but the "Journey Girls" on the foot sill lights up...which is pretty cool.

If you want to personalize your scooter, put the included stickers on in any fashion you would like.  They do not stay on forever, but in some ways that is okay. 

It means that you can redesign your scooter a different way.

Every scooter rider needs to stay safe, so a helmet is included with the scooter.  The pink, sparkly, helmet has a blue visor that matches the scooter.

A purple strap with velcro on it holds the helmet in place.  The helmet fits well with the dolls hair straight down...no ponytails, buns, or up do's.

Rating

All ratings are out of 10

Playability 8 - As with the 2014 scooter, this scooter has an issue with stability.  Most of the time that is not going to matter, but with no way to attache the doll to the scooter and a scooter that isn't steady on it's own, fall are going to happen.  At least there is a helmet.  I really like the design of this scooter over the older one.  However, the dolls legs still aren't held on the scooter and she really can't hold the handlebars with both hands.   The lights are really neat.   And the sounds are fun.  It's an upgrade from the last one, but it's not perfect.

Value 8 - The scooter is better made than the Our Generation scooters and has some great features.   It is a little more expensive, but not by much.  Good value for a fun vehicle.

Quality 9 - Made with a thicker plastic than the Our Generation scooter, the Journey Girl scooter feels really well made.  The details on the scooter like the pink edges and the "Journey Girls" etched into the foot rails are great touches.  I'm not sure that the scooter will stand up to rough play.  It feels like it should, but the mirrors and the pet basket may be susceptible to breaking.

Overall 8 - Even though this scooter has a few issues (mostly with fitting the doll on it, which is partly an issue with the Journey Girl dolls) overall it is really nice.   The colors are fun.  The design is much better than the older version.  The addition of the pet basket is really nice. Although they got rid of the working turn signals, the large headlight looks great and the sill lights are downright awesome.  Amazon has "Adventure Scooter" for $39.99 which qualifies for free shipping.  A good deal for a great scooter.

Australian Paddle Board

"Exclusive" Paddle Board

Another “Bankruptcy find” was this paddle board set.  Originally released in Australia and Canada, "exclusively" for the Australian Journey Girls line, this set has shown up in many Toys R Us stores as the bankruptcy liquidation has begun.  Probably just a coincident to the liquidation, as this set was probably going to be released in the US at this time anyways.  

Here’s what comes with the set, which was retailing at $29.99; a paddle board, a paddle, a wet suit, goggles, snorkel, fins, a towel, a bag to hold the items, a water bottle, and sunscreen.  That's a lot of pieces for the price, especially compared to the normal outfit sets.

Let’s first look at the outfit that comes in this set.  The three colored wet suit looks like it is two pieces, due to an interesting hem on the bottom of the shirt, but it is in fact one piece.  

A large majority of the suit is black, including the legs, and a large part of the top, and the collar.  The sleeves and above the black on the shirt are a bright pink.  Swatches of white under the arms round out the colors of the outfit.  

Like most swimwear, this outfit is made of the stretchy nylon/spandex material. There is Velcro in the back to make it easier to get the doll in and out of the suit.  

My suit's Velcro doesn't quite match up on both side.  

Luckily the longer section is the loop part of the Velcro, so it doesn't snag the material.  Be Careful.  This suit stains the doll if it gets wet.  Soak the outfit or wash it so that there is no color transfer.  

You can see on my Meredith where the color transferred to the vinyl.  The suit was not on her for more than a day.   

Besides the color transfer (which is preventable if you soak the suit - I forgot to this time) a great piece of swimwear that matches this set very well.

Close to the actual shape of a real paddle board, the Journey Girl's paddle board is round at the top, flares out like a surf board and the taper to a rounded point on the back.

Made of a hollow teal plastic, the board has a slight curve to it from front to back.

Unlike Our Generation's surf board or American Girl's sail board, this paddle board is hollow, making it thicker than either of those two items, similar to a real life paddle board.  A pink and white Hawaiian curled design, accented with hibiscus flowers adorns the deck of the board.

There are no fins on the bottom, probably so that it can slide across the carpet easier, but there is a slot where the leash is attached.

Made of a thing rope, connected to a nylon strap, that is connected by another piece of thin rope to a rubber braided cord, attached to yet another piece of rope, that is finally attached to the ankle strap.

It's lovely to have this little piece of authenticity on the paddle board.  The length of the cord is probably longer than it needs to be, but it makes it easier to pose the doll that way.  Lovely piece!

Similar in color to the board, the teal paddle has a rectangular handle for Meredith to slide her hand through and a grip at the top of the shaft for her other hand.

The blade is thin and scooped out like a spoon.  It feels very chintzy compared to the shaft of the paddle.

On the front of the blade a hibiscus and the words "Journey Girls" is designed in white, tying it into the board.

Even though the box shows Ilee easily holding the paddle with her hand through the handle and her other hand on the grip, do not be deceived, it is an exercise in patience to get this to happen.

As you can see from my photos I had Meredith just hold the paddle without using the handle, which was much easier to do than having her hand through the handle, like in the outdoor shots (I ended up using double sided tape to hold the grip in her hand!)

I don't know why the handle isn't further down the shaft of the paddle anyways.  It is much too high to be usable there.

It's interesting that the snorkel, mask, and fins are included in this set, as they seem to be a separate activity than the paddle board.  Glad to have them though.  The fins (or flippers) are a bright pink  flexible rubber.

They easily slip on to Meredith's feet, but still hold well and don't fall off.  The design on these is awesome.  They look very realistic and feel the same way.  Really a great piece...even if they don't go with a paddle board.

