It’s crazy to think the expansion is releasing in a handful of days. It feels like November went by so quickly and I can barely wrap my head around it being December now. I still have a lot of mixed feelings for reasons I’ve stated previously and I’m sure I’ll talk about more as I play through the Expansion with my next post. As much fun as it would be to stream, I’m still getting over being really sick recently and just do not have the energy to, so I hope the videos will still be fun to watch (with the gifting cut down because I just don’t think watching me gift hundreds of flowers is fun).
Anyway, let’s talk about what I’ve been up to since. Like the last few times though, it’s mainly been working on Dreamsnaps and checking the shops.
That isn’t to say I didn’t have any ideas of things to do, but some things I’m just… still waiting on or could still use some more inspiration (such as everything in the Glade of Trust).
Anyway, as for Dreamsnaps, things have been going okay! I’m making a decent amount so a big thank you to everyone who has voted for my entries! It makes me happy you like them.
I also managed to level up again so yay. Just two levels to go.
The other thing I ended up doing was finally pick up the Dreamlight Valley Cozy Edition— it was on sale for quite a bit and it’s been taunting me solely for the new Companions (and the Cottage is also one of the items I figured could look nice in the forest). I probably should’ve grabbed the items off Steam and not Switch which has now put some Moonstones only on that device, but I was worried the mail wouldn’t show up on Steam and it needed to be claimed on Switch and yeah…
Of course, more Critters also meant I had to place more of the cute little Pet Houses… I really wish each house fit at least 5 over 4. I felt bad that I couldn’t put all the Raccoons together. I ended up putting three in one and two in the other. It’s also just an odd choice when most Critters have at least 5 color variants to begin with…
I am running out of places though at this point for these and I’m not really sure where else to put them. It feels weird to split them up, but I also need to find room for Rapunzel’s Tower in the meadow as well… I figure I may move the Carousel to the Valley like the Spinning Teacups. Either way, placing the rest of the houses will need to wait on that.
I also ended up placing the Cottage in the Forest like I envisioned, and I grabbed Eric’s Boat and also the Tower of Terror from the Premium Shop. I have no plans for the Tower of Terror currently, I just liked the colors. No clue if I’ll ever put it somewhere or not…
I had been wanting to try and decorate each of the houses I’ve spread around at this point, but I just feel really uninspired. At best, I feel inspired with one room (the main/entrance) and then uninspired for the other three rooms they automatically have… I’m not entirely sure when I’ll actually manage to get to them.
At the very least, I finally went and worked on some of the other 3rd Floor Rooms after having to set up one room for the Forgotten in my own house:
It kills me a bit that I can’t seamlessly put the Water Walls next to one another like the one room in the Avatar Design Tool. :(
Anyway, the patch notes have been revealed, so let’s talk about that. Obviously, this may contain some spoilers for the upcoming update.
Discover new recipes with Remy to keep you energized, build a Stall for Goofy so you can cultivate exotic new fruit, and even set up shop for Scrooge McDuck. What, you thought he wouldn’t find a way to capitalize on your adventure?
While I obviously expected new recipes, I didn’t know if Goofy would have new stalls in the new areas and I’m super surprised about Scrooge getting another store as well, but it’s pretty exciting. I have no ideas yet for how I want to decorate the new areas from the Expansion, but I mean, I’ve barely figured out all the areas in the Valley as it is.
Speaking of crafting, you’ll also find a new way to create items on the Isle: the Time Bending Station! Combining the magic of your Royal Hourglass with this station will allow you to create Quest items, Ancient Machines, and other exciting objects to help you on your journey, and of course, decorate your Valley. You’ll also be able to upgrade your Royal Hourglass here, so don’t forget to visit from time to time!
But wait—what’s an Ancient Machine, you say? Using technology from the Isle’s mysterious past, you’ll be able to increase your efficiency around the Valley. These Machines will not only help you cook faster but also automate gardening and other tasks so that you can maximize the “pumpkin to pumpkin puff” pipeline.
As everyone probably knows by now, I’m not really a fan of crafting, but automatic stuff will be really nice and I’m curious what new items we’ll discover with all of this.
