I wanted to start a thread where we could share the reasons we think WDIG should keep VMK open. I was thinking about sending a link to this thread to the WDIG team. Thanks for the help.

Here are mine:
I think my number one reason would have to be that overall I feel like the game brings home what I have always felt Disney is. It allows you to control the magic in a way. I know I always feel like a Disney Imagineer when I am trying to design a room or trying to create a game. In a way, the things you can do when room building, game creating, and quest making are only limited by your own imagination.

The game encourages players to become friends with one another instead of encouraging players to battle skeletons or even cogs. I think that is the appeal for me over ToonTown or Pirate of the Caribbean Online. As much as I do enjoy sailing the high seas in search of treasure, Pirates can not compare. The social features of both Pirates and ToonTown are not the same as the social features of VMK. In Pirates, I don't think I have said more than two sentences to any of the other players. I mostly go off on my own and work on building up my character. I tried ToonTown, and let's just say it's not my kind of game.

VMK is the game that you can enjoy for all ages. It is a game that parents can enjoy with their children. Most of the other online games do not seem to span over generations, let alone bring families together to play a video game.

I feel like the safety factor is a big bonus for the game, too. In part, I think it is what has helped attract so many players to the game. It is great to know that for the most part you can feel like your children are safe if they are playing VMK.

All in all, I think WDIG managed to capture the Disney magic and somehow bottle it up in an online game. I don't think it was intentional at all. I think it is just one of those things that just happened. I think that it is a misstatement to say that closing the game means that we are moving forward. To me, that line is just something to say to try and make the players okay with the decision. I really hope that somehow Mr. Wadsworth and the other executives are able to see that while VMK may not be the biggest mmorpg they have, it is indeed the best. I mean look at how successful it became with limited advertising.

I think WDIG should at least test out a year of pay-to-play, or find some way to work out a deal with the players.

I think WDIG should keep VMK open because it's one of the safest online games out there. I know their target age group is between the ages of 8-14, but it actually attracts people of all ages to play the game. They're really isn't any game out there that has the same magic as VMK. So many people have spent so many hours on the game building great friendships and collecting rare items. They have also spent actual money for certain items. I understand that buying these items weren't required to play the game, but it still doesn't change the fact that many people have.

I think a lot of people were kinda misled into buying some of these items. In past newsletters, Yavn has said VMK won't be closing. In fact, here is an actual quote from last year's Yavn Speaks (May 21, 2007) concerning the in-Park quests ending:



I understand things change and that it wasn't set in stone, but I probably wouldn't have spent as much money on Disney movies or the pirate pins/cards to get the virtual codes if I knew VMK was going to close in a year.

Anyway I agree that even though VMK isn't the biggest online game for Disney, it's still pretty successful for the limited amount of advertising they did. Imagine how much more popular it would become if they advertised it as much as they have with POTC Online or ToonTown.

i agree with what you said. VMK was pretty successful while it lasted.

I think they should keep it because it is the best way to get that "in park" feeling when you can't really be in the park. My boyfriend chooses to stare at WDW maps and imagine himself in the park. lol I prefer VMK. I was just at WDW five months ago and I'm already sick wanting to go back again.

I also agree with you Fairy. I wouldn't have spent the money I have on movies or pins if it wasn't for the codes. With VMK closing I feel like I could have just burnt the money and ended up in the same place.

I had to think about this for awhile. This is why I think we should save VMK:

VMK is a great way to pretend you are still part of the "Disney magic". Once my family got hooked on VMK, we took more trips to Florida, we bought VMK pins, we bought Disney videos to get points for "virtual items" on VMK, and joined a board that was a VMK community. We spent the last couple of years getting to know the people on VMK and the people on the VMK board. We had some very good times. We have made friends from all over the United States because of this game. Some of these people we will still get to talk to once the game has ended, but many of the people that we have spent the last several years with, will vanish along with the game. There were so many promises made to us in VMK over the years that were never kept, but that didn't stop us from playing our favorite game.

Even though this was a game intended for children, I know of many adults and families that joined this magical place. It was a safe place to go and be part of the Disney experience. There aren't very many websites out there that families can play together while keeping the kids safe. This game was also a great way to release your creativity. I was always amazed at the creative people on the game that built such amazing rooms out of things like wooden coffee tables, palm tree parts, candy pieces, etc. It was always a challenge to see if you could create something that would cause people to want to come visit your room.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my VMK experience. I will miss my time on VMK, but I will really miss all of the wonderful people I have shared the experience of VMK with. I do not believe that Disney realizes how "magical" VMK is.

I have a few pictures to show you how magical VMK is:

VMK is a place where you can imagine almost anything with the help of the other players. Here is just one of the amazing rooms built for a quest:



VMK is a place where you can help your friends win best guest room and then celebrate in Club33 with most of your friends:



VMK is a place where you can end your evening with a closing dance party with all of your friends:


Where else can you build amazing rooms like these:





These pictures just show a small part of the magic of VMK. Please don't let the magic die!

