How Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom works

This is a guest post from Emily Eckley (follow her blog). Now, here's Emily...

If you are looking for a fun, interactive way to explore the Magic Kingdom on your next Disney trip, then Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom might be just the experience for you!

It is great for kids and adults alike and allows for lots of family fun together. Best of all, it is free with park admission (and let’s face it: there aren't many “extras “ at Disney that are free!).

Let's take a look...

An overview

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is an interactive attraction/game found only in Magic Kingdom (hence the name). The premise of the game is that Hades is trying to take over the Magic Kingdom and Merlin is recruiting park guests as new apprentices. The apprentices (you) thwart Hades’s plan by attacking notorious Disney villains that can be found at various “portals” throughout the park’s themed lands (except Tomorrowland).

Our family loves that even when we get home from the park, we can still have fun through card collecting and game strategy. We began playing it during the beta testing phase back in 2012, so needless to say we are “pros” by now.

Warning: it can sound confusing on paper, but I promise once you start playing it is very easy to follow.

Getting Started

New game recruits can sign up at the Main Street Firehouse. Cast Members will walk you through the easy sign-in process and give you instructions on how to use your cards. You will be given a Portal Key Card that will be your master key to the game.

The Key Card contains an embedded chip that tracks your progress through the game and activates screen portals. As long as you keep up with this Key Card, you can pick up your game where you left off, even if it has been a few months or if you have a different entrance ticket.

You will also be given a map of the game play area that will help you navigate through the park while playing. Each sorcerer is also given a pack of 5 spell cards. Once you have your Key Card, map, and spell cards, you are ready to play!

Game Play

The main play areas are Magic Portals that Merlin opens up to allow you to interact with characters and fight the villains. Each portal has a unique symbol to mark its location on the map. You will know you are at the right location in the park when you find a sorcerer’s crest on the ground. (View SOTMK maps for each land.)

Each Magic Portal is opened by tapping your Key Card at the nearby keyhole. If you are at the right location, this opens the Magic Portal and the game is on! (Touching your key card to the wrong location will display the symbol of the portal your game is supposed to be at.)

To defeat a villain you will need to go to 4-5 different portals. Some of these portals will introduce you to the villain (or their henchmen), while some will require spell cards.

Merlin will instruct you when to play your spell card. When you have completely defeated a villain, you will be instructed which portal to go to next to start your next adventure. Defeating all villains will lead you to the final battle against none other than Hades himself.

The Cards

There are a total of 70 different spell cards. This is where the fun really comes into play - trying to collect all 70 cards in order to maximize your spell casting abilities.

There are 9 different spell classes and 7 different attack types among the cards. Cards 1-22 are the rare (star) cards, 23-40 are common (crescent moon), and 41-60 are very common (planet). Cards 61-70 are the very rare lightning cards.

While spells can be cast with a single card at a time, there are also combination cards that, when played together, can have even greater power against an enemy. In fact, you can play up to 7 cards together during a single attack!

Tips & Tricks

• It is great for all genders and ages (my 30-something husband is the biggest fan in our family). I would say it is a little more geared towards boys (especially boys who are gamers). Our 8-year-old son loves it. The game offers a great alternative to the princess activities that our daughter loves to do in the Magic Kingdom. But that being said, our 5-year-old daughter also thinks it is really cool to play.

• The main sign-up area is the Main Street Firehouse, but there is also an outpost located behind the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. The first time you play, the Main Street Firehouse is the best option because they have practice portals. But after the first time, we like using the Christmas shop location because it is usually a little less crowded.
• Card trading is a huge part of the game. It is also a great way to interact with other park guests. Don’t be afraid to offer up trades to others you see playing. Our son also enjoys trading cards with his friends who are also Disney lovers! Generally players will trade 1 for 1 within levels of cards (ie. star for star, lightning for lightning).
• There are trading groups online and through Facebook. If you are looking for a specific card these might be great ways to get them. My husband has mailed and traded cards with people all over the country through these sites.
• Having a book or other way to contain the cards you get is important. We bought a baseball card book (with 4 card slots per page) to hold all the cards. More advanced players will arrange cards in the book to take advantage of unique combos. There are spell card binders that can be purchased from Disney as well.
• Each person that has paid park admission can get a pack of cards each day that you enter the Magic Kingdom. So even if someone in your group isn’t playing, you can have them scan their entrance ticket or Magic Band to get a set of cards. During our last trip, we were able to combine all four family members onto the same game. So we only needed the one key card, but could get 4 packs of cards each day.
• If you complete the entire game (by defeating Hades) you can get an extra set of cards that day, so don’t forget to go and get them.
• There are also different difficulty levels available. When you defeat Hades and go to pick up a new set of cards, they will ask if you want to move up to the next level of difficulty or stay at your previous level. With each level, correct card selection becomes increasingly important (and difficult).
• There is a special “bonus” card that is put out for each Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. These are great additions to card collections so make sure you stop by the Firehouse and get one if you attend one of the parties.

• While there were reports from early sorcerers of super rare cards (61-70) being found in the free card packs, it is generally thought that these can now only be found in special booster packs that can be found in the Emporium. Each of these booster packs contains 7 cards (including one super rare lightening card) and a board/tokens that can be used to play a version of the game at home.
• Be prepared to wait at the portals, especially if it a busy time at Disney. Usually waits aren’t too long and the lines move quickly.

• It can take 20-30 minutes to defeat each villain and up to 5 hours to complete a whole game. That being said, Sorcerers may not be the best option if it is your first/only trip to Disney since there are so many other things to see and do.