Newsletter 4/7 Bye Bye VMK

[chrisb26]

Don't miss this important message from Yavn about the future of VMK.

I hope you're enjoying our Topsy Turvy ToonTown month. We've got more cool events on the way including chances to win 14-day unlimited trial memberships to ToonTown Online!

Topsy Turvy ToonTown month won't last forever – so get to building some Topsy Turvy Guest Rooms, Game Rooms and Quests!

Speaking of things lasting forever, recently several of you have been asking about how much longer VMK will last. Well today I have some news about our future.

As many of you know, Virtual Magic Kingdom was created and launched back in 2005 as part of the Disneyland 50th Anniversary Celebration. VMK exceeded expectations in terms of performance, and as a result we extended the promotion (that is, VMK, the game) well beyond the 50th Celebration.

Eventually though, all promotions must come to an end, so I'm announcing today that on May 21, 2008, VMK will open our virtual gates for the last time. You read that right: VMK was never intended to last forever we'll close the game for good at the end of day on May 21st, 2008.

This is not an April Fool's joke.

Now we understand this news may be upsetting to you but let me explain. Again, VMK was launched as part of Disneyland's 50th Celebration in 2005 and the game has lived well beyond the originally intended time it was planned to run.

Over time you've seen our in-Park presence and other parts of VMK go away. You may remember our V.I.P Tours at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, or our in-Park Quest. We didn't stop doing those things because we don't love the game or our Guests, but because the time to run those promotions ended.
At Disney we're still committed to building communities and online virtual worlds and we're looking forward to providing you the opportunity to enjoy other exciting new experiences.

Don't look at VMK ending as a bad thing think of it as a new beginning, a chance to explore something fresh and new! Think of it like school: You don't want to leave your old friends, but still, the time has come to graduate and move onto another great adventure.

In the time since we've launched VMK, we've seen many players come and go, and we're hoping you will graduate from VMK too in particular, to games like Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Disney's ToonTown Online, Club Penguin and the upcoming Fairies and Cars online virtual worlds. We think you'll find you enjoy those just as much as VMK – if not more.

Live the Legend! Play Pirates of the Caribbean Online!

In the meantime, VMK will run like it always has, with great events and new items every week until we close we might even fit in one or two more surprises along the way (of the virtual item kind).

So what's going to happen to the VMK Staff when VMK closes? Well, we're all moving onto other projects here at Disney and positively looking ahead to the future. Me and a few other team members have already moved to other projects (but are still making sure VMK is running smoothly until it closes).
I know that this is sad news for you, but we're all thankful we've had the opportunity to enjoy the game for as long as we did. Just know there are even cooler things on the horizon ahead, for you as players and for us as game creators. So as my good friend Captain Jack Sparrow would say...

"Bring me that horizon!"

-Yavn

Questions? We've prepared this Q&A:

Why is this happening? Why are you closing Virtual Magic Kingdom?

As Yavn mentioned in the Newsletter, VMK was created and launched as part of a promotion to celebrate Disneyland's 50th Anniversary.
The game/promotion has ran well beyond the original time it was intended to.

When is the last time I can play?

The game will close at 10:00PM PST, Wednesday, May 21st, 2008.

Will I still be able to buy cards and pins in the Parks?

Yes, you can still buy VMK Cards and Pins at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Parks while supplies last but after May 21st, 2008 the codes will no longer work in the game.

What will happen to the game and the website?

The website will remain up for a few weeks to let people know what has happened, but you will not be able to log into the game after May 21th, 2008.

What will happen to all my virtual stuff in VMK?

Since the virtual items live only in VMK, you won't be able to access your VMK items or take them with you to another Disney Online Virtual World.

[chrisb26]

So I guess we know why VMK has been promoting other games so much recently because they are closing and want us to go somewhere else. Of couse the choices he offers are not for free games which is what most of us need.

[mickeynuts]

I don't even know what to say. I tried pirates and it slowed my computer to a crawl, and in toontown we can't even chat.

[Krystal_Rose]

I can't believe they aren't offering something else that is at least comparable with this many members who enjoy playing every day. How is this not considered a marketing tool for people to plan trips to the parks? I don't know what to even tell my kids. Thank goodness they still have Webkinz and epets, but they will miss VMK a lot.

[terri.m]

[JPL]

I suggest we all write into not only contact us

But send e-mails and real letters to Mr. Iger and let him know how we feel.


Robert A. Iger
President and CEO of the Walt Disney Co.
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
robert.a.iger@disney.com

[Chescat]

I'm speechless and you guys all know that's something.

I'm thinking all this pain and suffering they put us through over the last 6 months was to get us to quit.

I feel like driving over there to Burbank to give them a piece of my mind, why didn't they just close the game when Yavn left last summer.

[chrisb26]

I am also shocked by this I mean I know people say it will happen all the time but I never believed it would lol

I mean even though VMK has frustrated me beyond belief before I still wouldn't ever want it to close I have made so many good friends on the game it will be sad to not be able to talk to them so much anymore

[Thumper03]

Just stunned here. We have to echo the previous thoughts. We've made so many friends through this great game, and the game always keeps us that much more connected to the magic.
So...what are the chances of an Intercot chat room?

[varcity]

Originally Posted by Chescat

I'm speechless and you guys all know that's something.
.

