✨ Villager Overview: Vanellope

✨ Vanellope has been part of my Dreamlight Valley adventures for quite some time now, but it was definitely time to finally give her the Villager Overview treatment after having completed Ralph recently. She brings such a fun combination of candy-covered chaos, racing energy, and her unmistakable glitchy personality.

I really enjoyed going back through Vanellope's friendship rewards for this guide, as she's one of the characters in the game I have not paid too much attention to, so going through her rewards was almost like seeing some of those items again for the first time. Her quests involve turning part of the Valley into a candy biome to playing some wonderfully chaotic mini-games and even taking on some of the Valley's villains, there's plenty of fun packed into her friendship story.

Here's a look at how to unlock Vanellope, her friendship quests, and all of the rewards you can earn as you build your friendship with her.

🔓 How To Unlock Vanellope

(Click on any image to enlarge)

Vanellope is unlocked after completing the “Faith, Trust, and Pixel Dust” friendship quest. This quest will automatically begin after completing Scrooge's "The Haunting of Dreamlight Valley" friendship quest, which, from what I've read online, is triggered just after your player level reaches Level 5.

You’ll encounter Vanellope glitching inside the Dream Castle during the "Faith, Trust, and Pixel Dust" friendship quest. As part of the quest, you’ll need to participate in a DreamSnaps challenge, which introduces you to the weekly multiplayer photo challenge feature. As you complete the quest, you'll also need to construct Vanellope's home, Vanellope's Hideout, in the Valley, and once it’s built, Vanellope is unlocked and added to your character collection.

Vanellope's Hideout is a candy-themed home with a wonderfully colourful design that feels right at home with her Sugar Rush aesthetic. Vanellope's home is definitely one of the more interesting house designs in the game, with such a unique look. Between the candy-covered exterior and all the bright colours, there's really no mistaking who lives here! It would be especially fun to build around with some of the other Wreck-It Ralph furniture or even create a little Sugar Rush-inspired area around it. I also found it a little tricky to incorporate Vanellope's house into one of the biomes in the base game, but the Everafter biome over in Storybook Vale quickly became her home once I saw just how perfectly her home blends into the environment there. I will absolutely look at moving her to Everafter Island eventually and giving her a proper setup.

📜 Vanellope's Friendship Quests



Vanellope's friendship quests are a really fun mix of chaos, racing, mini-games, and some surprisingly sweet moments. I also really liked that her Level 2 friendship quest also came with candy-themed rewards, which you can check out a little further down in the entry. Here are Vanellope's friendship quests in order:

Level 2: Extreme Biome Makeover

Level 4: Press Start

Level 7: Boss Up

Level 10: Questination Unknown

Like with all villagers in the game, you can increase Vanellope's friendship level through daily conversations, favourite gifts, completing quests, or simply by hanging out with her while you complete Valley tasks. 

Vanellope also comes with an additional friendship quest, "Valley Visits!", which introduces you to the Valley Visit Station and enables you to visit other players' Valleys.

🎁 Vanellope's Friendship Rewards

As you increase Vanellope's Friendship Level, you'll unlock a mixture of Wreck-It Ralph-inspired clothing, furniture, Design Motifs, and Sugar Rush-themed items. Very in line with Vanellope's personality and comes with a lot of... pink!

Level 2: Icing Socks (Clothing item)

Level 3: Design Motif (Customisable)

Level 4: 500 Star Coins

Level 5: Neapolitan Racing Jacket (Clothing item)

Level 6: Design Motif (Customisable)

Level 7: 1,000 Star Coins

Level 8: Neapolitan Racing Jacket (Furniture item)

Level 9: Design Motif (Customisable)

Level 10: Vanellope's Sugar Rush Racer (Furniture item)

Including the Level 10 reward listed above, the following rewards are unlocked by completing Vanellope's friendship quests, rather than simply reaching each friendship level:

⭐ Level 2: Crooked Red Candy Tree, Crooked Purple Candy Tree, Giant Spiral Lollipop, Giant Flower Lollipop, Straight Red Candy Tree, and Straight Purple Candy Tree (Furniture items)

⭐ Level 7: Scar Lure (Furniture item)

⭐ Level 10: Vanellope's Adventure Chest - a red chest containing: Cardboard Cyclops Monster Panel, Cardboard Door Panel, Cardboard Dragon Panel, Cardboard Fire Monster Panel, Cardboard Ogre Panel, and Cardboard Scary Monster Panel (Furniture items)

I was such a fan of the candy-themed furniture pieces you get through Vanellope's Level 2 friendship quest, which come with 5 of each item. Unfortunately, though, you won't be able to buy or craft any additional pieces, making outdoor candy theming a little limited here.

