Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this Disney virtual world, aimed at 8- to 14-year-olds, is only open when staff can moderate it -- 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. EST (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. PST). The avatars of staff members are clearly marked, wearing mouse ears and Disneyland Guide clothing. Words in chat go through a filter, which also bans e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and city and state names. Although the site is free and contains no ads to speak of, there are plenty of strategically placed billboards in many areas in the community. Kids are also encouraged to "buy" stuff for their personal rooms.
Families can talk about online safety and what's appropriate to share on a Web site. You can also discuss how to apply the social skills you learned in the virtual world to life offline: How would you approach a new friend? What would you do if someone was bothering you? You can also talk about spending too much time on this site, and in virtual worlds in general. How much is too much? Families can talk to older kids about how sites market their own brand and merchandise.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Heidi Kotansky
Who needs to travel to Disney's real theme park when you've got an online version waiting for you at home? Based on the real-world place, Virtual Magical Kingdom is a beautifully drawn world where kids (mostly tweens) sign up for a free account, create an avatar, and then play games, chat with other avatars, explore the park's many areas, and decorate their own room. In order to "buy" goods for your room, you need game credits, which you can get by participating in activities around the site. The games are first rate: Take the Jungle Cruise and collect pictures of the animals. In "Pirates of the Caribbean" there can be danger ahead, matey! Kids can even make their own "games" using special objects and a lot of imagination. And, of course, there's chat. While kids can type freely, a filter flags bad words or anything that could give away a child's contact information, such as numbers or city names.
For other safe online communities for tweens, head on over to BarbieGirls.com or WebbliWorld.com.
Reviewed: 11/08/2007
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LanguageFilters don't let any bad words or personal information slip through. |
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CommercialismDisney tie-in, and there are billboards and product placements in every area. |
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