VMK Central Closing in Disneyland New Update Yavn Speaks!!

[Janomi]

On the lighter side of things, since I'm thoroughly bummed...

I came up with a few future meet titles:

"VMK DIS Meet at the soft frozen lemonade cart by Innoventions!!"
"That big granite rolling ball? Yeah, we'll be there meet"
"I'm here for Jedi Academy meet, honestly"
"I got a fastpass for Space Mtn, what now meet"

For some reason, it just doesn't have the same ring.

 

[Pirate-Emery]

I guess I would have more respect for Yavn and the VMK team if they actually explained the decisions that are being made. Yes Yavn answers to a "higher power" but that doesn't mean that something can't be explained so that players understand what's going on. This decision is just one of many that people are frustrated with. It's just the icing on the cake. Perhaps TWDC decided to keep mum about this decision, therefore preventing Yavn from being able to give one right now. Why not say "at this time, details are unable to be given." But there are other decisions being made in the game that his "higher powers" would have nothing to do with...i.e. the Red Space Suit Magic being nontradeable. No explanation for that one either. And no reason not to give an explanation. I'm just tired of the decisions being made with us being expected to accept them blindly. He clearly knows the decisions will cause an uproar, so humor us a bit and try to explain something. But, to me, it's a little insulting to write about these non-explained decisions in a happy-go-lucky manner when they know players will not be happy about it.

Bingo.

 

[HeDiedxILive]

"I got a fastpass for Space Mtn, what now meet"

Count me in for this one



(Forgive me if I'm re-stating things, I haven't read the entire thread)
What a bummer for the DLR people. I'm so sorry. And extremely sympathetic with those who planned a trip after that date... what short notice! I feel with you, me and the rest of those who can't access the parks at all. Welcome to our world.


I am also right there with others in thinking that this was probably not Yavn's decision, but DLR's. Imagine the hate mail he is most likely getting I just wish we had a better explanation.

 

[aliceblue]

Actually, VMK Central at WDW was a shop before VMK moved in, and would simply return to being strictly a shop after. It certainly wouldn't sit empty -- they'd merely yank out the computer kiosks and toss in a few merchandise fixtures.

I find it more interesting that VMK Central at DL is the one going. They had the thematically designed play area, with cactus & saddle chairs, space rooms and what all. At WDW, it's clearly been wedged into an existing space with a mere 5 computers that don't always work and no theme to speak of.

Very good point. Disneyland had more invested in VMK, both thematically and in allocation of space. Must have been a major change in favor somewhere high up in order for them to give up on this.

I'm just tired of the decisions being made with us being expected to accept them blindly. He clearly knows the decisions will cause an uproar, so humor us a bit and try to explain something. But, to me, it's a little insulting to write about these non-explained decisions in a happy-go-lucky manner when they know players will not be happy about it.

That's the world of Disney PR for you. Must keep a happy face at all times. Don't blame it on Yavn, he's simply doing his job.

 

[4fosterkids]

LOL Janomi!!
Your right, it doesn't sound good at all!!
But you know we will all still meet up and have a great time! We could drag chairs over to the spot and have pasta and pretend we are at the VMK kiosk still! I'll bring extra cards, we'll do a Cazalet quest and I'll hand them out to the winners....voila'....a good time had by all!

 

[steamboatpete]

I haven't had time to read all of the posts, but I don't think this decision bodes well for VMK in WDW or VMK as a game at all. Yavn may say VMK is not closing, and I believe him. But, and not to be a source of rampant panic here, things can change and I personally am beginning to think the game's days might be numbered. Let me be clear: this is just my personal opinion/hunch, and not a statement based on any rumors or "inside info.".

I read the same thing into it. Ultimately, this game costs Disney money, and I don't think there are enough people like me to support it -- people whose Disney spending goes way up because of VMK. I think this move hints at a future with one of two things becoming more likely: the game ends, or it imposes a monthly player's fee, like Toontown. Do any of you have mules in Toontown?

 

[Roxane]

I'm just guessing here, but I think I know why they are closing at DLR. DLR is a small park compared to WDW and space is at a premium. If they want to put something new in, they have to take something out. If, like the locals have stated, VMK Central is a ghost town, it would make sense the the DLR Execs would want to utilize the space for something new.

