Disney Dreamlight Valley follows a customizable player character as they enter a world populated by iconic Disney characters. There are a lot of faces that will be recognized by fans of their movies, ranging from Mickey Mouse to Wreck-it-Ralph. Yet surprisingly, while there is a decent range of characters, they haven’t actually covered that many of their iconic animated films. There are a few big ones included: The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Frozen, and they even incorporated the much more obscure 1963 film The Sword in the Stone. But many iconic films are conspicuously absent. For starters, there’s no sign of any of their live-action material. Some of the films they do include have odd choices, like for Tangled they put in Mother Gothel before putting in Rapunzel or Flynn.
Some of their biggest animated films are curiously nowhere to be seen, or only referenced in the form of cosmetics and furniture. Their absence can feel really strange given the game’s main selling point. This is unfortunate, since a lot of these films include some characters that would fit right in with the world of Dreamlight Valley. Hopefully, their absence will be rectified in future updates.
5 Peter Pan (1953)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
J.M. Barrie’s book and play has been adapted several times, but one of the most famous iterations is by far Disney’s 1953 animated film. For many children, this film was their first exposure to the fantastical world of Neverland. It was an imaginative adventure full of magic and spectacle. While it has in recent years come under scrutiny for its portrayal of Native Americans, Peter Pan otherwise remains an engaging tale of childish wonder. What kid watched Peter Pan and didn’t want to get their hands on some pixie dust, so they could start flying? It remains a well-known and easily recognizable staple of Disney’s library for both kids and adults.
Peter Pan himself would probably fit right in with the whimsical nature of Dreamlight Valley, and bringing in Wendy would make sense. However, there are two more iconic characters who are conspicuously absent. Captain Hook is easily one of Disney’s most iconic villains, as well as one of their most comical. But even more iconic is Tinkerbell, a fairy who has been used extensively by Disney since. She’s appeared everywhere, sometimes to the point of rivaling Mickey Mouse as the face of Disney. She even got her own series of spin-off films. How is she not already in the game?
4 The Jungle Book (1968)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
- Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
The Jungle Book was notable for being the last Disney film actually produced by Walt Disney himself (he died shortly after its release) and their last big hit before entering a “dark age” through the 70’s and 80’s. While it offers a heavily simplified version of Rudyard Kipling’s story about a boy raised in the jungle, it still remains popular for its engaging cast of animal characters. The film’s cast was so popular that Disney even made the (admittedly strange) decision to bring them back for Talespin, a series which recast the beloved characters for 1940’s-inspired adventures.
Dreamlight Valley could conceivably bring in Mowgli, the “man-cub” raised in the wilderness. However, it is really the animal characters that stuck with fans. A great choice would be Baloo the bear, especially if they can get a quest in referencing the “bear neccessities” song he is famous for. Bagheera, the jaguar who co-mentors Mowgli alongside Baloo, would also be a great choice. Shere Khan, the tiger who serves as the primary antagonist, might be a stretch, but the game already includes other villainous characters like Scar and Ursula living alongside heroes so it’s not out of the question.
3 Aladdin (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
After the unexpected success of The Little Mermaid, Disney began it’s new “renaissance” period through the 90’s. One of their biggest hits in that time was Aladdin, the fast-paced story of a thief who wins the heart of a princess and thwarts an attempted coup with the help of an eccentric genie. There are many things that attract fans to this movie. The soundtrack has certainly become quite iconic. Jafar easily ranks as one of the most popular Disney villains. Jasmine’s certainly earned a reputation as one of the “Disney Princesses.” And of course Robin Williams made the genie a very memorable character, so much so Will Smith didn’t even try to match his performance in the remake. Given its popularity, it is surprisingly absent from Dreamlight Valley.
There are several characters who could be added. Aladdin himself and Jasmine would both be great choices. Their appearance would also be fitting because entering Dreamlight Valley could be framed as exploring A whole new world. Genie would also be appropriate, though it might be hard to pull off without Robin Williams to do the voice. Based on the ending of the Forgotten story arc in Disney Dreamlight Valley, it looks like players might see Jafar soon, but it isn’t clear if he will eventually become a villager.
2 Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
It might not look like a huge deal today, but Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was a game-changer for animation when it was first released. This was back before animated feature films became commonplace, and Disney had until then been known for making short cartoons, so it was an ambitious gamble and many were unsure if it would pay off. When the film was finally released, it proved a huge hit. Aside from its historical significance both for Disney and animation as a whole, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves remains an icon of Disney animation. This makes it rather curious that it has been largely overlooked by Dreamlight Valley.
The obvious choice for Dreamlight Valley would be Snow White herself. Considering how the “princesses” are a big part of Disney, and she was the original it would seem logical to include her. However, there could also be some fun potential for bringing in the seven dwarves, each of whom has a unique personality shown by their name. There is already a mechanic for the player to mine gems, and the dwarves literally had an entire song about that, so that might be a good way to tie them into gameplay. Another fun idea could be giving the dwarves quests centered around building and modifying their house to accomodate more people as each one is found.
1 Pinocchio (1940)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
For their second feature film, Disney made the ambitious decision to take on Pinocchio, an extremely traumatic “children’s book” (if it can be called that) about a mischievous puppet who is constantly punished for his misbehavior. Disney’s film simplified the story and wasn’t quite as cruel to its lead, though it still holds a reputation as one of their darkest movies. Among other things it is notable for having some despicable villains who get away with their crimes, and an infamous human-to-donkey transformation scene that frightened a lot of kids. Despite its harsh tone, and initially bombing on release, it has become a well-recognized classic.
There are a few parts of the movie that Dreamlight Valley is better off not touching, like it’s unusually cruel villains. However, the more sympathetic characters would be great additions. Aside from Pinnochio himself, they could fit in Jiminy Cricket, the famous anthroporphic bug who tries to be his “conscience.” Another great choice would be Gepetto, the friendly carpenter who made Pinnochio, and could conceivably send the player on other crafting missions. The Blue Fairy could be used alongside Merlin as a guide to Dreamlight magic. A more risky move might be to bring in Lampwick, maybe in the form of a quest where the player tries to undo his infamous Donkey Transformation or at least mitigates the damage by giving him a good home in the village.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Released
- August 23, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Gameloft
- Publisher(s)
- Gameloft