Disney Dreamlight Valleyis a dream come true forDisneyfans. It allows players to live alongside their favorite icons in the House of Mouse. Animated characters come from far and wide to make their humble abodes in this enchanted valley. What’s more, their long histories make for plenty of fan service.
RELATED:Children’s Games With Surprisingly Deep Lore
Pixarfans, in particular, have several nods to look forward to inDreamlight Valley. Most of these come fromToy Story, but eagle-eyed devotees can spot a few others that are less obvious. The developers are clearly mindful of these characters and their legacy, which is encouraging in a cynical industry.
7A Couple Of Packrats
One of the odder friendships is between Ariel ofThe Little Mermaidand the eponymous robot ofWall-E. Upon asking, players learn that it stems from their shared interests. Namely, they both love collecting trinkets, but fans know that love goes beyond simple novelty.
These two desperately want to live in different worlds, so they collect artifacts from those worlds. Ariel hordes items from the surface, imagining what purposes they serve for human beings.Wall-E, a trash bot, roams the post-apocalyptic Earth and scoops up objects relating to human culture. Both characters seek a deeper understanding, which, in turn, fuels their need for companionship. It’s only natural for these wandering minds to meld.
6Woody & Buzz’s Homes
Whenthe iconic toys ofToy Storycome to Dreamlight Valley, they set about personalizing their respective abodes. Their decorations obviously contain several callbacks, such as the ball with the star on it. Other objects, though, point to future events.
It’s hard not to see these inclusions as foreshadowing. Buzz, for instance, has a camper van on his lawn. This is where he and the other characters spend much of their time duringToy Story 4since they’re on a road trip.
RELATED:The Coziest Games On The PS5
Woody is just as blatant with his cowboy-themed carousel. This may point to the carnival that the characters explore in the aforementioned film. However, this is also where he leaves the crew to travel as a lost toy, but the dialogue here indicates that he’s still with his friends at Bonnie’s house. If the game is going to remind viewers of an underwhelming sequel,it should at least make sense.
5Buzz’s Bonding Agent
Much of the gameinvolves collecting materials and combining them with other objects. Buzz can help with that. If players speak to him, he says that they can combine items with an “adhesive bonding agent.” This is his long-winded way of offering some super glue. The gag is similar to the one in the firstToy Story.
When fixinghis box/spaceship, Buzz asks for a “unidirectional bonding strip.” In plain talk, he wants some tape. As amusing as this is, it occurs while he still thinks he’s a space ranger. Earthly tools seem alien to him. However, Dreamlight Valley takes place long after that illusion shatters, so glue shouldn’t be such a foreign concept.
4Play Dead
An unspoken rule ofToy Storyis keeping their sentience a secret from their owners. Whenever a human walks into the room, Woody and the others drop and play dead. Essentially, they turn into inanimate objects. It’s an ironclad response that everyone follows, no matter where they are or what danger they’re in.
That policy extends to their adventures inDreamlight Valley. The main perpetrator is Woody. He’s always the paranoid type. As such, he sometimes assumes the position when players approach. It makes for an amusing idle (pun intended) animation, even if it’s just a false alarm.
3Remy’s Cooking
One pastime players can engage in is cooking. If they do it intheRatatouilleareaor Remy’s restaurant, the rat serves as a backseat chef. He stands off to the side, coaching with hand gestures and head movements. Players who decipher these signals can craft a better dish. That’s because Remy is a world-class cook.
RELATED:The Most Iconic Movie Rats
As seen inRataouille, he knows exactly what the right ingredients are and how to mix them. What’s more, is that he has no problem helping his human friends find that culinary sweet spot. He’s even done this in previous games. Among the more amusing examples isKingdom Hearts 3, where he helps Sora with his own bistro exploits. Remy’s aid in Dreamlight Valley may be less direct, but it achieves the same result.
2Spanish Mode
At some point,Buzz’s voice box malfunctions. This problem stems from his batteries running out of juice, so players must find replacements. The task is fairly standard. That said, it presents an interesting choice upon completion.
Once the new batteries are in, fans can switch Buzz’s language to Spanish. The same mix-up happens inToy Story 3. When the other toys have to reset the extraterrestrial action figure, they hold the button down too long. This switches him to Spanish Mode. The gag itself was left over from the original script, which dealt with Buzz’s voice box being on the fritz. In short, the small exchange in Dreamlight Valley is a callback to a callback.
1An Accident?
Sadly, Woody suffers a little fall inDreamlight Valley. Buzz informs players that a rotating lamp knocked the cowboy through a window. The whole scenario is eerily familiar and may actually implicate the space ranger.
Buzz is on Woody’s hit list in the firstToy Storydue to taking their owner’s attention. To get rid of the spaceman, the jealous sheriff tries to knock him behind the shelf. The chain reaction causes a rotating lamp to send Lightyear flying…straight out the window. Woody suffering the same fate here seems too coincidental. Maybe Buzz wanted some payback.
Disney Dreamlight Valleyis currently available on PC, macOS, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.
MORE:Disney Dreamlight Valley: Characters That Should Be Added To The Game
