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How to get Nala in Disney Dreamlight Valley and complete the Eyes in the Dark quest

Walk on the wild side and laugh in the face of danger, ha ha ha!

Disney Dreamlight Valley, Nala is by the dreamlight well near the Castle in the Plaza with the main character.
Image credit: Eurogamer/Gameloft

Nala has arrived in Disney Dreamlight Valley alongside her faithful mate Simba as part of the 'Pride of the Valley' update. The duo were on a break from royal duties when they got separated in the Lion King realm, and it's your job to help them both.

Nala is the first of the two that you can get to join your home in Disney Dreamlight Valley, and she is the first one that you meet in the Lion King realm too. After convincing her that you are not a snack, it's up to you to help her out.

Without further ado, we're going to show you how to get Nala in Disney Dreamlight Valley, and how to complete the Eyes in the Dark quest.

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How to get Nala in Disney Dreamlight Valley

To get Nala in Disney Dreamlight valley, you need unlock the Lion King realm in the Castle for 10,000 Dreamlight. It can be found up the first set of stairs in the Castle, next to the Frozen and Toy Story realms.

disney dreamlight valley lion king realm door in castle

You then need to complete the 'Eyes in the Dark' quest in this realm. There are quite a few stages to completing this quest, but don't worry, we're here to guide you every step of the way.

Before you enter the Lion King realm, we recommend stocking up on meals because you will use quite a lot of energy up here. You can check out our recipes guide to learn more about cooking in the Valley.


Disney Dreamlight Valley's December update is here! You can now add Jack Skellington to your valley, use multiplayer and remove villagers. For more help, check out our recipe list, how to upgrade your house, have multiple player homes, critters' favourite foods and redemption codes. Finally, don't forget to visit our future and current character list to see who might be visiting the valley next!


How to complete the Eyes in the Dark quest in Disney Dreamlight Valley

When you first enter the realm, the 'Eyes in the Dark' quest will begin. You will meet Nala and see that she's roaring at the eyes in the darkness surrounding the Dried Out Oasis.

disney dreamlight valley nala roaring at hyenas lion king realm

Approach Nala and talk to her, use any of the conversational options you want to (we tried to roar back), and Nala will realise you are not a threat.

After a brief conversation, Nala will head off to hold back the Hyenas and it's now your job to find a way to block the path so that they won't come closer. To do this, you need to find and grow five Thorn Bushes.

Where to find Thorn Bush seeds in the Dried Out Oasis

To find the Thorn Bush seeds in the Dried Out Oasis, look for growths coming out of the ground that look like very pale Night Thorns. We've circled one in the image below:

disney dreamlight valley lion king realm dried out oasis dry thorn bush

Dig this up to get a Thorn Bush seed and some extra materials. You will need to do this to all five growths in the area to get the needed seeds. Then, once you have the seeds, head to the ledge at the back of the Dried Out Oasis.

disney dreamlight valley lion king realm ledge to block dried out oasis

An easy way to find it is to stand at the entrance portal facing into the area, and then head to your right. When you find the ledge, there will already be holes in the ground for you to put the seeds in. All you need to do is plant all five seeds and water them once for the bushes to grow.

The path will then be blocked, Nala will come back to you and you can move on to the next stage of this quest.

How to unblock the cave entrance

You will then learn that you need to clear the cave entrance to get to the jungle on the other side. To do this, simply use your Shovel to dig up the dried up tree stumps and then speak to Nala again.

disney dreamlight valley lion king realm blocked cave entrance

If, like it did for us, Nala doesn't register that you've cleared the pathway then head through the cave to the jungle and then go back on yourself to the Dried Out Oasis. Nala should then register that the path is clear and you can speak to her.

How to lower the log by the waterfall

Now, you need to head into the jungle to look for Simba but Nala will inform you that you need to find a way to lower the log by the waterfall to get to the next area as Simba isn't anywhere to be found.