WDW on the other hand has lots of space. There's several stores that are closed up now and look like stage dressing. If they wanted to add something new, VMK wouldn't have to go. And, as mentioned before, it's also a store that's generating revenue.
Of course, this is just me guessing...

 

[Berry Princess]

Actually, VMK Central at WDW was a shop before VMK moved in, and would simply return to being strictly a shop after. It certainly wouldn't sit empty -- they'd merely yank out the computer kiosks and toss in a few merchandise fixtures.

I find it more interesting that VMK Central at DL is the one going. They had the thematically designed play area, with cactus & saddle chairs, space rooms and what all. At WDW, it's clearly been wedged into an existing space with a mere 5 computers that don't always work and no theme to speak of.

I hope that Poohbrlvr is correct and this heralds in the era of collectors card packs and other cool merchandise. Freebies are cool, but this is Disney and free doesn't usually last long.

Techincally the area that is VMK Central is where you get the quests and drop them off is just a small booth outside of Innoventions. The computers for creating and playing is inside Innoventions. Now we have not seen anything saying those were going yet. Just that the in-park questing was going to be stopped. So now another thing in DL that will sit empty until they either decide to do something else with it (which you really couldn't do much) or they get rid of it (which would be more likely to happen after it sits there for a year or so).

I did email through the contact us on VMK and got an email back. Obviously most of it is a copy and paste sort of response with a little of whatever typed in. I could tell they paid no attention to what was said cause they said how I shouldn't cancel my vacation plans to DL. I never once said a thing like that at all and never would have. We are proud Apers and it was just an added thing to some of our visits. No answers about anything just the same bull that it was never meant to be anything more then temp. I had to respond back cause of the vacation thing. I nicely let them know that I didn't understand why this was said since I never mentioned not going and that we are APers and will continue to make our usual visits. That it was just a nice bonus we will miss and don't understand why it is stopping here and not in WDW. That no explaintion was given for this at all in happening. I also asked about the creating characters in park and if it was being taken out as well since there was no word on that part. Like I said I was very nice in both emails I had said and just let them know my disappointment in things and that I hoped they would do something for us west coast VMKers in the future. I'm bummed that I can't complete the seasonal cards at this point.

 

[aliceblue]

IIf, like the locals have stated, VMK Central is a ghost town, it would make sense the the DLR Execs would want to utilize the space for something new.

Just to clarify, the outside VMK kiosk is technically "VMK Central" at Disneyland, not the computer set-ups inside Innoventions. It's the computer areas that are a ghost town; the VMK kiosk has a pretty steady flow of visitors most of the time.

 

[Berry Princess]

I'm just guessing here, but I think I know why they are closing at DLR. DLR is a small park compared to WDW and space is at a premium. If they want to put something new in, they have to take something out. If, like the locals have stated, VMK Central is a ghost town, it would make sense the the DLR Execs would want to utilize the space for something new.

WDW on the other hand has lots of space. There's several stores that are closed up now and look like stage dressing. If they wanted to add something new, VMK wouldn't have to go. And, as mentioned before, it's also a store that's generating revenue.
Of course, this is just me guessing...

My 2 cents as a local Aper for Dl. The space it takes up in DL is not much at all. The booth for quests is outside Innoventions and is not that big. The lines for it are always there and never get in the way of walking from when I have been over there in Tomorrowland. Now as far as the computers for making characters that part is inside the Innoventions building and in all honesty....before VMK even started that building was a ghost town. It was really on of those things that a local or tourist could miss on a visit and not be sad about. Maybe if they had made it so you had to go in the building to get the quests and drop them off they would have had more people in there and if they had actually had anything else worth while in that building as well. And I still have yet to see anything officially saying they are taking the creating part out of DL. It has just been stated that it is the quests at this point.

 

[PrincessDonnaT]

I'm just guessing here, but I think I know why they are closing at DLR. DLR is a small park compared to WDW and space is at a premium. If they want to put something new in, they have to take something out. If, like the locals have stated, VMK Central is a ghost town, it would make sense the the DLR Execs would want to utilize the space for something new.

WDW on the other hand has lots of space. There's several stores that are closed up now and look like stage dressing. If they wanted to add something new, VMK wouldn't have to go. And, as mentioned before, it's also a store that's generating revenue.
Of course, this is just me guessing...

