Disney’s Video-Game Integration Into Its Theme Parks Is A Small But Positive Step For Growth
At the beginning of the month, I attended a four-day-long event at Walt Disney World, designed by the company to celebrate “current and upcoming Disney video games,” with the promise of experiencing them in real life. Originally, I had no idea what that actually meant. However, one of the games on the docket was Star Wars Outlaws–a title we are all very excited about. While I wasn’t sure what to expect, it was hard to say no to a potentially interesting opportunity like that, complete with the inclusion of already-released Disney titles like Disney Dreamlight Valley and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
The closer the trip got, the more intriguing it became. Disney’s goal for those attending was to explore how the company’s video games can “come to life” in the theme parks. I’m no stranger to the concept of gamifying the theme parks–or the advances both Disney and Universal Studios have made in that regard. However, those were major advancements for their respective parks, each years in the making.
First thing’s first: While this was technically a media event, I would be remiss not to note that there were as many influencers there as press, and the week was filled with photo opportunities, planned excursions through the various parks, and plenty of places to capture content to share with your followers, should that be your primary audience. To that end, I played the part as best I could. I made dancing TikToks, I tried weird-looking food, and I even got some pointers from professional influencers who clearly knew what they were doing.
And while I learned a lot about that side of media (simply watching someone be an influencer is exhausting), that was all secondary to why I was really there: To see how Disney is attempting to integrate elements of its video games into its theme parks. While it was harder to find the connective tissue for some of the experiences, others make a lot of sense and could be the basis for further integration down the road.
Here’s what I learned about the ups and downs of Disney’s continuing effort to gamify its parks and bridge its digital worlds with its popular real-world destinations.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
One of the best-connected sections of the adventure was for the company’s Avatar offerings. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a well-regarded game, complete with a GameSpot review score of 8. Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, likewise, is beloved among parks fans.
I, personally, don’t care for the Avatar movies at all. I’ve seen both and never need to see them again. But I love Pandora: The World of Avatar. Exploring and existing in the recreation of such a lush and bizarre world is exciting. With that in mind, it makes perfect sense to create an open-world Avatar game, which allows players to do a version of that same exact thing, albeit with far more action, tension, drama, and blue cat people.
Finding a bridge between the game and the park is easy, since they’re set in the same spot. Beyond that, Avatar: Flight of Passage–the centerpiece ride of World of Avatar–is the exact kind of thrilling ride simulator that goes the extra mile in immersing you in Pandora. If you’re visiting Walt Disney World and looking for a game-to-park experience, Flight of Passage is going to be the best you’re going to find. And since it’s newer, unlike the attractions pinned to the Dreamlight Valley and Speedstorm experiences, the visuals unleashed in the ride feel appropriate to what’s seen in the games, even if there’s less interaction.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
I played a few hours of Disney Dreamlight Valley upon launch and then simply forgot about it. I like Disney stuff and though I enjoy Animal Crossing, I usually want my community-building games to be on the larger scale of a Cities: Skylines. In talking to a couple of the influencers on the trip, though, I found out certain things I didn’t know about the game, like how you can build your own Disney theme park within it. As someone who built a theme park within Minecraft, this is something I could find myself interested in.
As for how this particular title can be experienced in the parks, don’t get your hopes up expecting that Disney has installed new elements to its theme parks based on elements in Disney Dreamlight Valley–though that is something that could (and arguably should) come later–as current Disney is leveraging what’s already in the parks in an attempt to engage new fans.
For Dreamlight Valley, the day was spent in Magic Kingdom: the centerpiece park of Walt Disney World. Given the host of Disney characters strewn throughout Dreamlight Valley, Magic Kingdom is the place to meet them in person.
In an effort to add some structure to the day, Disney provided scavenger-hunt checklists, which tasked us with riding specific rides, meeting characters (like Daisy Duck, as she was just added to the game), and ending with lunch at an elaborate Beauty and the Beast-themed restaurant.
While this didn’t teach me anything new about the game, simple experiences like this do draw a connection between the games and the parks. That said, there’s no indication that our custom experience would be made available to the general public.
Disney Speedstorm
If I’m being honest, I didn’t know Disney Speedstorm existed ahead of this trip. I was pleased to find out it’s basically a free-to-play Disney-themed Mario Kart. For my liking, this piece of the trip felt like it had the least tangible connection to the games, but the biggest potential.
