You’ve seen the prices. If you’ve stepped into a local game store or scrolled through TCGPlayer lately, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The frenzy surrounding Journey Together booster packs isn’t just typical TCG hype; it’s a full-blown supply chain nightmare mixed with some of the most beautiful card art Disney has ever licensed. Honestly, it’s kind of a mess.
Ravensburger really stepped up their game with this specific release. But they also stepped right into a hornet’s nest of scalpers and high demand.
When Disney Lorcana: Journey Together first hit the shelves, people thought it would be like The First Chapter. They expected a decent restock within a month. That didn't happen. Instead, we got "allocation" issues. That’s a fancy industry word for "we don't have enough to give you what you ordered." So, shops that asked for 50 cases got five. Maybe three. It’s been a scramble ever since.
What is Actually Inside Journey Together Booster Packs?
Let's talk about the pull rates. If you’re ripping into these, you’re looking for the Enchanteds. Obviously. In this set, the Enchanted rare cards have hit a different level of aesthetic. We are talking about the "Starlight" treatment that collectors are losing their minds over.
Specifically, the Raya, Leader of Kumandra Enchanted card is the one everyone wants. It’s basically the "Grail" of this set. But the math is brutal. Based on community-sourced data from thousands of pack openings, the estimated drop rate for an Enchanted in Journey Together booster packs is roughly 1 in 72 to 1 in 96 packs. That is about one per three or four booster boxes. If you buy a single pack at a big-box retailer like Target or Walmart, your odds are... well, they aren't great. But that’s the gamble, right?
The set itself focuses heavily on the theme of cooperation and building "Location" cards, a mechanic introduced to change the pace of the game. If you're a player and not just a collector, you’re likely hunting for the Mulan, Imperial Soldier legendary. It’s a powerhouse. It shifts the meta toward aggressive questing.
The Problem With Modern "Scalper Proof" Packaging
Ravensburger tried something different with the cardboard sleeves for individual Journey Together booster packs. You’ve seen them—the "hanger" packs. They’re supposed to be harder to tamper with than the old foil-only packs.
Does it work? Kinda.
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It’s definitely harder for someone to "weigh" these packs in the aisle of a CVS. In the old days of TCGs, people would bring jewelry scales to the store because packs with holographic cards weighed a fraction of a gram more. With the heavy cardboard sleeve on these, that’s almost impossible. But it also makes the packs bulkier and harder for stores to stock in large quantities.
Why the Secondary Market is Acting So Weird
Usually, a set drops, prices spike, then they crater when the second wave of printing hits. With Journey Together booster packs, the "crater" never really arrived.
There are a few reasons for this:
- Limited Initial Print Run: Rumors suggest Ravensburger shifted some printing capacity to deal with international launches in new markets.
- The "Disney Factor": Unlike Magic: The Gathering or Pokémon, Lorcana pulls in people who have never touched a card game. They just love Disney. This doubles the buyer pool.
- Holding for Value: A lot of "investors" are keeping sealed booster boxes in their closets, hoping they’ll be worth thousands in 2030.
This creates a vacuum. When the supply stays in closets, the price for a single pack at a local card shop jumps from the MSRP of $5.99 to $10, $12, or even $15. It sucks for kids who just want to play. It’s great for the guy who bought ten cases at launch.
The reality is that Journey Together booster packs represent a turning point for Lorcana. It’s the moment the game proved it wasn't a fluke. It wasn't just a "post-pandemic" hobby bubble. People actually like the mechanics. They like the "Challenger" and "Bodyguard" keywords interacting with the new Kumandra locations.
Spotting Fakes in the Wild
You have to be careful. Seriously. As the value of these packs climbs, the scammers come out. I’ve seen some pretty convincing resealed packs on eBay lately.
One thing to check is the crimp at the top and bottom of the foil pack inside the cardboard. It should be crisp. If it looks melted or has weird glue residue, run. Also, the "tear strip" on the outer cardboard should be consistent. If the glue on the cardboard sleeve feels tacky or looks like it was reapplied with a hot glue gun, someone has likely "searched" that pack. They pull the rare, put in a basic common, and reseal it. It’s a low-life move, but it happens.