You can find all of these quest-locked rewards highlighted in the images below.

While not my favourite, Vanellope is still a fun character to finally have in my Villager Overview collection, especially with all the vibrant colours featured in her character rewards. She's definitely one of those characters who brings a very specific energy to the Valley, and I think her glitchy animations, candy-covered aesthetic, and constant need to turn everything into a game make her really stand out.

The candy trees and lollipops from her Level 2 friendship quest are probably my favourite part of her storyline. I love that it doesn't just give you a few individual furniture rewards, but actually encourages you to transform the area around her home into something that feels like Sugar Rush. The extra candy trees and lollipops also make this one particularly useful if you're someone who enjoys building themed areas, and having those pieces made decorating a small area for her over in Everafter much more enjoyable.

I also really like how much the friendship rewards lean into Vanellope's world. There's a great mix of candy, racing, arcade, and adventure-themed items throughout her progression, which gives you plenty of options if you want to build a dedicated Wreck-It Ralph area.

With Vanellope now complete, the current Wreck-It Ralph collection is officially finished in my Villager Overview series, with Vanellope now added to my Villager Overview Hub. I had so much fun putting this guide together, and I can't wait to keep expanding the collection with even more characters throughout the Valley.

✨ Redemption Code: Moonstones, Dreamlight & Star Coins

✨ A little boost for the Valley has arrived with the “BACKTODDV26” redeem code, giving you 250 Moonstones, 2,500 Star Coins and 2,500 Dreamlight. I’m certainly not going to complain about a little extra spending money and Dreamlight!

The 250 Moonstones are always welcome, especially with so many tempting items, bundles and other purchases appearing in the Premium Shop. The 2,500 Star Coins will also come in handy for those Scrooge’s Store visits, or for some last-minute energy refills from Tiana’s Meal Stall.

Then there’s the extra 2,500 Dreamlight, which is particularly useful when you’re working towards unlocking new Realms and areas around the Valley. It can also go towards unlocking Floating Islands or even crafting Enchantments. Dreamlight is one of those resources I’m always happy to have a little more of, especially when I’m creating Enchantments to help make some Valley tasks a little easier.

As with other redemption codes, enter “BACKTODDV26” through your in-game settings, and once successfully redeemed, the rewards will automatically be added to your existing balance.

✨ Honeyglow Woods Crafting Recipes | Part 2

✨ The Honeyglow Woods crafting journey continues, with the second part bringing together 12 more craftable items from the Adventure Pack.

Before moving into the next section of the alphabet, I wanted to mention that the following two recipes, the Floating Umbrella and Hedgehog Companion Home, were fixed and added to the Honeyglow Woods crafting collection in the latest update, so it’s lovely to finally see them included amongst the available crafting recipes. I've included these two at the start of this list.

The remaining items continue through the catalogue in alphabetical order, bringing together a mixture of furniture, outdoor décor, fencing, lighting, and character-inspired pieces. With the first image showing the full collection and the following slides breaking down each recipe individually, you can browse through the items and see what you’ll need before deciding what to craft next.

🛠️ How to Craft These Honeyglow Woods Items

(Click on any image to enlarge)

This collection has a particularly nice balance between practical build pieces and more decorative items. The Honeyglow Limestone Fence, Honeyglow Tree Gate, and Honeyglow Firefly Arch all bring some useful structure to outdoor spaces, while still carrying that softer woodland style that makes the Honeyglow Woods catalogue feel so cohesive.

I like the possibilities that come with having several pieces that can help define an entrance or transition between areas. A gate or arch can become more than just a decorative addition when it helps establish the beginning of a garden, woodland pathway, or tucked-away little corner of the Valley. Adding lighting, foliage, and a few smaller details around these larger pieces can make them feel much more naturally integrated into a build.

