A new Toontown for WDW, Part 2 (open brainstorming)

[mharrington]

wait, what? how is dhs involved?

If you were to look a few pages back, just before post #46 (http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showpost.php?p=4644643&postcount=46), you would see that I've been agonizing over how to put a Toontown in Disney's Hollywood Studios, which may be renamed something else to further distance itself from its "studio" identity. The name would be Disney Hollywood Adventure.

Up to post #46, I've only been trying to contemplate how to put in a Toontown at the Magic Kingdom, not necessarily trying to actually do it. As for a ride themed to Steamboat Willie, could you possibly elaborate a little more?

 

[flavious27]

If you were to look a few pages back, just before post #46 (http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showpost.php?p=4644643&postcount=46), you would see that I've been agonizing over how to put a Toontown in Disney's Hollywood Studios, which may be renamed something else to further distance itself from its "studio" identity. The name would be Disney Hollywood Adventure.

Up to post #46, I've only been trying to contemplate how to put in a Toontown at the Magic Kingdom, not necessarily trying to actually do it. As for a ride themed to Steamboat Willie, could you possibly elaborate a little more?

Well this is a proposed expansion for dhs I mocked up.

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/8100/dhswithimprovements8.png

The roger rabbit attraction could be a mini toontown.

As for a steamboat willy ride, disney can design the show building to look like the steamboat. Inside they can use a boat coaster while depicted different scenes in the movie.

 

[mharrington]

Well this is a proposed expansion for dhs I mocked up.

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/8100/dhswithimprovements8.png

The roger rabbit attraction could be a mini toontown.

As for a steamboat willy ride, disney can design the show building to look like the steamboat. Inside they can use a boat coaster while depicted different scenes in the movie.

As I stated time and time again, there are (or at least were) a lot of legal issues involved with Roger Rabbit, so I'm against doing anything related to the characters. And "Steamboat Willie", I don't think, really fits the park atmosphere. Unless, of course, we were to take the park and rename it Magic Kingdom II!

 

[mharrington]

Do you think we could come up with a storyline for this new version of Toontown, either for the Magic Kingdom or the Studios? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[flavious27]

Do you think we could come up with a storyline for this new version of Toontown, either for the Magic Kingdom or the Studios? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Well for the mickey clubhouse, I was thinking that some of the zany experiments being acted out. For the toontown portion, I wanted to have kind of a nautical theme.

 

[mharrington]

Well for the mickey clubhouse, I was thinking that some of the zany experiments being acted out. For the toontown portion, I wanted to have kind of a nautical theme.

Why a nautical theme?

And I'm really having a hard time embracing the concept of the clubhouse. I'm not sure if it will be around in the next few years. David Koenig once said, "The subject matter must endure or else be reconfigured to appeal to current audiences." If we did something with the clubhouse, but the show went off the air and eventually becomes forgotten except by Disney nuts like us, wouldn't we have to do something else with it?

Now, let's just suppose for a few minutes that this Toontown overtook the Tomorrowland Speedway (even though it's in plain view of both the Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Space Mountain). How can we make it look right with Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe right across the way from the Speedway?

I'm sorry if it seems like I'm being argumentative, but I'm just struggling to see how we can make this Toontown work. At least with Toontown Fair, when I had plans for it, I could just start with what was there and build out from it.

 

[mharrington]

We also need a Roger Rabbit-style dark ride, but without Roger Rabbit. What can we do?

 

[suechris2]

Mickey and Minnies houses to be relocated

About a month ago I called to book the Keys to the Kingdom tour. The cast member I spoke to was telling me little things about the parks. He said that they would be relocating Mickey and Minnies Houses but he did not say where they would be going.
I hope they do the same with Donalds boat but he didn't mention that.

 

[mharrington]

About a month ago I called to book the Keys to the Kingdom tour. The cast member I spoke to was telling me little things about the parks. He said that they would be relocating Mickey and Minnies Houses but he did not say where they would be going.
I hope they do the same with Donalds boat but he didn't mention that.