While Act 1 of Disney Dreamlight Valley: A Rift in Time will bring 3 new Villagers to players’ Valleys, you can expect additional Characters to be added as the expansion story continues. There will be two additional acts released in 2024, bringing new Villagers, stories, and surprises!
At this point, I’m not surprised more characters will be tied to future Expansion parts (though, I don’t really like the Expansion being split up in the first place), but I’m still disappointed about Rapunzel and EVE being tied to the Expansion/as paid characters. Similarly, I don’t think Jafar should’ve been teased at the end of the main story if it was going to be a paid expansion.
I hope Skull Rock that has been being teased for so long will still be part of the main game and not the expansion, but with the note of crafting Quest Items and the whole “turn back time” element, part of me does wonder if both Skull Rock and all the Atlantis hints could end up requiring the Expansion.
I’m not much of a boardgame person, so I don’t have much to say about Scramblecoin. I know myself well enough that I’ll likely want to try and collect all the game pieces regardless, but I kind of hope I don’t necessarily have to play it if I don’t want to.
Bonus Rewards for Early Adopters
We’re so excited to see everyone’s enthusiasm for the Disney Dreamlight Valley: A Rift in Time expansion pass and intend to celebrate the first players to land on Eternity Isle’s shores! All expansion pass owners who check their in-game mailbox from December 5 to December 12 will be able to claim two exclusive bonuses—a Jester Monkey and a royal costume.
Additionally, ALL players who check their in-game mailbox between December 5 and December 19 will be able to claim two more exclusives—a Dreamlight Gaming Chair and a Dreamlight Valley’s Savior Jacket.
I shouldn’t have necessarily been surprised considering the original first week bonus (which I still think should be brought back even if people need to spend Moonstones for the items or whatever), but somehow I still am. Especially with a second one that for some reason ends a week before Christmas??
I think what really gets me is to have both of these end before Christmas. I get the “one week bonus” for the first which I’m still against, but fine, I understand the timing, but the second one still baffles me about not making it longer. It still feels like a bad choice either way :/
Despite my apprehensions, I am really interested in the expansion, and I can’t wait to get Rapunzel, but I still find some decisions rather baffling and it’s going to be a very crazy week.
Edit: The patch notes for the non-expansion part of the update have gone up as well so I wanted to talk about that too!:
We’re also excited to bring a touch of frosty fun to your Valley with our new Royal Winter Star Path, featuring iconic wintery Dream Styles for Belle and Ariel and more exciting cozy additions.
Honestly, I don’t know why we even still have a Star Path if the game is no longer going to end up being Free to Play. We already have the Dreamlight Duties/Achievement stuff. I don’t feel it’s needed.
Regardless, these are the first character costumes I’m genuinely excited for. I’m really curious how Ariel’s will look, but I can’t wait for Belle’s. I do wish her hood was down instead of up though considering the Valley doesn’t really get that snowy outside of one area.
Most of the details are things we already were aware of– Jack Skellington is coming and seems to require finding things around the village (“keep an eye out for signs of him around your village”) in order to meet him, the Holiday event is making a comeback, Dreamsnaps and the Premium shop are still doing their things, Multiplayer is coming, etc.
I would say the big new things that caught my eye in the patch notes are:
Knee length versions of basic skirts added to provide you with more outfit options!
Pretty excited for this as someone who prefers longer skirts, even if I still have yet to get anything I like more than my custom dress.
Have more control over your Valley with the ability to add and remove Villagers using the map menu. Please note that villagers will always appear in your village if required for a quest.
This is a pretty interesting choice. I think it’s good for people who really dislike certain characters though. I don’t know if I’ll personally use it, but could be useful in the future.
An all-new multiplayer mode comes to the game with Valley Visits. Hang out, share items, and collect new Pixel Shards to craft powerful cooking and crafting buffs!
I’m going to wait to see how Pixel Shards work and how you earn them before fully deciding my stance on them, but I generally just don’t think more currencies are good. I hadn’t planned to use multiplayer much outside of helping friends with materials for quests so I’m curious how it’ll all work.