In Disney Dreamlight Valley, the Royal Pickaxe is one of the Royal Tools that’s valuable to clear obstacles, mine rare materials, and unlock new regions across both the base game and DDV expansions including A Rift in Time and The Storybook Vale. But if you’ve been swinging your starter pickaxe and wondering why it won’t budge the coral chunks or giant ice blocks, you’re not the only one in this state. The key lies in tool upgrades which are mainly linked to friendship quests with beloved Disney characters. This guide tells every Pickaxe upgrade in Disney Dreamlight Valley and tells how you can unlock each one.
Base Game Pickaxe Upgrades in Disney Dreamlight Valley
The base game features many Pickaxe upgrades linking to different characters and their quests.
Break Small Sea Debris
- Who Helps: Maui
- Quest: The Great Maui
- Location: Moana’s Realm
- What It Does: Clears the small coral clusters (blue rocks) on Dazzle Beach.
Once you invite Maui back to the Valley and increase your friendship level with him, he’ll grant you a Pickaxe upgrade as part of his early quests.
Break Large Sea Debris
- Who Helps: Maui
- Quest: A Tale of Stone and Fire (Friendship Level 4)
- What It Does: Allows you to smash the bigger coral formations along the beach.
This quest involves making Maui a five-star meal, and once he’s satisfied, he upgrades your Pickaxe again.
Break Small Ice Blocks
- Who Helps: Elsa
- Quest: Breaking the Ice
- What It Does: Lets you shatter small magic ice chunks in areas like the Forest of Valor and Frosted Heights.
You’ll need to brew a special potion called Warmth of Summer using sunflowers, lemons, and ocean water. Deliver it to Elsa, and your Pickaxe gets a frosty makeover.
Break Large Ice Blocks
- Who Helps: Elsa
- Quest: The Singing Ice (Friendship Level 6)
- What It Does: Allows you to break down massive ice blocks in the Valley.
After crafting the Cold of Winter potion and progressing Elsa’s storyline, you’ll finally be able to access those icy blocked-off paths.
Break Dark Castle Rocks
- Who Helps: Timon
- Quest: The Infestation, Part 3 (Friendship Level 10)
- What It Does: Lets you destroy shadowy rubble found exclusively in the Dark Castle.
This unique upgrade is only useful within the castle itself, but it’s important for progressing in the main storyline.
A Rift in Time Pickaxe Upgrades in Disney Dreamlight Valley
Welcome to Eternity Isle, where time-bending magic introduces brand-new obstacles and new ways to smash through them.
Break Small Copper Rocks
- Who Helps: Jafar
- Quest: The Secrets of Eternity Isle
- What It Does: Breaks down small orange-colored copper rocks scattered across Eternity Isle.
These rocks hold precious copper nuggets used in crafting, and Jafar helps you unlock this ability early in the DLC.
Break Small Glass Stalagmites
- Who Helps: Merlin
- Quest: Village Project: Timeless Trash
- What It Does: Enables the removal of small green-blue crystalline stalagmites found in Glittering Dunes.
You’ll craft a special Pickaxe potion at the Timebending Table to get this power.
Break Large Copper Rocks
- Requirement: Royal Hourglass Level 1
- What It Does: Clears the bulkier versions of copper rocks.
This one isn’t tied to a specific character but rather to your progress with the Royal Hourglass and crafting special potions at the Timebending Table.
Break Large Glass Stalagmites
- Requirement: Royal Hourglass Level 1
- What It Does: Smashes large crystal pillars in Glittering Dunes.
Like the large copper rocks, you’ll need to brew a potion to tackle these intimidating obstacles.
The Storybook Vale Pickaxe Upgrades in Disney Dreamlight Valley
This expansion simplifies things, thankfully. Here are only two Pickaxe upgrades you’ll unlock early in this DDV DLC.
Break Petrified Wood
- Quest: Welcome to the Storybook Vale
- What It Does: Clears fossil-like wood boulders in a new area called The Bind.
Complete this intro quest, and your Pickaxe gets the boost automatically with no friendship leveling required here.
Break Hunks of Marble
- Who Helps: Hades
- Quest: Mythic Restoration
- What It Does: Crushes white marble blocks in the mystical Mythopia.
You’ll collect some rare ingredients like Crimson Eternal Poppies and Posidonia, then watch as Hades reforges your Pickaxe with godly flair.
Disney Dreamlight Valley All Pickaxe Upgrades
| Upgrade | Character/Quest | Expansion | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Sea Debris | Maui – The Great Maui | Base Game | Break small coral on Dazzle Beach |
| Large Sea Debris | Maui – A Tale of Stone and Fire | Base Game | Break large coral on Dazzle Beach |
| Small Ice Blocks | Elsa – Breaking the Ice | Base Game | Break small ice in Forest/Frosted Heights |
| Large Ice Blocks | Elsa – The Singing Ice | Base Game | Break large ice |
| Dark Castle Rocks | Timon – The Infestation, Part 3 | Base Game | Clear rubble inside the Dark Castle |
| Small Copper Rocks | Jafar – The Secrets of Eternity Isle | Rift in Time | Break copper on Eternity Isle |
| Large Copper Rocks | Potion (Hourglass Lv. 1) | Rift in Time | Break large copper outcrops |
| Small Glass Stalagmites | Merlin – Timeless Trash | Rift in Time | Break small glass pillars |
| Large Glass Stalagmites | Potion (Hourglass Lv. 1) | Rift in Time | Break large glass pillars |
| Petrified Wood | Welcome to the Storybook Vale | Storybook Vale | Break fossilized wood |
| Hunks of Marble | Hades – Mythic Restoration | Storybook Vale | Smash marble blocks |
Many upgrades are locked behind character relationships so level up friendship with Maui, Elsa, Jafar, and others regularly to fast-track this process. Upgrades connected to A Rift in Time and The Storybook Vale bring great functionality to the Pickaxe, especially to access the best resources.
For potion-based upgrades in A Rift in Time, you’ll need Mist and other crafting ingredients so don’t skip the Swirling Sands and Hourglass upgrades. Moreover, crafting tables are key as some upgrades require specific potions and these can only be made at the Timebending Table, so it needs to be upgraded and accessible.
