Whose Birthday is It?

Episode Info

Transcript

Gallery

Credits

For the personalized version, see Whose Birthday is It? (Kideo VHS and DVD).

Whose Birthday is It? (also known as "Happy Birthday, Swiper!") is the 25^th episode of Dora the Explorer from Season 2 (both airing and production order).

Characters[]

Dora
Boots
Map
Backpack
Swiper (original version only)
Fiesta Trio
Benny
Isa
Tico
Big Red Chicken
Sneezing Snakes (debut)
Armadillo
Capybara
Anteater
Elevator (debut)
Tram (debut)
Azul (Character Find segment only)

Summary[]

"Happy Birthday to You", plays the birthday balloon as it floats by high in the sky. There's going to be a birthday party today! But, whose is it? Join Dora and Boots on a birthday adventure as they go over the Cupcake Mountain and across the Sneezing Snake Lake to join the party at the Play Park. The viewer will never guess whose birthday it is!

Plot[]

It was a lovely day at the rainforest. Dora visits Boots' treehouse when suddenly, they saw and heard birthday party-like music in the sky. It was a birthday balloon, which represents someone who is having a birthday. Inside the balloon are presents, candy, cake, streamers, and goody bags. There's going to be a birthday party. The problem was that Dora and Boots weren't so sure whose birthday it was. It wasn't Dora's (until her future of the 2010 episode), nor Boots' (even though his birthday was in the Season 1 episode "Surprise!"), nor Map's, nor Backpack's birthday. It was a big mystery. Dora and Boots follow the birthday balloon to find out. The birthday balloon goes out of sight which caused Dora and Boots to wonder where it's going. They ask Map for assistance. He says the balloon is going to the Play Park, which is where the birthday party will be held. But before they can get there, they have to go over the Cupcake Mountain and across the Sneezing Snake Lake. Dora and Boots are ready to solve the mystery of whose birthday it is while inviting to the Play Park. They picture the places in their heads as the follow the direction of the balloon. Later, they heard the sound of a party blower. Tico was blowing it. They have to play a listening game to find him. Dora and Boots heard a marimba sound, a party blower sound, a mariachi sound and a conch shell sound. Boots thought Tico was behind the rock, but it was actually a capybara brushing on the mariachi. The viewer tells them that Tico was in the tree. Once they found him, they find an armadillo playing the marimba and an anteater blowing the conch shell. Dora and Boots asked Tico if it was his birthday and it wasn't (until the second super spies adventure). So they still had to follow the birthday balloon to find out. Soon, Dora, Boots, and Tico reached the Cupcake Mountain. They saw three elevators. Dora, Boots, and Tico had to ride on all three of them to completely reach the top. They get on the first one, but it didn't go. Boots tried yelling "Go, elevator, go!", but to no avail. Suddenly, the elevator goes "¿Como?" for "What?" or "How?". So they had to say the Spanish word for "go" which is "Vamos". They say it and it moves. They get on the next elevator and said "¡Vamos!" to it and up they went. They are almost to the top. They get on the last elevator and said "¡Vamos!" once more. And in no time, they made it all the way to the top. After that, they saw cupcakes of three different flavors on bushes. There were vanilla, chocolate, and tutti-frutti cupcakes. They took a bite of the cupcakes. After their cupcake snack, Dora, Boots, and Tico used a tram to get down the Cupcake Mountain. They had to say the Spanish word "Vamos" one more time in order to get it to move. They do so and the tram went down. After reaching the bottom, they get off and continue on the path to the Sneezing Snake Lake. Along the way, they find Isa in a party hat. Dora and Boots thought maybe it is Isa's birthday. They asked her and she said it was not her birthday and Dora still wonders whose birthday it is. So they still have to keep going to the Play Park until they find out. Soon, Dora, Boots, Tico, and Isa approached the Sneezing Snake Lake. They needed something they can use to get across. Just then a log boat comes out of hiding and parks on the edge of the dock. They had to put on lifejackets to ride on the Sneezing Snake Lake. Tico already turned his vest into one but Dora, Boots, and Isa need lifejackets of their own. Luckily, Backpack has three lifejackets, which is enough for everyone. After that, they all get on the log boat. Dora gets in the driver seat and starts driving the boat. The log boat stops and there were sneezing snakes. Dora needed help from the viewer to drive the log boat to get away from the sneezing snakes. Dora drives the log boat and there was one snake on the left side. Dora steers the boat to the right. There were two snakes on the right side and Dora steers the boat to the left. There were three snakes on the left and Dora steers the boat to the right and then stops the log boat by the dock so that she and her friends can get out. So far, Dora and Boots went over the Cupcake Mountain and drove the log boat while avoiding the sneezing snakes at the Sneezing Snake Lake. They are getting so close to the Play Park to solve the mystery of who will be having the birthday party. They just have to get there. Dora, Boots, Isa, and Tico saw Benny on his bike. It was decorated with party streamers. They asked Benny if it was his birthday and it wasn't. So they still had to go to the Play Park to find out whose birthday it is. Suddenly, something makes the ground shake. It was Big Red Chicken. Isa noticed he was all dressed up with a tuxedo, a hat and a cane. Dora asked Big Red Chicken if it was his birthday. He said it's not his birthday, but he couldn't wait to get to the party to find out whose birthday it is. Big Red Chicken gave Dora, Boots, Benny, Isa, and Tico a ride on his back and in no time they got up to the Play Park. The birthday balloon was coming towards the Play Park. Dora explained to the viewer that the balloon will show the viewer whose birthday it is. As Dora, Boots, and their friends repeat the question "Whose birthday is it?" to the viewer multiple times, the birthday balloon slowly turns around and reveals a picture of Swiper the fox. After that, Dora, Boots, and their friends had to call out to Swiper as loud as they could to make sure if it really is his birthday. Sure enough instead of hearing the rustling sound, Swiper appears at the top of a slide. Swiper gets on it and slides down to solid ground. Dora asks Swiper if it was his birthday and it was, because he can no longer swipe everyone's stuff and he belongs to the good side. Now that Dora and her friends solved the mystery, Swiper had to pull the string on the balloon to start the party. He did so and then the balloon popped open and there was confetti, presents, candy, goody bags, and a birthday cake with Swiper's picture on it. He even wears a birthday crown on his head and becomes the birthday king. Dora realized that the Play Park turned into a Party Park! Then, they all except Swiper sang the birthday song to Swiper in English instead of Spanish from the Season 1 episode "Surprise!". After that, he made a wish and blew out the candles. And that was how Dora and her friends found out whose birthday was.

