How to prepare for the Winter Ball update in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Disney Dreamlight Valley is releasing its final update for 2025 on December 9, which will welcome Cinderella to the valley at long last. Outside of this new arrival though, we don't actually know a huge amount of information about what the Winter Ball update will have in store for us. Besides, that is, the standard routine of a new realm opening up in the Dream Castle, and needing an extortionate amount of Dreamlight to get there in the first place.

This lack of information is what makes preparation for an update like this so important. Even though you likely have the funds to get into the new realm, you might not have the friendship levels or materials you need to start making your way through Cinderella's unlock quests. So, here are a few things you can do to make sure you're as ready as possible ahead of time.

How to prepare for the Winter Ball update in Disney Dreamlight Valley

As always, we haven't been told there's anything specific you need to do to prepare for the update. Instead, these are some steps you can take to hopefully make the process of unlocking Cinderella slightly easier.

Befriend the Fairy Godmother

Despite not knowing the ins and outs of what to expect from the Winter Ball quests, we do already know that the Fairy Godmother will be an incredibly important character thanks to the trailer. It's worth making sure you have a high friendship with her before the update rolls out to avoid hitting any roadblocks on the day of the release. You'll automatically unlock this character once you gain access to the Forgotten Lands too, so you don't need to jump through any hoops to get her moved in before the Winter Ball.

Gather some gemstones

When I think of Disney princesses, I almost always think of all things glitz and glam. Cinderella is no exception to this rule, so mining gemstones in advance could come in handy in case you're sent on any crafting quests. If we end up playing Fairy Godmother, there's a chance we might be responsible for making Cinderella's outfit for the ball. All sorts of gemstones could be useful here, so to save yourself from having to run around bashing rocks searching for one specific stone, do some mining in advance. Even if you don't end up using the materials you've gathered, at least you can still sell them for some Star Coins.

Grow some pumpkins

This sounds like a pretty random task to prepare with, but if you know the story of Cinderella, you're bound to understand what I'm referencing. Although it hasn't been confirmed in-game, we have seen Cinderella's carriage in the roadmap screenshot for the update and in the trailer, and you can't have a carriage without its humble pumpkin beginnings.

You can buy pumpkin seeds from Goofy's Stall in the Forgotten Lands for 275 Star Coins, but it takes four hours for a pumpkin to grow. So, plant a patch ahead of time and you won't have to worry about it should you need one later rather than having to wait around.

Tame some animal companions

Animal companions have been more involved in quests and Dreamlight Duties since they received an ability overhaul in June during the Mysteries of Skull Rock update, so I wouldn't be surprised if you needed to tame or already have a companion or two ahead of the Winter Ball update.

Since Cinderella is known for having animal companions like mice and birds, it's worth brushing up on your knowledge of each animal's favourite food too in case you need to make any quick connections with critters in the newest realm.