That's the trick? Why didn't it close earlier Love you cat!

All kidding aside, I haven't been on very much since the release of Halo 3, and quite frankly it had gotten old before then too. Too many problems, too little activity other than talking to my family. And I do say, I have met some awesome people, Cat, Ice, Monkey, and the many others I have met, and I do hope some day I can meet up with the rest of you some where some place.

The one thing I will be sad about is that now instead of a 30 second load screen, I have to endure a 6 hour drive to have my escape from the real world. I was able to disappear into my character and leave all my problems behind, just like I do when I go to the real parks.

It's not like they have seen a decline in numbers. Especially if they left the booths up, online numbers would have grown, and in park visitors from VMK would have grown and created the original revenue they had and expected. I know I went to DLR for a couple stitch hats, and even went just so I can swoop up the last of the VMK cards when the booth closed.

You know, I didn't really think I missed VMK, but now I know it's closing, yea I miss it. I'll miss my stitch hats, pirate items, and tea party pins. I'll miss sitting in a room while doing homework, just to hear the music. I'll miss talking to my family. I'll miss the happiness it brings me.

I think I have said more in one post than I have in 4 months, and I should probably get off my soap box. That speechless thing cat mentioned, I made up for it

If the inevitable does occure, I would like a way to contact you all

-Varcity

[WDWfanatic742]

Well hopefully everyone that we know on here continues to stay on the site and post all over it. You knew it was coming and it had to happen sooner or later I guess. Why close it now when the game has gone to the dumps for about a year now, I have no idea. Least we know why they have been plugging POTCO and Toontown lately.

[cheshirecollector]

They didn't give much warning, did they? Good grief...

I used to participate in armchair treasure hunts, and would keep in touch with others through one website. The hunts came and went, but the website stayed. But now that site has been gone for a while, and I would only be able to contact a few of those people again if I wanted to. At least we have Intercot to keep in touch, chat or not.

Like others here, I've moved on to another game (one that isn't anywhere near so hand-intensive). Maybe at some point we'll find more games (along with Pirates) that a large group of us want to go on together.

[chrisb26]

Originally Posted by cheshirecollector

They didn't give much warning, did they? Good grief...

I'm just glad we did get a warning

They could have just made it so we tried to log on VMK on day only for it to not let us cause vmk has shut down.

[mickeynuts]

Originally Posted by cheshirecollector

Like others here, I've moved on to another game (one that isn't anywhere near so hand-intensive).

What game is it?

[mickeytinkerbellprincess]

When I read this my throat just stuck. Not that I wouldn't miss my stuff, too, but I would miss VMK closing time dancing and you guys chasing me with magic and just hanging out together. I know all of you guys go on Intercot regularly, but if it wasn't for VMK, I would've never met you guys. It won't be the same anymore, and now I'm feeling really bad that I didn't go on more often before

[cheshirecollector]

What game is it?

An RPG called Kingdom of Loathing. It's not kid-friendly, though. Mostly teenage and college-age guys. I'm able to play it because it's mainly mouse-clicking, and you get a limited number of turns per day.

[Jeremy]

This is just so sad.
some of us even been on vmk since
Beta days.
now its going to be gone.
I'm going to miss seeing all my friends on there.

[Randypandy]

I'm going to miss vmk too. I will miss all of you guys. Just wish there was a way for vmk to stay on longer. Why are they ending it now? There are so many ways to keep vmk open. They could even add on another virtual world. I'm still going to be on this board and a few others as well. VMK might close but i am sure the boards won't

[*tinker_belle*]

I read about this on another site and i was shocked! I've been on VMK for 2 years (and on Intercot for 7) and honestly these are the two things I've stuck with the longest. I am so sad to hear about this. Think of all the man hours logged to play the games and get credits and do really hard quests and get that magic you've been saving up for.....all for nothing. Well almost. I've met some neat people on VMK. Most recently Electro Stitch and some other cool people.
I'll still be around here but losing the game is so sad

[jjramsey]

I agree with all the comments on here...and I have a few to add.


-There were many a tear shed at our home, not just among our children...even from a teenage boy!!! (Please don't say I told )

-A friend our kids joined VMK because they were members. His family only went to Universal Studios. Because of VMK, he begged to visit WDW, so he could see places from the game and get his park only virtual items. His mom has been amazed about how much he likes it. She just told us a week ago 'I don't know what he sees in the game, but I am happy about it! There are a WHOLE LOT of other things he could get mixed up in! This keeps those spare minutes occupied'

-We have bought more Disney movies than any time before due to the movie rewards with VMK items available.

-We have five large amusement parks within a four hour drive of home. WDW is 16 hours away. Since 2001 we have visited WDW over 16 weeks. As the kids have gotten older and WDW has become 'been there, done that' they have had reduced interest in going there. When VMK started, their interest peaked again. What does that say about the advertising benefits of VMK to teenagers (last kid just became a teenager about a week ago)? How many things do parents and kids (teenagers) thrive on...doing together? ...so maybe we will be seeing Busch Gardens more...(Heresy!!!???!!!)

I could go on, but...sniff...

Pay...yes! We would pay within reason...but not $80 per person.
Make it $40-50 for single/year + $10 each additional person.

Contact Disney? ...you bet we are!