Song[]

Happy Birthday, Swiper

Places in this episode[]

Sub-Places[]

Boots' Treehouse
Nutty Forest
Hill to Play Park

Items in Backpack (clockwise starting from the top right)[]

Bongo drums
Lifejacket for Isa (one of the correct items)
Book
Lifejacket for Dora (also one of the correct items)
Safari hat
Lifejacket for Boots (another one of the correct items)

Listen to the sounds[]

Armadillo playing a marimba in the bush
Tico blowing his party blowers in the tree (correct)
Capybara playing the mariachi in the rock
Anteater blowing a conch shell in the flower bush

Releases[]

This episode can be found in the international version of the Dora Saves the Snow Princess DVD.

Trivia[]

There was also a personalized version of this episode made by Kideo, where a kid (depending on a copy) celebrates a birthday party instead of Swiper (This was released in June 2003 before the original version with Swiper premiered). Click here for more information.
The newer design of the front cover of the personalized version was never used on the old VHS, just the DVD.
This is the first episode where the Sneezing Snake Lake is a location. It will return in the Season 4 episode The Shy Rainbow.
- Not only that, but the snake sneezes will be re recorded for that episode.
This is the third episode where the Play Park is the last place Dora and Boots go. They also traveled there in The Happy Old Troll and To the Monkey Bars.

