Webkinz Insider

Cloud One · 05-28-2009, 11:35 AM

Guide to Recess at Kinzville Academy

(And what to do if your account is missing its Recess!)

The Basics

What is Recess?

Recess is a "free" activity that is earned after taking 15 full days of classes at Kinzville Academy on Webkinz World (The classes are not free!)

Everyone gets one FREE Recess

All accounts were awarded one free Recess (without having to take any Academy classes) on May 13th, 2009. Additionally, several members have reported getting one free Recess when they open a brand new account or reactivate an account that was closed. So it seems that every account can go to Recess one time for free! All Recess after that will need to be earned (more below.)

What can I do at Recess?

Click the link below to see a video that describes all the activities you can do at Recess.
Webkinz Newz Video: Recess at the Kinzville Academy!

*Not covered in the video: Clicking on the picture of the school during Recess highlights the building but doesn't seem to do anything.

What kinds of Prizes can I get at Recess?

Click the spoiler for all information about Recess prizes - Including pictures.

Spoiler: show

From the WI Picture Gallery. See Link: http://www.webkinzinsider.com/forum/...ml#post9590678

From a front page WI article congratulating sandilight on their new badge.

How can I win these prizes?

The Academy School Binder and Ms. Cowoline Plush Doll can be won in the Merry Go Round game.
The Academy Banner and PE Uniform Pieces can be won in the Buried Treasure (aka Sandbox) game.
Some W-Shop toys and school related items can also be won in the Merry Go Round and Buried Treasure (Sandbox) games.
Hopscotch awards kinzcash if you win.
Hide And Seek awards 250kc (kinzcash) if you win.
When you return to Ms. Cowoline's Office after Recess, you'll see a Purple Lunch Bag in your dock (Last item in the picture above). Drag the bag into your room to reveal 3 random Lunch Foods. The foods will appear in your dock. *Note: The unopened Lunch Bag is like a Gift Box. It cannot be stored anywhere except in your dock. Once you "open" it by dragging it into a room, the bag itself disappears and only its contents (the foods) remain.
No one is sure how to earn the "I Love Recess Badge." sandilight received it after their tenth lunch bag from Recess, but not enough weeks had passed for them to have had ten Recesses! Other users have had more than ten Recesses and have not received the badge.

What can I do with these prizes?

The Academy Banner can be placed on a wall.
The Academy School Binder opens and closes when clicked on, but doesn't seem to do anything else. The Academy School Binder can be put on floors and tables but, at this time, it cannot be put in a storage unit.
The Ms. Cowoline Plush Doll can be placed on floors and tables and in a storage unit.
The PE Clothes can be worn by your pet.
The Foods can be eaten by your pet.
The "I Love Recess" badge can be displayed on your "MyPage" in Webkinz World.

Kinzposting Prizes

The unopened Purple Lunch bag cannot be traded, sold, or Kinzposted. (The very first day Recess was awarded there was a glitch that allowed it to be sold, but that's been fixed.)

All other Recess Prizes (including the foods) can be traded, sold, or kinzposted.

How do I know when I have a Recess?

When Recess is available for your account (either the free Recess from May 13th, or future Recesses you earn), a red Recess bell will appear in the lower left corner of the Kinzville Academy screen. To go to Recess, click on the bell.

Earning Recesses
(What counts, what doesn't)

To earn Recess, you need to do the following:

Attempt 3 classes a day at the Kinzville Academy for fifteen days.
In order for a day to count, one pet must take all three classes in the same day. The same pet does not have to take classes every day, but for a day to count, all three classes taken that day need to be taken by one pet (If you have other pets taking additional classes that day, that's ok.)
ALL Kinzville Academy classes count. Although Ganz representatives originally told people that the Cooking and Grooming classes did not count, many people in this thread and on the forum received Recess ON TIME when those classes were part of their three classes a day. Additionally, Justin (owner of this forum) stated that the Creative Director from Ganz contacted him and confirmed that all classes at Kinzville Academy, including the Cooking and Grooming classes, count towards your 3 classes a day for 15 days.
You do not have to pass the classes. Three failures still count!
Tutored classes count towards your three classes a day.
The 15 days do not have to be in a row. You can skip days.
More pets taking more classes will not get you extra Recesses. The most Recesses you can get is one Recess every 15 days, no matter how many pets are taking classes on your account.
You can't "save up" a bunch of Recesses. If you do not take your Recess before your next one appears (15 full class days later), you will only have one Recess, not two.
The countdown for your next 15 days of classes seems to start as soon as you've earned your new Recess, not when you take your Recess. So, if you've earned a Recess, and don't take it right away, it should not interfere with the count towards your next full 15 days of classes. If, however, you don't take your current Recess before your next Recess shows up, you will lose one of those Recesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I keep track of my 15 days?

A Customer Service Representative has stated that they're working on implementing a counter that will show you how many days you've accumulated towards Recess. At this time, however, there is currently no way to check how many days of classes you've earned towards Recess. Webkinz World is supposed to automatically keep track for you. You can, of course, make a list and keep track for yourself.

If a class freezes up and I had to quit/x-out, does that count as one of my three classes that day?

We're not sure. Although a class that freezes, and has to be quit or x-ed out of, shows up as a failed class, it's uncertain whether that kind of failed class is being counted towards your 3 classes a day. Some people have had Recess delayed by the number of days a class froze on them. Other people received Recess on time, even with frozen classes, and it didn't interfere with their class/days count.

If you have a class that keeps freezing up on you, try taking a different class for a while, or take 3 more classes that day with a different pet (if you have another pet on that account) and see if that helps you get your Recess on time.

Deluxe members get to do an extra class each day. Does that make Recess come faster?

The extra class that Deluxe members get each day, does not seem to count towards Recess. (See post.)