The Honeypot Lamp is another lovely example of a smaller item that can add a little personality to an outdoor space. I can imagine it working beautifully alongside the Honey Limestone and Driftwood pathways from the earlier Honeyglow Woods crafting collection, particularly when you want to bring a little extra warmth into an area once the sun goes down.

There are also several items in this set that lean more towards cozy interiors and decorative details. The Honeycomb Shelves offer another way to bring that Honeyglow Woods theme indoors, while the Pink Honeyglow Flower Pot and Purple Honeyglow Flower Pot add some colour and floral character. I love having decorative pieces like these available because they can be used to soften a room, fill an empty corner, or add a little more life to an already decorated space.

The Pooh & Friends Picnic Set and Pooh’s Thoughtful Spot brings a more personal, storybook feeling to the collection. These are the kinds of items that can create a little scene around themselves, rather than simply acting as background decoration. I really enjoy that aspect of the Honeyglow Woods catalogue - some pieces encourage you to think about the space you’re building around them and the little stories you want it to tell.

The Old Windmill also adds some variety to the collection, giving this group an unexpected piece alongside the softer woodland décor. I think that’s one of the most enjoyable parts of working through a larger crafting catalogue: not every item needs to belong to the same type of build, and some of the more unusual pieces can end up being the ones you find an unexpected use for later. The windmill is a great size to fill up a space without looking too overwhelming, and I like that it’s still within the theme, but can also be used on its own in other themed builds.  

With the Floating Umbrella and Hedgehog Companion Home now included, this part of the catalogue also feels like a nice continuation of the Adventure Pack’s more playful side. I’m always happy to see additional items become available, especially when they give you more opportunities to add little details and personality to your Valley.

As with the first part, I don’t think every item needs to be used alongside the others as one complete set. Some pieces work naturally together, while others can be mixed into existing builds, themed areas, and more personal decorating projects. For me, that variety is what makes working through these crafting recipes so enjoyable - there’s always something that catches my eye or gives me an idea for a future space.

There’s still one more part of the Honeyglow Woods crafting catalogue to come, so I’ll be continuing through the remaining recipes and hopefully get the next crafting entry done within the week. Though with the craziness of a recent update drop like Season of Scares, you know how easy it can be to lose track of other tasks, as the update generally takes centre stage. If you’d like to browse the other Honeyglow Woods crafting recipes, you can check them out through the journal label listed below at the end of this journal entry.  

Crafting Information

📖 Floating Umbrella | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Driftwood (1), Oak Leaves (4), Tree Resin (2)

📖 Hedgehog Companion Home | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Hardwood (6), Juniper Berry (5), White & Pink Foxglove (2), Soft Limestone (6)

📖 Honeycomb Shelves | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Hardwood (3), Golden Honey (1), Tree Resin (2), Yellow Thistle (2)

📖 Honeyglow Firefly Arch | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Driftwood (4), Golden Honey (2), Honey Agate (3),
Yellow Thistle (3), White Thistle (3)

📖 Honeyglow Limestone Fence | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Soft Limestone (1), Golden Honey (1), Hardwood (1)

📖 Honeyglow Tree Gate | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Golden Honey (5), Acorn Snail (5), Shiny Honey Agate (3),
Sweet Jelly (5), Tree Resin (15)

📖 Honeypot Lamp | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Honey Agate (1), Golden Honey (1), White & Pink Foxglove (1)

📖 Old Windmill | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Golden Honey (5), Tree Resin (10), Driftwood (10),
Soft Limestone (15), Oak Leaves (10)

📖 Pink Honeyglow Flower Pot | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ White Thistle (1), White & Pink Foxglove (1), Golden Honey (1)

📖 Pooh & Friends Picnic Set | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Oak Leaves (6), Purple Thistle (2), Red Thistle (2),
White Thistle (2), Yellow Thistle (2)

📖 Pooh’s Thoughtful Spot | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Golden Honey (3), Tree Resin (15), Driftwood (12),
Oak Leaves (10), Soft Limestone (15)

📖 Purple Honeyglow Flower Pot | ✨ Honeyglow Woods

🛠️ Purple Thistle (1), Purple & White Foxglove (1), Golden Honey (1)

✨ The Grand Exhibition: Forgotten Lands

 ✨Two additional Exhibition rooms were added to Olaf's Grand Exhibition with the Season of Scares update, and today’s journal entry will cover the Forgotten Lands Exhibit.

