Disney POP TOWN Beginner’s Guide: Tips, Tricks & Strategies to Restore Towns and Win Matches Without Breaking a Sweat

Jam City Inc. the creator of games such as Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery and Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow is back with another exciting mobile title, a puzzle game peppered with magical stories from the Disney franchises that’s very easy on the eyes. 

Titled Disney POP TOWN, this game is basically a match-3 title with super cute graphics. Players start by creating a customizable character who then sets out to visit various Disney-themed towns and helps residents restore their neighborhoods.

You start off in Mickey Mouse town, where you have to undertake a series of construction and renovation projects. To get the stuff needed, you’ll have to engage in solving a variety of match-3 puzzles.

These are mostly ordinary match-3 challenges in Disney POP TOWN, where your goal is to create matches of 3+ similar pieces to remove them from the board. Countless obstacles are thrown into the equation as one makes progress, and levels get increasingly tricky to master. Where Disney POP TOWN differs from the crop of similar games out there is that the character you’ve created can sometimes become an active participant during the match-3 puzzles.

The resources secured after each level are then spent on projects to rebuild the towns you visit, but also to purchase costumes inspired from some of Disney’s most popular animated films including Toy Story, Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid and others.

While Disney POP TOWN is very much a match-3 puzzle challenge, it does have its complexities, and so it might not be so easy to master once you reach a certain point. You’ll need patience and dedication to go through all the levels the game has to offer, but the good news is that you’ll have tremendous fun trying to bring all those cute towns back to life.

If you ever get stuck, you can always check out our Disney POP TOWN beginner’s guide for a comprehensive list of tips and tricks that will hopefully get you far in the game.

1. Apply All The Classic Match-3 Principles

POP TOWN is a match-3 with a twist. In this section we’ll focus on the standard portion of the game and give you a few ideas on how to tackle the board in case you’re not all that familiar with games from this category.

Always Match Big

The very first rule of mastering match-3 game is to always aim to make bigger matches on your board. While you can get by simply by matching 3 objects of the same type, you won’t get very far by applying this tactic during more advanced levels.

The key is to seek to create matches that are 4+ and above, so that you can craft Boosters – helping tools that can make your life a lot easier. It might not always be possible to create such combinations, but the idea that needs highlighting there is not to rush to make the first match you spot on the field. Instead take a few seconds to scan the board thoroughly and maybe you’ll find a better alternative.

Match At The Bottom

Matching at the bottom is another well-known match-3 strategy. In the case of Disney POP TOWN, we recommend using it during levels where the lower part of the board is not blocked by obstacles. If the bottom part is overfilled with other elements, it might take too long before you can remove all these pieces from the board, and by then you might not have the necessary leftover moves anymore.

Anyway, matching at the bottom allows new tiles to fall from the top of the board, which can produce automatic matches and might even result into a Booster or two. So it’s a good practice to try whenever it’s possible.

Replay Levels As Often As You Have To

Disney POP TOWN levels aren’t extremely difficult, but you’ll occasionally run into some challenges that you can’t overcome immediately. Before looking for assistance from the game and spending resources unnecessarily to do so, make sure you’ve replayed the level a few times. For example, it would be wise if you wouldn’t jump immediately to spending Rubies in exchange for 5 extra moves, after you’ve failed a level once.

During your next try, the tile arrangement might be a little different or you could get a bit luckier in the Booster-making department and so the result might be positive this time around, instead of negative. You should also do well to try out different strategies by tackling the board in a different fashion every time you replay a stage.

2. Use Booster Combos As Much As Possible

Boosters are primarily power-ups that you can create on the board while playing the challenges by identifying and creating larger matches. There are various types of Boosters you can make in Disney POP TOWN.

Line Pin – You can make one by creating a match of 4 elements in line either horizontally or vertically. The resulting power-up will then be able to destroy a full column or row of tiles in one breath.

Rocket Pin – The Rocket comes alive once you’ve matched 4 tiles of the same kind in a square pattern. When activated, the Rocket Pin will explode in a “+” shape thus annihilating the surrounding tiles, and then set off to another part of the board. Here it will land on an element (part of the level objective) for a last act of destruction.

