Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

I can't seem to level up at all, and I'm pretty sure it's a massive glitch. I don't have the game on proud mode, nor do I have the zero EXP ability turned on. My dream eater buddies can level up, but not Sora or Riku. Can anybody help me out please? I've got only 4 hours in the game, so I really don't mind if I have to do a data wipe or something like that. I'd just love to level up and not get screwed over on later worlds being stuck on level 1 forever.

What Kingdom Hearts game has the best set of Keyblade?

Which Kingdom Hearts game had the best Young Xehanort boss fight?

What costume will you use for Sora in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?

Here's King Mickey arriving in The World That Never Was in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.
Here's the Replica for Roxas being sent to the Keyblade Graveyard by Ienzo, Even, Ansem the Wise, etc. in Kingdom Hearts III. (Which Roxas' heart comes out of Sora and then goes into the moment it arrives.)
It's the exact same method of travel/arriving at a world. They have the same animation of a sparkle in the sky and then a beam of light coming down from where the sparkle was, transporting a person or object to a world.