To lower the log, walk up to the waterfall until you are facing it and then look up and left. You should see this:

disney dreamlight valley lion king realm raised log waterfall
The log up in the right hand corner is the one you want to bring down.

Use your Pickaxe to break the rocks at the bottom of the cliff under the raised log. This will then lower the log and give you a path to get to the next area.

Find Simba!

Walk across the new bridge and follow the path around to the next area. Then, all you have to do is speak to Simba, but remember to say 'Hakuna Matata'! Let the conversation flow and then follow Simba to watch his reunion with Nala.

disney dreamlight valley lion king realm finding simba

Then, speak to Simba again and the next stage of this quest will begin.

Where to find Slimy Bugs and Colorful Bugs

Nala is hungry and Simba wants to show her all the good food in the jungle. He'll ask you to find Slimy Bugs and Colorful Bugs. Slimy Bugs can be found in the river next to Simba. Fish for them as you would do for anything back in the Valley. You need three Slimy Bugs.

disney dreamlight valley lion king realm dried out oasis colorful bugs

Colorful Bugs can be found back in the Dried Out Oasis (where you met Nala). You can get the Colorful Bugs by digging up the sparkling dirt areas in the Oasis. Dig them up as you would do with anything in your Valley. You need six Colorful Bugs.

Take them back to Simba, who will then inform you that it's not enough. You now need to find Red Bugs too, after all, a dish needs to be slimy yet satisfying.

Where to find Red Bugs

Red Bugs can be found in the area where you met Simba. Head to the area and use your Shovel to dig up one of the dried out tree stumps in the area.

disney dreamlight valley lion king realm dried out stump red bugs
We dug up the stump in the middle of the area.

Once you dig one up, the Red Bugs will shoot out and scuttle around the area. They are really fast, and you need to catch all of them.

When you've caught all the bugs, you need to make make a Bug Platter. There are a few steam pipe-type things opposite Simba and Nala that can be used to cook on.

Bug Platter Recipe

Once you are back in your realm, head to a stove and follow this Bug Platter recipe:

  • 2x Red Bugs
  • 2x Colorful Bugs
  • 1x Slimy Bug

This makes one serving of the Bug Platter, you will need to make this dish three times.

disney dreamlight valley bug platte

After rustling up some grub (quite literally), give the dishes to Nala. However, danger is lurking in the dark!

Scare off the Hyenas

The Hyenas are back and closing in on you, Nala, and Simba. You then get the idea to trick the Hyenas but you need some help for this. Head back to the Valley while Simba and Nala hold them off.

disney dreamlight valley lion king realm nala speaking to character
Nala is counting on you!

Go and speak to Scrooge McDuck, he will give you an old Sound System that needs some repairs on it for you to use to scare the Hyenas away.

How to repair the Sound System

To repair the Sound System in the 'Eyes in the Dark' quest in Disney Dreamlight Valley, you will need:

  • x10 Softwood
  • x5 Hardwood
  • x2 Iron Ingots

When you have the right materials, head to a workbench. You will find the Sound System underneath the 'Furniture' tab at the top.

disney dreamlight valley sound system crafting screen

Craft/repair the system and then head back to the Lion King realm. Give the Sound System to Nala and watch the story come to a close.

Welcome Nala!

After scaring the pesky Hyenas away, Nala will want to come to your realm. All you need to do is make a place for her to stay. Go back to the Valley and place Pride Rock wherever you want it to go.

Place Pride Rock down as you would do with a piece of furniture. When you head into your furniture menu, you should have a special request from Nala. This is where you will find Pride Rock. Then, place it down and pay Scrooge 15,000 Coins to build it. It's quite a large structure, so we shoved it onto Dazzle Beach for now.

disney dreamlight valley pride rock

That's it, once Pride Rock is built Nala will arrive in your Valley!

Now that you have Nala, why not check out our other guide that shows you how to get Simba. That way, you can have the royal pair living in and protecting your Valley.

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