Kaboom – A bomb of sorts, this power-up is made by matching 5 or 6 elements in a L or a T shape. When set off, the Kaboom can destroy everything in a 3×3 tile radius.

Rainbow – The Rainbow makes an appearance once you match 5 pieces in a line. Once swapped with another block, the Rainbow destroys all elements of the same kind from the board.

While these Boosters can be quite efficient on their own, they work a lot better when used in pairs. So pay attention, and notice whenever two power-ups are sitting next to each other. Other times, you might need to do a little matching yourself to create this scenario. It’s definitely worth the extra work.

Any two Booster combinations can be great, but perhaps the most effective ones are the Kambom + Line Pin combos which can clear three rows and columns at once! Additionally, any combination you can make using a Rainbow is super destructive, as the Rainbow replicates the other Booster on the board. These then get detonated all at once, thus removing a lot of tiles from the board. The most devastating combo you can make is a double Rainbow, which can remove all pieces from the board.

Disney POP TOWN also lets you use pre-made Boosters called Starters which you have to activate before a level starts. These include the Kaboom, Rainbow and Rocket Boosters. You get 2 of each of these for free, in the beginning, but once you ran out of them you’ll have to spend Rubies to get more of them. Which is why you should only use these Starter power-ups in extreme cases, where you’re dealing with an exceedingly hard challenge.

3. Don’t Forget What Your Level Objective Is

Whatever you do in Disney POP TOWN, make sure you don’t forget about the level objective. Like in any match-3 game, you have a limited number of moves to complete each challenge, so it’s important not to waste them on matches that won’t get you anywhere.

Level objectives are quite varied in Disney POP TOWN, which is why you should always keep in mind what you’re working towards.

A lot of levels in this game will task you with collecting a number of tiles of a certain color. But things can get a lot trickier than that. You’ll come across challenges where your character becomes an active participant in the puzzle you’re playing and is chasing a Star on the board. The Star is your end goal in most of these challenges, but other objectives might be added to the list (or not). These includes removing certain obstacles from the board like Ice or Wood boxes.

You might be tempted to think that if obstacles show up on the board, they are always part of the level objective, but that’s not always the case. This is why you need to keep track of your end goal and not waste precious efforts on trying to destroy certain elements, when they aren’t part of the objective. Whenever you’re not sure of what you’re striving for, check the goal at the top of the display.

4. Constantly Expand Your Wardrobe

Costumes are an unusual feature of this match-3 game. You can dress your characters in new skins inspired by Disney classic animated movies, but it’s not just for the aesthetics that you should be doing it. Actually, costumes unlock additional Skills for your character, so they are super useful tools.

You can get new costumes from the Lucky Box (lower part of the display). You’ll need to spend currency to purchase various Boxes which contain new outfits. Costumes range from N (Normal or common) to R (Rare) and SR (Super Rare). Of course, the higher the rarity, the better the skill(s) they bring to the table.

Now there are several types of Boxes you can purchase. In our opinion, the easiest to get is the Golden Lucky Box which includes N-SR costumes. Of course, the chances of getting N outfits is higher (about 80%), while getting one of the rare ones is just 15%. A Golden Lucky Box will take you back with 10 Lucky Tickets. This is a resource you can get by playing the game and completing levels. So if you spend enough time in the game, you’ll be able to collect enough Lucky Tickets to constantly be spending on Golden Lucky Boxes.

There’s also the Lucky Box which contains N-R outfits, and you can purchase it in exchange for Coins. Coins are another type of resource which you can redeem after winning levels, and you’ll have to spend 2,000 of those to get your hands on such a box.

Lastly, there’s Disney Princess Lucky Box which only includes R-SR costumes. This type of box is trickier to acquire because it costs Rubies, which are extremely rare resources. You can acquire them occasionally through various rewards, participating in events or you can simply go to the Shop and purchase them from there using real money.

It’s important to keep investing in new outfits constantly. New outfits can bring powerful additional skills to the table, and you’ll definitely need those as you progress in the game. Aim mostly for Golden and Lucky Boxes which are sold in exchange for resources that are more widely available.

