A new Toontown for WDW - Yet another revival (open brainstorming)

[mharrington]

It's BAAAAAACK! Another thread on a new Toontown for Walt Disney World! Ever since Mickey's Toontown Fair had succumbed to the Fantasyland expansion (and even long before then), I was quite disappointed. As far as I was concerned, there was no "one" place where Mickey and the gang "lived" (everyone insists that, as per the Imagineers' say-so, their real home is in Disneyland, while Toontown Fair in Florida was only their vacation home). Granted, there is a new, somewhat glorified meet-n-greet for Mickey and Minnie on Main Street, but I feel there needs to be a new Toontown someplace in Walt Disney World. So where should it go? And more importantly, what can be put in there? That's what this thread is all about.

 

[MA Screamin']

Well, if we chose DHS, the Beauty and the Beast show could be removed and we could use all area behind it. Also, there's two ways we could go with this, residential or vacation home? Here's some ideas if we chose to do something similar to Toontown at DL:

• Refurbishment of Chip 'n Dale's Treehouse with more interactive "toys", should I say? Also, and added in Rescue Rangers secret headquarters. You slide down a pole and BOOM!
• An Oswald attraction called something like "Oswald's Daring Pursuit!", a dark ride where you travel across the globe to rescue Ortensia for who knows what!

More to come. :animwink:

 

[mharrington]

Well, if we chose DHS, the Beauty and the Beast show could be removed and we could use all area behind it. Also, there's two ways we could go with this, residential or vacation home? Here's some ideas if we chose to do something similar to Toontown at DL:

• Refurbishment of Chip 'n Dale's Treehouse with more interactive "toys", should I say? Also, and added in Rescue Rangers secret headquarters. You slide down a pole and BOOM!
• An Oswald attraction called something like "Oswald's Daring Pursuit!", a dark ride where you travel across the globe to rescue Ortensia for who knows what!

More to come. :animwink:

But neither residential nor vacation homes really fit the theme of the Studios. And I really want to avoid using the Rescue Rangers or Oswald. The main purpose is this: I don't think anyone will recognize them.

 

[MA Screamin']

But neither residential nor vacation homes really fit the theme of the Studios. And I really want to avoid using the Rescue Rangers or Oswald. The main purpose is this: I don't think anyone will recognize them.

You're right, if anyone we'll recognize them, it'll be die-hard Disney fans. But what theme would we use?

 

[mharrington]

You're right, if anyone we'll recognize them, it'll be die-hard Disney fans. But what theme would we use?

That, I'm having difficulty with.

 

[MA Screamin']

I got an idea that might just work, (still in the midst of thinking) how 'bout this Toontown isn't really a Toontown, but is a Maroon Studios-type-area! The area could possibly be dividing up into "lots", per say, and Mickey and Minnie's trailer (saw this on one of the past Toontown thread) is parked right outside a lot!

 

[mharrington]

I got an idea that might just work, (still in the midst of thinking) how 'bout this Toontown isn't really a Toontown, but is a Maroon Studios-type-area! The area could possibly be dividing up into "lots", per say, and Mickey and Minnie's trailer (saw this on one of the past Toontown thread) is parked right outside a lot!

No, I'm not really liking the overly-studio concept. And the trailers just seem too small. The Studios has just been in quite a mess right now.

 

[Donald96]

You could expand animation courtyard and there would be a pre-show theater which would be optional to guests. Then in the pre-show you could "open" the portal into the animation pages! And the pre show would include these huge sliding doors which would slowly be colored in to reflect a toon world(which is on the otherside) and then just as they finish coloring in the open quickly to reveal Toontown. Then inside would be the houses and perhaps a small dark ride.

Or they could use the idea above except make it a ride itself. The ride cars could go through the doors and just before they open is like a big flash and a gust of wind like "Imagination is a blast" sorta thing but you go into the smoke and through the doors. Then they could use the houses to decorate the ride, and while they wouldn't be walk through and you might have to cut off a back portion of them, it would bring a neat effect to the ride. You could do some really cool Mickey and Minnie animatronics doing something outside their homes too! Essentially It'd make the Art of Animation like a pavillion in Epcot, or one really cool ride!

 

[JEANYLASER]

I love the Rescue Rangers! and I hope they have a dark ride with the Rescue Rangers!

 

[mharrington]

You could expand animation courtyard and there would be a pre-show theater which would be optional to guests. Then in the pre-show you could "open" the portal into the animation pages! And the pre show would include these huge sliding doors which would slowly be colored in to reflect a toon world(which is on the otherside) and then just as they finish coloring in the open quickly to reveal Toontown. Then inside would be the houses and perhaps a small dark ride.

I'm not sure about a Toontown like in Disneyland is the way to go. We should try to do something different, in part because it is a different park. I'm still not liking the idea of having the Studios be the Florida "home" of Mickey and the gang. But I digress.

I love the Rescue Rangers! and I hope they have a dark ride with the Rescue Rangers!

But I don't think anyone else would know who they are nowadays.

 

[ScorpionX]

But I don't think anyone else would know who they are nowadays.

So you're saying that we can only build attractions based on the Fab Five if we want guests to recognize the characters?

 

[Donald96]

I'm not sure about a Toontown like in Disneyland is the way to go. We should try to do something different, in part because it is a different park. I'm still not liking the idea of having the Studios be the Florida "home" of Mickey and the gang. But I digress.

Well if you went with my single ride idea, then it wouldn't be more of a home but rather entering the animation pages to see mickey, minnie, and perhaps some other animated characters. I guess you could say it'd be like a great movie ride but for animation? Except it'd have different ride cars, and no live people?

