When you walk into The Uncommons in New York City, the first thing you’ll notice is the buzz of energy: groups of friends laughing over a board game, new players learning the ropes, and, increasingly, tables full of fans playing Disney Lorcana. At the center of it all is Dan Dyer, the store’s general manager and one of the driving forces behind its thriving Disney Lorcana community.
Dan has been with The Uncommons since early 2020. Originally hired as a barista, he found himself taking on greater responsibility as the store navigated pandemic shutdowns and reopenings. Today, he manages staffing, scheduling, and operations—but he’s also the point person for Disney Lorcana.
“I’m a big sucker for Disney villains,” he says. “When I saw Lorcana had original artwork and cards like Hades – King of Olympus, I knew it wasn’t just a quick release. I wanted to build a villains deck and have some fun with it. And when weekly play came out, that casual framing was really nice for somebody who wasn’t necessarily concerned with what was going to be good, but still wanted to play.”
Social Play With a Twist
From the start, The Uncommons leaned into making Disney Lorcana events more accessible than traditional competitive structures.
“Most stores in New York default to the competitive model—three rounds, the better you do, the more you get. We already had plenty of that,” Dan explains. “I wanted to do something different. A league system gave us a way to focus more on participation than skill.”
To encourage interaction, he even added unique rules. “We put in a point for trading with somebody during league. I didn’t care if it was swapping one common card for another. The point was to create a moment of interaction outside just playing the game.”
Creative Formats That Keep Players Coming Back
As the store moved away from using a league system, The Uncommons continued to experiment with some fan-made formats designed to keep play fresh. Some of their favorites include:
- Movie Melee – Build a two-ink deck where all your characters come from the same Disney film or franchise.
- Multiplayer Tournaments – Four-player pods where you score points based on the Lore totals you ended the game with.
- Duets – A two-versus-two format. “You and your partner's decks could not share ink… and we kind of blended the rules that you can find in the Illumineer’s Quest.” The format retains simultaneous play and some of the special abilities that you can expend lore on to aid your teammate. Dan said. “It was a fun format, and we’re looking forward to doing more.”
The Duets event quickly became a fan favorite. “The next day on our regional Discord, someone asked if any stores were hosting Duets that week. I had to tell them, ‘Oh, buddy, that was just a format I made up.’ But that was gratifying—it showed people really wanted to play it again.”
Building Community Beyond the Store
For Dan, community-building doesn’t stop at the event table. He moderates a regional Disney Lorcana Discord server that includes players and stores across New York and New Jersey.
“It’s not just an Uncommons Discord—it’s for the whole area,” he explained. “Some stores might hesitate, thinking it helps the competition. But it doesn’t really work that way for players. Having one space lets us coordinate, share ideas, and make sure events don’t clash.”
This collaboration benefits everyone. For set championships, Dan makes a shared document where stores can post their location, events, and ticketing links. That way, stores can make informed decisions on what events to host and when to avoid overlap. By collaborating, stores can ensure players aren’t forced to choose between two events on the same day. It’s better for the stores, and it’s better for the players.
Memorable Moments That Define Lorcana Play
What stands out most for Dan are the small but meaningful stories that come from these events.
“We’ve had people bring friends of theirs to different events that end up sticking around and becoming long-term players. You know, one day it's like, ‘Oh, this is my little brother. He's just here. I made him a deck. Whatever.’ And now you can't get rid of the brother in the best way.”
One story in particular makes him laugh. During release week for Fabled, one of the players pulled an Iconic card without realizing its value. “She came over and asked, ‘What does this symbol mean?’ and she's holding up an iconic Mickey and (the entire table) was like, ‘Don’t move. Don't touch it too much. We’ll get you a sleeve!’”
A Space for Every Player
Whether you’re a competitive player chasing top finishes or someone who just wants to build a deck around your favorite Disney movie, The Uncommons has a place for you.
“We try to cater to people where they’re at,” Dan says. “If you’re competitive, we’ve got constructed events and set championships. If you want something more social, we’ll get weird with it—Movie Melee, Duets, multiplayer, starter deck tournaments. We just want people to have fun and feel welcome.”
For Dan and The Uncommons, that balance of creativity, inclusivity, and community is what keeps players coming back.
Do you have a favorite store that runs amazing events? Let us know on our socials! We’re looking for more standout locations to feature on DisneyLorcana.com.
