Mickey's Toontown

Mickey's Toontown
The entrance sign at Disneyland in Anaheim
Attraction type	Themed land
Theme	Home for toons

Mickey's Toontown is a "themed land" at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, two theme parks operated by The Walt Disney Company. At Tokyo Disneyland, this land is named Toontown. A similar land existed at the Magic Kingdom and was named Mickey's Toontown Fair.

The attraction is a small-scale recreation of the Mickey Mouse universe where visitors can meet the characters and visit their homes which are constructed in a cartoonish style. It was inspired by the supposedly real-world location of "Toontown" from the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) in which cartoon characters live apart from humans.

History and Concept

Downtown Toontown in Disneyland

Roger Rabbit was recognized as a lucrative character by Disney after the release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and an ambitious set of attractions based on the movie was developed for Disney theme parks. Roger Rabbit was even set to be the star of his own land, behind Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland, called Hollywoodland. Meanwhile, at the Magic Kingdom, a new land behind Fantasyland was being developed in honor of Mickey Mouse's sixtieth birthday, aptly named Mickey's Birthdayland. There were also set to be attractions based on Roger Rabbit, Judge Doom, and Baby Herman opening in a major expansion at the Disney's Hollywood Studios and Tokyo Disneyland, but after the financial disaster of the Euro Disney Resort, plans were dramatically cut back.

Hollywoodland was combined with the concept of Mickey's Birthdayland, as well as a concept found in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, to form Mickey's Toontown, which opened in 1993 behind Fantasyland at Disneyland. The attractions at Disney-MGM Studios were canceled, but an exact replica of Mickey's Toontown opened at Tokyo Disneyland in 1996. Disneyland Paris features a similar 'Toon Studio'. Hong Kong Disneyland is the only Disney theme park to have neither a Toontown or Toon Studio.

Magic Kingdom

Mickey's Toontown Fair
Magic Kingdom
Opening date	June 18, 1988
Closing date	February 12, 2011

At the Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Toontown Fair initially opened as Mickey's Birthdayland on June 18, 1988. It became Mickey's Starland on May 26, 1990, and Mickey's Toontown Fair on October 1, 1996. Its storyline portrayed the land as the holiday home for the characters who reside at Mickey's Toontown in California.

Mickey's Toontown Fair closed permanently in February of 2011 in order to make way for the expansion of Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland.^[1] Some elements of Mickey's Toontown Fair will be demolished and others will be re-themed to a new Storybook Circus area. An expanded Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride will be built with an interactive queue. The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm will be re-themed to The Great Goofini.^[2]

Former Attractions and Entertainment

• Mickey's Country House
• Minnie's Country House
• The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm
• Donald's Boat
• Pixie Hollow
• Judge's Tent
• Toontown Hall of Fame
• Walt Disney World Railroad

Former Shopping

• Cornelius Coot's County Bounty
• Mickey's Toontown Fair Souvenirs
• Toontown Farmer's Market

Disneyland

Mickey's Toontown
Disneyland
Opening date	January 24, 1993

Mickey's Toontown opened in Disneyland on January 24, 1993. The area is themed to the Toontown seen in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and resembles a set from a Max Fleischer cartoon. The buildings are stylized and colorful. There are several attractions involving classic cartoon characters, such as the houses of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and a small children's coaster. There are a few interactive gags. Compared to other Disneyland areas however, there are few large or technically complex rides or shows, and the houses themselves appeal primarily as playhouses for small children.

Early entry events are held here for guests booking travel with the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Attractions and Entertainment

• Chip 'n Dale Treehouse
• Disneyland Railroad
• Donald's Boat
• Gadget's Go Coaster
• Goofy's Playhouse
• Mickey's House and Meet Mickey
• Minnie's House
• Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin

Restaurants

• Daisy's Diner
• Pluto's Dog House
• Clarabelle's Frozen Yogurt
• Toon Up Treats

Shopping

• Gag Factory

Former Attractions and Entertainment

• Chip 'n Dale's Acorn Pit
• Goofy's Bounce House (re-themed to Goofy's Playhouse)
• Toon Park

Tokyo Disneyland

Toontown
Tokyo Disneyland
Opening date	April 15, 1996

See also: Tokyo Disneyland attraction and entertainment history

Toontown opened in Tokyo Disneyland on April 15, 1996. It is essentially a copy of Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland, with a mirror image of its layout.

Attractions and Entertainment

• Mickey's House and Meet Mickey
• Minnie's House
• Goofy's Bounce House
• Donald's Boat
• Chip 'n Dale's Treehouse
• Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
• Gadget's Go Coaster
• Toon Park

Restaurants

• Dinghy Drinks
• Toon Pop
• Out of Bounds Ice Cream
• Good Time Cafe
• Daisy's Snack Wagon
• Mickey's Trailer
• Goofy's Drink Stand
• Pop-A-Lot Popcorn

Shopping

• Toontown Delivery Company
• Gag Factory
• Toontown Five & Dime

In popular culture

• Mickey's Toontown inspired an online role-playing game called Toontown Online, which was released in 2003. The online game is similar to Mickey's Toontown.

• In the Wii game Epic Mickey, OsTown was inspired by Mickey's Toontown. However, OsTown features more "dog-faces", two pirates, an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit fountain, and Clarabelle Cow.

• In July 2011, for the television program Curb Appeal: The Block, designer and host John Gidding installed a comical Toontown-style railing on the front porch of an Alameda, California home. Despite the frequent chuckles it provided to friends and neighbors, it was quietly removed and replaced by a more appropriate railing.

References

1. ^ Smith, Thomas (10 December 2010). "New Fantasyland Expansion Update". http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/12/new-fantasyland-expansion-update/. Retrieved 10 December 2010. 
2. ^ "Disney World’s Fantasyland expansion". WOFL FOX 35. 18 January 2011. http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/attractions/disney/011811-disney-announcements. Retrieved 18 January 2011.