Mickey's Toontown
BACKSTORY (January 24, 1993—Present): Themed on Toontown from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” with stylized & colorful buildings. Attractions include: Chip ’n Dale Treehouse • Donald’s Boat • Gadget’s Go Coaster • Goofy’s Playhouse (Goofy’s Bounce House: January 24, 1993 - March 3, 2006) • Jolly Trolley (currently bolted down) • Mickey’s House & Minnie’s House (get your photo taken with them)• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. From the original publicity packet:
MICKEY'S TOONTOWN WILL OPEN ITS DOORS TO NON-TOONS AT DISNEYLAND IN JANUARY 1993
MICKEY'S TOONTOWN, home to Mickey Mouse and his Disney animated friends since the 1930s, will open its doors to non-Toons at Disneyland on January 26, 1993. (According to Disneyland legend, MICKEY'S TOONTOWN has always existed as an exclusive hideaway for the Disney stars. Walt Disney was one of the few non-Toons to have ever set foot inside MICKEY'S TOONTOWN. Recently a decision was made by the residents of MICKEY'S TOONTOWN to open the place up to non-Toon guests.) For the first time in 20 years, a new land will be opened at the Magic Kingdom—the last being Bear Country (renamed Critter Country in 1989). Located near the It's a Small World attraction in Fantasyland, MICKEY'S TOONTOWN will give Park guests an opportunity to meet Mickey and his friends in their own cartoon world.
"The original idea for MICKEY'S TOONTOWN was for our guests to meet Mickey, in his home and in his neighborhood," said Walt Disney Imagineering Show Producer Dave Burkhart. "We didn't want to make it just a set, but a living, breathing, 3-dimensional cartoon environment. Everything is exaggerated in MICKEY'S TOONTOWN to convey the cartoon-ish elements. For example, there are no straight lines or conventional architecture here." (In the photo at right, Imagineer Jon Foster puts the finishing touch on a model depicting Gadget's "Go-Coaster" and Donald Duck's wacky boat, the "Miss Daisy")
MICKEY'S TOONTOWN is different from Disneyland's other seven lands because it is a complete character community, including a downtown, a suburban neighborhood and rural areas that feature Disney characters at home, work and play. Disneyland guests will be able to interact with Mickey Mouse and his Disney friends since they will have houses, attractions and activities of their own, with each design refleting a unique personality.
"I think the best example of houses resembling characters," said Joe Lanzisero, WDI Senior Concept Designer, "is Donald's boat, the 'Miss Daisy.' The top of the wheelhouse is literally Donald's hat, and it's blue. The bow of the boat is painted like his shirt, and the shape of it looks like a duck bill. If you just walk by and look at it, it's a big cartoon-colored boat. But if you stop by and study it, it's really Donald."
Once inside MICKEY'S TOONTOWN, guests will be able to interact with everything from talking manholes and rubber fire hydrants to dancing dishes and spinning flowers. Mickey Mouse fans will have the opportunity to wander into Mickey's red-shingled cartoon house and stroll through his backyard and even take a tour through his movie barn, which is filled to the rafters with props from some of his greatest cartoons. Mickey will be on the set of one of his favorite cartoons (including "Steamboat Willie," "Through the Mirror," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "The Band Concert") to meet guests personally.
Next door to Mickey Mouse's house is the dream home of his lifelong co-star and sweetheart, Minnie Mouse. Always the perfect hostess, Minnie will provide her guests with an amusing array of activities, from baking a cake in the kitchen to sampling her perfume in her dressing room.
Across the street is Goofy's Bounce House, which, like the lovable character, is a little goofy in its construction. The fully inflatable abode lets guests actually bounce off the walls, floors, furniture and even the fireplace. Outside in Goofy's garden is a variety of delights, including watery watermelons, squashed squashes and time-telling thyme plants.
Chip 'n Dale's home is nestled high into the branches of a neighborhood acorn tree. Guests can explore the wooded world of their chipmunk pals via a spiral staircase with two exiting slides. Younger guests can slip down a slide that will land them smack in the middle of Chip 'n Dale's winter stash—thousands of acorns.
Gadget, pal of Chip 'n Dale and star of "Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers," resides in an environmentally-sound workshop made of recycled cartoon discards. Around the young inventor's workshop races her "Go-Coaster," a miniature rollercoaster made of oversized toys on which guests ride in hollowed-out acorn vehicles.
