Oh Great.. Yavn's got an update to the recent announcement about the future of VMK.

[Evoulie]

Oh Great, Yavn's got an update to the recent announcement about the future of VMK.

Yavn's got an update to the recent announcement about the future of VMK.

Hello again.

So it's been a difficult past few days for all of us. I know many of you are upset – some upset with me, some upset with the company, and lots of you just plain upset. Many of you are still struggling to understand the decision we made to close Virtual Magic Kingdom. We hear you and we share your concern and sorrow.

We have received an incredible outpouring of emotion regarding the decision and wish we could respond to each of you. Unfortunately, it's impossible to respond to you all individually. But please know, we're touched by your concerns and feel your heartache.

We hear you and we share your concern and sorrow.

In addition to the concerned and upset players who have contacted us, many of you have called or emailed to thank us for running the product as long as we did. We're glad that you have had a chance to enjoy it and will continue to do so for these next few weeks.

Please know that the decision to close VMK was not made without a great deal of thought and discussion – because we loved creating VMK just as much as you loved playing it. We considered many options prior to closing but ultimately determined that VMK had accomplished its goal and then some. VMK was a valuable part of the Disneyland 50th Celebration, but it was never meant to live on forever. It's now time to focus our resources on our new virtual worlds.

Our company encourages innovation and creativity – as Walt said, "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." That's what we plan to do now, and we really hope you will also continue to join us.

I know many of you are upset that you'll be losing your friends, and we hear you. To that end, we're working on a way for VMK players to be able to recognize other VMK players while visiting on Disney.com and playing in our other virtual communities. Stay with us for news about that in the coming weeks.

While I'm on that topic, please remember that during this time you will see other sites that pop up – some that look very much like VMK – asking for your email and character name to support an effort to keep the game alive. These are not Disney sites and are in no way affiliated with or endorsed by The Walt Disney Company. You are putting your online safety at risk (not to mention getting an inbox full of spam) by sharing personal information like your email with these sites.
Please enjoy VMK while you can, and let's all be thankful that we got to enjoy the game for as long as we did. We thank you for being part of this journey with us! And we hope we continue to see you at Disney.com and in our other online worlds enjoying what we imagine next!

Hey, we've still got a month and a half left to run the game, and we still have plenty of magic left. Let's enjoy it!

See you in the game,
-Yavn

Questions? We've prepared this Q&A:
Why is this happening? Why are you closing Virtual Magic Kingdom?
As Yavn mentioned in the Newsletter, VMK was created and launched as part of a promotion to celebrate Disneyland's 50th Anniversary.
The game/promotion has ran well beyond the original time it was intended to.

When is the last time I can play? The game will close at 10:00PM PST, Wednesday, May 21st, 2008.

Will I still be able to buy cards and pins in the Parks?
Yes, you can still buy VMK Cards and Pins at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Parks while supplies last but after May 21st, 2008 the codes will no longer work in the game.

What will happen to the game and the website?
The website will remain up for a few weeks to let people know what has happened, but you will not be able to log into the game after May 21th, 2008.

What will happen to all my virtual stuff in VMK?
Since the virtual items live only in VMK, you won't be able to access your VMK items or take them with you to another Disney Online Virtual World.

Ev

 

[aengus]

Keep making them work people! @_@

they are sitting in rooms figuring out their next moves and response.

Keep them off balance, and working! We can tire them before they tire us

 

[supermonkey]

atleast there trying to find a way to keep our vmk friends together

 

[SorcererDonald16]

I'm sorry if I tick anyone off with my mini-rant, but I can't stand this anymore. STOP using Walt's words to justify this decision! This makes me sick that those brilliant and inspirational words are being twisted to support breaking people's hearts as a beloved hobby and community and friendships end.

Thanks VMK higher ups, you just made me that much more determined to keep at this campaign full throttle even after VMK closes, if it does. I'm happy to be a gnat in your ear!

 

[fantasymooma]

Keep making them work people! @_@

they are sitting in rooms figuring out their next moves and response.

Keep them off balance, and working! We can tire them before they tire us

AYE!

That's all I got to say to that!

 

[aengus]

I'm sorry if I tick anyone off with my mini-rant, but I can't stand this anymore. STOP using Walt's words to justify this decision! This makes me sick that those brilliant and inspirational words are being twisted to support breaking people's hearts as a beloved hobby and community and friendships end.

Thanks VMK higher ups, you just made me that much more determined to keep at this campaign full throttle even after VMK closes, if it does. I'm happy to be a gnat in your ear!

heh, they have no idea they only throw another log on the fire. They should fire their PR company for bad research

 

[Evoulie]

Keep making them work people! @_@

they are sitting in rooms figuring out their next moves and response.

Keep them off balance, and working! We can tire them before they tire us

Woot! He's the man with a plan, and he rides Peter Pan - He's.. AENGUS!

Ev

 

[OneDisney]

I'm sorry if I tick anyone off with my mini-rant, but I can't stand this anymore. STOP using Walt's words to justify this decision! This makes me sick that those brilliant and inspirational words are being twisted to support breaking people's hearts as a beloved hobby and community and friendships end.

Thanks VMK higher ups, you just made me that much more determined to keep at this campaign full throttle even after VMK closes, if it does. I'm happy to be a gnat in your ear!

Keep making them work people! @_@

they are sitting in rooms figuring out their next moves and response.

Keep them off balance, and working! We can tire them before they tire us

Amen brothers!

 

[SorcererDonald16]

Amen brothers!

Actually it's amen sister for me, but ya know...

I agree with Aengus; if nothing else, they can be quite proud that they have a bang-up PR department! And I mean that literally.

