Qui-gon
10-02-2006, 10:09 PM
Hello! Welcome to the new and improved VMK.com! I'm your co-host, Haley.
Can you believe how awesome the new site looks? Well, even more cool changes are ahead... and here to tell you all about them is my pal Yavn! This week Yavn answers some of your questions and talks about recent changes to VMK - plus, he's got even more surprises, what are you waiting for? Let's check it out!
Yavn Speaks
Welcome to the latest edition of Yavn Speaks (for those of you that keep asking, it's pronounced Ya-Vin). Did you guys like all the info I dropped in last week's newsletter? What do you think of the new site? Cool huh? How do I top that? Well, while you've probably spent lots of time exploring the new and improved VMK.com, I can proudly say there's lots more to come - including many great features that will be rolling out in the next few months!
We're probably most excited about showing you some of the personalization features - features that will allow you to see at a glance which pins you're wearing and how many credits you have. We'll also start focusing on more park info and tips to make your next trip to Walt Disney World or The Disneyland Resort even better. Check out Jake's blog in the coming weeks and you'll see what I mean.
Until then, let's dig into the old mailbag and address some questions that came up from last week:
Q: Yavn! Thanks for all the great info last week, but when will the staff start wearing new uniforms and when does all the new stuff come out?
A: Glad you liked the info. Log in starting today and check out the changes!
Q: I still don't understand Single Use Magic. Does it mean that the regular Magic Pins will go away? Will all my Magic Pins change and become Single Use Pins?
A: Ok here's how they work: Each Single Use Magic Pin can be used just one time, after you use the pin it disappears from your inventory. Single Use Pins also have an expiration date, if you don't use it by the expiration date the pin will disappear from your inventory.
The plan is to sell some of these Single Use Pins (these pins will be much less expensive then the Traditional Magic Pin, perhaps 200 credits?) as well as offer them as prizes in game and quests. We do plan to still have regular, or Traditional Magic Pins as prizes. For example, in just a few days you'll see an old favorite back on sale in both Traditional and Single Use varieties. And not to worry, the pins you currently own will not change! And in case I didn't mention this before, Single Use Pins cannot be combined or traded.
Q: How does that new treasure room work again?
A: Each time you score 10 wins in the Pirates of the Caribbean game (either version), you will get the standard reward - plus a key! The key you receive depends on the level of the game you play. Bronze Keys come from Level 1, Silver Keys from Level 2, and Gold Keys from Level 3. Put the key on (just like you would a pin) and walk to the correct chest in the treasure room. Now use the key. Ta-dah! The chest will open and you'll see if it's empty or has a treasure inside. As I mentioned last week, one of the prizes in the Gold Chest will be the Single Use Coral Magic Pin - there are other items as well, in fact some that are completely unique and have not been seen before.
Q: Now that staff has new red uniforms will Green Flips and Green Mickey Hats be sold for Halloween?
A: Nope. As I've said before, Green Flips and Green Mickey Hats are not going on sale.
Ok, so in the spirit of Halloween how about a few more surprises? Here are two more things that go live this week:
Show Trade Requests
To stop unwanted trades at unwanted times, you will now see a new option in our revised interface that allows you to turn off ALL trading requests. When this option is on other players will not be able to request trades.
Teleporter Matcher
Tired of losing that Teleporter? Well, we've added a handy feature to help you locate it, just click on a Teleporter and the matching Teleporter will flash! Earth shattering? No... Very useful? Yes!
Well that's it for this week. Be sure to keep watching the site and especially this page - with Halloween in just a few short weeks, you never know what, or when surprises may pop up.
See you in VMK,
Yavn
Dear Yeti
Dear Yeti,
Is there a Disney attraction that is in a different land in each park?
- PiratePete
Ahoy PiratePete,
Swabbed any good decks lately? Yo ho ho, that joke never gets old! Thanks for the question Pete, it's a perfect mystery to get Halloween month off to a fine start! Tis the Haunted Mansion that be located in a different land in every Disney park! In Disneyland it's located in New Orleans Square, in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, the Mansion is located in Liberty Square, in Tokyo Disneyland it's located in Fantasyland and at Disneyland Paris the Mansion is in Frontierland.
Dear Yeti,
Did Walt Disney ever appear in his own films?
- PhaedraM
Dear PhaedraM,
Walt Disney only appeared in one of his theatrical films - The Reluctant Dragon (1941). In the film, humorist Robert Benchley visits the Disney Studio to sell Walt on the idea of making Kenneth Grahame's book, The Reluctant Dragon into a feature. Benchley explores the Studio making his way through art classes, sound stages and the camera department only to find out when he finally meets Walt in the screening room that the Studio has already made a film of the book!
But Walt's appearance isn't the only one to look for in The Reluctant Dragon. The film also features the very first Goofy How-To cartoon, How to Ride a Horse and some of the maquettes (character models) from early versions of Peter Pan (1953) and Lady and the Tramp (1955).
Do you have a question for the Yeti?
