Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is a free, interactive card game that can be played in the Magic Kingdom. The premise of the game is that Merlin is recruiting apprentice sorcerers to help him fight Hades, the villain from Hercules. Hades has recruited some of Disney’s most notorious villains to help him make the Magic Kingdom his home.

Interested guests can get started by stopping by the firehouse (this "Training Station" is on the left side of Town Square, after entering the park). Using your admission ticket (wristband, pass, etc.) a cast member will help get you started. You will be given a Key card, a sealed pack of five random Sorcerer Spell cards and a map. Merlin will provide you with a tutorial to help get you started. Although my son, Tommy, is the only member of our family who plays, my wife and I also hand over our admission ticket in order to get a free pack of Sorcerer Spell cards. You can get a new pack every day that you enter the Magic Kingdom (but only one per person per day.) If you pass by the firehouse, there is a second Training Station behind the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square.

Unlike Agent P in Epcot's World Showcase, which needs to be started within 20 minutes of receiving your communication device, you can start playing Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom whenever you like after getting your game cards, several hours, days, or even months later. As long as you save your Key card, you can begin playing Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom on your 2013 trip and continue from where you left off when you come back in 2014.

The pack of Sorcerers Spell cards contain five random cards numbered anywhere from 1 to 60. There are also rare cards numbered 61 to 70. The rare cards were only available in the free packs when Sorcerers first opened. Now, the only way to get a card numbered 61-70 is on eBay or Amazon (which can be very pricey) or by purchasing the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom At Home Game. This includes six random spell cards, tokens, one of four versions of a play-at-home game, and one of the rare spell cards numbered 61-70. The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom At Home Game can be purchased through Disney’s online store or at the Emporium on Main Street. There are also some special events and cast member exclusive spell cards floating around that are even harder to obtain.

The Sorcerers Spell cards are very collectible and trade-able. On our trip in June, we were the recipients of a "random act of Pixie Dust" during a potential trade. Tommy met two boys around his age; they struck up a conversation and proceeded to talk about trading. The boys immediately found a card that Tommy did not have, but they had an extra. The problem was, they only had one card missing from their collection, and although Tommy had the #19 card that they needed to complete their set, he did not have a duplicate. Before going our separate ways, the one boy said he wanted Tommy to have their extra card anyway – it was a very kind gesture. To make it even more memorable, these two little guys tracked us down about 15 minutes later wanting to strike up a clever bargain. If Tommy would give up his only #19 card, they would go through all their duplicates and fill up any slots Tommy was missing. Tommy agreed and ended up getting another four cards, and everyone was happy!

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is played in five different lands in the Magic Kingdom: Main St. USA, Liberty Square, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Adventureland. Merlin will instruct you on which land to go to and also which portal (electronic game-play stations scattered about the various lands). Your map is a valuable asset to have on your mission; on our last trip we left the map in the car and really struggled trying to find some of the portals. (Note: You can return to either of the previously named training stations to get a new map if necessary.)

When you arrive at a portal, press your Key card on the keyhole to activate the game. From there you can follow the story and interact by using your Sorcerers Spell cards (Merlin will help you along). Be sure to stand on the portal's "Circle of Power" when casting spells with your Sorcerers Spell cards. You can use up to six cards at a time when casting spells.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Cards
Scanned images of a Key Card, the rare #62 Dumbo card and the back of a Sorcerers of the MK card.

Each of the five missions (one per land) takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. It may take longer if you have any difficulties finding the different portals (again, don’t forget your map!!).

Tommy’s opinion of Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is that it is GREAT, and he has a lot of fun playing. His favorite thing is collecting the cards. Oddly enough, his least favorite thing is that it takes a long time to complete a set of cards (these are the days of instant gratification after all). He said he would recommend Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom to anyone ages 5 and up.

I think the Imagineers did a wonderful job creating the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game. The animated portal images are extremely well done and it is a fun diversion from our normal commando style of park touring. From the point of view of an adult Disney fan and an old- school role-playing game fan, the only thing I found to be disappointing was the lack of strategy. I wish the guest had to really think about which cards would be best to use to defeat each villain. It seems to me that it really doesn’t matter which card (or combinations of cards) are used, you will defeat the villain regardless. But, speaking from a Disney Dad’s point of view, Tommy loves this game and it is a lot of fun to watch his reactions as different effects occur at each of the portals, and it probably wouldn’t be as fun for him if more strategy was required.

My overall opinion is that Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is a great diversion, especially for those of us that visit Walt Disney World frequently. This is definitely something different that we can do, and it forces us to look at many areas of the parks that we often run past without so much as a glance. Also, even if you are not into playing the game, the packs of cards can be a very cool souvenir that is completely free, which you won’t find very often at Disney.

About the Author: Tom works in human resource development as an instructional designer and trainer. Tom's favorite hobby is listening to Disney podcasts and planning trips to Disney. Tom and his family are currently planning trips to Walt Disney World and a Disney cruise.