With the addition of theAlice in Wonderlandrealm toDisney Dreamlight Valleyas part of the Wonderland Whimsy update, the Dreamlight Castle is beginning to feel a bit crowded. There are now 11 realms in the Dreamlight Castle for players to unlock, meaning the main section of doors is almost complete.
For those who have been playing for a while, you’ve likely kept up with each realm as they’ve been steadily released, but for new players, you have the freedom to choose which realms you’d like to explore first. With varying costs, content, and characters, no two realms are alike, with some being significantly better than others.
11WALL-E’s Realm Is Tiny And Uneventful
Characters: WALL-E | Cost: 3,000 Dreamlight
WhenDisney Dreamlight Valleyoriginally launched, there were three main realms players could enjoy, includingWALL-E,Moana,andRatatouille. Given that these were the first realms, they were not only cheap, coming in at a cost of just 3,000 Dreamlight, but they were incredibly small too. While theMoanaandRatatouillerealms don’t have much more to offer thanWALL-Ein terms of size, their realms did at least include more characters or fun mini-game.
Upon entering the realm, you begin the “Shy Little Robot” quest, which involves helping WALL-E clean up some trash and fix up his tracks. Once you’ve completed the quest,WALL-E is welcomed to the valley. While most of the realms have a reason to go back or encourage you to explore,WALL-E’s is tiny, not too visually appealing, and the only real reason to unlock this realm is purely to get WALL-E, not to enjoy the content included.
10Moana’s Realm Contains Two Characters, But Not Much Else
Characters: Moana & Maui | Cost: 3,000 Dreamlight
While also being a starter realm, and thus being small, Moana’s realm at least has the added benefit of including two characters, Moana and Maui. For this reason, you spend a little bit more time here than you do in the other two starter realms, but it’s still nothing significant. One of the biggest downsides, and something that has been changed in later realms, is thatMoana and Maui are almost unlocked simultaneouslywithout what feels like any extra work.
In the realms that require another quest or two to unlock subsequent characters, you feel like there’s a reason to go back, but that’s not the case here, as there are merely minutes betweenunlocking Moana inDisney Dreamlight Valleyand unlocking Maui. That being said, it’s likely because the realm doesn’t offer much more to work with.Featuring only a small shoreline and grassy hill, there’s not much to design quests aroundbeyond what’s already included.
9Ratatouille Provides Culinary Fun In Tight Spaces
Character: Remy | Cost: 3,000 Dreamlight
While theRatatouillerealm is significantly smaller than theMoanaone and comes with one less character, the content and charm of it still rank it higher. Thoughonly Remy is unlocked,the realm itself is a depiction of the beautiful kitchen in Remy’s restaurant with incredible details, and your duty in this realm is to help prepare meals for his customers. For this reason,the main activities in the realm include selecting ingredients and preparing recipesfor various guests, including a critic visiting the restaurant.
Unlocking this realm leads to unlocking Chez Remy in the valley, one of the most important buildings you’ll gain access to, as it allows you to give your friendships with other villagers a significant boost when serving them.
It’s nothing elaborate, but it is significantly better than some of the traditional fetch quests completed for other villagers, and the beautiful music while you work is just a cherry on top of the entire thing. Not to mention thatunlocking this realm leads to unlocking Chez Remy in the valley, one of the most important buildings you’ll gain access to, as it allows you to give your friendships with other villagers a significant boost when serving them.
8The Beauty & The Beast Realm Is Beautiful, But Limited
Characters: Belle & The Beast | Cost: 12,500
While theBeauty and the Beastrealm is undoubtedly beautiful, it’s also disappointing. Theinterior castle design isone of the first realms to evoke a feeling of being expansive, but there’s minimal interaction with the realm. You can see all these beautiful shelves and elaborate decor, but almost none is utilized. Furthermore, it’snot laid out in a way that makes it entirely easy to navigate, which can make fulfilling the associated quests a bit annoying.
The real main appeal of this realm is simply that the developers took some time to enlarge it so that it didn’t feel as small and simplistic as some of the others, and, of course, that you receive two iconic Disney characters from it. With Belle beingone of the main Disney Princesses, this alone makes the realm worth it, even if the Beast only comes in his Beast form. Despite its shortcomings,this realm still has potential for other characters, like Lumiere and Cogsworth, who would be great new additions that could bring you back to this realm.
7Toy Story Features A Fun Gimmick
Characters: Woody & Buzz | Cost: 7,000 Dreamlight
Other thanToy Storybeing another beloved Pixar addition, the toy size of the characters was also anticipated to add a bit of chaos to the valley. The realm itself, as expected, shrinks you down to the size of a toy to match Buzz and Woody so you can assist them with various tasks in the enlarged bedroom. While the quests themselves are pretty basic,being able to explore the giant space while you’re the size of a toy was a great way to mimic the feel of being pulled intoToy Story.
Despite the simplicity,the uniqueness of theToy Storyrealmhelps it stand out among the others, but note thatunlocking this realm means you get both Woody and Buzz, two tiny villagers that remain toy-sized in the valley and, unfortunately, have rather hideous homes in comparison to others. With such a unique realm, there is hope that there will be more reasons to return to it in the future, especially considering how many notableToy Storycharacters are still missing.
