Read the rest of the post. Original content deleted.

Well, we already have some pretty cool stuff, but I agree. The train teleporter rocks. But I actually think this may be released during the next big update. I have nothing to prove this right, but I'm pretty sure the Train teleporter will not be an exclusive. Unless it was an item your friend got from the VMK reward cards themselves, heh... :D

Let's be honest - what is Disney's incentive for doing this?

They want you to go to the parks. Thats what this is. That is fundamentally what this entire game is about!

Perhaps eventually they will expand it to encourage people to watch Disney Channel and listen to Radio Disney. It is unlikely they will expand it to get people to go to a Disney Store, since they don't own them anymore.

Even more hopefully - when they open Frontierland, this will be one of the items.

But as rough as this is - what reason do they have for making it available to everyone? Compared to what reason they have to create items that are special for people who visit them?

Personally? I can't wait for the Tomorrowland Teleporters. I have plans for those. :D

here is a picture:
http://img255.echo.cx/img255/5149/wnderlandkitty0ha.png

But as rough as this is - what reason do they have for making it available to everyone? Compared to what reason they have to create items that are special for people who visit them?

Personally? I can't wait for the Tomorrowland Teleporters. I have plans for those. :D
I'm all for park exclusive items, especially if there is an alternative version that us poor and unfortunate souls that can only visit the park once every 5 years (I have 3 years left on that wait, FYI)! That's why I don't mind the fact that the Magic Carpet chair you get from the park looks like Carpet from the movie while the one I have doesn't because the main design in the center isn't red.

But when it comes to things like the rumored Magic Pins they are giving out or even confirmed things like special rooms that we all know everyone would want (Haunted Mansion room, Skull Rock Room, etc.), I just think that is grossly unfair. There is a portion of the user database that cannot go to the parks but want these things REALLY want these items. Naturally, unless they know someone that can go to the parks for them, they ain't gonna get them.

Practically no one trades for anything (which tells me yavn's little store experiment failed from my point of view), and users are getting smarter as the game goes on. Those that know they have a park-only item will never trade it away under any circumstance short of they are going back to the park any time they please and can get another one!

At the very LEAST, they should make all of the land teleporters a VMK item everyone can get! At the very least!

Otherwise, you're going to have to shell out some bucks to go to the park to get the Tomorrowland teleporter you are dreaming about.

EDIT: So to answer the question, the only reason is for fairness. They can give the rewards of special items or even VMK replicas of items that look just like they do in the movies while the ones us poor folk get are just recolorations! And that wouldn't upset me one bit.

However, not everyone is made of money, and for some, VMK is as close as to Disneyland as they will ever get. The least they could do is make it fair to the people that can't do anything but dream about going to Disneyland.

Let me start by saying that yes, I do understand your fairness argument. But I think you are focusing on (a) the small picture and (b) the short time frame. You want that teleporter yourself right now.

I'm all for park exclusive items, especially if there is an alternative version that us poor and unfortunate souls that can only visit the park once every 5 years (I have 3 years left on that wait, FYI)! That's why I don't mind the fact that the Magic Carpet chair you get from the park looks like Carpet from the movie while the one I have doesn't because the main design in the center isn't red.

Imagine the reaction of the park players: "Hey, I can buy almost the same thing in the game as I could when I did this quest in the park. That hardly seems fair. I worked harder."


But when it comes to things like the rumored Magic Pins they are giving out or even confirmed things like special rooms that we all know everyone would want (Haunted Mansion room, Skull Rock Room, etc.), I just think that is grossly unfair. There is a portion of the user database that cannot go to the parks but want these things REALLY want these items. Naturally, unless they know someone that can go to the parks for them, they ain't gonna get them.

I do understand your fairness argument. But I think it falls short. For example, you can only get real Golden Mickey Ears (for that matter, you can only get regular Mickey Ears) at the parks. Thats the only way to get them (when they're in stock). Is that fair? Is it any more or less fair than the park-only game items?


Practically no one trades for anything (which tells me yavn's little store experiment failed from my point of view), and users are getting smarter as the game goes on. Those that know they have a park-only item will never trade it away under any circumstance short of they are going back to the park any time they please and can get another one!


I think the community is still very small. Over time, I do expect you will see people who are closer to the park making reasonable trades for stuff that they could buy in-game. Why do I think this? Because I've seen it happen with the (real world) pin trading. Once the population is big enough, there will be people who will do it. Right now it is still new, so the people who have the ability to get to the park are just getting it themselves for the first time.


At the very LEAST, they should make all of the land teleporters a VMK item everyone can get! At the very least!


Why? It isn't like you don't have a substantially same product available to you.


Otherwise, you're going to have to shell out some bucks to go to the park to get the Tomorrowland teleporter you are dreaming about.