Send it to me through the Contact Us section at the bottom of this page. Be sure to have your VMK registration info with you (the email and information you registered with) and select Dear Yeti from the drop down menu. Each week I'll answer a question or two here in the Newsletter.
Best Game/Quest/Guest Awards
Best Guest Rooms
MissMissyLynn is sitting in her Waiting for Halloween! (http://avmk.disney.go.com/avmk_v0300/en_US/media/global/room-2006-09-25-MissMissyLynn-b.jpg) room. This is a fun room where everyone can talk and get excited for Halloween. You never know what will happen.
Come on in to CL_sugarbebe's Pirate theater! (http://avmk.disney.go.com/avmk_v0300/en_US/media/global/room-2006-09-25-CL_sugarbebe.jpg). There are drinks and food available for everyone! So come on in matey and share the fun!
Best Game Rooms
Welcome to BlueSorcerer's River Raft Races! (http://avmk.disney.go.com/avmk_v0300/en_US/media/global/room-2006-09-25-BlueSorcerer.jpg) In this game you will race against another player across the river rafts. Turn off your camp fire, then be the first back to the starting chair. Have a Raft Racing good time.
Best Player Quests
Do you know your animals? AceAlienHunter asks you to come and try out The Animal Quest! (http://avmk.disney.go.com/avmk_v0300/en_US/media/global/room-2006-09-25-AceAlienHunter.jpg) This Quest involves the knowledge of different animals of the world.
Players who have been previously recognized for their design talents will receive the VIP award.
Push's Trash Trivia
We all know that Hong Kong Disneyland is the newest Disney Park in the world but what's the newest Disney Park in the United States?
Know the answer?
Send in your response using Contact Us at the bottom of this or the main VMK webpage. Be sure to have your VMK registration info with you and select Push's Trash Trivia from the drop down menu.
Out of all the correct answers, I'll randomly draw three players as winners and they'll get a cool prize.
Future trivia topics might cover anything from Disney music to Disney movies, games or parks and resorts -- so brush up on your Disney Factoid skills!
Tips
Tips, Tricks, Hints, and How To's
Trading Etiquette!
TIP: Before the start of any trade, always ask the other player to make sure they are interested in trading - and what they might be looking for.
If you're not in the mood to trade, just click OFF the 'Show Trade Requests' option in the game settings menu. You can turn trading back ON the same way.
Scam alert
Trading
When trading, make sure that you get a fair deal by double checking the trade window. You can see what you are giving and what you are getting. Always make sure what you are trading for is in the trade window. If you think a trade isn't fair, please don't trade. There are plenty of opportunities to find what you need.
Can you believe how awesome the new site looks? Well, even more cool changes are ahead... and here to tell you all about them is my pal Yavn! This week Yavn answers some of your questions and talks about recent changes to VMK - plus, he's got even more surprises, what are you waiting for? Let's check it out!
Yavn Speaks
Welcome to the latest edition of Yavn Speaks (for those of you that keep asking, it's pronounced Ya-Vin). Did you guys like all the info I dropped in last week's newsletter? What do you think of the new site? Cool huh? How do I top that? Well, while you've probably spent lots of time exploring the new and improved VMK.com, I can proudly say there's lots more to come - including many great features that will be rolling out in the next few months!
We're probably most excited about showing you some of the personalization features - features that will allow you to see at a glance which pins you're wearing and how many credits you have. We'll also start focusing on more park info and tips to make your next trip to Walt Disney World or The Disneyland Resort even better. Check out Jake's blog in the coming weeks and you'll see what I mean.
Until then, let's dig into the old mailbag and address some questions that came up from last week:
Q: Yavn! Thanks for all the great info last week, but when will the staff start wearing new uniforms and when does all the new stuff come out?
A: Glad you liked the info. Log in starting today and check out the changes!
Q: I still don't understand Single Use Magic. Does it mean that the regular Magic Pins will go away? Will all my Magic Pins change and become Single Use Pins?
A: Ok here's how they work: Each Single Use Magic Pin can be used just one time, after you use the pin it disappears from your inventory. Single Use Pins also have an expiration date, if you don't use it by the expiration date the pin will disappear from your inventory.
The plan is to sell some of these Single Use Pins (these pins will be much less expensive then the Traditional Magic Pin, perhaps 200 credits?) as well as offer them as prizes in game and quests. We do plan to still have regular, or Traditional Magic Pins as prizes. For example, in just a few days you'll see an old favorite back on sale in both Traditional and Single Use varieties. And not to worry, the pins you currently own will not change! And in case I didn't mention this before, Single Use Pins cannot be combined or traded.
Q: How does that new treasure room work again?
A: Each time you score 10 wins in the Pirates of the Caribbean game (either version), you will get the standard reward - plus a key! The key you receive depends on the level of the game you play. Bronze Keys come from Level 1, Silver Keys from Level 2, and Gold Keys from Level 3. Put the key on (just like you would a pin) and walk to the correct chest in the treasure room. Now use the key. Ta-dah! The chest will open and you'll see if it's empty or has a treasure inside. As I mentioned last week, one of the prizes in the Gold Chest will be the Single Use Coral Magic Pin - there are other items as well, in fact some that are completely unique and have not been seen before.
