WHEN: September 26th, 2014, during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween; starts at 3p.m. WHERE: Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Florida; attendees meet up at the Ticket and Transportation Center at 3p.m. WHAT: The biggest, coolest gathering of Kingdom Hearts cosplayers ever at Disney World WHY: Because we love Kingdom Hearts and we want it in the parks! On October 2013, PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts made Disney history with the largest gathering of Kingdom Hearts cosplayers to ever visit the Magic Kingdom at once. Now with a new name and new management, RE: Magic Kingdom Hearts plans to continue the tradition laid out by the original project… and get Disney’s attention in the process. On Friday, September 26th, Magic Kingdom Hearts will celebrate its second year as a fan-hosted event day at Disney World. Taking place in conjunction with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, this fan-hosted, Kingdom Hearts-themed event will bring together over 100 fans for a night filled with activities, give-aways, photoshoots, and the benefits of enjoying Disney World in cosplay. The purpose of Magic Kingdom Hearts is two-fold. Its primary goal is to raise Disney’s awareness of the need to have Kingdom Hearts more actively represented within the Disney theme parks. Secondly, it serves as a unique fellowship event for Kingdom Hearts fans and cosplayers. As a movement to get Disney’s attention, the project has already had tremendous success. Many well-known faces within the Kingdom Hearts community have voiced their support, including the North American director for the series, Mat Kishimoto, and English voice actor Paul St. Peter (Xemnas). The Floridian project gave birth to a second movement in California, taking place for the first time at Disneyland this year. The project is called Disneyland of Departure, and will be uniting Kingdom Hearts fans at the California park for a similar purpose. Last year’s event saw over 120 Kingdom Hearts cosplayers in attendance. This year, Magic Kingdom Hearts is hosting several activities for its fans, including Kingdom Hearts trivia, a park-wide scavenger hunt, a raffle, door-prizes, and more. Prizes include Kingdom Hearts merchandise, a life-sized Keyblade, t-shirts, and tickets to next year’s Magic Kingdom Hearts event. If you love Kingdom Hearts, love cosplay, and love Disney, this is one event you won’t want to miss. Part Con experience and part magical day at Disney World, Magic Kingdom Hearts is a day for making memories. Fans wanting to attend will need to purchase a ticket for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party on September 26th. Attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance, as they’re likely to sell out soon. For more information, check out the event’s official website or “like” it on Facebook.
PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts was a success! Over 120 Kingdom Hearts fans came out to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, to showcase their love for this spectacular franchise. And the best part? Disney took notice! Cast members, and even Disney characters, were overjoyed to see us all, and even more excited when we told them about the project. Many of them were aware of the event, and assured us that we had their full support. Jack and Sally called our characters out by name, and Jack even made a joke about how “Riku had lost his eyes again.” I was cosplaying Deep Dive Riku at the time. At our massive Kingdom Hearts photoshoot in front of the Disney Castle, many guests came by to snap pictures of us. We even heard reports that attendees who didn’t know about the event took notice of how many Kingdom Hearts fans and cosplayers were at the park on the 25th. We auctioned off a rare Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Launch Event poster and were able to raise over $160 towards next year’s event. Our other activities included a park-wide photo scavenger hunt and a Kingdom Hearts Trivia Challenge, where the winners took home Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + strategy guide and Shiro Amano’s Kingdom Heart’s II manga. Two of our park attendees put together a Cosplay Music Video, showcasing some of the fantastic costumes at the event. You can check it out here: This year, we are aiming to make PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts even bigger and better, with registration beginning early in January 2014. We have plans to fly in special guests and even host a panel or two prior to the event. Our most ambitious goal for 2014, however, is to bring the event to California. We’re calling this branch of the event PROJECT: Disneyland of Departure. Our ultimate goal is to have the event occurring in both Florida