Building Your Own Disney Magic Kingdoms On The Go

Amidst the unrelenting torrent of Disney games arriving on mobile and tablet, Magic Kingdom stands out from many of the rest. After all, who hasn’t ever dreamt of building and running their very own Disneyland? Gameloft’s latest title for Android and iOS lets you do just that, presiding over their dream resort as an amalgam of iconic Disney characters interact with one another in the cobbled streets below.

Things start out the way they normally do in games like these. To begin with, your magical kingdom will look a bit barren – there are a handful of attractions and only Mickey Mouse to keep you company. It’s not long before you’re assigning him to various tasks as the game slowly eases you into its various systems.

As you progress, more areas and activities will start to unlock as players lift the cursed shroud that looms over this kingdom. In doing so, you’ll rally more Disney icons to your cause, each one having its own list of chores to carry out around the resort. Whether cleaning up after other characters or entertaining the park’s transient swarm of guests, players have little to no direct control of what’s happening on-screen.

If you’ve played similar games like The Simpsons Tapped Out and Family Guy: Quest For Stuff, you’ll know exactly how this one plays out. Player interaction is limited to the simple issuing of commands as you cycle between individual characters. Each of these actions will net you experience points, currency, and the occasional rare item. Before you can reap these rewards, you’ll have to wait for the timer to expire, of course.

This creates a familiar loop in which players boot up the app, assign their unlocked characters tasks to complete, then come back later to harvest the loot. As the loop goes round and round, players will gradually accrue more Disney heroes and villains to boss around and level up. It’s these long-term goals that will ultimately reel you in.

Although kids will happily take the bait, Disney Magic Kingdoms is a tough pill to swallow for the more seasoned gamer. Unless you happen to be a Disney fanatic, there’s simply not enough there to keep your interest fixed. At its worst, the game becomes an interactive list of chores as you mindlessly tap away at the various characters and attractions, watching as several on-screen meters fill and deplete.

Naturally, as a mobile game, the rate at which these rise and fall will depend on how much real money you’re willing to part with. And though you can get away with grinding out progress, a few pennies here and there will help grease the wheels as you trundle from one milestone to the next.

It’s a fantastic-looking representation of the Disney world yet, sadly, there’s not much going on that warrants much attention. It will no doubt keep a small legion of children transfixed, but for everyone else the overall lack of interactivity robs this game of a much-needed fun factor. Then again, that exact same complaint can be levelled against many titles occupying this ever expanding genre.