Defend The Magic Kingdom from Villains & Get Free Souvenirs!

Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom Firehouse

If you are part of the online Disney community on twitter, facebook or message boards, you have no doubt heard the buzz about the new interactive card game that has premiered under beta testing in the Magic Kingdom Park ? The Sorcerer?s of the Magic Kingdom. As a local, we saw the little portal stations being built for quite some time, as speculation swirled regarding what these new screens and areas would mean to the parks. Would they interfere with guests? experiences as they explored the lands of the Magic Kingdom? Would Imagineers be able to pull of the mixing of villains and animated film characters? The answers are a bit complex, but overall, I give the Sorcerer?s of the Magic Kingdom a hearty ?thumbs up.? I?ll go into further detail below.

First, let?s go over exactly what the game is all about. The premise is that certain villains, organized by Hades, Lord of the Underworld, are teaming up to steal pieces of the crystal of the Magic Kingdom. Merlin is on board to fight evil, and enlisted us ? the Sorcerer?s of the Magic Kingdom, to help defeat the foes.

How it Works (the short version):

1. Head to the Main Street, U.S.A. Firehouse, pick up your cards and Sorcerer?s key card
2. Follow the icons on the map to defeat villains at various portals throughout the Magic Kingdom
3. Use your spell cards to defeat each villain and eventually become a Master Sorcerer
4. Come back again and again to collect more cards and defeat more villains!

You can hold the key card any way, front or back to activate the portal

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How it Works (the long version):

You start off by heading to the Main Street Firehouse. There you can watch a preview, check in with your ticket media and receive a key card, 5 spell cards and a map marking the portal locations. You then watch a tutorial with Merlin so you know exactly what to do when you set out on your quest. Now here you must make a decision with your group ? you can all battle together under one key card, or if you each receive a key card, you will most likely be separated and sent to different lands to explore the portals at different times. When we first checked in, we got key cards for each of our family members, but only used one, so we stayed together. Now that we?ve been playing for about a week, my older kids or husband can go off and fight at a portal in a different location within the same land. We usually stay together until we all get portals in the same land though, so for example, if my son gets Adventureland and I get Fantasyland, we?ll go to one land and then wait until he gets Fantasyland too so we can be in the same area. Of course it?s up to you how you want to handle these battles. I have heard that sometimes if you have a large party they will tell you at the Firehouse that you must only use one key card. We have not run into this, however.

Who Can Play? As far as age-range for the game, this was something my 3 year old could play ? at least the unlocking of the portal with the key card. He could still use the spell cards, but only if we told him how to hold them, etc. I?d say in a year he?d be perfect at figuring out the right way to hold or picking out the spell cards he wants. However, from the sounds of level 2 and 3, it would probably take an older child or adult to weigh the options for each card?s skill points and so on.

Once you start collecting your cards, you will get doubles or duplicates of some of them. Especially with our family, we are getting 4 sets of 5 cards each day, so our collection has added up quickly. In the case of dupes, guests can trade with other Sorcerer?s players and pick up some missing cards that way. So far, we?ve run into new players, who don?t really have anything to trade, and seasoned players, who have almost everything and don?t really need to trade. But we have picked up I?d say about 10-15 cards through trading and it?s a great way to complete your collection. Especially if you have friends playing, they can hold cards for you and will be more willing to trade.

There are 70 cards ? but at this time cards 61-70 have been pulled from play. Cast members will say they are not sure when the cards will be back or in what fashion, but we have heard they will be selling those last 10. As of right now, the packs arriving at the Firehouse don?t have cards 61-70 within them, so you?ll have to wait, or find someone that?s been playing from day 1 of beta testing who?s willing to trade. The game is technically still in the testing phase until February 22, 2012. We are not sure if progress will be reset and all those playing will have to start from square one at that time. Since we?ve been playing, the game has been reset twice already, but you only need to tell cast members at the Firehouse which villains you?ve defeated to pick up where you left off. The exception to this is if you have defeated all the villains and become a Master Sorcerer, moving on to level 2, you will have to complete that last battle to become a Master Sorcerer again.

Our first set of cards from the first time we played

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All About the Cards:

Once you start your collection of cards, you?ll notice some numbers and symbols on the face of each card. in the bottom left corner there will be a number out of 70, which tells you simply the number the card is in the collection. For example, Sorcerer Mickey is 1/70 and Cabellero Donald is 43/70.

In addition, the cards are listed by spell ? Mystic Spell (blue background), Princess Spell (purple background), Toy Spell (red background), Machine Spell (black background), Warrior Spell (dark blue background), Monster Spell (green background), Hero Spell (dark teal background), Animal Spell (dark green background), and Fairy Spell (pink background).

Within each spell card, there will be three types of numbers: attack, boost, and shield. So Merlin?s card has a 5 Energy attack, 0 Energy boost, and 1 Energy shield. Other cards will have other types of spells. Options are Energy, Charming, Wishful, Quick, Flying, Strong, and Gross. Right now, in level one, these distinctions don?t really matter as any card defeats any villain. However when the game really goes live, or in higher levels, the type of card and type of attack will most likely matter.