and California at the same time. Keep an eye on our website and social networks for more updates about this! Everyone is already revved up and ready to go again next year. Here is some of the feedback that we’ve received: “This meeting was worth all the munny put into it and it was so much fun! XD cannot wait until next year!” “It was so much fun! You guys did a great job - I think the most surprising thing for this mom was the number of cast members who thanked our girls for coming as Kingdom Hearts - so, that definitely means that y'all are on the right track.” “It was the best night of my life. Ever. I had soooo much fun being around so many Kingdom Hearts cosplayers! It was extremely overwhelming!” “All in all, it was probably the most amazing cosplay experience I've had and everything was so fun.” “Had an absolutely fantastic time at PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts. I made a lot of new friends, met some cast members who recognized us. Jack and Sally knew our entire group, and bantered with all of us in character.” Perhaps the best news of all is that Disney is beginning to recognize Kingdom Hearts on a larger level. Just a couple weeks after the event, we received exciting news from a cast member—Disney will be releasing Kingdom Hearts pins in two months! The pins will feature Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and apparently some other characters. Whether or not this change was a direct result of the project, we don’t know. But we are very enthusiastic about the direction that these developments are heading. You can check out our full event-day album: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Magic-Kingdom-Hearts/351463924964961 You can click on the links in my signature to access our other social networks and website. Thank you all for the enormous support that you have given this project. I extend special thanks to the wonderful staff at KH-Vids for promoting and encouraging us to move forward. It was on the KH-Vids forums that this project first took root, and I won’t forget that. I hope to see some of you at next year’s event in 2014! Thinking of you wherever you are, Cutsceneaddict Project Manager of Magic Kingdom Hearts
Greetings, everyone! Cutsceneaddict here, telling you that PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts is just around the corner! And this time, we've got a snazzy new promotional video to show you. PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts is a fan-hosted event day for Kingdom Hearts fans at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom this October 25th. It starts at 3:00, ends at midnight, and has a whole lot of excitement packed in-between. It’s a one-of-a-kind event—part convention experience, and part magical day at Disney. And, because it’s taking place on a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween event night, you can show off your best Kingdom Hearts cosplay. Our mission is to raise Disney’s awareness of the need to have Kingdom Hearts represented at the Magic Kingdom. In order to do this, we’re hosting a night where at least 300 fans attend one of Disney’s Halloween events dressed in cosplay or Kingdom Hearts clothing. At the same time, this event doubles as a Kingdom Hearts fellowship night for fans, where we’ll host lots of cool activities throughout the evening, like our giant Kingdom Hearts photoshoot—the largest Kingdom Hearts photoshoot ever recorded at the Magic Kingdom. We’re also giving away a lot of cool prizes, like a copy of Kingdom Hearts 1.5 (along with the strategy guide), Shiro Amano’s new artbook, a rare Kingdom Hearts 1.5 launch event poster, Kingdom Hearts manga, Seasalt Icecream lollipops, and more! We’ll be filming a documentary of the event, on-site, where you’ll get the chance to be interviewed and featured in our video; and if you’re from a cosplay group, staff on a fansite, or the manager of a local Con or fan-based organization, we’ll even represent you in the documentary that way. Our other events include a park-wide, photo scavenger hunt, filming for our cosplay music video, a Kingdom Hearts trivia challenge, and more. Ultimately, our goal is to have Kingdom Hearts presented in the theme parks in some consistent way, either through merchandise, official Kingdom Hearts costumes, attractions, or some other presence. For more information about PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts, be sure to visit our website: www.magickingdomhearts.com. Also, feel free to watch our promotional video, which includes a special message from Mat Kishimoto (the North American project manager of Kingdom Hearts), coverage of the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Launch Event, and what other fans are saying about the project. See you at the Kingdom!