I thought Mickey and Minnie already got a new "home" on Main Street. I put it in "quotations" because it's not a real house, it's a theater, and one in an old 40-year-old structure at that.

 

[skellington22]

We also need a Roger Rabbit-style dark ride, but without Roger Rabbit. What can we do?

I always thought The incredibles or Pinocchio dseserved a dark ride in WDW

 

[mharrington]

I always thought The incredibles or Pinocchio dseserved a dark ride in WDW

But neither of them fit in a Toontown!

 

[mharrington]

Maybe we could have TWO Toontowns at WDW. One would be a much more modest design in the Magic Kingdom, based more on the Disney animated shorts of the 1930s and '40s. I really think that these cartoon shorts really don't fit the relatively more uppity mentality of the Studios, I really don't. Now, the other Toontown will be in the Studios and be more upscale.

The only question is, in terms of the Magic Kingdom, how can we do this if we were going to take over part of the Speedway? If it was just a matter of removing the ride, it would be a simple matter. But as I said before, the PeopleMover track passes right over the Speedway and it's in plain view of Space Mountain. So how can we do it so it won't clash with these two lands?

 

[skellington22]

Maybe we could have TWO Toontowns at WDW. One would be a much more modest design in the Magic Kingdom, based more on the Disney animated shorts of the 1930s and '40s. I really think that these cartoon shorts really don't fit the relatively more uppity mentality of the Studios, I really don't. Now, the other Toontown will be in the Studios and be more upscale.

The only question is, in terms of the Magic Kingdom, how can we do this if we were going to take over part of the Speedway? If it was just a matter of removing the ride, it would be a simple matter. But as I said before, the PeopleMover track passes right over the Speedway and it's in plain view of Space Mountain. So how can we do it so it won't clash with these two lands?

If you want one in DHS, perhaps...

Having a M&G with Mickey, Donald, Goofy while they are on set of one of their movies?

Brave Little Tailor Mickey and Minnie?
or

Three Musketeers Mickey,Donald and Goofy

or

Mickey and the Beanstalk... Mickey,Minnie,Goofy and Donald

The Queue could be going up a bean stalk, and Mickey can be at the top

I dont know just throwing some thoughts out there....

Maybe even Sorcerer Mickey in a Castle at DHS? :veryconfu

 

[mharrington]

If you want one in DHS, perhaps...

Having a M&G with Mickey, Donald, Goofy while they are on set of one of their movies?

Brave Little Tailor Mickey and Minnie?
or

Three Musketeers Mickey,Donald and Goofy

or

Mickey and the Beanstalk... Mickey,Minnie,Goofy and Donald

The Queue could be going up a bean stalk, and Mickey can be at the top

I dont know just throwing some thoughts out there....

Maybe even Sorcerer Mickey in a Castle at DHS? :veryconfu

With all due respect, I really don't think that short cartoons really fit the atmosphere of the Studios. Where animation is concerned, it should be restricted to the feature films. And besides, I kinda did think of a meet-n-greet for the Studios already.

 

[skellington22]

With all due respect, I really don't think that short cartoons really fit the atmosphere of the Studios. Where animation is concerned, it should be restricted to the feature films. And besides, I kinda did think of a meet-n-greet for the Studios already.

Well your Asking for a themed Toontown no? ....

I dont know what other theme that would fit into a Toontown in the studios, than to have Mickey in a directors uniform, Minnie in a mary poppins outfit and Goofy and donald both dressed accordingly, I dont know, just thinking out loud

 

[mharrington]

Well your Asking for a themed Toontown no? ....