I am quite aware of that possibility.

I am also aware that even when I do make my trip, I might be unable to have the time to do the quests. Just like they may be out of stock on Golden Mickey Ears.


EDIT: So to answer the question, the only reason is for fairness. They can give the rewards of special items or even VMK replicas of items that look just like they do in the movies while the ones us poor folk get are just recolorations! And that wouldn't upset me one bit.


Do you think it might upset some people? Do you think it might upset the people who can get in-park stuff?


However, not everyone is made of money, and for some, VMK is as close as to Disneyland as they will ever get. The least they could do is make it fair to the people that can't do anything but dream about going to Disneyland.

I think you misunderstand something about Disney. Everything they have EVER done with Disneyland, from the first television show in 1954 till they roll out VMK in two days, has been to get people to come to the park. That is the sole purpose. Telling me that it isn't fair that some kids watching Disneyland in 1954 could go to the park, while others on the east coast couldn't doesn't mean that they shouldn't have opened the park!

Given what I am hearing, Disney is committed to VMK for the long-run, which means they hope that eventually this FREE game will bring people into the park. It is an expensive gamble on their part, but a relatively safe gamble since they can pull the plug at any time. Is it fair to Disney to expect them to hand out an online game and get nothing in return?

THAT is a real concern. I am sure that one measure of success is how many people VMK brings into the parks, and I suspect that they are using the in-park quests to measure that. If they do not award sufficiently good prizes to those doing the in-park quests, people will stop doing them, and Disney may determine that VMK as a whole isn't worthwhile.

I don't think thats what you want to see, is it?

Okay. Here it is, the "getting shot down" as you just called it. LOL

Of course, GBShorts always has an opinion. She's an enigma. It's her job.

Why don't you try making friends with one of the members around here who lives closer to the park...? If they have an annual pass, they can get a new set of quest cards monthly from what I understand, which means you MIGHT be able to coerce them into giving their duplicates to you.

Or perhaps they have a spouse/children who aren't into the game but are willing to put their name on a card for you so you can get the codes.

Not that I am already doing this with a friend or anything... >_>


I can see what you're saying, as I am also poor...and unable to visit either park in the remote future. But I also see that people who go to the parks are paying a bundle to go...and since the game is free, why not receive a kickback?

Just my $.25...(inflation)

THAT is a real concern. I am sure that one measure of success is how many people VMK brings into the parks, and I suspect that they are using the in-park quests to measure that. If they do not award sufficiently good prizes to those doing the in-park quests, people will stop doing them, and Disney may determine that VMK as a whole isn't worthwhile.

I don't think thats what you want to see, is it?
In that case, they might as well get rid of all the store items and make it so you can only get furniture from trading codes or items with other people from the parks. The only thing obtainable from VMK then should be Magic pins, and those should be out of the games at some bar that takes time, patiance, and skill.

After all, you did put up a very convincing arguement. One that I know I can't dispute. As such, I guess they should just make it so that every item is a park quest reward with the exception of like the handfull of items you get from the VMK Games and NPCs.

After all, the game isn't meant to be fun. Okay, it is, but its MAIN intent is to get people to go to the park.

So, yeah, give all the users that free room, but no way of furnishing it other than going to the parks. That would seem to work better.

Why don't you try making friends with one of the members around here who lives closer to the park...? If they have an annual pass, they can get a new set of quest cards monthly from what I understand, which means you MIGHT be able to coerce them into giving their duplicates to you.

Or perhaps they have a spouse/children who aren't into the game but are willing to put their name on a card for you so you can get the codes.

Not that I am already doing this with a friend or anything... >_>
The only people that I know that are that nice are MisterToad and shiregirl. MrGenie qualifies, but he's been busy lately with other VMK things it would seem.

And that's me being lucky!

Most people are not that lucky. The best they could find is someone that is willing to find them the item if they give them something else in return.

Alexander I had no idea you were this bitter!

We have comparable items available to us. If we had to pay to play the game then I would support your argument much more but since it is free, and DIsney is trying different ways of promoting the game, give it time. Everything comes around eventually. I earned my first fireworks pin today and ended up trading it for a pair of ears for fun. I may never see another fireworks pin again LOL.

Oh well, the luck of the draw.

I was in that room, too. I talked with the owner, (something something something kitty somthing somthing somthing...), she told me that everything was from in-park quests, and tours, and stuff. She is a cool person. She is very lucky to get all that stuff! She gets a millions questions a day though from other people.

MissAmber, that was probably wnderlndktty, who admittedly is one of my favorite people to chat with on VMK. Yeah, she's one of them who lives real close to WDW.