5. Level Up Your Costumes

Levelling up costumes should be high among your list of priorities while playing Disney POP TOWN, because they get better and better with which upgrade. For example, the Toy Story Giggle Classic costume can remove 7 blocks at level 1. Upgrade it to level 2 and it will be able to remove 4 more pieces.

You can level up your costumes by collecting EXP. Costumes are grouped in Closets each with a different theme. Now, whenever you manage to level up a Closet, costumes in that particular Closet level up together! Each outfit you unlock will work towards upgrading the EXP of its specific wardrobe. For example, getting the King Triton costume will rise the EXP on The Little Mermaid Closet (check out the EXP blue bar underneath each Closet).

You can gain EXP through various avenues. First, by getting costumes from Lucky Boxes or by buying additional special costumes at the Lucky Point Shop. Additionally, it you play a level using the right costume during Bonus Skill events you can win additional EXP. Remember, the easiest way is to earn Lucky Tickets by beating levels and purchase Golden Lucky Boxes.

6. Don’t Forget To Use The Special Costume Booster During Puzzles

How do you take advantage of the special skills that these costumes bring about? While playing puzzles, take a look in the lower left part of the display. You’ll notice a square tank in the lower left part of the screen that slowly gets filled up with every match you perform on the board. Throw in some Boosters and the tank fills up a lot faster.

When it’s finally full, you can start using the Booster. Tap on the tank and the Booster will be applied on the board. Depending on the costume you’re wearing, it will have different effects. Some Costume Boosters can destroy elements on the field, while other create and place power-ups on the board. It tends to vary.

It’s quite possible that in the heat of the game, you’ll end up forgetting all about this Booster. Make a point not to, after all you’ve paid for those costumes and you should take advantage of their perks.

On top of that, Costume Boosters can make it a lot easier for you to complete a level, and that’s important. Leftover moves are turned into power-ups which add extra Coins to the sum you receive at the end of the level. Keep in mind that in order to redeem a Lucky Ticket you’ll have to earn a given amount of Coins. So the more leftover moves you have, the better your chances of hitting this Coin goal. Both Coins and Lucky Tickets are very important resources that allow you to purchase new costumes.

7. Get Hints About Which Costume To Use To Beat A Level

Once you’ve accumulated enough costumes, it might prove a little difficult to decide when it’s the right time to use one or another. Luckily, the game is helpful in this sense. As you enter a level, simply tap on your character in the lower left corner, but you must do this before tapping on the green “Start” level button.

The game will show you a bunch of recommendations for costumes that were vetted to be most helpful during a level by other players. Tap on the recommendations and if you have the said costume you can equip it right before the level starts. If you don’t, that’s alright too. It’s still possible to win the challenge, so don’t panic.

These recommendations are useful whenever you’re having a hard time beating a certain level. So if you tried solving the puzzle a few times, but to no avail, go ahead and check the game’s suggestions for the costumes you should wear so you can solve the challenge in style.

As a last resort, you can spend Rubies to buy five more moves, although this isn’t something we recommend. Unless you tried everything and exhausted all other strategies, you should keep your Rubies to yourself and perhaps you’ll be able to collect enough of them to buy a fancy Disney Princess Lucky Box one day.

8. Replay Levels To Get More Coins

Need more coins? If you’re looking to boost your income, then you should probably know that you can do so by replaying levels. The puzzles that are available to take up again are listed under the Collect Coins tab. To get to this section simply tap on the icon above the Closet.

Check to see if there any available levels to replay and go ahead and take another swing at some of the earlier stages in order to make a little extra cash. These are the levels which you already solved, but you didn’t manage to hit the Coin goal. By replaying them, you also get the chance to unlock extra Lucky Tickets. Don’t forget to check the tab periodically if you wish to increase your earnings from time to time.

9. Make The Most Out Of Events

There’s plenty of events happening all the time in Disney POP TOWN and you should make sure you take advantage of what they have to offer as much as possible.

The standard events will unlock rewards as you play the game and continue to complete puzzles. For example, during Rayaand the Last Dragon you can win various goodies including Unlimited Lives, Unlimited Booster use, as well as various costumes.

