Disney movies, music, and characters have always had a special place in my heart. When Disney Dreamlight Valley arrived on Steam, I happily jumped right in. Dreamlight Valley is a cozy life simulation game that offers a blend of exploration, customization, and nostalgic character interactions. With the ongoing additions of more characters to the game over time and the recent release of the Rift in Time DLC, the game continues to become more immersive and exciting.

A World of Magic and Friendship

One of the most appealing aspects of Disney Dreamlight Valley is the opportunity to interact with beloved Disney characters. From iconic figures like Mickey and Minnie to princesses like Elsa and Moana, players can forge friendships with a variety of the valley’s residents, complete quests, and experience a story that pulls everything together. The game manages to have Mickey, Merlin, Maui, and Wall-E all in the same story space and playing off one another as if they’d always been together. As players build their friendships with each character, they can choose which in-game activity they want to do with that character. Then the player will receive extra materials, such as a duplicate of a caught fish when hanging out with a character with Fishing as their bonus trait. (By the way, I enjoy fishing in Dreamlight Valley. It’s not hard on my hands with too much mouse work, but it does require a little bit of mouse clicking at the right moments to reel in your catch.)

Endless Customization and Exploration

Disney Dreamlight Valley offers a very customizable world to explore. Players can design their dream homes, decorate their villages, and embark on adventures to uncover hidden secrets. I do wish that the decorating was not quite as rigid. It is a grid-style system with limited spots and orientation for clutter. However, creative players can still make magic with their decorating skills and the available decoration assortment. Each week there is a Dreamsnaps Challenge where players submit an image of an outfit or decorated space that matches the challenge theme. The challenge rewards players with Moonstones (the in-game currency purchased in the cash shop) and items. I appreciate the opportunities for players to earn Moonstones who don’t have the budget to buy them.

Exploring the Lovely Sights with Familiar Sounds

Immediately upon entering the game, players are greeted by familiar characters, whose appearance and dialogue feel like a favorite sweater. The graphics in the game are gorgeous and give the feeling of walking around in a Disney cartoon or movie. Exploring the various zones in the valley reveals a variety of aesthetics. Ambitious decorators have been known to turn the swamp into an upscale shopping center or the beach into a carnival fairground. The possibilities are nearly endless!

Lighting & Music

The lighting in the game is well done, and looking up to the sky to enjoy the sunset or gazing at the stars is a treat. Progressing through different areas and spending time with new characters will treat players’ ears to familiar musical themes and songs. (There is also a friendly feature for content creators to go into “Streamer Mode” to change the music to tunes free from copyright issues. Yay!)

Character Movement

Players have to keep their energy to do activities around the valley, and eating extra food can supercharge the energy bar and allow ‘sprinting’ on a little hoverboard. If the game had batch cooking, I would always keep my energy supercharged. The movement on the hoverboard is a smoother experience than the normal jogging movement, which can be a little bit ‘swimmy’ feeling. (That’s a little heads-up for any super sensitive motion sickness friends out there.) Occasionally, moving around objects on the ground can be a little tricky. Some decorations in the game create minor trip hazards but it’s a fairly infrequent issue.

The Rift in Time DLC: A New Adventure

The Rift in Time DLC adds a fresh layer of excitement to the game. Players can travel through time to visit iconic Disney locations like the Hundred Acre Wood and the Frozen Kingdom. This expansion introduces new characters, quests, and challenges, keeping players engaged for several hours. The expansion is not necessary for players to be able to participate in the regular Star Path and Dreamsnaps activities, but there are characters and quests exclusive to the DLC. There are (at the time of this review) four new characters available via the DLC, all on a separate map that is only accessible to players with the expansion. I only recently started playing the DLC, so I’ll share more on that content in a follow-up review.

The Star Path: A Rewarding Journey

The Star Path is a recurring seasonal event that offers players a variety of rewards, including exclusive items, characters, and currency. This feature provides a constant source of motivation and keeps the game fresh. While some of the tasks on the Star Path are less fun than others (like gathering several of an item with a slow respawn rate), I appreciate that I can participate and finish the Star Path without having to purchase the in-game currency. Players can collect Moonstones from chests that appear daily in the game or get them as rewards in the weekly Dreamsnaps. I’ve been able to choose the Premium version of the Star Path each time, which lets you work on more tasks at once, and enables you to claim Moonstones as rewards from the Star Path itself. Collecting the decor and outfits from each Star Path is a great way to build your closet and decorating options!

Shiny Things

• Befriending and interacting with favorite Disney characters in cozy, familiar surroundings
• New characters, decorations, and outfit options are added over time
• Regularly scheduled events with quests and rewards
• Friendly for casual players but enough activities and decorating options to give players with more play time lots to do
• Ability to earn some Moonstones currency via gameplay to allow all players to get items from the cash shop

Not So Shiny Things

• The shift from a free-to-play model to a purchase model disappointed the player base (Some players decided not to play after this change was made)
• Cost of the in-game currency (Moonstones): While players can earn enough Moonstones via gameplay to buy some items, without purchasing Moonstones players will have to pick and choose in the cash shop section
• Lack of batch cooking can be somewhat frustrating: The cooking process for each recipe is time-consuming, and preparing large quantities can be tiresome
• Missing items in the windows of Scrooge’s shop: Many players have gone months without anything in the two front display windows of Scrooge’s shop (Being creative with covering the windows is a popular decorating goal)

Overall: A Magical Experience

While there are areas where I’d welcome improvement in the game, Disney Dreamlight Valley remains a magical gameplay experience. Hanging out with my favorite characters surrounded by decorations, outfits, and personalities takes me back to watching their movies. (I sing a LOT of Disney songs while playing this game…) I think cozy gamers and Disney fans will find a lot to enjoy in this game. With the addition of the Rift in Time DLC, the ongoing Star Path events, character additions, and the vast collection of decorating options, Disney Dreamlight Valley offers a wealthy slate of opportunities…perhaps rivaling the wealth of Scrooge McDuck!