Anyways, I feel that we all shouldn't be getting this attached to VMK, because if we weren't so attached we wouldn't be feeling so cheaped out because we can't get certain items. Admittedly I live very close to DLR so I can visit once or twice a year (depending if my school music program takes a trip up there) but between that time, I can get my Disneyland fix through the fan sites and VMK.

As we've all said, this game is supposed to be an ADVERTISEMENT! Of course Disney could make the advertisement much more blatant, but you have to keep in mind this entire game was made to draw tweens/teens to the parks. If Disney releases so many items to the greater VMK community, there wouldn't be as much motivation to get items.

As with the rest of our society, there will always be gap between the haves and have-nots, a gap between the proletariats and bourgeoise. The game is all about the money for Disney!

Okay first of all, thanks for the nice comment FlythenFall, i like chatting with you too. (PS, I'm near DL, not WDW)

Thanks to you too MissAmber for the kind words.

Okay, now for my two hundred cents:

First of all, my room: I won the romm during the new in park VMK Insider Tour, which i highly recommend everyone try to win and take while they visit the parks.

Second: Yes, everything in my room is from either a quest or the tour, including the Leota Set of items (these were given as prizes during the tour, i think the color variation is supposed to be different or something)

Now as far as the items, I spent probably three hours in my room today, opened up to allow people a chance to see what the in park items were. As MissAmber mentioned, I probably answered several hundered questions about the items and the room, and I happily did so. During this time frame, I had almost no requests to trade for my items. Mind you, people did ask for my items, but no one offered to trade me for them. Many people begged, demanded and otherwise expected me to give them my stuff, but nobody offered me items in return.

As of currently, i am not really trading the items in the room, and this is because i am using the room to show these items to all the other game members. However, i do live close to the park, i do plan to go often and accumulate prizes as often as the park allows (currently once per month), and it is my full intent to share these prizes by trading them to those who can't get to the parks right away. This said, i don't react well to begging, whinning, and demanding. I remember who does these things while in my room and please understand, i am not likely to ever wish to share these things with people who do this, because honestly i find it rude and annoying.

Disney has given us the great gift of this free game to play at our leisure. They didn't have to do this, nor do they have to continue to do it. This game is great for us and them. For us, it is a great forum to play, chat and otherwise have fun. For them it is a neat way to advertise their parks and encourage people to come visit.

There is no reason anyone who can't visit the parks is being somehow cheated out of a fun experience. If everyone in this game could have every item, every room, every magic pin, and every everything, there would be no uniqueness to this game, we would all be the same and the game would get very boring very quickly, which ultimately would lead to the end of our fun game.

If the prizes from the quests and the in park tours were not unique and special, there would be no reason for people to go do them. If people don't go do the tours and the quests, Guess What, no more game. This is a cycle to promote the parks, and if the game isn't doing that, the game has no reason to continue and definitely no reason to stay free.

So how about instead of whinning and complaining about what you can't get if you don't go to the parks, try finding creative ways to trade for the in park items. Make friends, interact positively and work towards establishing new friendships that may lead to you feeling just like someone who does get to go to the parks.

I can promise you, there are many people playing VMK now that have in park items, that live no where near the parks, and did not have to give up everything they had to get the items from the parks they wanted, all it took was some positive attitude and friendly conversation.

I will get off my soapbox for now. Sorry for the long rant, but I am really tired of all the complaining, cause ultimately folks, this is JUST A GAME!

-wnderlndktty

Amen to that! (PS: I've always thought you were from WDW...wow...I've been totally missing something haven't I?)

Wow good comment. That was a nice way to say to the people who 'beg and demand', "GET OFF OF MY BACK!" lol

Train teleporter is too huge, takes up roughly 25% of your room lol And yes wnderlndkitty is very kind and friendly.

Yea, she is. And the people just keep on rudely abrupting her peace. They don't even give her a "Thankyou for letting me see these cool in-parks quest items!"

wnderlndkitty,

I had a chance to visit your room. Awesome. I am sorry that you weren't there at the time otherwise I would have said hi.

Thank you for sharing all the cool stuff. I agree about people whining without even striking up a conversaton and trying to possibly trade.

Kudos

After all, the game isn't meant to be fun. Okay, it is, but its MAIN intent is to get people to go to the park.


This is the balancing act on Disney's part - and it is the balancing act they do with all of their products.

On some level, they have to price them low enough to keep the mass appeal going. On another level, they have to price them to make money.

"Pricing" VMK so it had no furniture at all, as your extreme points out, would make it horribly unfun, would drive people away, and would not drive traffic to the park.

"Pricing" it so that there was no reason to go to the park would essentially make it so cheap that they could not make money on the project.

They have to find the balance. Have they found it? I don't know. I doubt they do either - and the programmers and executives are keeping a close eye on how things go to find that balance.