In seriousness, as suggested in another thread, can we find a way to contact Walt's eldest daughter Diane Miller? Using only public info. of course. Even if it's for nothing else than her to know how her father's words are being twisted, I think she needs to know about this.

 

[TheLillie]

I think that your determination is brilliant and of course inspiring. Persistance is a great quality that DISers clearly possess.

But from another angle, is it really reasonable to think at this point that more emails flooding their inboxes is going to change their mind? I feel like they've made their side fairly clear. And while none of us may agree with it, it seems that they won't change their minds.

We have to be fair to them as well. They aren't out to purposely crush the dreams of children or ruin our summer. Disney is simply making a decision to close VMK, which forever reason they deemed necessary. I feel like they're being quite patient and at least attempting to mass respond to everybody, which is nice since they could alternatively keep their mouths shut and ignore us.

Again, I'm not putting down your effort in anyway. I'm just saying that maybe it doesn't have to be quite so harsh.

 

[OneDisney]

Oh! I'm so sorry!

 

[Bugdozer]

Look at something. NO WHERE did i read for us to stop doing what we are doing. We are making our presence known. E-mail and now yavn speaks. Keep up the work people!

Bug

 

[LittleWoodenHead]

I'm sorry if I tick anyone off with my mini-rant, but I can't stand this anymore. STOP using Walt's words to justify this decision! This makes me sick that those brilliant and inspirational words are being twisted to support breaking people's hearts as a beloved hobby and community and friendships end.

You're not ticking me off, SorcererDonald. In fact, you took the words right out of my mouth.

The use of Walt's words sickens me almost as much as their decision to close VMK does. It is such a perversion of what the man himself stood for that it only serves to illustrate just how cynical, cold & heartless TPTB are.

And while we're on the subject: Perhaps Yavn would like to explain to me how buying an existing game like Club Penguin shows "innovation and creativity"?

 

[aengus]

I think that your determination is brilliant and of course inspiring. Persistance is a great quality that DISers clearly possess.

But from another angle, is it really reasonable to think at this point that more emails flooding their inboxes is going to change their mind? I feel like they've made their side fairly clear. And while none of us may agree with it, it seems that they won't change their minds.

We have to be fair to them as well. They aren't out to purposely crush the dreams of children or ruin our summer. Disney is simply making a decision to close VMK, which forever reason they deemed necessary. I feel like they're being quite patient and at least attempting to mass respond to everybody, which is nice since they could alternatively keep their mouths shut and ignore us.

Again, I'm not putting down your effort in anyway. I'm just saying that maybe it doesn't have to be quite so harsh.

I personally only would like to see very respectful responses and emails/letters. Nothing harsh!

 

[CelebrationNM]

I'm sorry if I tick anyone off with my mini-rant, but I can't stand this anymore. STOP using Walt's words to justify this decision! This makes me sick that those brilliant and inspirational words are being twisted to support breaking people's hearts as a beloved hobby and community and friendships end.

Thanks VMK higher ups, you just made me that much more determined to keep at this campaign full throttle even after VMK closes, if it does. I'm happy to be a gnat in your ear!

I feel that the Walt Company can use Walt's words as it sees fit. The words were not twisted; Disney is moving onto other things, just as VMK players will have to do when this is over. Looks to me like Disney is trying to make the transition as easy as possible.

 

[SorcererDonald16]

It's been three days since the announcement. I'm sure they expected a big response at first, but I'm also sure they are counting on it dying down. That is why many of us believe it is important and critical right now to keep pressing on and "keep moving forward," since that is VMK's favorite quote right about now.

For me, I am a Walt fan above all else. He is one of my heroes and inspirations. It's like they're saying "Hey, Walt would agree with us, so why shouldn't you?" However using that particular quote is intended, it does not set well at all with me.

 

[shellybellypolo]

Woot! He's the man with a plan, and he rides Peter Pan - He's.. AENGUS!

Ev

P-Peter Pan?!

AENGUSSSSSSSSSSS GET ME AN AUTOGRAPHHHHHHHH LIKE NOW please and thanks.

Oh, did I ever tell you? I have a strange obsession with Peter Pan!


But this whole VMK closing thing, yeah, I can feel my wootometer dropping low.

 

[CelebrationNM]

It's been three days since the announcement. I'm sure they expected a big response at first, but I'm also sure they are counting on it dying down. That is why many of us believe it is important and critical right now to keep pressing on and "keep moving forward," since that is VMK's favorite quote right about now.

For me, I am a Walt fan above all else. He is one of my heroes and inspirations. It's like they're saying "Hey, Walt would agree with us, so why shouldn't you?" However using that particular quote is intended, it does not set well at all with me.

I understand; Walt was an inspiration to me as well. Most of us, probably. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't be surprised when the Walt Disney Company uses Walt Disney quotes.

 

[TikiKrissy]

I would have felt somewhat differently if the ORIGINAL announcement had said things like Yavn said this time...

"...we loved creating VMK just as much as you loved playing it..."

Disney fans are EMOTIONAL people!! (In a good-GREAT-way!) All the announcements and feedback previously from Yavn & co. have been cold, detatched, emotionless.

So of course we're upset!

Mailed my letters to Bob Iger, Stephen Wadsworth and the Parks & Resorts team today. More will be on the way in the next few days, no matter what!

TikiKrissy

 

[bopper]

Yes, as Walt said, we have to move along.
But, I missed the part where they closed a park!

Sure they got rid of Mr. Toad and brought in Pooh.
In VMK we got Frontierland and Tomrrowland but lost the Spell room and Discovery Island! But Disney has never closed Magic Kingdom or Epcot! They can change rooms, but don't close our Virtual Magic Kingdom!