I dont know what other theme that would fit into a Toontown in the studios, than to have Mickey in a directors uniform, Minnie in a mary poppins outfit and Goofy and donald both dressed accordingly, I dont know, just thinking out loud

Well, in terms of a theme, the meet-n-greet is in an appropriately-themed hotel, with the hotel having forced perspective to make it seem tall without actually being tall. The only reason I thought of the hotel was because this forum community, no fans of Toontown Fair, joked that where the characters live now is the same way as guests do: in a hotel. The reason why this is so is that they tenaciously defend the storyline thought of by Imagineers that the characters' real home is in Disneyland in California and that the homes in Florida is only their vacation homes. The new Mickey meet-n-greet, of course, is in the Town Square Theater on Main Street, where, in hindsight now, I really don't think they fit in. The forum community also insists that these Florida homes are unnecessary and that, to them, meeting the characters themselves is enough.

As for a new Toontown, they insist that the Studios is the best place to put it (they insist that this would give the parents another place to take kids to besides the Magic Kingdom for a change), but for some reason, I just don't like that. I just don't nor can see the Studios as the best place for it. That's because the Toontown in Disneyland (and Magic Kingdom) places emphasis on the cartoon shorts of yore, which I really don't think fits the theme of the Studios. The emphasis at the Studios should be only on the full-length feature films. And also if Toontown were to be put in the Studios, it would have to have a large studio-type bend, which considering the past few years is not a good idea (hence why I think the park should also get a new name). Here's what the Imagineer field guide says on the matter (which may or may not be relevant to the topic - you've been warned):

"As the public expressed more interest in learning about the world behind the scenes, the media obliged with more and more stories and features about these topics. The arrival of DVD media allowed for the movies we purchase to offer much of the backstage information that the Studios park used to focus on. Our recent projects have focused on more immersive experiences that put the Guest in the middle of the action. So, the Park is now less about the nuts and bolts of filmmaking craft and more about putting Guests into experiences inspired by film, television, and other media in new and exciting ways. The name Disney's Hollywood Studios reinforces this shift."

What's more, the forum community is also clamoring for more Roger Rabbit, which might make sense, but I don't think is going to happen either, given the legal battles over the characters and whatnot. The only way that Roger, Jessica and the rest are going to come back is if Disney bought the property outright, which may or may not ever happen given Disney's obsession with buying up non-Disney properties (look at Marvel, for example). Okay, my rant is over. Maybe I'm just being closed-minded and showing favoritism towards the castle parks (and also Epcot).

Oh, and by the way, you might also want to take a look at this for more information: http://progresscityusa.com/2010/02/03/talkin-bout-studios/.

 

[mharrington]

I found this thread here and the forum member who created it has, in my opinion, a possible way of adding a Toontown to the Magic Kingdom. I'm going to put up the post in question: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showpost.php?p=4680339&postcount=7. However, unlike the rendering in the link shown here, there won't be any Storybook Land/Casey Jr. area next door. It will only be Toontown, which I actually will rename to Mickeytown, so that Toontown itself can play a bigger role in the Studios.

Also, unlike the rendering in the link, it will not be an complete duplicate of the Toontown in California. For one thing, Mickey and Minnie's houses will be combined into one, a la the Mickeyville concept. For another, there won't be a Roger Rabbit ride here. Instead, it will be another dark ride in its style, but themed to Goofy.

And if we used the tunnel like in the rendering in the link, we could bring out a sketch of the land that was thought of for the Disneyland Toontown, but not entirely used: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OO7WbmARD08/SeJgu1iG1oI/AAAAAAAAQKo/wIv7zo6FRkc/s1600/ToontownElevation.jpg. If you looked at this image, the area marked "tunnel" could be one of the portals into or out of Mickeytown. Meanwhile, the area marked "grocery" could be used as an actual walk-up fruit stand. It could be just a real fruit stand, judging by the produce on display in the image here, for people who want something quick and on the go.

Just my ideas for how we can make this work. Again, what are your thoughts?

