Disneyland Adventures Review (Xbox & PC)

There’s honestly nothing quite as magical as walking through Main Street U.S.A., Mickey ears intact and with the whimsical wisps of an enchanting kingdom reflecting on your cheeks. The point is, if you haven’t taken the opportunity to venture out to Disneyland, then you should. But, if you, like me, have the issue of being on the adjacent side of the globe and without the luxury of having Mickey Mouse on your doorstep, then there’s another option for your take a gander at: Disneyland Adventures. Yes, it’s a little dated, and yes, it was originally billed as a first-party title for Xbox 360 and Kinect (remember that?) That being said, I can confidently say that, despite it being well over a decade old, Frontier Developments’ take on the wondrous world of Disney remains one of the greatest love letters to Walt Disney of all time. What’s more, with Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure also being available in your back pocket, you more or less have a two-for-one serenade that pays homage to Walt in the most spectacular way possible. But, we’ll leave the Pixar talk for another time. Sorry, Lightning McQueen.

Disneyland Adventures isn’t just a tribute to Disney; it’s a full-fledged open world experience that mirrors all of the themes and lands, attractions and characters that you would normally expect to find in one of the mainline parks around the world. To be clear, it doesn’t just invite you to embark on a virtual tour through the lands of the park, but it also onboards you as a guest—a customizable VIP with infinite access to meet and greets, autograph opportunities, collectibles, outfits, quests, mini-games, and challenges. And, when I say that there’s a huge chunk of things for you to do here, I mean it. Oh, Disneyland Adventures isn’t just a quick romp around the block; it’s a full-blown journey that sees you taking on copious amounts of quests, as well as exploring vast worlds and collecting treasures for your stamp collection. And even with all of these things, it still feels as if I’m missing a lot of bits and pieces out.

In addition to a yard-for-yard world replica that takes its influence from California’s Disneyland resort, the Kinect-oriented emulation also features a simple yet fully equipped character customization tool, authentic merchandise, original voiceover work, and tons of activities and quests, milestones and perks. So, not quite the half-baked experience that it could have been, thankfully. No, if anything, Disneyland Adventures is a picture-perfect homage to the classics—a sweet yet satisfying journey that invites you, the Belle of the ball, to relive the experience through the lens of a child, or as a die-hard Disney enthusiast who wishes to capture the essence of a timeless experience.

From the moment you step foot onto Main Street, you quickly find yourself with an autograph book, a series of fetch quests, and a trove of familiar characters, all of whom require you to tend to matters around the park, some of which involve flicking a wand about at sentient objects, some of which involve venturing out into thematic worlds and conquering activities in exchange for medals, special items, and coins, with which you can use to purchase outfits, accessories, and other authentic goods.

Aside from the spells of hugs and autographs, you also have missions that range from sledding through icy canyons with Goofy, flying through the skylines of London with Peter Pan, foraging for dinglehoppers with Ariel, and even waging wars with yetis, naturally. But that’s another story for another time. The point is, with so many things to see and do here, Disneyland Adventures practically guarantees that you will never want to abandon Main Street and wave goodbye to its flag bearers. Is it the be all, end all of Disney games? No — but it is one that fans of its universe will want to spend a few hours with, particularly those with a love of the golden age of animation. And by that I mean, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid.

Of course, you can expect a lot of entry-level bits and pieces here, including button-tapping mini-games, open-world exploration, and a ton of simple fetch quests that either involve scouring areas for unique character-related items, or waving a wand at magical objects to exhume special heirlooms, coins, and other valuable artifacts. Moreover, you can expect to take on a huge variety of cosmetic tasks, which often involves finding specific outfits and accessories from various storefronts and “playing the part” to appeal to certain characters around the park. There’s also a huge deal for you to purchase and unlock here, too, with themed attire, official merchandise, and gadgets that you can use to take advantage of your time in the park.

Verdict

Disneyland Adventures provides a VIP pass to one of the most magical places on Earth, with a perfectly crafted modern-day replica of Walt Disney’s resort and a treasure trove of quests, characters, attractions, and opportunities for organic exploration. In other words, it removes the queues and bad weather from the equation and, with a dash of magic and pizzazz, unveils an enchanting entry-level experience that not only looks visually appealing, but also feels like a home away from home in a faraway land. It’s a little dated, true. Yet, thanks to Frontier Developments and its stern eye for capturing the beating heart of Disney and its evergreen roots, it still feels familiar, almost as if it’s preserved in a capsule of childhood memories and nostalgic auras.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a die-hard Disney-Pixar fan or not, because the truth is, there is a little something for everyone to enjoy here. For the most part, it’s a beginner-friendly sandbox for younger players to learn the ropes and lean into their childhood heroes. But then, it’s also a fantastic open-world experience that offers a lot of bang for your buck, with troves of activities and collectibles, scrapbooking opportunities and classic characters. The point is, if you’re looking to visit the next best thing to the real Disneyland, then you honestly couldn’t get any closer than Disneyland Adventures. It’s wholesome, entertaining, and above all, magical. It is, for lack of a better word, Disney.