Disney Magic Kingdoms Review (Android & iOS)

Disney Magic Kingdoms doesn’t just mirror a world of fantasy and adventure; it mirrors everything that you would typically expect to unearth at a Walt Disney theme park—the foot traffic, the peek-a-boo props, and of course, the ever-intrusive queue system that, due to it being a game with a lot of in-game purchases, relishes the chance to sneak its portly white gloves into your back pocket in exchange for a one-time Fast Pass. Herein lies Disney Magic Kingdoms’ first major problem: the fact that it doesn’t just capture the magic, but the arduous queuing and the frustratingly long waiting times between builds. See, in a similar fashion as most mobile world-building games, Disney Magic Kingdoms initially promises you the universe on a silver platter, but then, piece by piece, crumbles it into tiny chunks with the hopes that you’ll purchase the whole cookie and not simply pray on the leftovers. The issue here is that, with its target audience being a younger generation who aren’t quite as patient as the average “Disney Adult,” you don’t have a magical experience in the palm of your hands; you have a strenuous business affair that needs your cash to generate substance and growth.

Of course, if you can gloss over the fact that Disney Magic Kingdoms adores the act of shoveling perks and in-game “bonuses” down your throat at every possible crossroad, then you can, in all seriousness, wrangle a great kingdom-building simulator out of its vast whimsical biomes. Being a mobile game with its heart set on replicating the essences that circulate the universally beloved real-world resort, Disney Magic Kingdoms does make a genuine effort to bring the imaginative spirit of Disney’s world-famous lot to the digital mainframe. With a plethora of familiar faces, attractions, and faithful landmarks to unlock, it delivers an ideal sandbox experience that can keep you engaged for hours, weeks, even months. Again, the downside to this is that, to fully realize your potential, you must be willing to either wait for the world to fall into your hands, or utilize the power of the Fast Pass to cut a few corners and earn the right to make a beeline for the front of the queue. And that, in short, is as equally irritating as it is burdensome.

Let it be said that, if you’ve played one of these games before—The Simpsons: Tapped Out jolts to mind here—then you have more than likely played Disney Magic Kingdoms, too. The idea, really, is one and the same, in that it tasks you with taking the reins in the wake of a catastrophic event that culminated in the eradication of a kingdom, and rebuilding it from the ground up. Herein lies the general progression hook: a character needs to embark on Quests to level up, and the kingdom needs a frequent flow of in-game currencies—Tokens, Gems, Magic, and Experience—to acquire better characters and attractions. It sounds all rather straightforward on paper — and it is, at least for the most part. But, here’s the catch: unless you dip into your pocket to fast track your developments, you essentially won’t have an operating system; instead, you’ll have a resort that grinds to a halt every several minutes in order for characters to complete their jobs. In other words, you’ll have an idle world that won’t have the ability to evolve until a set amount of time has passed.

While the initial phases of the park’s construction are a lot of fun to work through, Disney Magic Kingdoms does eventually hit a brick wall and leave you with little choice but to abandon the reins and ponder its future. Although smitten with Quests and items to unlock, as well as costumes, seasonal events, and attractions, the game does, rather distastefully, reach a point where you cannot simply progress any further without needing a set amount of resources to fund additional ventures. It’s a bit of a headache, and it does bring about some level of frustration, especially when the world begins to take shape, only to then hit a paywall with a prompt outlining the “perks” of adding a few extra coins to your back pocket. Granted, it isn’t a mandatory fee — but it does make you feel guilty for not paying the admission price. Magic Kingdom locks up, and it leaves you waiting for that next ever-elusive beat to take place.

Of course, if you were to remove the in-game fees and snide promises, then you would have a fantastic game with a lot of signature elements that befit the Disney style. Aside from having all of the A-list characters and a treasure trove of authentic landmarks, the game also features thousands of Quests, as well as frequent updates that adopt new seasonal changes, items, and opportunities to expand your park. What’s more, it delivers a timeless visual feel to the palm of your hand—a vibrant and lovably rendered world that pays homage to Walt Disney’s classic fantasy and all of the iconic characteristics. Honestly, I can’t quite fault any of that. Yet, it’s the transactions, sadly, that dampen the overall experience and make it less appealing.

Above all else, Disney Magic Kingdoms is a great little world-building game with a lot of heart and vigor. It’s also one that, unlike so many others, receives frequent updates and seasonal drops, thus making it a pleasant surprise that can cure your boredom regardless of the time or date. At the end of the day, it is Disney; it doesn’t do things by halves.

Verdict

While Disney Magic Kingdoms doesn’t strafe too far from Walt Disney’s beloved world of unadulterated fantasy, it does often struggle to deliver a captivating experience due to its unnatural obsession with force feeding you in-game transactions and perks. It’s a shame, really, that it leans more towards a pay-to-win scheme to build its world rather than through player input and good old-fashioned hard work. That being said, there is a wholesome world to enjoy here, and one that, thanks to its authentic infusions, merrily reminds us that, win or lose, happiness is one of the easiest things to find when it comes to Disney.While Disney Magic Kingdoms doesn’t strafe too far from Walt Disney’s beloved world of unadulterated fantasy, it does often struggle to deliver a captivating experience due to its unnatural obsession with force feeding you in-game transactions and perks. It’s a shame, really, that it leans more towards a pay-to-win scheme to build its world rather than through player input and good old-fashioned hard work. That being said, there is a wholesome world to enjoy here, and one that, thanks to its authentic infusions, merrily reminds us that, win or lose, happiness is one of the easiest things to find when it comes to Disney.