Donald Duck is having yet another breakdown in Disney Dreamlight Valley. We’re talking full-on lying on the grass, kicking and screaming, flippers and feathers almost a blur, to the point where it’s just getting a bit embarrassing now. But it’s also my fault. All Donald D wants is a home, but his houseboat was flooded and now I can’t find the rope to help him repair it. Seaweed, it turns out, is the most valuable resource in the Valley – it’s literally rarer than gold.
Fast Facts: Disney Dreamlight Valley
Release date: Early Access on Sept 6, 2022. Full release 2023
Platform(s): PS5/4, Xbox Series X/One, PC, Switch
Developer/Publisher: Gameloft
Resource scarcity has been a consistent theme throughout the time I’ve spent with Disney Dreamlight Valley, ahead of its Early Access launch on September 6. Seaweed, which is supposedly plentiful in several regions of the Valley, is AWOL – despite being utterly crucial for crafting twine and rope that are key to completing many of Disney Dreamlight Valley’s earliest missions. Thus, Moana’s boat goes unfixed, Wall-E’s garden remains a ruin, and Donald continues to be homeless, almost a week (and nearly 40 hours) later.
Hopefully, such rare drops are just a symptom of Disney Dreamlight Valley’s Early Access status – something that can be tweaked with an update in the weeks to come as developer Gameloft continues to refine the rough edges. But it’s not an endearing feature at this stage, especially as the game doesn’t do much to guide you forward once you do hit a wall. Thankfully, there is plenty to do if you’re happy to occupy your time with a little bit of busywork – and if you’re familiar with life sims like Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing: New Horizons, then you will be well familiarized with such tasks.
The main currency used to unlock new areas of the Valley (the expanding area which houses your villagers) and new Realms (more on those later) is Dreamlight, which can be earned by completing tasks such as fishing, farming, cooking, and chatting with your friends. Daily tasks that constantly replenish are great for quick wins, and are also complemented by longer-term goals like getting all your friendships to a certain level. The more you unlock in terms of areas and characters, the easier it is to earn more Dreamlight, which is a nice touch.
Dreaming of seaweed
Disney Dreamlight Valley is like Animal Crossing with more story and less waiting. Excellent quality of life improvements mean a whole lot less faff; your watering can is never empty, tools never blunt or break, and stamina can be renewed by munching down on a handful of berries – which are plentiful around the Valley. There is a day and night cycle that’s linked to your own, but very little is limited to waiting for the next physical day, a la Animal Crossing. Other currencies include good old-fashioned money, which can be obtained through selling the items you gather or grow, and there’s also XP which can be earned by ticking off tasks given to you by the various Disney and Pixar characters that you’ll befriend.
It’s all about you
There’s a brilliant character customization tool too, with so many clothing options to discover
If you want to fill the Valley with your favorite heroes and villains, you’ll need to deal with a phenomenon known as The Forgetting. Horrid thorns block off access to homes and entire regions, and also blight its inhabitants with nasty cases of memory loss. Merlin, thankfully, has it together enough to know the Valley needs help, both in clearing away the vines and in bringing back all its residents – he also knows that you’re the only one that can do it… you magical thing you.
Thus your new life in Disney Dreamlight Valley consists of helping the residents that have managed to survive through The Forgetting, like Scrooge McDuck with his general store or Mickey Mouse with his community garden, while also reaching out to those who left the Valley behind. This happens mainly through unlocking themed Realms using Dreamlight. Although the Dream Castle is pretty packed with doors to each of the Disney and Pixar universes, there are only four Realms available at the time of writing – Moana, Ratatouille, Frozen, and Wall-E. Each Realm offers at least one character to coax back to the valley, and they come complete with their own storyline and set of quests that directly reflect the movies they’re born out from. Whether you’re cooking with Remy or exploring with Moana, it’s always a nice surprise to see what adventure each Realm will take you on.
Admittedly, the Realms are more compact than I imagined they’d be – particularly poor Wall-E’s – but you’ll nevertheless find yourself returning to them as you begin to complete each character’s quests and level up your friendships with them. This is key to progression in Disney Dreamlight Valley, as simple acts of kindness – like hanging out, exchanging gifts, and simply checking in on your new buddies every day can help take your friendships to the next stage. Doing this will not only give you fun quests to carry out, but it also gives you access to themed items and outfit options for each character. Interestingly, some of the quests can also unlock a new tool upgrade that can help clear an obstacle or access a new area. None of that is made that clear, unfortunately, but it’s a fun surprise when something unexpected happens by spending more time getting to know someone.
A whole new Valley
The final piece of the whole ‘living alongside my favorite Disney characters’ fantasy to life is some truly brilliant dialogue and narrative flourishes. . Disney Dreamlight Valley isn’t afraid to have some fun with these iconic figures, and even have a laugh at their expense, all the while making great nods to those who know the associated movies inside out. It’s this attention to detail that makes Disney Dreamlight Valley feel like a sim for Disney fans of all ages. Accessible enough for the younger generation, the personality to appease older Disney fans, and the depth to offer a viable alternative to games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. .
In fact, the only thing missing (bar seaweed) from this Early Access experience is the Star Path feature, which is Disney Dreamlight Valley’s answer to a Battle Pass. Available to buy using premium (aka real-money) currency, it’ll get you access to exclusive cosmetic items themed around a specific area. Each one will last a month before it resets, and the first is all Pixar-themed – so think Incredibles merch and Up pins. It’ll be interesting to see how this works as the Early Access period continues, and what the pricing is like for these Star Path options once it unlocks properly.
Disney Dreamlight Valley is a really interesting addition to the live service game space. It’s fun, offers up plenty of content, and it’s well thought out. Designing and planning out how you want your Valley to look is also very moreish, and I wonder if it will spawn the same kind of community engagement there as Animal Crossing: New Horizons did. After all, island planning is a serious business, but now it’s infused with Disney magic. There are still some quirks and bugs to iron out, but that’s what this Early Access period is for (the full game launches as a free-to-play title in 2023). I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.
Disney Dreamlight Valley was reviewed on PC (and Steam Deck) using a code provided by the publisher.