Disney Dreamlight Valley draws comparisons to Animal Crossing

For many people, Disney is an escape from reality. The Happiest Place on Earth is filled with beloved characters we’ve grown up with. And in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you can finally live alongside them.

The newly announced game from Gameloft Montreal is a life-sim adventure where you can live alongside iconic Disney and Pixar characters, engaging in story arcs, building friendships, partaking in fun activities and customizing your very own magical fantasyland.

Disney Dreamlight Valley invites players to a dreamworld that has since fallen into darkness after a mysterious event called The Forgetting. This world was a place where all of Disney’s characters — from heroes to princess to villains — lived in harmony. With the world now dark and desolate, it’s up to you to restore the light and make it magical again.

As you explore the diverse realms inspired by classic Disney and Pixar characters, you’ll hepl the inhabitants of the town recover their lost memories. Each of the characters you meet have individualized story arcs and friendship goals that you can fulfill through exploration, gift giving and other activities. As you build these friendships, your inner magic will start to restore Dreamlight Valley and you’ll unlock new areas to travel to with even more characters to meet.

Disney Dreamlight Valley teases “fun activities,” and the trailer, along with Gameloft Montreal, give us a glimpse as to what this will entail:

"Your days will be filled with everything from whipping up delectable Disney-themed desserts in your own village restaurant alongside Remy from Disney and Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” using your latest catch from your time at the fishing hole with Goofy, as well as vegetables you planted and harvested from Wall•E’s garden patch, just to name a few."

There’s also a customization element to Disney Dreamlight Valley. Choose from hundreds of Disney-inspired clothing items or create your own shirts, skirts, hats and more.

You can also customize the village itself as well as your own individual home. From a Enchanting Fountain to a Frozen-inspired antique kitchen design, you’ll be able to unleash your creativity and truly turn Dreamlight Valley into your own fantasyland.

Naturally, Disney Dreamlight Valley has drawn comparisons to Nintendo’s own social simulator, Animal Crossing. And really, the comparisons aren’t too far off. In the Animal Crossing games, you also complete daily activities for local inhabitants in return for rewards. Similarly, you also customize the home you live in and the island you’re on.

Disney Dreamlight Valley basically looks like Animal Crossing with a Disney makeover and, to be honest, that’s not a bad thing at all. As a fan of Animal Crossing and a lover of Disney, this is my dream crossover. It’s something simple and fun that I can mindlessly enjoy.

Disney Dreamlight Valley will be free to play and is set to launch in 2023, but it will first head to early access on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 PC. An Xbox Game Pass membership will get you into the upcoming early access, or you can purchase a Founders Pack on the Xbox Store.