Of all the Exhibition rooms added so far, I think this one might be my favourite. There’s something about the combination of Forgotten Lands resources and the finished displays that makes this room feel particularly fitting for the biome.

And, of course, the rewards definitely helped make this one stand out for me. I absolutely love the Forgotten Lands Companion Home, but the Night Thorn Coat was probably the biggest surprise. It’s not often that wardrobe reward gives me something I can actually wear, so I was very happy to see a new item I could use waiting at the end of this one.

In this guide, I’ll walk through each display, everything you’ll need to complete the Forgotten Lands exhibit, and the rewards you’ll earn for completing each display.

What is Olaf’s Grand Exhibition?

(Click on any image to enlarge)

The Grand Exhibition is a special museum-style building where you can display items collected throughout the Valley. Each biome has its own dedicated exhibit room, with displays built around different categories of resources, collectibles and companions associated with that area.

The Exhibition has gradually grown with each update, and with the addition of the Forgotten Lands and Plaza rooms in Season of Scares, the collection is now almost complete.

Forgotten Lands Exhibit Overview

The Forgotten Lands exhibit follows the familiar three-part structure: Aquarium, Diorama and Habitat.

Each section has two stages to complete, gradually bringing the room together as you add the required items. The Aquarium focuses on gems and fish, the Diorama combines flowers with several blueprint builds, and the Habitat brings together food and the Ravens found throughout the biome.

I found this room particularly satisfying to complete, especially seeing all of the darker Forgotten Lands elements come together in one space. It really does feel like the Exhibition saved one of the more atmospheric rooms for later.

🐟 Aquarium (Gems & Fish)

To complete the Aquarium:

Step 1: Collect all gems found in the Forgotten Lands

(Shiny Amethyst, Amethyst, Onyx, Shiny Diamond, Diamond)

Step 2: Collect all fish available in the biome

(Anglerfish, Cod, Lancetfish, Sole, Tuna, Squid)

All required gems and fish are highlighted in the image above.

🌺 Diorama (Flowers & Blueprints)

The Diorama follows the same two-stage format, although this section requires a little more preparation:

Step 1: Collect all flowers from the Forgotten Lands

(Orange Nasturtium, Red Nasturtium, Yellow Nasturtium,
Purple Impatiens, White Impatiens)

Step 2: Complete four blueprint builds using gathered materials

(See image above for the full list)

The four builds require a mixture of resources unique from the Forgotten Lands, so it’s worth checking the full list before getting started. Some of the materials are a little more specialised, particularly the Dark Wood, Crystal and Purified Night Shards needed across the builds. All items you need to finish the blueprints are listed in the image above. 

Once everything is completed, the Diorama rewards you with four Forgotten Lands-themed diorama displays, titled Jack Skellington, Fairy Godmother, Flames and Tree House. 

🐦‍⬛ Habitat (Food & Companions)

To complete the Habitat:

Step 1: Collect all food items tied to the Forgotten Lands

(Apple, Gooseberry, Ginger, Leek, Potato, Pumpkin)

Step 2: Unlock all Raven companions from this biome

(Blue Raven, Brown Raven, Classic Raven, Red Raven, White Raven)

All required food and companions are also highlighted in the image above. Before adding the Ravens to the exhibit, you'll need to make sure they’ve been unlocked and added to your collection by feeding them their favourite food.

The Forgotten Lands Companion Home is also the reward for completing this section - and this one is my favourite companion house from the Exhibition rooms so far. I really love the darker theming and the way the lighting works with it, and I can see myself finding a spot for it somewhere in the Valley sooner rather than later.

🎁 Rewards

Each completed section of the Forgotten Lands exhibit comes with its own reward, with an additional bonus waiting once the entire room has been completed.