The VMK booth is a kiosk set up outside of Innoventions and is not an actual shop like at WDW. We are AP and the kiosk is always busy when we are there. More than likely when they take the kiosk away nothing will replace it. The computers are in two locations inside Innoventions. The one set of computers in the dark area are usually empty but the computers in the other area are usually VERY busy. I can see how they would want to shut down the one area inside of Innoventions but taking out VMK/kiosk altogether doesn't make sense. And at least the computers work. I was at WDW last year and the whole week we were there the computers were not working. I am so sad to see them do this to VMK..........

 

[Roxane]

OK my bad, I was thinking they were taking out all of VMK there, not just a small kiosk

 

[poohluv2u]

The timing on this really sucks.
Why not wait until after the summer season?

I don't know if I am interested in purchasing items such as
pins in order to get a VMK item. If you're going to put
out money for it then you might as well just buy from
eBay.

I was most excited about doing the actual quests, and
having something different to do at the park, I love scavenger
hunt type things.

feeling so sad

 

[goldengourd]

And while I think VMK'rs spend a great deal of money both in and out of park (my family included), I think it's probably a very tiny amount in the grand scheme of things. Honestly, does Disney really care if a few hundred players of their 'free' online game spend a few less dollars? I don't think its going to hurt their wallet.

I agree.

Disneyland usually is way too crowded anyways. They don't need to draw in visitors with VMK quests. They do like to get visitors to spend more on merchandise while they are there. Maybe that will increase the cards with purchase.
However, when we went last year to Disneyland (first time in 15 years), we were new to vmk. I was surprised at how many Cast Members knew absolutely nothing about VMK. Even at the stores that gave out cards for merchandise purchases, I usually had to ask more than one store clerk to find the Cast Member that knew about it. As important as VMK is to us, I got the distinct impression it was very, very minor to Disney. And short lived, which proved to be right. @!$*!
If they go to a monthly fee, I will probably have to stop playing. However, I'ld be very depressed. But just couldn't justify it for a young-at-heart but old-in-years to play what was essentially a game started for kids. I would pay a one time fee, like to buy a set-up CD. And I would happily pay money to buy cute Disney stuff that just happened to come with a VMK card.

As to why Yavn's explaination is a little bare, it makes me think of when I have had to explain something to someone I didn't agree with. "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all." I suspect he and his team might be wanting some of the drinks we've been mentioning in this thread.

 

[Berry Princess]

I guess I would have more respect for Yavn and the VMK team if they actually explained the decisions that are being made. Yes Yavn answers to a "higher power" but that doesn't mean that something can't be explained so that players understand what's going on. This decision is just one of many that people are frustrated with. It's just the icing on the cake. Perhaps TWDC decided to keep mum about this decision, therefore preventing Yavn from being able to give one right now. Why not say "at this time, details are unable to be given." But there are other decisions being made in the game that his "higher powers" would have nothing to do with...i.e. the Red Space Suit Magic being nontradeable. No explanation for that one either. And no reason not to give an explanation. I'm just tired of the decisions being made with us being expected to accept them blindly. He clearly knows the decisions will cause an uproar, so humor us a bit and try to explain something. But, to me, it's a little insulting to write about these non-explained decisions in a happy-go-lucky manner when they know players will not be happy about it.

Totally agree with alot of what you say. I have seen this happen way to much with online gaming over the years and all it really does is make the player mad when no real reasons are given. At least if you can't give one at the time say you can't and when you can give details you will try to do so as best you can. That can make a world of difference for some when its said and not that you will give the reason and in turn there is none really given. As well as, like you said, it being done in such a happy go lucky manner doesn't do anything but make some rethink things and wonder how much the person cares about the game at all when its done that way. Not saying whoever doesn't but it can come off that way to some.
And I know alot of people are upset about the space suit not being tradeable but really I'm surprised it really ever was. We can't trade the ones from the in game quests so why should we be able to do it with these ones just because we did a quest out of game? Yes it is not to smart a move doing it (especially with this news about the DL quests). Now you have to start wondering if any in-park quest items that make be done at WDW later on will end up that way as well now. They are really going to have to come up with something to make all players a little happier now instead of adding to the disappointments they keep throwing out at all of us.

 

[MomsGoneGoofy]

LOL Janomi!!
Your right, it doesn't sound good at all!!
But you know we will all still meet up and have a great time! We could drag chairs over to the spot and have pasta and pretend we are at the VMK kiosk still! I'll bring extra cards, we'll do a Cazalet quest and I'll hand them out to the winners....voila'....a good time had by all!