Q: Now that staff has new red uniforms will Green Flips and Green Mickey Hats be sold for Halloween?
A: Nope. As I've said before, Green Flips and Green Mickey Hats are not going on sale.
Ok, so in the spirit of Halloween how about a few more surprises? Here are two more things that go live this week:
Show Trade Requests
To stop unwanted trades at unwanted times, you will now see a new option in our revised interface that allows you to turn off ALL trading requests. When this option is on other players will not be able to request trades.
Teleporter Matcher
Tired of losing that Teleporter? Well, we've added a handy feature to help you locate it, just click on a Teleporter and the matching Teleporter will flash! Earth shattering? No... Very useful? Yes!
Well that's it for this week. Be sure to keep watching the site and especially this page - with Halloween in just a few short weeks, you never know what, or when surprises may pop up.
See you in VMK,
Yavn
Dear Yeti
Dear Yeti,
Is there a Disney attraction that is in a different land in each park?
- PiratePete
Ahoy PiratePete,
Swabbed any good decks lately? Yo ho ho, that joke never gets old! Thanks for the question Pete, it's a perfect mystery to get Halloween month off to a fine start! Tis the Haunted Mansion that be located in a different land in every Disney park! In Disneyland it's located in New Orleans Square, in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, the Mansion is located in Liberty Square, in Tokyo Disneyland it's located in Fantasyland and at Disneyland Paris the Mansion is in Frontierland.
Dear Yeti,
Did Walt Disney ever appear in his own films?
- PhaedraM
Dear PhaedraM,
Walt Disney only appeared in one of his theatrical films - The Reluctant Dragon (1941). In the film, humorist Robert Benchley visits the Disney Studio to sell Walt on the idea of making Kenneth Grahame's book, The Reluctant Dragon into a feature. Benchley explores the Studio making his way through art classes, sound stages and the camera department only to find out when he finally meets Walt in the screening room that the Studio has already made a film of the book!
But Walt's appearance isn't the only one to look for in The Reluctant Dragon. The film also features the very first Goofy How-To cartoon, How to Ride a Horse and some of the maquettes (character models) from early versions of Peter Pan (1953) and Lady and the Tramp (1955).
Do you have a question for the Yeti?
Send it to me through the Contact Us section at the bottom of this page. Be sure to have your VMK registration info with you (the email and information you registered with) and select Dear Yeti from the drop down menu. Each week I'll answer a question or two here in the Newsletter.
Best Game/Quest/Guest Awards
Best Guest Rooms
MissMissyLynn is sitting in her Waiting for Halloween! (http://avmk.disney.go.com/avmk_v0300/en_US/media/global/room-2006-09-25-MissMissyLynn-b.jpg) room. This is a fun room where everyone can talk and get excited for Halloween. You never know what will happen.
Come on in to CL_sugarbebe's Pirate theater! (http://avmk.disney.go.com/avmk_v0300/en_US/media/global/room-2006-09-25-CL_sugarbebe.jpg). There are drinks and food available for everyone! So come on in matey and share the fun!
Best Game Rooms
Welcome to BlueSorcerer's River Raft Races! (http://avmk.disney.go.com/avmk_v0300/en_US/media/global/room-2006-09-25-BlueSorcerer.jpg) In this game you will race against another player across the river rafts. Turn off your camp fire, then be the first back to the starting chair. Have a Raft Racing good time.
Best Player Quests
Do you know your animals? AceAlienHunter asks you to come and try out The Animal Quest! (http://avmk.disney.go.com/avmk_v0300/en_US/media/global/room-2006-09-25-AceAlienHunter.jpg) This Quest involves the knowledge of different animals of the world.
Players who have been previously recognized for their design talents will receive the VIP award.
Push's Trash Trivia
We all know that Hong Kong Disneyland is the newest Disney Park in the world but what's the newest Disney Park in the United States?
Know the answer?
Send in your response using Contact Us at the bottom of this or the main VMK webpage. Be sure to have your VMK registration info with you and select Push's Trash Trivia from the drop down menu.
Out of all the correct answers, I'll randomly draw three players as winners and they'll get a cool prize.
Future trivia topics might cover anything from Disney music to Disney movies, games or parks and resorts -- so brush up on your Disney Factoid skills!
Tips
Tips, Tricks, Hints, and How To's
Trading Etiquette!
TIP: Before the start of any trade, always ask the other player to make sure they are interested in trading - and what they might be looking for.
If you're not in the mood to trade, just click OFF the 'Show Trade Requests' option in the game settings menu. You can turn trading back ON the same way.
Scam alert
Trading
When trading, make sure that you get a fair deal by double checking the trade window. You can see what you are giving and what you are getting. Always make sure what you are trading for is in the trade window. If you think a trade isn't fair, please don't trade. There are plenty of opportunities to find what you need.