If you’ve been wandering around the Sunlit Plateau or trying to figure out why your compass is acting like a caffeinated squirrel, you’ve hit the "Hot and Cold" quest. It's a doozy. Honestly, Disney Dreamlight Valley is usually pretty chill, but this specific mission with Olaf involves a lot of literal running in circles. You’re basically playing a high-stakes game of "warmer, colder" with the environment itself.
The quest triggers after you've made some progress with our favorite melting snowman. Olaf is worried. Well, Olaf is always a little worried about something, but this time it involves the Pillar of Love and some very finicky spirits. You need to find specific locations in the Frosted Heights, but the game doesn't just hand them to you on a silver platter.
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Finding the Hot and Cold Dreamlight Valley Glitches
The first thing you have to do is find the "disturbances." These look like weird, shimmering puddles of static or glitches on the ground. Most people get stuck here because they expect a giant quest marker. Nope. You have to use your eyes.
The first one is usually near the river in the Frosted Heights. Look for the purple-ish sparkles. Once you interact with it, Olaf gets all excited, and the real hunt begins. This is where the hot and cold Dreamlight Valley mechanics actually kick in. You aren't just looking for items; you are looking for feelings. Or, more accurately, you’re looking for where the air feels "wrong."
It’s easy to get frustrated. I spent twenty minutes walking past the second glitch because I thought it was just a lighting effect from the Cave. It wasn't. It was the quest objective.
What You Need to Craft
Once you’ve poked enough glitches, you’ll realize you need tools. This isn't just about walking around. You need to gather specific materials to stabilize the rifts. You're going to need:
- Dreamlight (Obviously, it’s in the name).
- Night Shards (Purify them into Dream Shards if you have to, but keep the raw ones handy).
- A lot of patience.
You’ll eventually have to craft the "Dreamlight Prism." This requires gathering colorful stones from all over the valley. Specifically, you’ll need an Amethyst from the Forgotten Lands or Frosted Heights, an Emerald from the Forest of Valor or Glade of Trust, and a Citrine from the Sunlit Plateau or Glade of Trust. Don't go mining in the Plaza expecting to find these; you’ll just end up with a pocket full of Garnets and a sense of regret.
The Problem with the Sunlit Plateau
A lot of players think the hot and cold Dreamlight Valley quest stays in the snow. It doesn’t. The "hot" part of the quest takes you straight into the Sunlit Plateau. This is where the contrast gets real. You go from shivering in the Frosted Heights to sweating in the savanna.
The game wants you to find where the water is "special." This usually refers to the area near the pond or the river's edge. Look for the bubbles. Not the fishing bubbles—different bubbles. It’s a specific interaction point that only appears when you have the quest active. If you’ve been fishing for twenty minutes and nothing has happened, you’re in the wrong spot. Move further down the river toward the Elephant Graveyard.
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Why Is This Quest So Buggy?
Let’s be real for a second. Gameloft is great, but Dreamlight Valley has its quirks. Sometimes the glitches for "Hot and Cold" just... don't show up. If you are standing exactly where a guide tells you to be and there is nothing but dirt, try the classic fix: restart the game.
I’ve seen dozens of threads on Reddit where people are losing their minds because the quest stage won’t update. Usually, it’s because a furniture item is sitting on top of the spawn point. If you’ve decorated the Frosted Heights with a bunch of trees or ice sculptures, move them. Clear the floor. The game needs a "clean" surface to spawn the quest glow.
Fixing the Pillar of Love
The climax of the quest involves the Pillar of Love. You’ve got your Prism, you’ve found the "hot" spots and the "cold" spots, and now you have to put it all together. This part is actually pretty cool visually. You place the stones on the pedestals near the secret chamber in the Frosted Heights.
The order matters, sorta. But really, the game guides you through the placement once you interact with the pedestals. If you're missing a stone, check your chests. I once spent an hour looking for an Amethyst only to realize I’d accidentally sold it to Goofy for a quick buck. Don't be like me. Lock your quest items in a separate chest so you don't accidentally turn them into Star Coins.
Nuances of the Frost Spirits
The spirits in this quest aren't your enemies. They're just confused. Olaf’s whole deal is that he wants to help them, but they’re reacting to the instability in the Valley. When you're tracking them, follow the particles. The particle effects in this game are actually a gameplay mechanic, not just eye candy. If the sparkles are moving toward the Cave, follow them. If they are hovering near the bridge, stay there.
Common Misconceptions About the Quest
One big mistake people make is thinking they need the "Miracle Pickaxe Polish" for this. You don't. While the polish helps you get more gems, it doesn't change the spawn rate of the specific quest-related glitches.
Another one? Thinking you need Elsa or Kristoff at Level 10. While having them leveled up makes the Frosted Heights easier to navigate (and unlocks the bridge), the hot and cold Dreamlight Valley quest is primarily Olaf-centric. As long as you have him unlocked and have progressed through his initial "The Great Blizzard" quest, you’re good to go.
Tips for Faster Completion
- Clear your inventory. You’ll be picking up a lot of random stuff while mining for those specific gems.
- Check the Map. Sometimes the "area" is highlighted in a faint purple circle. It’s easy to miss if you have a lot of character icons bunched together.
- Use the Furniture Mode. If you can't find a glitch, enter furniture mode and zoom out. It gives you a bird's-eye view of the biome, making those glowing spots much easier to spot than when you're stuck in third-person view.
Step-by-Step Action Plan
To get past the "Hot and Cold" roadblocks and finish the quest, follow these exact steps:
- Clear the Biomes: Go to the Frosted Heights and Sunlit Plateau. Open the furniture menu and move any houses, trees, or rocks you’ve placed near the rivers. This prevents spawn clipping.
- Gather the Trio: Secure one Amethyst, one Emerald, and one Citrine. Keep them in your inventory, not your home storage, to ensure the quest dialogue triggers correctly when you talk to Olaf.
- The Interaction Check: When you find a glitch, stand still for a second. Sometimes the "Investigate" prompt takes a moment to appear. If it doesn't show, walk away and walk back.
- Crafting the Prism: Head to any crafting station. The Dreamlight Prism will be under the "Functional Items" tab. It requires the gems you gathered plus some Glass (crafted from Sand and Coal).
- Placement: Head back to the secret chamber in the Frosted Heights. Place the Prism on the pedestal in the center of the room.
- Talk to Olaf: This is the most important step. If the quest doesn't complete, it’s usually because Olaf is stuck behind a rock or eating a meal at Remy’s. Find him on the map and "hang out" with him to force his AI to stay near you.
Once the Prism is placed and the stones are set, the spirits stabilize. The Pillar of Love returns to its former glory, and you get a nice chunk of friendship XP with the world's most optimistic snowman. It’s a bit of a trek, but seeing the Valley lose that weird static haze is worth the effort. Now, go find those gems and stop that flickering before it drives you as crazy as it drove me.