 

[mharrington]

Well if you went with my single ride idea, then it wouldn't be more of a home but rather entering the animation pages to see mickey, minnie, and perhaps some other animated characters. I guess you could say it'd be like a great movie ride but for animation? Except it'd have different ride cars, and no live people?

That idea just seems too far-fetched. And besides, many movie-themed dark rides already exist. I already have a Fab Five dark ride in the works at the Magic Kingdom, based on an abandoned concept for Disneyland way back when.

 

[goofy donald]

You could expand animation courtyard and there would be a pre-show theater which would be optional to guests. Then in the pre-show you could "open" the portal into the animation pages! And the pre show would include these huge sliding doors which would slowly be colored in to reflect a toon world(which is on the otherside) and then just as they finish coloring in the open quickly to reveal Toontown. Then inside would be the houses

I like this idea a lot. they could tear out the outdated little mermaid show and put in a full toon town in that area where DHS meet and greets could occur. Being indoors is the most realistic way to create an animated space in my opinion as you can really get crazy with the design.

Having a great preshow is vital to this and would essentially be the first time disney would be able to actually make a meet and greet into an attraction, again if executed properly.

 

[mharrington]

So you're saying that we can only build attractions based on the Fab Five if we want guests to recognize the characters?

No, I'm just saying that we should focus on characters that have lasting appeal. Once a show were to go off the air, very few people may recognize it (outside of us Disney nuts, of course). If we were to do a Rescue Rangers ride, people are liable to ask, "The Rescue Rangers ride? What's that?" As David Koenig said in his book, "Mouse Under Glass": "The subject matter must endure or else be reconfigured to appeal to current audiences."

 

[Donald96]

I like this idea a lot. they could tear out the outdated little mermaid show and put in a full toon town in that area where DHS meet and greets could occur. Being indoors is the most realistic way to create an animated space in my opinion as you can really get crazy with the design.

Having a great preshow is vital to this and would essentially be the first time disney would be able to actually make a meet and greet into an attraction, again if executed properly.

Thanks
I think you're right, indoors they could really do some cool effects like the sky is acctually projected, and they could have "toon birds" fly over like Zazu, and then it could transition to night and you could see Alladin and Jasmine soar over! However like you said the pre-show would really need to set the stage for this, and establish it's place among Animation Courtyard! Perhaps it could be something like an animator is drawing a toonworld and some animated characters iterupt, and then sorcerer mickey could perhaps bring it to life? Perhaps like Epic Mickey but just the Toon village? Anyway they could name it "Magic of Disney Animation: The Expierence"? Something like that lol

 

[mharrington]

Thanks
I think you're right, indoors they could really do some cool effects like the sky is acctually projected, and they could have "toon birds" fly over like Zazu, and then it could transition to night and you could see Alladin and Jasmine soar over! However like you said the pre-show would really need to set the stage for this, and establish it's place among Animation Courtyard! Perhaps it could be something like an animator is drawing a toonworld and some animated characters iterupt, and then sorcerer mickey could perhaps bring it to life? Perhaps like Epic Mickey but just the Toon village? Anyway they could name it "Magic of Disney Animation: The Expierence"? Something like that lol

First off, this concept appears to be too far-fetched. Second, this version of Toontown appears to be much more inclusive than the version in Disneyland, which was mostly about the Fab Five and the atmosphere in the shorts. Third, I'm not liking the idea of enclosing the entire experience. How would it all fit? And I have a sneaking suspicion that the entire thing would be enclosed in a huge generic concrete barn of a building. And we have too many of those in the park already.

 

[goofy donald]

First off, this concept appears to be too far-fetched. Second, this version of Toontown appears to be much more inclusive than the version in Disneyland, which was mostly about the Fab Five and the atmosphere in the shorts. Third, I'm not liking the idea of enclosing the entire experience. How would it all fit? And I have a sneaking suspicion that the entire thing would be enclosed in a huge generic concrete barn of a building. And we have too many of those in the park already.

The way I'm thinking it is totally do able. You could have projections and high quality screens/scrims for the sky, and create a little block with a place for mickey minnie and pluto, donald and daisy, goofy and clarabell ect. My idea was mainly focusing on the fab 5 as well (possibly along with some additional characters from their realm i.e. Pete, Daisy duck, Chip and Dale ect. It would all fit plenty if they gutted the little mermaid show building and used some of that space along with a bit of the old animating studios they don't use anymore that are attached to the building backstage. and the little mermaid is all ready themed as an animation studio / sound stage which is exactly the look were going for.

 

[mharrington]

The way I'm thinking it is totally do able. You could have projections and high quality screens/scrims for the sky, and create a little block with a place for mickey minnie and pluto, donald and daisy, goofy and clarabell ect. My idea was mainly focusing on the fab 5 as well (possibly along with some additional characters from their realm i.e. Pete, Daisy duck, Chip and Dale ect. It would all fit plenty if they gutted the little mermaid show building and used some of that space along with a bit of the old animating studios they don't use anymore that are attached to the building backstage. and the little mermaid is all ready themed as an animation studio / sound stage which is exactly the look were going for.

But I don't like the idea of trying to confine everything inside a generic soundstage. And why inside, anyway?

 

[goofy donald]

But I don't like the idea of trying to confine everything inside a generic soundstage. And why inside, anyway?

The sound stage and animation studios, which has been there since the park opened are actually well themed to their surroundings and look much nicer then comparable buildings you would see at say universal.

We want to bring the design indoors because A) it gives the ability to make the guest feel like their really being transported into the cartoon due to the contrast from being outside in the real world to inside in this bright vibrant place. B) it allows for the use of various materials, paint, effects, ect that would not or could not take the rough Floridian weather outdoors, again helping with the contrast and realism. C) It turns a regular run of the mill meet and greet into a full fledged attraction that everyone can walk-though, experience, and enjoy.