6The Frozen Realm Is Enchanting, But Misses An Obvious Opportunity
Characters: Elsa & Anna | Cost: 4,000 Dreamlight
With Kristoff already in the valley asone of the launch day villagers, it was only a matter of time before Elsa and Anna would join him. Similarly to theBeauty and the Beastrealm, theFrozenrealm also makes an effort to feel expansive when you step into the magical woods featured inFrozen 2. The quests are somewhat more interesting, andsince both characters in this realm are unlocked separately, you have more reason to spend time here. For 4,000 Dreamlight, this is easily one of the best deals you can get among any of the realms.
However, since Olaf is the last remaining significant character of the group, it feels like a missed opportunity not to use the realm for him. Instead, he is brought intoDisney Dreamlight Valleythrough other means. Which is a shame, consideringthe beautiful fall colors of the forest and the overall cozy and enchanting feel make it a wonderful place to explore. With no other vital characters that could be brought through it in the future, unlessFrozen 3introduces some down the line, there will never be another reason to go back.
5Monsters Inc. Lets You Take On The Role Of A Monster
Characters: Sully & Mike Wazowski | Cost: 15,000 Dreamlight
With the addition of a new realm, you’re never exactly sure where in the story you’ll be jumping into. While it would seemingly make the most sense to have the realm take place where we last saw the story conclude, not all realms have followed this idea. Luckily, despite the two films now in the series,theMonsters Inc.realm takes place following the end of the original movie, where the Scare Floor has been converted into the Laugh Floor. Although the realm itself isn’t incredibly large,consisting only of an office space and the Laugh Floor itself, there’s still a decent amount of fun to be had here.
Similarly toToy Story, you’re made to feel a bit more immersed in this realm asyou’re required to wear a monstrous disguise while exploring the area. Both characters in this realm, Mike and Sully, have quests here, and while there’s no confirmation of other characters being added or expanding the realm, there is a perfect way to do so. There are still plenty ofMonsters Inc.characters remaining, andthe doors inMonsters Inc.serve as an ideal way to expand the realm, without necessarily changing the look of the original space.
4Mulan Offers More Than First Meets The Eye
Characters: Mulan & Mushu | Cost: 15,000 Dreamlight
TheMulanrealm is one of the first inDisney Dreamlight Valleythat truly took advantage of what a realm could be. While most of the realms up to this point had been pretty simplistic or small, only including maybe a singular quick quest or two,Mulan’s realm includes two characters, Mulan and Mushu, with interlocking quests, both of which are lengthy. After arriving in the realm, you’re led through a small wooded area that leads into the training camp, where you meet Mushu.
Here, you complete several training-related activities, which would normally conclude any other realm, butMulan’s goes one step further and opens up a third area with a disaster that occurs in the realm while you’re therethat you then need to help clean up. Up to this point, no other realm had bothered to have significant changes occur in it that you were then forced to interact with to progress. Overall, for a cost of 15,000 Dreamlight, Mulan’s realm feelswell worth the cost in terms of content and characters.
3The Lion King Makes Continued Use Of Its Realm
Characters: Simba, Nala, Timon, & Pumbaa | Cost: 10,000 Dreamlight
The Lion King, while not being one of the most interesting realms at first glance, is certainly one that has onlyincreased in value since its original release. With Scar already in the valley as a launch character,The Lion Kingrealm was only a matter of time, and when it finally dropped, this realm included a few small jungle areas that allowed players to unlock both Simba and Nala.
Since then, however,the realm has been broadened further, adding entirely new areasandtwo more unlockable characters fromThe Lion King, Timon and Pumbaa. Although that’s probably the last we’ll see of the realm, considering there aren’t too many characters left to add from this franchise, for a cost of 10,000 Dreamlight,The Lion Kingrealm is practically a steal at this point. Furthermore, with five characters in the valley associated with this realm, we could likely see more quests take place here in the future.
2The Aladdin Realm Feels Closer To An Expansion
Characters: Aladdin & Jasmine | Cost: 15,000 Dreamlight
When the Tales of Agrabah update was first announced, it was clear that theaddition ofAladdinto Disney Dreamlight Valleywas going to be something no player would want to miss. Coming in at 15,000 Dreamlight, like the realm before it,Aladdinis the first realm that genuinely feels like you’re getting more than you paid for. Upon entering the realm, you’re faced with the sight of Agrabah in disaster as a large sandstorm blocks the main street.
Throughout this realm, you’ll dodge small dust devils, search for materials, craft things, cook things, and even help repair Agrabah. This is undoubtedly one of the most involved and complicated realms inDisney Dreamlight Valley, and it’s amazing. There is so much content to enjoy here, and even when you think you’re almost done, you take a ride on the flying carpet to uncover another area. All of this, in combination with a realm that’s larger than most biomes in the valley, makesAladdinfeel more like an expansion or DLC content than just another realm.