What is the Missing Recess Glitch?

When Recess was first added to the Academy, there was a glitch that prevented some accounts from getting Recess even when they'd met all the requirements listed above. Many people, including myself, had two separate accounts, with one pet on each, doing the exact same classes every day, and one account would get Recess on time and the other would not. The glitch happened primarily on European and Asian accounts.

The "Missing Recess Glitch" now appears to be fixed. If you have met all the requirements for Recess (listed above) and your account is missing a Recess at this time, you should be able to fix the problem by following the steps below.

What To Do If You're Missing A Recess

(If you've met all the requirements listed above, and you're positive that you should have earned another Recess by now, but it's not showing up on your account(s))

First let's see if the problem is on your end. Please try the following:

While signed into Webkinz World, clear your cookies 3 times. (Let's make sure they're really cleared! )
Sign off of Webkinz World, and clear your cookies, again, 3 times.
Clear your cache three times.
Empty your computer's trash/recycling bin.
Re-start your computer.
Wait until after the next American Nightly Maintenance (After 6:30 am, EST, the next day).
Take three classes with the same pet again.
If this worked, the Recess bell should appear as soon as you've finished your third class.

If the above doesn't work, then it's time for you to start contacting Ganz.

Call Ganz Customer Service BEFORE you take your next 3 classes: 1-866-WEBKINZ (1-866-932-5469)
Find out how many full days of classes they think you currently have.
Tell them you're now going to take your next 3 classes while you're on the phone with them to see if the number of days increases.
Take your next three classes (use one pet only!)
After you take your 3 classes, ask them to confirm that your number of "Full days of classes" has increased by one.
Write down the name of the Representative helping you and the number of days they said you've accumulated towards Recess.
Repeat this every day until you get your Recess.

If Ganz can confirm that you have accumulated 15 full days of classes, they now have the ability to give you your missing Recess!

THANK YOU
To everyone who contacted Ganz
And to everyone who provided information for this thread!

Thank you for helping to clarify the specific requirements for Recess.
Thank you for taking part in some of the "Experiments" that helped identify the circumstances of the original "Missing Recess glitch."
Thank you for contributing information that helped to identify which accounts were genuinely affected by the original "Missing Recess glitch."
Thank you for continuing to contact Ganz until the original glitch was fixed.
And thank you for your continued good humor and support for this thread and for each other!

Your efforts helped countless members get their Missing Recesses!

* To find out which updates/changes have been made to this page, please click the spoiler below.

Spoiler: show

ConchyJane · 05-28-2009, 01:07 PM

Hi Cloud One. I also didn't receive recess on one of my accounts so I took your advice and phoned Ganz. Unlike you, my contact didn't actually want to be too helpful. Her first reaction was, well I can't do anything...I said pardon me??? Then she said let me check with my boss...then came back and ask for my details and said "call you back"...in an oh so pleasant "I love my job" tone

I'll let you know if she calls back today. Thanks for starting this thread! CJ

Cloud One · 05-28-2009, 02:15 PM

LOL! That's horrible! May as well send them an email too as backup. (Since your rep was SO attentive!

) Thanks for posting!

Red Fire · 05-28-2009, 02:42 PM

Hey Cloud One!

I called as well. I noticed on the account that I passed all three classes for the 15 days I received recess. On the account where a class was not passed on any one of those days I did not receive it.

So I gave them that info and hopefully they can get it fixed soon. Thanks for the thread!

Cloud One · 05-28-2009, 02:49 PM

Thanks for calling them and posting here. FWIW, I passed all 3 classes each day on the account I did not receive recess on. But I may have failed one day on the account I DID get it on.

ConchyJane · 05-28-2009, 03:16 PM

Reporting back....the "oh so pleasant" one called me back and left a message. When I returned the call I ended up with the sweet one I used to always deal with so she's taking care of it...sending to the tech dudes to fix. She did ask if I had successfully passed all 3 courses on all days to which I responded yes. Like Cloud, I did get recess on a couple of accounts that had not successfully completed a couple. This one everything is perfect, but no recess. Hopefully it will be here tomorrow. Now I'm curious, if you don't take the recess, will it still be there after another 15 consecutive days when another one is to be awarded....hmmm...maybe I'll chance it to test the theory

CJ

redcurrant · 05-28-2009, 04:06 PM

Hi I did 6 classes a day on each account since I did the first recess and I haven't got any recess yet although my daughter and son got one recess each . I too will e-mail them thanks for posting .

JUst one quick question I also phoned Ganz and reported the problem but did you have to do the same 3 classes every day with the same pet or could you do 3 classes but use different pets

Cloud One · 05-28-2009, 04:10 PM

Thanks for reporting back ConchyJane! I'm glad you got a callback. I guess we'll see what happens.

redcurrant: I don't know if it has to be the same pet doing all three classes every day, or if it can be different pets as long as there's 3 classes a day done on the same account.

-------------------
Added July 12th, 2009:

Re: "Last Edited" Comment by AnthonysMommy which read:

"Last edited by AnthonysMommy; Yesterday at 12:37 AM.. Reason: removing shell"

-I had a SHELL? In my own post?! And I didn't even see it??? SHEESH!

elefancy · 05-28-2009, 05:37 PM

I did get recess on my american accounts- the only account I have not gotten the recess on was my asian account- I was hoping it would show up today but just finished classes and it did not- Thanks for the suggestion to call

funkyc63 · 05-28-2009, 06:09 PM

I had failed a class on one of my accounts but I still received recess. 1 other account passes all classes and received recess. The third account failed a class but even after passing the next day has still not gotten recess.

Thanks for letting me know it just wasn't me. I will call Ganz tomorrow if it isn't there tonight.

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