Aquarium Reward: Forgotten Lands Aquarium

Diorama Reward: Set of 4 Forgotten Lands Dioramas

Habitat Reward: Forgotten Lands Companion Home

Exhibit Room Completion Reward: Night Thorn Coat

The Night Thorn Coat was probably my favourite surprise from this room. I’ve really enjoyed seeing the final reward for each room become more varied as the rooms have been added, and having a wardrobe item here that I can use was a great reward to finish on. Something I can actually wear always gets extra points from me.

After working through all of these rooms, it’s been really nice seeing how each biome has its own little collection tucked away inside the Exhibition. With the final two rooms now available, the Exhibition is finally nearing the end of its Valley collection, and with only the Plaza Exhibition left to complete, I’m really looking forward to seeing the full collection come together. I’m hoping to have that final guide finished within the next week or so.

If you’re still working through the other rooms, you can also browse my Peaceful Meadow, Dazzle Beach, Forest of Valor, Glade of Trust, Sunlit Plateau and Frosted Heights Exhibition guides here for their full requirements and rewards.

Thanks for stopping by and reading through another Cozy Valley Journal entry, and I’ll catch you in the next one.

✨ Haunting Elegance Star Path Out Now!

 ✨ The Haunting Elegance Star Path has arrived in Dreamlight Valley with the Season of Scares update, bringing a spooky new collection of rewards, fresh duties to complete, and plenty of Pumpkin Tokens to collect! 

I was really impressed when I first looked through the reward pages, and I was excited by the theming throughout the furniture pieces. There are some great standouts in this collection, and I’m already looking forward to seeing how they come together once I start placing them around the Valley.

What I particularly like is how versatile some of these pieces could be depending on where you use them. I can easily see certain items working beautifully in both the Forgotten Lands and Frosted Heights, while creating a completely different atmosphere in each biome. You could lean into a darker Christmas theme amongst the Forgotten Lands, bring some fun Christmas cheer to the Frosted Heights, or even take some of these pieces up into the mountains of Delver Dale over in the Wishing Alps. And honestly... a snowy graveyard setup in the Frosted Heights? I think so! 

One thing I was disappointed with, was the lack of outfits for male avatars. I was really hoping we might get at least one new look in this Star Path, especially something themed around Halloween or The Nightmare Before Christmas. I was also a little saddened when I realised the dark teddy bear design motif on page two wasn't actually a plush bear furniture item. I definitely thought it was a decor piece when I first saw it! A missed opportunity in my opinion, especially after only just getting the Fun Bun Plushie in the previous Pop City Star Path.

This Star Path includes its usual mix of furniture, wardrobe pieces, Moonstones, motifs and more, with even a Honey Bunny Companion waiting to be unlocked through the bonus rewards. There are plenty of items to work towards unlocking, and I’m particularly curious to see what surprises might be waiting further along in the Vault rewards.

It’s definitely feeling like a more memorable Star Path from the very first look, and there are already a few pieces I can see myself getting plenty of use out of. The Pumpkin Stone Wall, in particular, feels like one of those items I could end up using quite a bit, especially for adding a little more structure and atmosphere to darker builds.

I’m planning to get through as many of the event duties as I can over the next few days so I can collect plenty of Pumpkin Tokens and start working my way through the rewards. I’m also hoping some of the Vault rewards might reveal a few male wardrobe options, or perhaps some extra haunting decor pieces! I always enjoy that little surprise when new Vault rewards are revealed each week - except of course, for the item I already have where a Red Chest is granted instead 😂

For now though, I’m very happy with this first look at Haunting Elegance, and I’m excited to see how these rewards actually feel once they make their way into my Valley. There’s already plenty here that has my Halloween-loving side very interested. I’m sure there are going to be even more memorable rewards to look forward to in the upcoming Halloween events too!

✨ Premium Shop: Sinister Garden Set

 ✨ The Sinister Garden Set is my first Premium Shop purchase since the game updated into the Season of Scares. It's one of those collections that immediately got me thinking about all the different ways I could use it around the Valley. Featuring the Sinister Gazebo, Romantic Ruins Pond and Romantic Ruins Wall, there’s a lovely gothic quality to these pieces, but I don’t think they’re limited to just one particular style or biome.

