When the student is ready, the student will realize watching the cartoons is the same the sitting and observing the breathing. I bet your mind does just about the same things during both. Point being, the state of awareness eventually won't need the induced environmental assistance.
Cartoons are like a junk food babysitter, where meditation is more like disciplined athletic training... I don't expect to "arrive" to a place where I don't need it... Much like our bodies need exercise more the older we get "use it or lose it"...
Anyways.. I've got a long road ahead of me... I'm near the entry level of my mental training