Well, guys, it happened. I thought I’d be old and grey by the time we got the announcement. I thought I’d be waiting for years. I thought maybe I’d be like that meme floating around the internet—a skeleton with a PS2 controller in its death-grip saying “Oh, look, Kingdom Hearts III came out!” Well, guys, it happened. As of yesterday, it’s official. Kingdom Hearts III has been announced to the world, and with a sparkling, HD trailer to top it all off. With that said, I think we can all expect a gradual flow of screenshots, tasty tidbits, plot elements, and additional trailers to seep into the internet over the next year or two. Here’s hoping we see KHIII on the shelves come late 2014! In commemoration of this exciting reveal, I thought I’d list 10 big “wants” that I have in regards to the game. This list is made up of both expectations and fangirl hopes, so keep that in mind. And, please, I want to hear your thoughts too, so don’t be shy. Here they are in no particular order: *cues epic narrator voice* ***WARNING: THIS ESSAY IS NOT SPOILER-FREE AND DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS FROM DREAM DROP DISTANCE, AS WELL AS OTHER GAMES. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!*** 1. More Party Members Donald and Goofy are great (despite the fact that Donald has the bad habit of casting Cure when you could really use a Phoenix Down). However, in KHIII, I want to see more variety and more options. We now have nine Keyblade wielders in the cast (though some are—at this point—in need of rescuing), and with 7 Lights on a quest to battle 13 Darknesses, I would like some options in regards to who you want in your party. In a way, I think KHII was a testing ground for the final game in the trilogy. For the first time, you had the option of including both a Final Fantasy character (Auron) and an original character (Riku) in your party. Was I the only one who kept those two in my party every opportunity I got? Well, in KHIII, I want to see more than just Donald and Goofy fighting alongside Sora. I want to have a party made up of Riku, Terra, and Axel. I want to have a party made up of Xion, Aqua, and Kairi. I want to mix-and-match to my little heart’s content. I want to throw Final Fantasy characters into the mix on a regular basis. Why not have a party of Cloud, Roxas, and Mickey? And that brings me to my next point… 2. More Playable Characters The Kingdom Hearts series has been slowly opening up to this concept, beginning in Chain of Memories where players had the option of playing as Riku in his own story. In regards to the main trilogy, though, there isn’t much flexibility to be found. Roxas gets a bit of playtime in KHII and Riku gets his 20-seconds-of-fame during the final boss battle, but that’s about it. I want to see split gameplay, where players can choose who they want to play as, or at least switch between different characters at pre-determined points of the game (similar to the Sora/Riku gameplay in Dream Drop Distance). According to official reports, there seems to be some hope that the gameplay will involve multiple characters: “In an effort to undermine Xehanort's plot, Sora, Donald and Goofy search for seven guardians of light and the Key to Return Hearts, while King Mickey and Riku search for previous Keyblade wielders.” Sounds to me like we have the Chain of Memories effect going on again. That’s all well-and-good, but I’m hoping for even more playable characters. After all, Kairi is getting trained to use the Keyblade now, and Axel has just gained his own in the previous title. There’s really no excuse not to make them playable (or at least allow them to be in your party on a regular basis). 3. The Death of a Main Character I know that you’re thinking, “It’s Kingdom Hearts, Cutsceneaddict. Nobody dies in Kingdom Hearts!” True. With everyone being connected to everyone else (who isn’t connected to Sora or Xehanort these days?) it would seem that death in the Kingdom Hearts universe is nigh impossible. Perhaps it is. But you can’t deny that Square isn’t afraid to involve the Grim Reaper when it comes to this series. In Birth By Sleep, Eraqus is mortally wounded by Terra, only to be finished off by Xehanort. In Kingdom Hearts II, we watch Axel give his last words and fade away. And don’t even get me started about “who else Roxas will eat ice cream with…” “But every one of those characters has come back!” you groan as you try to reason with me. And that’s also true. Xion’s fate is in a bit of a limbo state right now, though her cameos in Birth By Sleep and Dream Drop Distance have almost guaranteed her safe return. In fact, the only character who seems to have truly “died” in the series is Riku’s replica (dubbed Repliku by the fans) in Chain of Memories. Even the Nobodies have become Somebodies again (though the fates of Marluxia, Larxene, Luxord, and Demyx are currently unknown). But regardless of those facts, I just can’t see the trilogy going out with a bang unless one character gives up the ultimate. It might make for a cliché gimmick, but you can’t deny it would