Fifth Gate Disney Memories

[Djsfantasi]

Toon town was horrible, at least at Disneyland, did they have it in Florida as well?

Toontown was a creative tour de force. The engineering that went into the Toontown Trolley was impressive for such a small detail. And the dark ride was the first occurrence of an interactive attraction. Plus, the detail rivaled that of SWGE! Construction workers had to learn new building techniques for the cartoonish buildings and the architectural details surpassed that of any other Disney experience of the time. Children (and adults) were assaulted visually, aurally and sensationally by the land.

 

[Brad Bishop]

Toontown was a creative tour de force. The engineering that went into the Toontown Trolley was impressive for such a small detail. And the dark ride was the first occurrence of an interactive attraction. Plus, the detail rivaled that of SWGE! Construction workers had to learn new building techniques for the cartoonish buildings and the architectural details surpassed that of any other Disney experience of the time. Children (and adults) were assaulted visually, aurally and sensationally by the land.

These things are all true. Still, IMO, it wasn't great "land".

Even worse, it was whittled down over time to next to nothing as things got closed off because someone got hurt here or there.

 

[Dave B]

Toontown was a creative tour de force. The engineering that went into the Toontown Trolley was impressive for such a small detail. And the dark ride was the first occurrence of an interactive attraction. Plus, the detail rivaled that of SWGE! Construction workers had to learn new building techniques for the cartoonish buildings and the architectural details surpassed that of any other Disney experience of the time. Children (and adults) were assaulted visually, aurally and sensationally by the land.

Was it ever in Florida, or Just California?

 

[Sbk1234]

I recently read an article on Disney Lists, that listed the top extinct attractions that people want back.

• Horizons
• 20,000 Leagues
• Mickey’s Toontown
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
• Maelstrom
• The Timekeeper
• Snow White’s Scary...
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

In addition to all of these, I'd personally add World of Motion, Wonders of Life, Journey Into Imagination, Superstar Television, the original Animation show from Disney Studios, the list goes on!

That's part of the problem of loving something so much.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Was it ever in Florida, or Just California?

Florida had Mickey's Birthdayland, which then became Mickey's Starland. I'm not sure if they ever actually called it Toontown in Florida, but either way, it was never as immersive or well-themed as the California version.

Oldies I would mind seeing again- The Mickey Mouse Review (long gone) , and a later attraction that once occupied the same space, Magic Journeys, after moving from Epcot. Mainly because Magic Journeys was so weird and it made virtually every toddler in the audience cry in terror with the sudden tonal shift from light whimsy to gothic horror.

 

[Brer Panther]

Florida had Mickey's Birthdayland, which then became Mickey's Starland. I'm not sure if they ever actually called it Toontown in Florida, but either way, it was never as immersive or well-themed as the California version.

Yes, it became Mickey's Toontown Fair I think in 1996. Now it's Storybook Circus.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I recently read an article on Disney Lists, that listed the top extinct attractions that people want back.

• Horizons
• 20,000 Leagues
• Mickey’s Toontown
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
• Maelstrom
• The Timekeeper
• Snow White’s Scary...
• Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

This is just a mental exercise. But, imagine all these old favorites coming back.

This often gets brought up about a park with extinct attractions. I like the idea, but it is not my money at risk. Some people might say there is a reason they are extinct, but I was on every single of one those rides you mentioned and I'd do it again. In reality, they could easily build a park meant specifically for the characters. Mickey's Toontown was pretty good, it is much better in current Disneyland though. But if you have been to Islands of Adventure you'd know about "Toon Lagoon" and they do that section up pretty well. You could make a park out of that sort of thing, but with Disney characters.

I guess the good news is some of those can still be ridden. Mr. Toad and Snow White are still in Disneyland. Toontown is in Disneyland. Maelstrom still is much of the same ride except they replaced it with Frozen. But it is still the same boat that takes you around. You can still see the Maelstrom look to it.

 

[Brad Bishop]

Yes, it became Mickey's Toontown Fair I think in 1996. Now it's Storybook Circus.

Sort of. I'd argue that it's part of Fantasyland now (New Fantasyland) and Storybook Circus is a part of that.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I'd welcome them all back. Got to RIDE all of them except 20,000 Leagues.
Missing from the list that was one of my favs...ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.
Never would happen, but it would be fantastic if Disney opened up a park dedicated just for all of the favored extinct attractions.

fixed that for you...