Then there are the occasional events which let you add more moves to each level you play. During “Bonus Skill”, for instance, you can get this bonus when you use a certain R or SR costume.

As events constantly change, keep an eye out for them and do your best to be as active as possible during this time, so you can accelerate your progress in the game.

10. Use Ads And Other Freebies To Your Advantage

Like with most mobile games these days, Disney POP TOWN offers you the chance to redeem free stuff in exchange for watching ads. Additionally, you can also get your hands on some totally free items. In this section we’re going to list all the opportunities you should be looking out for.

Get Free Lives – Players get 5 lives at the start of each day. They remain untouched if you keep beating levels, but if you fail to complete a challenge one of these lives will be subtracted from the total.

Fortunately, the game offers up pretty frequent Unlimited lives rewards, but if you ever happen to see your life count drop dangerously low, head on to the Friends section in the lower part of the display and watch an ad to get a quick life in return.

Get Free Goodies By Checking Your Inbox – Check your Inbox regularly for a chance to grab various rewards. The game routinely sends out rewards as a thanks for doing various stuff. For example, we received 60 minutes of Unlimited lives just by logging into the game one day. Additionally, you can watch an ad in exchange for free rewards that include Rubies, Lives and Coins. These ad offers get renewed constantly, so make sure you drop by again and again.

Get Free Coins – From time to time, you’ll notice a little ad notice hanging from your Coin count at the top of the screen. When you do, quickly tap on it before it disappears and watch a quick ad to gain some extra coins.

Get The Daily Free Gift – Each day you can claim a free gift from the Shop tab. This can range from anything including coins and Rubies to Boosters and Lucky Tickets. The Shop is also the place where you can spend real cash to get additional resources to spend in the game. This is the only free offer you can take advantage of.

Complete The Missions – Tap on mission in the right side of the display to see what needs to get done. Play the game until you hit the objectives and redeem the Pop Cards which come as rewards. Every weekend you have a chance to win a prize consisting or Rubies. The game will automatically draw a winning Pop Card over the weekend and you need to make sure you go back to your cards and see if you have a winning card or not. If you don’t check the results in time, all your Pop Cards will be discarded so be careful. 

Redeem Progress Rewards – Use the stars you’ve accumulated while solving puzzles to unlock renovations around the towns you visit. This will allow you to make progress and unlock certain rewards once you’ve completed several of these tasks. These can include pretty nice resource bundles of Lucky Tickets, Rubies and much more.

11. A Few Suggestions On How To Approach Levels

Like all match-3 games, Disney POP TOWN puzzles abound of special elements of all flavors. Some are more unique than others, but most have one thing in common – you can engage with them through matching.

Most obstacles which will appear on your board one time or another can be removed by matching in their vicinity. This is true for things like Wooden boxes, Ice, Tape and more. These elements can have one layer or multiple, and so depending on this aspect it might take two or three matches to completely get them off the field. Of course, when dealing with these pieces you can always use Boosters and power-up combos to help you remove multiple obstacles more easily.

Disney POP TOWN is a unique match-3 game that sometimes uses characters as active participants in the puzzles you have to engage in. Whenever they join a level, you’ll have to clear a path for them to a certain objective. The end goal is to collect a Star, but you might have to make a couple more stops on the way, for example, to flip a switch or to go through a portal.

When playing levels with characters(s) on the board, your main focus should be to clear a path for them as quickly as possible. You can use as many Boosters as you want, as it will help you remove the obstacles a lot faster.

Then there are the more unique elements such as Clouds that appear often during these Star-centered challenges. Clouds create paths for your characters that lead to the location of the Star on the board. When dealing with Clouds, players should match using at least one piece that is sitting atop of a Cloud.

This way the vapor gets recycled and can continue the path your character needs to walk towards their goal. Do not match in the vicinity of the Clouds without including a Cloud in the match, or you risk using up moves for nothing.

With these tips we conclude our beginner’s guide for Disney POP TOWN. We hope our walkthrough will serve you well in solving the match-3 challenges the game throws at you. If you guys have any additional tips, tricks or strategies we may have missed, please let us know in the comment section below!