Quest title - Cazalet's Lost, looking for that VMK kiosk.

 

[Resident_Pixie]

I am so seriously freaking ticked off! So much so, that I can't accept any reasoning for this to happen.

The bitterness that I am feeling right now is going to take some time to overcome. I can't even bring myself to log onto freaking VMK today.

What hurts most (like others mentioned) are the seasonal cards that I won't be getting. And to rub salt into the gaping wound is the fact that I was at Disneyland this past Friday evening (10pm -12:30am) and left my freaking quests in my freaking car but didn't go back to retrieve them because I figured I could always turn them in next visit! Thanks alot for the timely notice......2 weeks. Hmmm sounds like we Disneylanders are being fired.

Now, I do not plan on wasting my time complaining to VMK.... No, I'm taking this directly to the top! **Seriously if you want to complain, and I suggest you do, take it to person in charge of Disneyland!!!! I would post a link to their email but I am at work right now and shouldn't even be online.

I for one have never paid for anything that I have on VMK and never will! I never even bought into the whole pin series thing. So if this is Disney's attempt to suck even more money out of my pocket, they are barking up the wrong tree.

I, like others visited the park more frequently because of VMK - as many as an additional 6 trips a year! So listen up Disney, you will be losing out on that money as well.

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I gotta go, now I am even more upset!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Since1971]

When DD read Yavn's announcement to me last night my first thought was how people here were going to take it. I see I was right. I only read through the first three pages of posts and I have to say I am saddened by some of the posts. Maybe it wasn't the intent of some of the posters, but I feel as if pure hatred is being spewed towards me and my fellow WDW-goers.

Our family has been going to WDW since the park opened it's doors. We have been getting passes since they first offered them years ago. VMK is a nice free game that we happened upon during one of our days at MK. If VMK were to stop offering quests would we stop going to WDW? No way, and I can imagine a great majority of you won't either. These are only pixels we are talking about.

Personally, when I read the announcement, my second thought was that WDW wasn't far behind. I truly understand people feeling upset that it was DL and not WDW, however, had it been the otherway around would you have felt as upset? I've never been to DL and don't have a desire to go. Being able to get VMK cards just wouldn't be an incentive to us. I also understand the need to write and complain, but what I see happening is that if a lot of people complain, it just might hasten the ending of any quests at WDW sooner than is probably planned. Instead, why not use that anger constructively. I know there are a lot of us that go to WDW that would be more than happy to get items for those in CA that can't get them.....like DL-goers did for us when we couldn't get to DL to get the pumpkin last October.

 

[LisaInNc]

For a long time I have felt like WDW was the red headed step child of VMK. DLR got the stitch hat, they got a fast pass for turning in quests. They got the pirate quest stuff ages before WDW did. They got gold doors, animators bench and I can't remember what else.

Now WDW is going to be the one to get the new stuff. Why is probably a Disney marketing mystery. They will never tell us the truth but you can bet there are dollars attached to the decision.

It just figures I am making my first trip to DLR in years mid June!

 

[aliceblue]

Techincally the area that is VMK Central is where you get the quests and drop them off is just a small booth outside of Innoventions. The computers for creating and playing is inside Innoventions. Now we have not seen anything saying those were going yet. Just that the in-park questing was going to be stopped.

Hmm, I thought I read that all of it would close. But on closely examining the newsletter, it's not so clear:

Yep, when the Park closes on Sunday night, June 3rd, VMK Central will close and no longer redeem any Quest or distribute Rewards.

My 2 cents as a local Aper for Dl. The space it takes up in DL is not much at all. The booth for quests is outside Innoventions and is not that big. The lines for it are always there and never get in the way of walking from when I have been over there in Tomorrowland. Now as far as the computers for making characters that part is inside the Innoventions building and in all honesty....before VMK even started that building was a ghost town. It was really on of those things that a local or tourist could miss on a visit and not be sad about. Maybe if they had made it so you had to go in the building to get the quests and drop them off they would have had more people in there and if they had actually had anything else worth while in that building as well.

Although putting the booth permanently inside Innoventions certainly would have drummed up more interest in the computer stations, I'm sort of glad they never did that. There's only so many times a person can take that Tom Morrow spiel.....