Lastly, above the number is a symbol, with one of three designations ? a star symbol, which indicates a rare card; a moon symbol, which signifies an uncommon card; and a planet symbol, which indicates a common card. There are also cards out there with lightning bolt symbols, which seem to be the 61-70 cards that are now pulled. Hopefully we?ll get more facts as the game gets out of testing mode.

Game play:

Just head to the portal the Firehouse initially tells you to go to, and then you?ll be instructed where to go next. After you?ve played once, you can pick up where you left off, unless the system has been reset. You can always check where you are supposed to be by scanning your key card at any portal and it will tell you where you need to be. If the game has been reset, it will tell you to head to the Firehouse to get reassigned. There is also a booth in Liberty Square, behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, staffed with cast members, who can fix errors, show you the tutorial and help you out. (You can also sign up there with usually no line compared to the Firehouse!) In no time you?ll have all the portals memorized and be able to go from place to place without even needing a map.

Tortuga Tavern's fireplace portal, perfectly themed!

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The game itself involves defeating 8 villains at this time:

• Main Street ? Cruella DeVil
• Adventureland ? Jafar, Yzma, and Scar
• Liberty Square/Frontierland ? Dr. Facilier and Governor Ratcliffe
• Fantasyland ? Maleficent and Ursula

Once you defeat ALL of those villains, you will have a final battle with Chernabog and Hades, and become a Master Sorcerer. Then you proceed to level 2 and from there, level 3.

Here?s a video of the Master Sorcerer announcement. If you don?t want the finale to be spoiled, don?t watch! You can check out another video on my YouTube channel of the scene before this one, where you actually battle Hades.

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The first portal you go to tells you the story of the villain, and where to go next to help out. The next portal you will get to pick spell cards (you can combine spells up to 6 at a time!), and usually one of the portals will ask you to use the Sorcerer?s Crest on the back of the card (I actually don?t like this since you don?t get to pick the spells!). The final battle for that land?s villain will let you use two separate spell castings (again, up to 6 cards for each one). Then you have defeated that villain and Merlin will tell you if you?d like to continue to help, which land you should head to next.

The portal next to the Frontierland Shootin' Gallery, one of my favs!

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I highly recommend playing in both daylight and nighttime. At night you can see many details and lighting effects of the portals that just aren?t visible in bright sunlight. It?s also usually less crowded, though you must wait to play in Fantasyland until the fireworks have ended.

I had way too many photos to post here, so I?ve created a flickr set for all our Sorcerer?s of the Magic Kingdom adventures. Just click to see the portals ? I?ll be adding more as I make future visits to the Magic Kingdom.

Pros and Cons to the game:

As far as pros go, for the most part, I?d categorize the game as unobtrusive to the average guest. You don?t have to pay attention to it as you are passing, though some portals are hard to ignore and can all be a bit loud. I don?t think a single portal detracts from its land or the space it is in. If anything, the only problem is the fact that passers-by will often ask WHAT you are doing, and you?ll have to give a quick synopsis of the game, usually while your animated scene is playing. In addition, those with quite a few cards can expect smaller children who?ve just started playing to ask ?where did you get all those cards?? and even ?can I have some?? so just be prepared for lots of questions.

I can see how those on a one-time trip to Walt Disney World or even a once-a-year visit would perhaps get frustrated by the time it takes to become a Master Sorcerer, but of course, that?s what Disney wants: return visitors. Or, for guests to plan a day longer vacation to be sure you get enough game time. In the 4 times we?ve played, we have not gone on a single ride in the Magic Kingdom, and we?ve spent about 17 hours playing (not counting time spent dining). Again, being locals, this isn?t a big deal to us?but those on a yearly vacation may feel they are missing valuable ride time. What we did get to do was notice more details around the park, and enjoy the various parades and nighttime shows from different angles than usual.? And just like pins or Vinylmation figures, the cards become your own prize collection, free ? for now, and unlike Vinyls or pins, you get to actually use them in the park. There is a reward for your patience and your play.

The window I like to call Merlin's lab, looks amazing at night!

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My hope, when the game goes officially live on the 22nd, is that cast members at the Firehouse are able to better explain the ins and outs of card use. What the symbols mean, what you want to do or not do in the second or third levels ? even if only to give us a vague idea and let us figure it out for ourselves. In addition, there needs to be a more pronounced explanation about keeping the map and cards. A handful of times, I have heard guests ask my family or other players, ?do we get to keep these cards?? or ?do we have to give the map back??. I understand that given the only other comparison game within Walt Disney World ? the Kim Possible missions, you are instructed to return your Kimmunicator, but it makes me sad to think that people are worried they have to give their cool cards and map back, and the problem is easily solved by cast members up front.

With ALL of that said, I?m so excited to see where this game goes in the coming months and will of course update this page as I find out definitive facts or news. Even as I type this post, changes are happening to some of the portals; updates, props, new posters and banners?Disney really is working to make this an amazing experience. You can also follow all the latest updates on twitter at @DisneySorcerers, an unofficial account offering tips, news, photos, videos and more. Now go get ?em, Sorcerer!

Source: http://zannaland.com/sorcerers-of-the-magic-kingdom/

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