Basically, we were treated to a meal and presentation on the game in the private lounge above Test Track, which has sweeping views of Epcot, before riding the attraction. Test Track is a beloved ride by Disney Parks fans but it’s also old and rather outdated. In fact, it’s about to enter a period of “reimagination” when it closes this summer. There’s no telling what the new take on the ride will be, though involving some of the visuals from Speedstorm during the portion of the ride where you build a car to test ride seems like an easy win.
Any of us who play Mario Kart or, indeed, Disney Speedstorm, likely spend our time carefully choosing racers, vehicles, and special powers. Seeing that carried over to a ride could be a massive win for Epcot. In fact, if done right, it could even rival Universal’s Mario Kart-themed Bowser’s Challenge, which will open at Epic Universe in 2025. Another option would be some kind of overlay on the Tomorrowland Speedway at Magic Kingdom. Known as Autopia in California’s Disneyland, this ride has aged worse than most in the parks. The buggies you drive barely crawl around the course, locked into a very strict driving path. While it’s likely more exciting for much younger kids who don’t already drive, anyone older than that isn’t going to get much of a thrill. There certainly must be a way to work in Speedstorm elements to entice those who love playing the racing game to try out the ride.
Star Wars Outlaws
This was the game everyone participating in the event was excited about. Outlaws is the only game that was showcased that isn’t out yet. Unfortunately, we didn’t learn any new information about the title. We were shown a previously released trailer before being taken on a custom Star Wars-themed journey through Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios.
Given how little we know about Outlaws at this point, it wasn’t a surprise that there is no specific Outlaws-facing content in the parks. That said, Galaxy’s Edge as an immersive space is one of the most impressive any theme park has built. What’s more, there’s so much room for integration of Outlaws in ways that wouldn’t require much heavy lifting.
During our journey, we met the Mandalorian and Grogu and managed to see Rey, Kylo Ren, various Stormtroopers, and even a few First Order officers all wandering the land. Adding a character or two from Outlaws to the rotation–and someone should seriously consider adding Cal Kestis (Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor), as well–as real-life people wandering around the land would be an easy and immersive way to include the games.
Disney could also integrate Outlaws characters and stories into the Play Disney Parks app, which turns into a datapad when you’re in Galaxy’s Edge, allowing for a number of text-based adventures through the land. There are already clue-based scavenger hunts you can be guided through via the datapad. Why not include side-quests with familiar game characters?
Of course, they could also aim much higher when it comes to working Outlaws into Galaxy’s Edge. There is also room, perhaps, for a repurposing of the former Galactic Starcruiser hotel. The Star Wars-themed immersive resort didn’t last due to high prices and a lack of customers. Repurposing it for special events tied to the story in Outlaws could be an easy win.
In conclusion
In all, my biggest takeaway from this trip is that, should it put in the work, Disney could create some pretty impressive links between its games and its parks. Even Disney Speedstorm, as tenuous as the connections may be, could implement some sort of prize system to earn unlockables within the games, plus overlays on existing rides. And that’s before you start to think about the $1.5 billion stake Disney now has in Epic Games, which will include a “persistent universe” inside of Fortnite.
Right now, though, the beginning stages of the integration are little touches that certainly do add a new layer of fun to wandering through Disney’s parks. If you’re a die-hard fan of any of these games, it’s easy to see why you might enjoy recreating those experiences, to some degree, in real life.
What’s more, if you’re not a gamer, immersing yourself in the elements that lean closer to the games could unlock a new way for you to visit the parks. Prior to my Disney Dreamlight Valley scavenger hunt, it had been years since I spent a large chunk of time exploring Fantasyland. It was a good time, enjoying some of the company’s classic attractions and locations.
Disney’s foothold in the gaming space isn’t going anywhere. Just Star Wars alone could keep the the company busy for decades to come. With that in mind, I fully expect to see further integrations down the line, big and small. There could be an entire land themed to a game franchise one day, much like Universal has done with its Super Nintendo World. For now, though, the company is starting small. Though, with Disney making a $10 billion investment in expansion of the parks–including what is reported to be the biggest Magic Kingdom expansion in the park’s history–it’ll be a shock if more video-game elements aren’t worked in.
And that’s an excellent thing. As we’ve seen so far with Super Nintendo World, Villain-Con: Minion Blast, and even, to a degree, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, adding gameplay to normal park activities is exciting. It gives you a reason to brave a line or try to ride something a second time to improve your standing. It can also make for some exciting moments with your family or friends.
We will just have to wait to see how integrated Disney is aiming for its wide range of titles.
