Magic Monday: Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
For a long time I was resistant to this interactive game at the Magic Kingdom. Initial reports had indicated that lines were long, game play was complicated and it had you criss-crossing all over the park. So I would usher my kids past the Fire House (where you pick up your cards and register for a game) and go about our day at the park as if the game didn’t exist.
Then this September while I was down at Walt Disney World for a solo trip I decided to pick up a pack of cards and give it a try. I didn’t get to play much that day but my curiosity was peaked and I tucked my pack of cards into my suitcase to give it a try the following month on our family trip. So we took our one pack of cards to the Magic Kingdom and stopped by the Fire House where we linked up everyone’s Magic Band or annual pass to the game in progress. This allowed us to get more cards! One pack for each person linked to the game (so for our merry band of misfits, that was 6 packs of cards!) Card collection recently changed for those that had simply been collecting cards without playing the game. Now, due to the popularity of the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards Disney has modified the rules on getting new packs of cards. Now, to get a new pack, a portal must be opened in your current game. So if you get a new pack, you can go play for a little while and then on your next visit you can get another pack of cards.
The game (in beginner mode) requires you to open portals and complete quests of defeating different villains to help Merlin and save the Magic Kingdom. Each quest is self-contained within a land. In the beginner level the “strength” of each card is not important – just that you use the cards to defeat the villains. In later levels the rankings and strengths become important in game play (I will have to let you know more about that in a later post, we are still working our way through all nine villains of the beginner level.)
The portals are opened by holding your “key card” in front of the portal until the screen activates. A hero will guide you through how to defeat the villain for each quest. You simply hold your Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards up to the portal to attack. You will have to go from portal to portal to finally defeat the villain. Word of warning – some of these portals proved quite tricky to find; Disney has done a pretty good job of camouflaging them throughout the park. For some added fun, try playing late in the evening, when the crowds have thinned out and you can quickly hop between portals.
We played a family game, so each family member played a portal. I found this method helped cut down on the number of “it’s my turn” cries. (We tried card by card but that led to arguments about who opened the portal or which cards should be played first.) Each family we encountered seemed to have their own way of working it to allow everyone to have fun – so find what works best for your family. My kids even fashioned their own version of the card game “war” using the cards. Their newfound card game helped them work on math and provided entertainment on buses, boats, and at restaurants!
All in all, I still probably wouldn’t recommend the game for first-time visitors, small children, or those on a short trip. But for my veteran Disney family with a 7 and 9 year old (who am I kidding, I loved it too!) – it was a fantastic change of pace from the ordinary. In writing this review I asked my family for their rating and it was given 2 thumbs up across the board.
P.S. – I am still searching for card 41 if anyone happens to have one 😉
My son loves this game. He has all the cards 1-60 except #12! He was able to play on our last trip after a 14 month hiatus, still as fun as ever.