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How to Actually Get Your Hands on Packs Without Overpaying
Stop looking at the major online retailers first. They use dynamic pricing algorithms. If everyone is searching for Journey Together booster packs, the price goes up automatically.
Instead, try these spots:
- Barnes & Noble: They usually have a strict "two items per person" rule. This is your best friend. It keeps the scalpers from clearing the shelf at 8:00 AM.
- Local Game Stores (LGS): Some of them are awesome and sell at MSRP to their regular players. Support them. Others... well, they charge market price. It’s worth a phone call.
- The Official Ravensburger Site: They do random restocks. It’s like winning the lottery, but if you catch it, you get the real deal at the real price.
People often ask if they should just buy "singles"—individual cards—instead of packs. Honestly? Yes. If you need a specific card for your deck, buy the card. But there is something about the smell of a fresh pack and the "click" of the cards as you slide them out. I get it. The gamble is part of the fun. Just don't spend your rent money on it.
The Strategy Behind the Set
If you manage to open a few Journey Together booster packs, pay attention to the "Shift" cards. This set leaned hard into the Shift mechanic, allowing you to play big characters over smaller ones for a lower cost. It’s the core of most competitive decks right now.
Specifically, the Sisu cards in this set are incredible for board control. If you’re playing a Ruby/Sapphire deck, you basically need the pulls from this set to stay competitive in the current tournament scene. This is why the demand hasn't dropped. It’s not just collectors; it’s the players who need the "meta" cards to win at their local Friday night events.
We also saw the introduction of more complex "Location" interactions. These aren't just cards you play and forget. They require "Lore" to move characters to, and they offer passive bonuses. It added a layer of geometry to the game board that wasn't there in the beginning. It made the game harder to play, but much more rewarding to master.
Future Outlook for Journey Together
Will there be a massive reprint? Maybe. Ravensburger has been pretty vocal about wanting the game to be "accessible." But "accessible" usually means "available somewhere," not "available everywhere at a discount."
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If you see Journey Together booster packs at a fair price, grab them. They are likely going to be the "Second Chapter" equivalent of this game—the set that everyone realizes too late was the best one of the year.
The artwork, featuring scenes from Raya and the Last Dragon and Moana, is some of the most vibrant we've seen. The color palette is heavy on Teals and Silvers, which makes the foils pop more than the darker, moodier sets.
Actionable Steps for Collectors and Players
If you're looking to maximize your experience with this set, stop buying "loose" packs from unverified sellers on TikTok or Instagram. Those are almost always the leftovers from a box where the Enchanted has already been pulled.
Follow these steps for a better experience:
- Check the "Box Map": While Lorcana boxes aren't perfectly "mappable" like some older TCGs, there’s a general trend of where the Legendaries sit. If a seller is offering 5 packs from a box that has already had 19 packs sold, the odds of a high-value hit are statistically lower.
- Join a Local League: Most shops reserve their Journey Together booster packs for league players. If you show up and play, you get first dibs on the restocks.
- Verify the Weight: If you're buying a sealed booster box, weigh the whole thing. A standard Journey Together booster box should weigh roughly 750 to 760 grams. If it's significantly lighter, something might be missing.
- Focus on "Cold Foils": Keep an eye on the quality of the foil. This set had some minor issues with "silvering" on the edges. If you pull a pristine 10-grade candidate, get it into a sleeve and a top-loader immediately. Even a common card from this set in a PSA 10 can carry a premium because the card stock is so finicky.
The market for Lorcana is still maturing. We are in the "Wild West" phase where nobody is quite sure what these cards will be worth in a decade. But right now, the utility of the cards in the actual game is driving the price just as much as the Disney nostalgia. That’s a sign of a healthy game, even if it’s a headache for your wallet.
Look for the "Location" cards with low move costs. Those are the sleepers in this set. While everyone is chasing the big dragons, the players winning tournaments are the ones using the Kumandra locations to cycle through their decks faster than their opponents can react. Focus on those, and you'll find that even if you don't pull an Enchanted, the packs were still worth the hunt.