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| Virtual Magic Kingdom | |
|---|---|
 Virtual Magic Kingdom official logo | |
| Developer(s) | Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Sulake Corporation |
| Publisher(s) | Walt Disney Parks and Resorts |
| Designer(s) | Fiona Romeo,[1] Seth Mendelsohn, Jeremy Malillin |
| Engine | Adobe Shockwave |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X |
| Release | May 23, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Massively multiplayer online game |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Virtual Magic Kingdom, also known as VMK, was a massively multiplayer online game developed by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Sulake and published by The Walt Disney Company. It was a virtual representation of the Disneyland-style theme parks, containing areas and minigames which were based on real park scenery and attractions. The beta version opened publicly on May 23, 2005, with new lands opening up through 2007.
VMK initially launched as part of the Happiest Celebration on Earth promotional campaign, commemorating Disneyland's 50th anniversary. Despite no long-term intentions, it gained popularity and eventually became a long-term venture on its own. The target audience of the game was children between the ages of 8 and 14, although VMK was designed to be enjoyed by guests of all ages. Due to the young age of the game's target users, it was patrolled by paid staff who watched out for inappropriate behavior and language. Because of the need for human monitors, the time that the game was open had to be limited; it was open to the public daily between 7:00am–10:00pm PST (10:00am–1:00am EST, 3:00pm–6:00am UTC).
Virtual Magic Kingdom was closed by Disney on May 21, 2008. Many fans asked Disney if VMK was going to reopen. This prompted Disney to post a message on the VMK homepage that the game was a promotion, and was closed, and that there were "no plans" to reopen VMK in any form. The VMK homepage now redirects to the main Disney games site. An unofficial fan recreation named MyVMK was launched in 2013.
- ^ Cornish, David (February 24, 2013). "Organizing a museum can take a lesson from design and digital media". Ars Technica. Retrieved March 4, 2019.