offer some drama and power to an ending 8 years in the making. I just want to see one of the main characters die, even if they are destined to be resurrected two hours later. So, who’s most likely to kick the bucket? My money’s on the one person who hasn’t died or faded in some way-shape-or-form. *cough* Riku *cough* 4. Sora x Kairi The relationship between Sora and Kairi has been building throughout the duration of the series. If Kingdom Hearts III doesn’t offer some closure on it, I will be seriously disappointed. These two were meant to be together, and after all that Sora goes through in order to be “always with her” I have a hard time believing their relationship won’t be touched on in the series’ conclusion. Each game in the numbered trilogy has ended with some hint at the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship between them (drawings on the cave wall anyone?). I want to see closure come to it, even if that closure is a silent scene played during the end-game credits. Just give her the Paopu Fruit already, Sora! Seriously… 5. An Epic Battle Cinematic Birth By Sleep mesmerized fans because it portrayed the greatest CGI battle to ever grace the game’s graphics. In Kingdom Hearts III, I want to see a similar final conflict in the Keyblade Graveyard (or elsewhere) between our noble Keyblade wielders and their not-so-noble antagonists. Perhaps there are clues to be found in the Birth By Sleep scene itself. Kingdom Hearts is a series renowned for its parallelisms, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we found a few in KHIII. PS4 graphics would grant a scene like this a new edge of danger, and combat flow—made complicated by numerous warriors—would truly make for a jaw-dropping spectacle. 6. The Final Conflict Between Lea and Isa If you’ve been disregarding that **spoiler warning** that I listed early, now would be a good time to take it seriously. I want to know more about these two and what tore their friendship apart. The games speak surprisingly little about their drifting down different paths, instead skipping over this crucial time and merely highlighting their young years and their time in Organization XIII. But even more than that, I want to see these two clash, in battle or otherwise. Dream Drop Distance certainly hinted that such a “final confrontation” was destined to come. Xehanort specifically summons Isa to confront Lea during the game’s final scenes. I expect the two of them to be played against each other until the bitter/sweet end. I don’t claim to know how it all ends, of course. One part of me sees Isa fading permanently into Darkness to forever be a part of Xehanort, regardless of Lea’s best attempts. The other part of me envisions a “last-minute-redemption” sequence where Isa sacrifices himself after realizing Lea was there for him all along. Hopefully, SQUARE will surprise us. 7. Armored Forms Terra, Ventus, and Aqua each had their own armor in Birth By Sleep. I’m crossing my fingers that each of the Keyblade wielders get their own, too. Imagine the gameplay possibilities of being able to alternate between armored and unarmored forms… …with capes this time, please. Capes are dramatic and glorious and epic, and the PS4 would be more than capable of handling the graphic capacity they needed (but did not receive) in Birth By Sleep. Perhaps armored forms would give special abilities—granting players the ability to take to the air on their armored hovercraft, or offering extra defense at the expense of maneuverability, for instance. But if they were simply there to look cool, with no additional effects, I think I’d still be OK with it. 8. Conclusion of the Cloud VS Sephiroth Battle Each numbered installment gives the player the gratification of doing battle with Shinra’s big bad silver-head. I see no reason why Kingdom Hearts III should deny us the adrenaline rush of again locking blades with Sephiroth in a grand, final climax (perhaps one modeled after the final battle between Cloud and Sephiroth in Advent Children). Imagine dashing between skyscrapers, flying through the air, and racing across crumbling buildings, all while dodging the Masamune. That’s what I’m talking about. And, of course, Cloud deserves to at last win the day and overcome his inner Darkness (which is manifested in Sephiroth himself). This is a conflict that has spanned both of the numbered games. I think it’s time SQUARE put it to rest. Cloud can shrug off his Darkness—and emo-ness—in one fell swoop, make things right with Aerith/Tifa and the others, and generally live happily-ever-after. That is, of course, unless Kingdom Hearts III decides that Aerith has overstayed her welcome. Then things could get interesting. 