The goggles frames match the bright pink of the fins, but the majority of the goggles are a transparent blue.  A little bump below the glasses makes room for Meredith's nose.  Although the goggles have a curve to them that mimics the curve of the dolls face, there is still a gap between the goggles and Meredith's face.

So water would get in if she was actually swimming.  Just an observation, not really a criticism. A pink band of soft plastic wraps around the back of Meredith's head and can be tightened by pulling on the notched ends.

On the left side of the goggles there is a clip that the snorkel fits in.

The snorkel itself is made of a softer plastic similar to the fins, and the same bright pink color.  At the top end, the mostly solid tube has a very short opening to give the illusion that the snorkel is hollow. At the other end is a clear blue mouth piece.

Instead of a realistic piece that would go in the mouth, this one covers the lips on the outside.  It looks realistic and fits perfectly!

If you go out into the water, you have to have something to dry off with, so this set has a great towel. It's white with aqua blue stripes a little darker then the blue of the paddle board. The alternating stripes start with a thick aqua blue stripe then two thin ones then another thick one. 

This is a normal size beach towel which means it's not quite big enough for Meredith to lay on but she can definitely sit on it with no problem. 

This soft cotton beach towel is similar to other Journey Girls beach towels, feeling softer than some of the Our Generation towels. 

Two small accessories come with this set; a water bottle and a sunscreen bottle. 

Both are perfect size for the Journey Girls to hold onto and Meredith has no issue holding either of these. The water bottle looks similar to a Fuji water bottle.  It is square and clear and has a Journey Girls sticker wrapped around it. The sticker has "JG" and then a colored hibiscus underneath of it, similar to a Fuji bottle. 

To the right side of that, it says "Journey Girls" and has the nutritional facts on it, which is kind of cute. The back and the left side of the sticker are identical.  

They're blue with water droplets on the bottom half. The square shape does make it a little difficult for Meredith to hold, not hard, you just have to figure out how to fit it in her hand and then it'll stay. One thing that I don't like about the sticker is that as it goes around the outside of the bottle it stops on a corner. 

Making it very easy for it to come off as you're playing with the bottle. Otherwise very cute.

The sunscreen comes in a white bottle with an orange top.  A sticker on the front with the Journey Girls emblem, a hibiscus and the SPF of the sunscreen.   

The sticker fades from pink to orange.   Very simple, but cute and kind of promotes that we need to be careful of the sun.

Most Journey Girls outfits come with a purse, however since this is a beach set it comes with a beach bag. The bag is white with yellow stripes and is made of a thicker rougher fabric similar to what a beach bag would normally be made of.   

On the front there is a purple "JG" with a hibiscus flower on it. The handles are made out of yellow ribbon and go from the bottom of the bag up to the top and then form a handle. A couple of great things about this bag: one it's big enough to fit everything including the blanket into it, which is awesome, that's exactly what you want for a beach bag. 

It's a little tough to get the fins in there but they will fit with everything else. The other thing that's awesome is that the handles are long enough to put it over Meredith's shoulder so she can actually carry. Meredith is not able to carry the bag with the fins in it.  

She can fit the mask and snorkel in there if you position them correctly.  The fins are just too tall and will not fit with the bag on Meredith's arm. This is a great little bag though and I'm really glad the Journey Girls decided to include it.

Rating
All ratings are out of 10

Playability 9 – With more than just the paddle board, this set has a good amount of playability.  Although it was a little disappointing to see that the paddle board didn't have fins, it makes it much easier to play with.  As it can slide across the floor with no problem.  Meredith easily stands on the board.  With the addition of the snorkel, fins, and other beach items, this set becomes much more rounded as a set.  Meredith can go paddle boarding, snorkeling, or sit on the beach.  Although I'm not sure that many people would lay on their beach towel in a wet suit.  Still it's awesome to have all of the different items with this set.

Value 9 –  The amount of items that you get in the set for the price is awesome.  There are so many pieces.  This set really could have been just the paddle board, the paddle, and the wet suit, which makes it nice to have the other items.

Quality 9 – Most everything is made really well.  The water bottle's sticker is not perfectly designed.  The paddle board is not solid (which makes it more buoyant...if you put it in water like me).  The paddle is a bit flimsy.  But there is nothing that is made poorly, just not the best design. 

Overall 9 -  This is a great set, with lots of items to play with.  Everything is made well.  There are some small design issues, but nothing enough to make the set not worth buying.  If you are in Canada, pick this set up!  It is well worth the cost.

AG note

I thought because the fins looked a little bit bigger that they would easily be able to fit an American Girl doll's feet.

Unlike all the other shoes that Journey Girls makes, these fins do fit on the American Girl dolls, but just barely, and they look a little wonky.

 Most Journey Girls outfits fit fine on the American Girls, but are a little bit snug.  

The wet suit is tight but Olivia can move her arms and legs just fine with no issues.  

The only problem is the Velcro on the back is tight.  

Other than that, the outfit fits perfectly. All the accessories worked great with the American Girl dolls. 

The paddle is actually easier to put in  Olivia's hand then it was to put in Meredith's hand. 

Because Olivia's hand is more open, she can hold onto the water bottle better also. The one piece that surprised me was that the paddle board cannot be Velcroed to the American girl dolls leg. 

The ankle strap isn't quite long enough to go around Olivia's ankle, but a slight modification makes it work . 

Overall I would say that this is a great outfit and set to have for both dolls.   Only a few things are snug on the American Girl doll and those are really just accessories that don't make or break the set.  If you can find it for a good price...or you live in Canada...scoop this set up!