My first thought was, of course, the Forgotten Lands - it feels like the obvious home for a set like this - but I’m actually just as curious to see how it looks somewhere completely unexpected. Even though, as you can see from the photos, these pieces fit beautifully amongst the colours and atmosphere of the Forgotten Lands biome. Frosted Heights could create a beautiful wintery gothic garden, while Everafter in Storybook Vale could give the pieces a more enchanted, fairytale-like atmosphere. I’m even tempted to take them over to Glamor Gulch in Wishblossom Ranch and see what happens when they’re surrounded by a completely different style of landscaping.

What I really like about this set is how much the surrounding environment can change its overall feel. The same gazebo could look dark and mysterious when surrounded by twisted trees and darker foliage, or become something much more romantic when paired with flowers, softer landscaping and a more open garden space. That flexibility makes these the kind of pieces I can see myself moving around and experimenting with rather than deciding on one permanent home straight away.

The Romantic Ruins Pond and Romantic Ruins Wall are some amazing pieces. I love the level of detail and weathered finish on both, and I think they could work beautifully alongside some of the existing ruins and garden décor already available in the game. You could absolutely use all three pieces together for a larger themed build, but I also think each one has enough character to stand on its own if you simply wanted to add a single gothic element to an existing space.

For 2,000 Moonstones, this feels like a really fun set to experiment with, especially because I don’t think there’s one particular way you have to use it. I have a few ideas already, but I’m most curious to see how much the atmosphere changes once I start pairing these pieces with different environments and landscaping.

📖 Premium Shop | 💰 2,000 Moonstones

Includes:

Sinister Gazebo (Furniture Item)

Romantic Ruins Pond (Furniture Item)

Romantic Ruins Wall (Furniture Item)

✨ Season of Scares Update Arrives Tomorrow!

✨ Spooky season is almost here in Dreamlight Valley, with the Season of Scares free content update arriving tomorrow, September 23! Oogie Boogie is bringing a little Halloween mischief to the Valley, alongside a brand-new Star Path, seasonal events, new Premium Shop items, the final two Olaf's Grand Exhibition Valley rooms, a new permanent Star Path, and a whole range of quality-of-life improvements.

There's so much packed into this update, and what felt like a long week of teasers, Developer Updates and finally the full Patch Notes, we're now less than a day away from being able to experience everything for ourselves.

Personally, I feel like this update has come around so quickly! Maybe it's because there's been so much happening in the Valley lately, but it feels like I only just finished exploring the last update - plus all the usual Valley housekeeping keeps me busy. Either way, I'm more than ready for a little Halloween chaos to arrive.

One of the biggest additions coming with Season of Scares is, of course, Oogie Boogie, who will be making his way into the Valley through a special 6-week series of Halloween quests.

Gameloft has now shared some additional details about how his event will work, and there's actually a little less pressure involved than I initially thought! The first quest, A Halloween Invasion, becomes available on September 23, with a new challenge following each week through October 28. However, you don't need to complete each quest as soon as it becomes available.

The important part is simply starting Oogie Boogie's first quest before November 4. Once you've started the event, you'll be able to continue through the remaining quests at your own pace, even after the weekly challenges have finished being released.

This means you don't need to worry about trying to keep up with every single weekly challenge if life gets in the way. As long as you've started Week 1 before November 4, you'll still be able to complete the full questline and permanently welcome Oogie Boogie to your Valley - along with unlocking Zero as a Companion along the way.

And then, of course, there's the Haunting Elegance Star Path! This is the part of the update I'm probably most excited to get my hands on. Halloween is my favourite time of year, so I'm hoping this Star Path delivers plenty of spooky furniture and decorating pieces that I can slowly work into my ever-growing collection.

There's also the new Astronomer's Journey permanent Star Path, and the return of the Haunted Floating Festival and Trick or Treat events - both will have some new rewards to unlock. I'm so happy that the Haunted Floating Festival is back with some new puzzles and rewards, I recall being so intrigued by the idea that an event had its own floating island, and the Haunted Floating Festival was the first of its kind!

I'm also looking forward to completing the Forgotten Lands and Plaza exhibition rooms in Olaf's Grand Exhibition, ultimately wrapping up the Valleys biomes. I'm curious if this will continue with rooms for the DLCs, and I really hope that they do! 

A few other things I'm looking forward to are the new Event Board and the new permanent Star Path: The Astronomer's Journey Star Path, and the new set of witchy-inspired arcane furniture pieces being added as part of the new Biome-specific crafting recipes! 

