January 18, 2005
Virtual Magic Kingdom

In the summer of 2005, Disney will release a video game called "Virtual Magic Kingdom" as part of Disneyland's 50th birthday celebration. This online-only simulation will give players a chance to create a "virtual guest" and send that guest into an incredibly detailed simulation of the Disneyland Resort.

Virtual guests (VGs) will have a number of qualities, each of which is fine-tuned by the player when the character is created and impacts their visit to the park, in either obvious or subtle ways. For example, if a VG visits the park on its birthday, it will receive a sticker at city hall and birthday greetings from cast members it meets. Or if the VG is an annual passholder, cast members (and many guests) will automatically find it annoying. Teenage VGs with high "speed" ratings and low "tolerance for authority" may even find themselves touring back-stage security areas.

Each VG will have a number of "Disney Samoleans" to spend on souvenirs and food. Souvenirs are necessary to keep a VG's happiness level up (low-happiness VGs will collapse into a sobbing heap), and food keeps a VG going (starved VGs will collapse and remain immobile, and even though they are not declared "dead" while within the simulation, they essentially are). Players can purchase Disney Samoleans for their VG using a credit card on a one-to-one basis. Alternatively, they can hope to be injured within the park (by standing on a trash can and jumping up and down until it falls over, for example) and hope for a big "cash" settlement.

Once created, VGs can visit any part of the Disneyland Resort that is open to guests. They can purchase t-shirts to change their appearance, go on rides, and ask simulated cast members where the nearest virtual restroom is or at what in-game time the 7 o'clock 3D-rendered parade starts. And they can, of course, experience rides and attractions, complete with actual park soundtracks and real-time lines. (Note, however, that ride simulations are subject to being offline for upgrades or scheduled system maintenance.)

During their online visit, Virtual Magic Kingdom players will get to see a great many cool new pieces of advertising for Disney parks, television, and films, free of charge. They'll have opportunities to play online games for points that can be redeemed for real prizes the next time they visit Disneyland with a non-discounted admission ticket. Players will also be allowed to chat with other players about why they like Disneyland Resort, their favorite things at Disneyland Resort, just how wonderful it would be to go to Disneyland Resort with their entire families for an extended stay, and other approved topics.

When players are done visiting Disneyland Resort, they can signal their loss of interest by shifting the software into "Eisner mode."

Later in the year, Disney will release a "Time Park" module that will allow VGs to visit the park on any day in history. Imagine a virtual ride on the Flying Saucers or Rocket Rods. Or being there when the Yippies took over Tom Sawyer Island. Or being thrown out of the park because you choose VG hair that was too long. Or hearing how the Jungle Cruise spiel hasn't changed since the 1950s. Or setting the dial for 1945 and realizing that you just blew big money to visit a virtual orange grove. The possibilities are endless!

There is also a rumor of a "third park" module with which users can plan and design a Disneyland Resort third gate for other players' VGs to visit. Players wanting to design their own park will be given an unlimited budget, design the park of their dreams, and then carefully plan what non-shopping guest experiences to trim and cut as executive management whittles the budget down to a more realistic $20 to $40 million dollars. Once the park is open, players will get points by overestimating crowds and trying to convince the press and public that the new park is successful, well loved, and exactly what they want, no matter how they feel about it.

At press time, the cost to play Virtual Magic Kingdom was listed as $50 per gaming session. However, it is expected that this amount will go up over time. Players of rival game Virtual Southern California will receive a second session of play free with each purchase, but their VG will be limited to visiting Disney's California Virtual Adventure.