9. Engaging Boss Battles Certain boss fights, especially in Kingdom Hearts II, really stood out to me because they were just downright fun. Roxas fighting Axel and the Twilight Thorn crop up as two favorites in my mind. For me, this was because these battles moved. They weren’t content to stay still. They made use of atmosphere, location, and reaction commands, and because of this, there was never a dull—or lacking—moment. In the short fight with Axel, the fiery red-head summons an arena of fire around both he and Roxas. From there, the two engage in a tight-knit duel, with Roxas double-wielding Oathkeeper and Oblivion as he dashes across the flames, catching his shoes on fire and clashing weapons with Axel, mid-air. The Twilight Thorn changes the environment of its battle, even going so far as to suspend Roxas from the platform, forcing him to take the battle into open space. I want more of these in Kingdom Hearts III. No static bosses. Keep things moving and interesting, and please integrate reaction commands. I know that some people hate them, but they can really add a lot to the battle if they engage the player and work in a believable chain. More than anything, I want each boss fight to be a unique experience that those replaying the game for the hundredth time can look forward to, knowing that each battle is one-of-a-kind. 10. An Ending that Makes Me Cry Let me explain this one. I don’t mean that I want to be sobbing into my second box of ultra-soft Charmin tissue paper as soon as the credits roll. I just want to be left satisfied with an ending that is so perfect and so right that it may just drag a tear or two out of me. I’m not an original fan of Kingdom Hearts. I haven’t been waiting on Kingdom Hearts III for 8 years like some of you. But I have been waiting for 4 years, and that’s a long time in my book. I’ve never been disappointed with a Kingdom Hearts ending, and I have confidence that the final game in the trilogy won’t be the first to let me down. All-the-same, I’m hoping for something extra special—something that the previous installments didn’t have. A sense of finality. A sense of closure. A sense of… well… being made a bit of a better person as a result. I was 17 when I first began wielding the Keyblade. Now, at 21—probably 22 by the time Kingdom Hearts III is released—I’m hoping for an unmatchable ending that will leave me content and pleasantly surprised. The pressure’s on, SQUARE. Show me what you’ve got! 11. (Secret Ending) A Hint of What is to Come You didn’t really think I’d stop at 10, did you? My last request is a simple one. I want a glimpse of where the series will go once it has closed out the Xehanort saga. Nomura has hinted that he has further plans for the series. Given the success of Kingdom Hearts in general, I’d say that’s a wise decision. Where will the story go from there? Will it feature the same characters? Will there be a new hero? Will the old favorites really be “old” in the next series, or will they never really “grow up”? Who will be the new villain? Will it take place long before, or long after, the Xehanort Saga? Let’s just say that in regards to where the franchise is headed, “the future doesn’t scare me at all.” “Nothing will be like before.” And I’m alright with that. __________________________________________________ I apologize if this is overly-long. Guess I just got a little hyped up ^^ Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing what YOU are looking forward to seeing in KH3. Please share!
Alright, I know what you're thinking: death in the KH universe is kind of impossible because of all the connections between characters and ability to bring characters back. All the same, with KH3 looming around the corner, so is the end of an epic saga 10 years in the making. I can't help but think that someone is going to kick the bucket in order to make that ending big and memorable. I originally saw this topic on another website forum and thought it would be interesting to discuss here. Here's my thoughts on the matter: ***BEWARE OF DREAM DROP DISTANCE/BIRTH BY SLEEP/ETC. SPOILERS**** Terra seems extremely likely. If he is one of the 13 Xehanort's, I'd say those odds go up considerably. I can picture him making the ultimate sacrifice to destroy Xehanort and save the world (or alternatively request to be destroyed in the process). Isa is definately likely, as Lea seems set on redeeming him. I can see Isa ending up as the tragic, unredeemed character-type who dies in the end. Or perhaps changes his tune at the last minute and dies saving Lea (etc.etc.etc). Xigbar also falls in this category to an extent, though I can see him going down as a bad guy and proud of it. I think that Sora may very well die. Not permanently, of course, but it seems that a lot of series climax with the main character dying and then being brought back to life. I can see the same being held true for Riku, but because Riku has already made so many sacrifices in the past, it seems to me that Sora is the more likely candidate. If they aren't a villain of some kind, I have a hard time believing that any of the KH characters would "die" permanently, though. I've got to admit, it would raise the maturity bar for the series quite a bit. As KH3 will be the conclusion of a story 10-years in the making, a permanent death may be just what the series needs for a big climax. So what are your thoughts everyone? This could get very insightful and interesting!
