Prankster's Paradise

Prankster's Paradise is a Sleeping World that is featured in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, although a simulation appears in the Mirage Arena in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix. It is based on the Disney film, , as was Monstro.

Development
Prankster's Paradise was originally intended to appear in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, but was removed due to time constraints.

Tetsuya Nomura explained that the planned plot for the world was set in a circus and playing off the story of Pinocchio, a puppet with a heart, and the Nobodies who possess no heart, then planned for a sad episode with Roxas and Xion looking for hope for themselves. The world would have included Pinocchio, as a human, and Gepetto, as well as the villains Honest John and Gideon from the original film. The profile sprites for the characters still appear within the final game's data.

The Rough House is seen in an early render of the Amusement Park, but was removed in the final game. The positions of the carousel and several tents were also changed.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix
A digital copy of Prankster's Paradise is used as the battlefield of the "Monster of the Deep" battle at the Mirage Arena, in which Terra, Aqua, and Ventus battle against and within Monstro.

Between Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts
Prankster's Paradise was destroyed by the Heartless. During the chaos of the destruction of their world, Gepetto, Pinocchio, and Jiminy Cricket were separated, each landing in a different world; Gepetto was swallowed by Monstro, Pinocchio washed up in Traverse Town, and Jiminy Cricket wound up at Disney Castle. Though it was restored after Sora defeated Ansem and destroyed the End of the World with Pinocchio and Geppetto returned to that world, Prankster's Paradise remained in a deep sleep instead of returning to the Realm of Light, plagued by Nightmare Dream Eaters.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Arriving in his version the world, an awestruck Sora marvels at it until he heard Jiminy on Pleasure Island, talking to himself and fretting about Pinocchio, who has gone missing after wandering off in Pleasure Island. Sora cheerfully calls out to him, but Jiminy does not recognize him, much to Sora's confusion, and tells the Keyblade wielder that he should not be there. Jiminy notes, however, that Sora's name seems familiar to him. Sora then remembers that Yen Sid has told him and Riku prior to the exam that real time in Sleeping Worlds does not flow unless one restores by waking it up from its slumber, thus he and Riku will encounter "dreams" created by a Sleeping World in the image of those who have been on it once. Sora quickly corrects himself to Jiminy, and questions why he should not be in Pleasure Island in order to cover his mistake. Jiminy knows what Sora is trying to do, but nevertheless answers him that boys should avoid it because if they play too much, they "make jackamules of themselves". When expressing his concern for Pinocchio, Jiminy suddenly remembers that Pinocchio once mentioned Sora's name, much to Sora's bewilderment.

Jiminy recounts the time when Pinocchio was locked inside a cage after he played "hooky" and decided to play in Pleasure Island rather going to school. Pinocchio apologized for doing so, but lied that two "monsters" brought him here in a bag, which only caused his nose to grew longer. Still insisting he was telling the truth, Pinocchio mentions that "a fella in black clothes" told him to play a trick on Sora, although Jiminy did not believe him until he realize that Pinocchio's nose did not grew. Blue Fairy arrived at the scene and gently scolds Pinocchio for lying to Jiminy. Pleading for the Blue Fairy to help his nose return to normal, Pinocchio promised to never lied again. The Blue Fairy forgives him, but she warned he will remain a puppet forever if he keeps lying before she returned his nose to normal.

After hearing the story, Sora helps Jiminy search the island for Pinocchio, although this made Jiminy curious to know how Sora knew Pinocchio. Fortunately, Sora was able to avoid the question when he saw "Pinocchio" running, and the pair swiftly goes after him. However, he is just a Dream Eater pretending to be the puppet. Sora fights the Dream Eaters. The spot "Pinnochio" at the top of a tower, but this one is a fake, as well. Another Pinocchio is spotted wandering the park. Jiminy thinks it's another fake, but Sora tells him to give this one a try as well.

Sora spots Pinocchio surrounded by Komory Bats over a trampoline. He jumps up to save the puppet, then orders him and Jiminy to leave. Sora fights the Dream Eaters. After the battle, the unknown man and Xemnas reappears to mock Sora before disappearing. Sora questions how he is similar to a Nobody. Sora then learns from the Blue Fairy that Geppetto has been swallowed by Monstro and that Pinnochio and Jiminy ran off to find the whale once being informed, jumping off a cliff into the ocean.

Sora then goes underwater. Sora soon reaches the bottom of the ocean. He finds Jiminy and Pinocchio swimming away from Monstro, but the force of the water pulls him into the chaos. Pinocchio and Jiminy are then swallowed by Monstro. Sora gives chase, but a Dream Eater appears and freezes Monstro in an iceberg that rises the top of the ocean, where Sora follows. Sora then fights Chill Clawbster on the clusters of the frozen Monstro. During the battle, Sora frees Monstro, encasing him in a bubble. Chill Clawbster was then defeated and swallowed by Monstro, while Sora falls into the ocean. Monstro then sneezes, blowing Sora away. Sora wakes up on a beach, assuming that Prankster's Paradise was destroyed not long after Monstro swallowed everyone, and also recalls how they soon escaped and ended up in Traverse Town. Sora then spots a keyhole and seals it.

In conjunction, during his adventure, Riku finds himself inside Monstro and spots Geppetto looking for Pinocchio. Riku offers to help find the puppet and also encounter Jiminy, who reveals that Pinnochio ran off with somebody with a black coat. The two spot the puppet walking with the man in a black coat, revealed to be another Riku as he enters a corridor of darkness without a word. Pinnochio and Jiminy ask if there is anyone that will always be there for Riku. He explains that there is. Suddenly, a vibration happens. Riku orders Pinnochio and Jiminy to head back while he takes a look around, finding the Char Clawbster Dream Eater and destroying it. As Geppetto and Pinnochio are reunited, Riku recalls Yen Sid's words of wisdom and unlocking the world's Keyhole.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance


Trivia

 * In the original 1940 movie, Pleasure Island harbours a curse which turns boys who "make jackasses of themselves" into real donkeys. Seventy-two years later, for political correctness reasons, in the game, it has been changed to "boys who make jackamules of themselves".