California’s Disneyland Resort is ready to continue its ‘Disney100’ celebration of the Walt Disney Company’s centennial anniversary with a March 19 reopening of the redesigned Mickey’s Toontown section of the original “Happiest Place on Earth.”
Tucked away behind Fantasyland at the northernmost edge of Disneyland Park, Toontown has long been the land that caters specifically to the park’s smallest visitors. It originally opened a full 30 years ago, inspired by the popular mixed live-action-animation film Who Framed Roger Rabbit? with an aesthetic that paid homage to the earliest cartoons seen on the silver screen during Hollywood’s Golden Age.
While the overarching theme and focus on the Walt Disney Studio’s classic characters from the original animated shorts remain, Toontown has been reimagined with new features and fresh ways for young children and their families to explore, play and unwind together in settings designed to foster hands-on interaction.
New environments and physical elements have been added that encourage guests to use their five senses to connect with this whimsical world and with each other, discovering their own ways to play and also playing together.
Mickey’s Toontown has been thoughtfully redesigned by Walt Disney Imagineering with the intention of removing as many barriers to play as possible, opening up areas for green spaces where families can gather, relax and regroup amid a busy day at the park. This also meant increasing accessibility for guests with different needs, removing curbs for easier navigation, and incorporating features like companion restrooms and quiet areas for kids to decompress.
New Areas of Mickey’s Toontown
CenTOONial Park – This brand-new grassy area will be the first guests encounter upon entering the land, anchored by two interactive play elements: a fountain with water tables designed for a sensory play experience, and a “dreaming tree” with sculpted tree roots for little tykes to crawl through and explore.
Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard – This spot features a whimsical sound garden that invites kids to invent new combinations of wacky noises, along with an all-new, elevated clubhouse. Inside Goofy’s House, guests can get their hands on a fun candy-making contraption that only Goofy could have contrived.
Donald’s Duck Pond – This water feature was created to let the little ones get their wiggles out while making a splash. Sitting on the surface is Donald’s Boat, surrounded by spinning, larger-than-life water lilies, balance beams and rocking toys. Peering inside the boat’s portholes, explorers will discover a fun scene featuring familiar Disney ducklings Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webby.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (already present at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando) is a family-friendly attraction that debuted for the first time at Disneyland Park on January 27, 2023. The ride has no age or height restrictions; so, families can journey all together into Mickey and Minnie’s wacky and unpredictable cartoon world.
With Toontown’s imminent reopening, parkgoers will also be able to enjoy the return of family-favorite attractions, including Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin and Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster. Also back are established walk-through locations, like Mickey’s House and Minnie’s House, which offer meet-and-greets and photo opportunities with their titular characters. While walking around the animated neighborhood, guests are also likely to spot real-life cartoon pals Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Pete and Clarabelle.
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Source: TravelPulse