The scene where Dora asks the viewer for Map, was used (a few times) in the 2008 Nick at Nite promo for George Lopez, where David finds himself lost in it, eventually being helped by her (and Boots), back to his home.
Two scenes from this episode (one where Boots does a cartwheel then a backflip over a log while Dora jumps over it during the Travel Song and the other where Dora and Boots jump in the air at the end of the song) were used in the Dora's Pirate Adventure VHS and DVD trailer.
This is the first episode in which Dora drives a vehicle rather than Tico.
The scene with Dora driving the log boat across Sneezing Snake Lake is later used in Noisy Star's explorer star mini-game where the viewer had to tell Dora what Noisy Star was warning her about.
- This will be used during the end credits of Stuck Truck, Louder!, and Dora Saves the Game.
Dora and Boots only sing the Travel Song once because the other two times on the way to Play Park, they no longer sing it again, they immediately run to the places and they run into their friends on the way asking them if it’s their birthday.
The walking animations in the Travel Song during the "Come on, Vamanos!" and "Where are we going?" are recycled from The Big Storm. They were also used in The Missing Piece, Lost Squeaky, Doctor Dora, El Día De Las Madres, Lost Map, School Pet, and Quack! Quack!. This is the last episode to use them.
As Dora and Boots were on their way to the Cupcake Mountain, the Nutty Forest can be seen as a cameo appearance and a sub place as they saw Tico with his party blowers.
This is the 75^th episode of the show.
This is the only Season 2 episode that premiered in 2004.
This the fourth episode where Isa spoke Spanish. She said "Hola!" to Tico. She first spoke Spanish in Bugga Bugga, in which she said "Abre", and the second time was To the Treehouse, in which she said "Gracias!".
Swiper is on his good side in this episode without any swiping since it is his birthday.
Although Swiper did not mention how old he's turning, there were ten candles on his cake meaning that he is 10 years old. This would also make him 9 in The Legend of the Big Red Chicken until the previous episode.
When the Birthday Balloon flies over to the Play Park, the screen shows the view of it way high up in the sky that one can see the Cupcake Mountain and the Sneezing Snake Lake.
This is one of few episodes where Backpack and Map technically play a major role, due to Dora talking about who is not having a birthday each time after she asks her friends if it’s their birthday.
During "We Did It!", Tico says "lo hicimos" before Backpack and Map say "we did it" instead of Dora.
"Lo hicimos" is said a total of four times during "We Did It", all by Tico.
This is the fourth instance where Tico spoke English. He said "Whose birthday is it?" with the cast to the viewer. He also sang the Happy Birthday song to Swiper in English instead of Spanish.
The book uses the same title seen here.
When Tico says "Lo hicimos!" during We Did It, the audio is taken from ¡Rápido, Tico!.
Unlike the season 1 episode "Surprise!", Dora, Boots, Benny, Isa, Tico, and Big Red Chicken do not sing Feliz Cumpleaños to Swiper, they instead sing the actual Happy Birthday song.
- In the personalized version, they still sing it to the kid instead of Feliz Cumpleaños.
- It is very rare for a cartoon, TV show, or movie to use the "Happy Birthday to You" as a song for a character's birthday, because it was under copyright until September 22, 2015.
It is unknown how Swiper got to Play Park. He also somehow got there in the Season 3 episode Stuck Truck.
Swiper does not make his rustling sound as he climbs up the slide.
This is the third episode where Dora and her friends had to call out to Swiper, first being Pinto, the Pony Express, and the second being A Letter for Swiper.
This episode and What Happens Next? are the only two episodes where the title is named after a question.
This is the first episode where Azul gets his Character Find segment, and he is voiced by Phillip Miller instead of Jordan-Smith Howie.
This is the third of four episodes in which the lifejackets had to be gotten out of Backpack instead of already being found in the boat. The other three are Super Map!, ¡Rápido, Tico!, and Dora and Diego to the Rescue!.
- Coincidentally, all four episodes end with punctuation.
After Map tells the viewer how Dora and Boots can get to Play Park, he doesn't say "so you tell Dora", he instead says "so remember".
- This is first episode (and the only produced Season 2 episode) in which he says that. It will be put to permanent use in Season 3.
This is the first episode to introduce the birthday balloon. It will later appear again in Dora's Big Birthday Adventure, but it is a different color (magenta and pink) and has Dora's picture on it. The birthday balloon in this episode is yellow and orange with Swiper's picture on it.
This episode premiered on Flag Day 2004 (2010 on Nick Jr.), and Cinco De Mayo 2007 on Noggin.
The Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. premiere of this episode are exactly 6 years apart.
The Noggin premiere was exactly three years after Hide and Go Seek premiered on Nickelodeon.
Although it premiered in 2003 originally scheduled, and 2004, it was made in 2001 according to the credits.
This is the last episode in which, after Map zoom wipes and Dora asking the viewer where to go first, she says "Thanks for helping!".
This aired during Season 3 in the restored version, after ABC Animals and before Dora's Fairytale Adventure (or To the South Pole if counting the Noggin premiere) premiered.
It is unknown why Grandma Fox didn't show up for Swiper's birthday party. However, she was mentioned in A Letter for Swiper along with Swiper the Explorer and she will appear in Swiper's Favorite Things.
This is the fourth episode in production order to use the Season 3 art style, the other three are Egg Hunt, Super Spies, and School Pet.
This is one of the few episodes that Tico uses his special vest to become a lifejacket, like Diego after him.
This episode was originally suppose to air on Monday, May 26, 2003. but it is unknown why it aired 1 year later.