 

[flavious27]

I found this thread here and the forum member who created it has, in my opinion, a possible way of adding a Toontown to the Magic Kingdom. I'm going to put up the post in question: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showpost.php?p=4680339&postcount=7. However, unlike the rendering in the link shown here, there won't be any Storybook Land/Casey Jr. area next door. It will only be Toontown, which I actually will rename to Mickeytown, so that Toontown itself can play a bigger role in the Studios.

Also, unlike the rendering in the link, it will not be an complete duplicate of the Toontown in California. For one thing, Mickey and Minnie's houses will be combined into one, a la the Mickeyville concept. For another, there won't be a Roger Rabbit ride here. Instead, it will be another dark ride in its style, but themed to Goofy.

And if we used the tunnel like in the rendering in the link, we could bring out a sketch of the land that was thought of for the Disneyland Toontown, but not entirely used: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OO7WbmARD08/SeJgu1iG1oI/AAAAAAAAQKo/wIv7zo6FRkc/s1600/ToontownElevation.jpg. If you looked at this image, the area marked "tunnel" could be one of the portals into or out of Mickeytown. Meanwhile, the area marked "grocery" could be used as an actual walk-up fruit stand. It could be just a real fruit stand, judging by the produce on display in the image here, for people who want something quick and on the go.

Just my ideas for how we can make this work. Again, what are your thoughts?

Its been awhile.

I think I said this awhile or months back, both about the same now, that any expansion at MK is going to be difficult. I like the idea of the tunnel, they could do some good stuff to transition between whatever we will call the Fantasyland expansion to this new land. The mockup you posted uses a tunnel, I though of using a bridge because of the obstructions in the way (RR tracks, stream). I also used the bridge and water as part of the theme so it wouldn't look awkward.

I like this whimsical architecture link, it works for the area.

This is all blue sky, always will be. I also wanted to use this land as part of a second entrance / exit for MK. Disney all up on pirates, why not have a second entrance / exit that is themed in the spirit of port royal. Along with that, you can only access it by boat or a hotel next door. I might have time today to work further on that concept, but that is even more out there because of how much larger it would make the park and because a hotel is involved.

I would like to see a mickey area back at MK.

 

[mharrington]

Its been awhile.

I think I said this awhile or months back, both about the same now, that any expansion at MK is going to be difficult. I like the idea of the tunnel, they could do some good stuff to transition between whatever we will call the Fantasyland expansion to this new land. The mockup you posted uses a tunnel, I though of using a bridge because of the obstructions in the way (RR tracks, stream). I also used the bridge and water as part of the theme so it wouldn't look awkward.

We could do like what RandySavage thought of for the addition of Discovery Bay: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kJHWUJv9unE/TsQNQGKJRyI/AAAAAAAAAZM/_uLCl6lsvgU/s1600/Blog+-+MK+Wonderland.PNG.

 

[mharrington]

Here's an idea, one that I've been kicking around for a long, long time. It is to create both a Toontown for the Studios and a Mickeytown for the Magic Kingdom. Mickeytown will be featured in this overhead shot of the expansion of Fantasyland. This is an ideal spot for Mickeytown (I call it Mickeytown so Toontown can play a larger role in the Studios):

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/TimLohr77/font/7-flebig1.jpg

The main problem is that there isn't too much room for any large attractions to be built, so much of it is going to have to be augmented, and sadly, the Goofy ride I had in mind as a new version of a Mr. Toad/Roger Rabbit dark ride is going to have to be scrapped. But maybe, just maybe, the MK Drive route can be altered, especially if history is any indication, such as at Disneyland.

Anyway... Now, this may sound like blasphemy, but where attractions are concerned, Mickeytown's should be new variations of attractions now at Toy Story Land in Paris and in Hong Kong. At least rides like these may be able to fit in the space featured above. And I will also include Mickey and Minnie's house. That's right, unlike Disneyland's Toontown or WDW's Toontown Fair, the two mice's homes will now be combined into one, like in the original concept of Mickeyville.

What are your thoughts?