1. The reason I initially began to play VMK was so that I could "play" with my kids while away on business trips. It is the only game out there that we all enjoy and that is acceptable to me as a parent.

2. Friendships are not things to be taken lightly. Three years is plenty of time to have created VERY strong relationships, and to be involved with people on a deep level - even if we don't know much more about them than what time zone they are in. It will be devasting to have those friendships severed by a third party.

3. Some of the hosts have indicated that they are losing employment. As our nation is beginning to use the word recession, it is exceedingly unkind to cause a loss of jobs without good cause.

4. Honesty is vital. If there is a good reason to close VMK, then out with it. Do not say "VMK is not going anywhere for a while" and "all of the hosts are being reassigned" and then act otherwise. This is very bad business practice and will breed only bad will. Any thought I might have had for trying another Disney game will always be poisoned by this dishonesty - how can I trust anything they say now?

5. The five online offerings Disney will have - POTC, Club Penguin, ToonTown, Cars and Fairies, have limited appeal. POTC and ToonTown both invite a certain "violent" tendency. Club Penguin has very limited social possibility. Cars and Fairies seem to have a "boy game" "girl game" feel. I for one enjoy VMK for the ability to communicate in a pleasant setting with people of all ages, races, beliefs and genders.

OK I could go on all day.

6. Disneyland is THE original. It encompasses all that Walt dreamed of. VMK was based on this thought. You can't do any better than that! If its not broke, don't destroy it. Treat it like the original, with slow change and growth. Let it feed off the joy of its guests. We pay to go to the parks. We'll probably pay to play online. We bought the pins, we'd buy other merchandise. Just like the parks, the economic potential that exists for VMK is astronomical. Harness that potential and save the game.

Hmm, so many reasons, so little space to write them all.

1. I am utterly stunned that Disney would WANT all of this negative publicity. Obviously if they saved VMK from falling down the trenches that it is, the company would look like heroes! People would gain a new sense of respect for an empire so great that treasures and respects the opinions of its members. If Disney changes their minds, they will get positive publicity on news stations for "saving VMK" instead of slaughtering it, so to speak.

2. "If it ain't broke don't fix it." - Philip Huggins. Obviously Mr. Huggins has the right idea. Let's ponder this, shall we? Do you fix a TV that is working perfectly fine? No, of course not. More over, you would be wasting valuable money and time to do such a silly thing. Same goes for our little virtual paradise. In closing VMK, what does the Disney Corporation get out of it? A lot of annoying phone calls, faxes, emails, letters, and lets not even mention all of the negative press publicity that is becoming more and more common. They aren't gaining anything but upset fans that might boycott Disney all together if the company lets them down.

3. I don't know about you, but anyone that kills friendships is at the top of my "bad people" list. I mean, come on. Virtual or not, you meet people. For some, it’s all that they have. To take away everything in someone's life can be horrifying. A lot of people turn to VMK as communication between their virtual friends. And sometimes, those virtual friends spark into real friends. (Take it from me, I know.) I think that when Disney says that you are "graduating," they are using a very inappropriate comparison. Since when do you graduate and not have any way of communication with your friends? VMK closing is like a big tornado sweeping out entire cities and killing everyone. Not graduating high school. You can't communicate once your dead.

4. On a more "Disney" related level; I would say that the company is just brushing away the magic aimlessly. As if it was dirt on your shoulders, brushing it off like it was never there. I for one visit VMK because I have yet to be able to visit the actual Magic Kingdom. Closing VMK would obviously result in people revolting. Did they realize, though, that it would also cause people to be very unhappy with the parks themselves? Probably not. Think outside the box; the opening of VMK was to indirectly bring in people to the parks. Furthermore, the company wanted to expand to more customers and therefore more money. Now think about this. Would people revolt if the company decided to knock down Disneyland and put up another Universal Studios? But of course! Why in the world would you take away the Disney magic to replace it with something that isn't even guaranteed to be a success.

5. Not only will all of the VMK supporters be upset with Disney, but think about Walt. What would he do? Would he close down a successful creation just because it was a promotion? Absolutely not. He would have expanded the program, making it more and more appealing. All he wanted to see was people happy. Do you see that now, my Disney friends? I think not.

1. Its the safest site (that I know of) on the internet where you can chat!

2. While it was free, it was an awesome advertisment. The in-park quests brought us to the parks and *pay* to get in. People actually *bought* annual passes just to get VMK cards. People *paid* for extra Disney movies just to get that VMK reward. Pins that you get in the park that come with the VMK code aren't free, you have to *pay*.

The word of the day is Pay (with its synonym bought)

I sent in theses reasons so far. I'll send them in as this thread is updated.