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Disney Junior (UK & Ireland) facts for kids
Final logo, used from 11 February 2019 to 1 October 2020
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| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta |
| Headquarters | 3 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9PE, United Kingdom |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) |
| Timeshift service | Disney Junior +1 |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company Limited Disney Channels Worldwide (Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International) |
| Sister channels |
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| History | |
| Launched | 29 September 2000 (as Playhouse Disney) 7 May 2011 (as Disney Junior) |
| Closed | 1 October 2020 |
| Replaced by | Disney+ (most of its content) |
| Former names | Playhouse Disney (2000–2011) |
Disney Junior was a popular TV channel in the UK and Ireland. It showed fun programs for young children. Before it was called Disney Junior, it was known as Playhouse Disney. The channel started on 29 September 2000 and changed its name to Disney Junior on 7 May 2011. It was owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel stopped broadcasting on 30 September 2020. This happened because many of its shows moved to the Disney+ streaming service.
Contents
The Story of Disney Junior
How It Started: Playhouse Disney
Before Disney Junior became a full channel, it began as a special block of shows. This block was for very young children. It aired on the Disney Channel in the mornings.
In 1999, this block got its own name: Playhouse Disney. It was the first time this name was used outside the USA. Two presenters, Dave Benson Phillips and Alex Lovell, hosted the shows. They were known as Big Dave and Little Alex.
Becoming Its Own Channel
On 29 September 2000, Playhouse Disney became its own TV channel. It launched on the Sky Digital platform. At first, you could only watch it on Sky. So, the Playhouse Disney block still played on the main Disney Channel.
Later, the channel became available on other TV providers like NTL and Telewest. After this, the Playhouse Disney block on the main Disney Channel stopped airing in July 2004.
Reaching More Homes
In 2006, Playhouse Disney became easier for more families to watch. It moved from being a special extra channel to being part of basic TV packages. This meant many more kids could enjoy its shows.
The presenters, Big Dave and Little Alex, continued to host until August 2006. For a short time, some Playhouse Disney shows also aired on another channel called ABC1.
Becoming Disney Junior
On 7 May 2011, Playhouse Disney changed its name to Disney Junior. This was part of a big change for Disney channels around the world. With the new name, the channel also started broadcasting in widescreen.
In 2013, a high-definition (HD) version of Disney Junior became available on Sky. This made the shows look even clearer. In 2017, another channel, Disney XD +1, briefly became "Mickey and Pals." It showed many popular programs from Disney Junior.
The Channel's End and New Beginnings
Disney Junior, along with its sister channels Disney XD and Disney Channel, stopped broadcasting in the UK. This happened on 30 September 2020, after 20 years of entertaining kids. The main reason for this was the growth of Disney+. Many of the shows from these channels moved to the Disney+ streaming service.
On 20 October 2025, Disney Junior UK began testing on the Astra 2F satellite. This testing might be a step towards a possible return, but Disney has not yet confirmed any plans.
Logos
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2000–2011
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2011–2019