Is it true that the webkinz access to the website is good only for a year?

Don't know about that but there is a new sort of Webkinz. It is put out by russ and you get to name a star when you purchase one of the stuffed animals. They have then at the learning express.

 
They are called shining stars and you can visit the site at www.shiningstars.com

 

No, after a year all you have to do is renew the membership of those webkinz pets.They do this in case a child no longer uses that webkinz account, this way the servers do not get over crowded by non used accounts. HTH.