There's always that little bit of anticipation that comes from knowing that tomorrow, we'll finally be able to load into the Valley and see all of these changes sitting there in-game. Some things will probably be exactly as expected, while others may end up being those little surprises that we weren't expecting to love quite so much. And that's probably one of my favourite parts of update day.

The Season of Scares update arrives tomorrow, and I cannot wait to see what Halloween brings to the Valley 🎃 

I've also put together a release time breakdown for several regions around the world, so you can see when the update will be arriving in your timezone. Whether you're planning to jump straight when it becomes available or waiting until you've got some time to properly enjoy everything, Oogie Boogie is almost here!

Season Of Scares: Release Time
USA 6am (PT) | 9am (ET)

Canada 9am (ET)
UK 2pm
Germany 3pm
Japan 10pm
Australia 11pm (AEST)
New Zealand 1am (September 24th)

For me here in Australia, the update arrives at 11:00 PM, so I'll be doing what I usually do on update nights - letting everything download and update overnight, then waking up to a fresh Valley and my usual delicious double-shot coffee ready to help me dive into the Halloween madness ☕️

And yes... I'm already looking forward to that first morning load-in.

Bring on the Season of Scares!

Thanks for joining me in today's Cozy Valley Journal entry! Be sure to check back soon for new cozy art, update guides, discoveries and plenty more Season of Scares coverage as we step into this next chapter of Dreamlight Valley

▶️ I've also recapped the details shared in the Season of Scares Developer Update from last week, so if you'd like to take a look at what's coming with this update, you can check it out here.

If you're just as excited for Halloween to arrive in the Valley as I am, be sure to follow along with my socials too - I'll be sharing plenty of adventures, guides and discoveries as we explore everything this update has to offer 🎃

✨ Season of Scares: Patch Notes Released

✨ Disney Dreamlight Valley Season of Scares Patch Notes: Floating Islands, New Star Path & More!

The Season of Scares update is almost here, and earlier today, Gameloft released the full Patch Notes ahead of its arrival on September 23!

As usual, there's a lot packed into these notes, including new events, decorating features, Photo Mode updates, new crafting recipes and a long list of bug fixes. There are a few additions that immediately caught my attention, but one in particular has me very excited to get decorating.

Functional Buildings Are Coming to Floating Islands

This is probably the biggest highlight for me from the entire Patch Notes release. With the Season of Scares update, we'll finally be able to move select functional buildings and character stalls onto our Floating Islands. I'm really happy to see this one.

The following functional buildings and character stalls can be moved to any Floating Island:

Functional Buildings:

Tiana's Palace, The Boutique, Olaf's Grand Exhibition, Stables, and the Valley Visit Station — although the Valley Visit Station cannot be interacted with while placed on a Floating Island.

Character Stalls:

WALL•E's Garden, Moana's Boat, Beast's Greenhouse, Aladdin's Gem Stall, Kristoff's Stall, Mulan's Tea Stall, and Tiana's Meal Stall

Expansion versions of these buildings and stalls can also be moved onto the corresponding expansion's Floating Islands.

The size of some of these functional buildings has always made them something I need to design around when decorating my Valley. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, being able to move them away from the main Valley and build an entire themed area around them on a Floating Island opens up so many more possibilities.

Tiana's Palace is an obvious one for me. It's a fairly substantial building, and I can absolutely see myself giving it its own dedicated space rather than trying to work it into an existing area of the Valley. The Boutique, Olaf's Grand Exhibition and the Stables could also make some really interesting themed builds, while the character stalls open up even more possibilities for creating little market areas away from the main Valley.

There is one small limitation worth keeping in mind: the Valley Visit Station can be placed on a Floating Island, but it won't be interactive there. So while you can use it as part of your decoration, you'll need to move the station somewhere accessible in your main Valley if you want to actually use its functionality. I am perfectly okay with that.

The Astronomer's Journey Star Path & Event Board

Another interesting addition coming with Season of Scares is The Astronomer's Journey Star Path. Unlike the usual limited-time Star Paths, this one is a permanent introductory Star Path that becomes available after unlocking your first Realm and speaking with Merlin. It can be completed at your own pace by completing quests around the Valley and earning astronomy-themed rewards.