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

Probably not a great example of a "Disney-themed" attraction but I still have memories of "If You Had Wings" in MK. That dang song gets stuck in my head when I think about it. Eastern Airlines is no longer around but in a Fictional "Memories Park", maybe Delta or Allegiant could be the sponsor

 

[cmwade77]

They can never come back, unfortunately.

In keeping with the "exercise". If say, they wanted to bring back a ride - they couldn't. The tech would be outdated and in many cases unobtainable.

So then they'd have a decision. Bring back the ride with older tech, which is not quite the same - but close. Or bring in "new" tech. Which would be nothing like the "old" ride.

In both cases, the ride is not the same as the original. And in neither does it satisfy the expectation or achieve the desired "nostalgic" result..

You see, what I would want is attractions that harken back to the original, but use updated effects and technology, but have the fundamentals of the old attractions. For example, Horizons would be boring today if done exactly as it was, as we have a lot of the technology that it showcased, but if instead it focused on showing how those (and other similar) predictions of the future helped to influence what we have today and then go into even more of what we might have in the future, it could be an interesting ride and use modern effects and tech to accomplish this.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I miss Cranium Command.

 

[marni1971]

To me: Toon Town sucked. Mickey's Star Land was also lame. "What can we do for cheap?"

Not so much cheap, more temporary. Again.

 

[Goofy213]

Can we add, The Main Street Electric Parade alternated with Spectromagic, Illuminations Reflections of Earth and Pleasure Island?

 

[Heppenheimer]

You see, what I would want is attractions that harken back to the original, but use updated effects and technology, but have the fundamentals of the old attractions. For example, Horizons would be boring today if done exactly as it was, as we have a lot of the technology that it showcased, but if instead it focused on showing how those (and other similar) predictions of the future helped to influence what we have today and then go into even more of what we might have in the future, it could be an interesting ride and use modern effects and tech to accomplish this.

This kind of hits on why the concept of trying to make a "permanent World's Fair" had a fundamental flaw. World's Fairs (or Expos as they now call them) by their very ephemeral nature feature updated technology with each iteration. But with EPCOT and its "permanent attractions", the march of technology inevitably overtakes the attractions and requires costly updates and overhauls to remain relevant. In theory, a park that constantly updated its attractions like that would be amazing, but we've seen over the past few decades how well that idea has(n't) played out.

And oddly enough, the one truly timeless attraction at EPCOT 1.0, Journey Into Imagination, that should have only required piecemeal up-dates as technology improved, was thoroughly butchered by its overhauls.

 

[wdw71fan]

This kind of hits on why the concept of trying to make a "permanent World's Fair" had a fundamental flaw. World's Fairs (or Expos as they now call them) by their very ephemeral nature feature updated technology with each iteration. But with EPCOT, the march of technology inevitably overtakes the attractions and requires costly updates and overhauls to remain relevant. In theory, a park that constantly updated its attractions like that would be amazing, but we've seen over the past few decades how well that idea has(n't) played out.

And oddly enough, the one truly timeless attraction at EPCOT 1.0, Journey Into Imagination, that should have only required piecemeal up-dates as technology improved, was thoroughly butchered by its overhauls.

Maintaining a park like the original (post-walt) EPCOT Center only works if you put innovation and change before $$.. That concept died with Walt.

 

[JimW]

Not gonna lie, when I first read the thread title I thought this was about memories from the fifth park. I clicked expecting "King Louie on Jungle Cruise" times a thousand.

I'm both relieved and disappointed, but mostly relieved.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

Add in Delta Dreamflight for me!!

 

[ppete1975]

They could and should bring back 20,000. Make a lagoon with parked maybe even moving nautilus's but have the look of the old lagoon. But instead of getting into subs which with capacity and all of the original issues have it more as a star tours but instead of a screen in front have portholes on the side like the original, you could make sets then projections on the set pieces. So you are looking out portholes and the bubbles and everything is projected outside of your window (not tvs) Parts of this have already been seen in tokyo sea, paris and the living seas.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

I also miss The Great Movie Ride.