**Firstly, if this is posted under the wrong thread, I apologize and don't mind if it is moved. I wasn't sure exactly where to put it** As a huge fan of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, it bothers me that Disney hasn't done anything to integrate the series into their theme parks--Magic Kingdom, specifically. Last October, I attended Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween, cosplaying as Riku. While there, I ran into four other cosplayers from KH, heard rumors of others roaming the park, and got recognized by many--including several employees. That got me thinking. There's really no reason for Kingdom Hearts NOT to be part of the Magic Kingdom. Disney is slowly releasing more and more KH (trickling it in, more like) to their theme parks and merchandise. We are now beginning to see KH pins, and at one time KH figures were even sold in the Japan store at Epcot. One October, they even had Donald and Goofy dressed in their Chain of Memories outfits! AND, they had a guy walking around in a Sora costume--an official Disney employee. Most recently reported, park attendees at the Wreck-It Ralph meet-and-greet at Disneyland reported hearing Hikari playing over the loudspeakers. I believe that we, as fans, should take some steps towards getting KH into the Magic Kingdom. I've let this issue tumble around in my mind for a few weeks. After seeing all the cosplay in the Magic Kingdom, I finally had an idea: Create a day where KH fans unite and attend one of the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween events in 2013, dressed in cosplay or wearing KH shirts, necklaces, etc. Basically, just make the statement that we love Disney, we love Kingdom Hearts, and we'd love to see them get together. I'm currently calling this project: Magic Kingdom Hearts, with the end-goal being to join these two "kingdoms" together by joining the hearts of a legion of fans. So, why the long post? Basically, this is just an idea in my head right now. If it receives a positive response, I'll be putting together a website soon with much more detailed information. Right now, I'm posting this for two reasons: 1. As my fellow Kingdom Hearts fans, I want to ask you: does this idea sound do-able? Is it something that you would like to be a part of? 2. I'm looking for information on any KH presence that has ever been (or still is) at the Magic Kingdom. For example, if you went to the Magic Kingdom cosplaying a KH character, I'd love to post your picture on the website. If you know (or have pictures of) any pins, plushies, figures, etc. that have ever been at the Magic Kingdom, I would love to have pictures/information on them. Basically, any information that you have about any kind of KH presence at the Magic Kingdom--or Disney in general--I would love to have it (and put it on the project website with your permission). Walt Disney himself once said that it's, "Kind of fun to do the impossible." Getting Kingdom Hearts into the Magic Kingdom might seem a bit impossible, but if Walt can do it, so could we. Looking forward to everybody's feedback! ;) Thanks for reading! *************************************************************EDIT*********************************** PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts is now up and going. We've already had several people sign up to attend! Be sure to check out the official project website here: http://magickingdomhearts.webs.com/ Alternatively, you can click on my signature to check out this website. Hope to you gusy there! Sorry for the long post. I hope it doesn't violate forum rules in any way. If it needs to be deleted, I apologize. Feel free to move it if it's in the wrong section. Thanks!
I'm Cutsceneaddict (because I am addicted to cutscenes in video games). I originally signed up for this forum so that I could enter a couple of the 10th anniversary writing contests, but since then I've decided I want to get more involved with the KH community here at Vids. I love video games. My favorites are: Kingdom Hearts (of course), Fire Emblem, Zelda, Sonic, Mario, Harvest Moon, Shadow of the Colossus, Starfox, Crisis Core, Sly Cooper, Legend of Spyro, Smash Brothers, and several others. My hobbies include: cosplay, writing, reading, video games, piano, going to church, and collecting action figures. Last month, I was able to attend Mickey's Not-so-scary Halloween party at Disney World... while dressed as a Kingdom Hearts character. It was a truly amazing experience, especially because I ran into a couple of other KH cosplayers out there. Anyhoo, that's a little about me. Looking forward to meeting you all! :)