As you progress through this Star Path, you'll also be introduced to the new Event Board, which you'll be able to place in the Plaza. The board will let you keep track of up to three live events without needing to search through the in-game Menu.

I'm curious about this one.

I like the idea of having an actual physical board in the Valley that keeps track of what's happening, but I'm also wondering how useful it will feel in practice. The in-game Menu is already accessible with a button press, whereas the Event Board requires you to physically walk over to it and interact with it. That said, I think I'll have a much better idea of whether I like this feature once I've actually used it. It could be particularly nice for the more immersive side of the game, rather than being introduced purely as a functional shortcut.

A New Way to Emote Outside Photo Mode

Photo Mode is also getting some fun additions, including the new Emote Wheel. For the first time, we'll be able to "strike a pose" and use emotes outside of Photo Mode, with 11 free emotes available when the Season of Scares update arrives. These can also be used around other players in multiplayer, as well as around our Villagers to see their reactions.

I'm looking forward to this one mostly because it adds another little bit of personality to everyday gameplay. Photo Mode has obviously been the main place for posing and creating more expressive screenshots, so being able to do this while simply wandering around the Valley should make character interactions and multiplayer visits a little more fun.

Villager House Skins Are Here

Another new feature making its debut is Villager House Skins. The first one will be for Beast's Castle, allowing you to transform it into the new Snowy Beast's Castle. This will be available as a new Shop Bundle.

I'm really curious to see where Gameloft takes this feature. The idea of giving existing Villager houses completely different appearances opens up some interesting decorating possibilities, particularly if we eventually get multiple skins for the same house. Does this also mean Vanellope may get another skin? While her current home isn't all bad, that's one new house skin I'd definitely hope to see, just to give her home a little more flexibility to fit into the Valley. 

I'm also wondering what else will be included alongside the Snowy Beast's Castle. Will the bundle simply be the house skin, or could we see additional decorating items included with it, such as a matching flooring or wallpaper option for our own houses? We'll have to wait and see.

A Few More Changes Worth Mentioning

There's plenty more tucked away in these Patch Notes, including several other decorating improvements.

Decoration Preset code sharing is arriving, allowing us to create and share our saved Presets with other players using a unique code. These codes will remain valid for 14 days, even if the original creator changes or removes their Preset.

The Mirage system is also being expanded, making it easier to continue decorating when you're missing items while using the Duplicate function in edit mode. The Mirage can act as a placeholder, so you don't have to stop your decorating session to go searching for the missing item. I really like this idea, as I tend to forget about replacing items that I'm running low on, only to realise I need to stock up when I'm decorating in the Valley. I think this new feature will save plenty of time.

 

We're also getting a new Clear Biome function, which will allow you to choose whether you want to remove Furniture, Landscaping, Fences and/or Paths from a decorated biome. This could be particularly useful when completely reworking an area of the Valley. And if you do decide you want to revert the changes, there's also an option to undo the clearing before saving.

And there are several other additions across Photo Mode, DreamSnaps and the Map, including more saved Photo Mode images, a DreamSnaps Archive, QR codes for saved photos, Super Votes and several improvements intended to make the Map less cluttered and easier to navigate.

Final Thoughts

There's a lot to look forward to in Season of Scares, and while the Halloween content will obviously be a huge part of the update, it's the decorating and quality-of-life changes that have caught my attention most from these Patch Notes.

Being able to move functional buildings and stalls onto Floating Islands is probably the change I'm most excited to get my hands on. I've already got a few ideas floating around for how I could use some of these larger buildings in dedicated themed areas.

The Astronomer's Journey Star Path, Event Board, Emote Wheel and Villager House Skins are also bringing some interesting new systems into the game, while the various decorating, Photo Mode, DreamSnaps and Map improvements should make some of our everyday Valley activities a little smoother.

And, as always, there's a long list of bug fixes included with the update as well, covering everything from quest progression to various feature fixes. There's plenty more included in the full Patch Notes, so be sure to have a read through the official Gameloft article if you'd like to see everything coming with the Season of Scares update.

Season of Scares arrives September 23, and I think my Floating Islands are about to get a lot more interesting 🎃