Goofs/Errors[]

Due to premiering on June 14, 2004 (airing during Season 3), it used the Dora the Explorer Theme Song with the Explorer Stars, Diego and Baby Jaguar, and Dora and Boots swinging on a vine instead. This may lead some to assume it is (and/or should be) a Season 3 episode as it's really a Season 2 episode.
- However, on the personalized version, Netflix, Paramount+, and international releases of the Dora Saves the Snow Princess DVD, it opens with the Season 1-2 opening sequence.
- Amazon Prime has this episode with the Season 3-4 intro.
Although it is a Season 2 episode, a couple websites lists this as a Season 3 episode instead (due to it's airdate).
- For example, TVguide lists this episode in Season 3 (episode 20).
After Map finishes singing I'm the Map, he does not zoom into and out of the screen when he says the final line ("I'm the MAP!") like he usually does, nor does he close his eyes while looking at the viewer afterwards.
When Swiper claps his hands three times, he looks at the cake with his picture on it and his whiskers are missing. However his whiskers are seen, but the whiskers on the cake are missing.
When Dora says something about and to Swiper, one of the ten candles on his birthday cake is missing.
When Dora and her friends are singing We Did It!, Boots had Dora's voice when saying "Yay!" and Dora had Boots' voice when saying "Whoo!". This is the second episode where Boots had Dora's voice, first being The Big Storm.
- However, Boots didn't say "Hooray!" in this version so instead Swiper says it in honor of his birthday.
  - Swiper would later say "Hooray!" in Boo!.
In the credits, it said "Whose Birthday Is It?". The first I is capitalized.

Availability[]

Unfortunately, this episode along with A Present for Santa, is not available on iTunes, nor are they available on YouTube (excluding some videos with clips of the episodes). However, they are both on Amazon Prime. This episode is available for streaming on ViacomCBS' video streaming service Paramount+

Character Find[]

Azul the Blue Train (original version)
- Azul the Blue Train with the kid riding him (personalized version)

Dora the Explorer Season 2