Mickey's Toontown Fair begins its transformation February 2011

[Tom]

*APPLAUSE*

Well said. This whole duel-Toontown backstory is something that approximately .1% of visitors would ever think about, and that's because they have too much time on their hands and worry about things like that.

Instead, just like another poster said, the whole "Toontown Fair is a country retreat" is just a retcon that WDI came up with to justify TTF being a pale and shabby imitation of the DL version. I hate that backstory has moved from something that adds texture to a themed attraction to something that gets cooked up to justify bad design. Especially when it seems like there's some sort of supplemental reading material you should be provided to understand what's going on.

Being in a Disney park requires some suspension of belief, and the latter-day obsession with "story" (meaning, usually, "plot"), flies in the face of that. If you're worrying how a man-sized cartoon mouse can have houses on both the east and the west coast, you should probably really just relax.

(Besides, I started going to WDW when I was 5 and I'm trying to think if I ever thought Mickey & co. were really "real". I think there's some agreed-upon suspension of disbelief and play-acting that goes on, but do people think they're REAL?)

I'm right there with you. I think I was also 5 when we first went, and of course I loved the characters....but even then I knew (deep down) that this was just a fun place and we got to see people dressed up in costumes and ride rides. Just like I knew Sesame Street and Mr Rogers were full of puppets. It didn't ruin the shows by knowing that, it just made them more entertaining.

 

[disneyeater]

I'm right there with you. I think I was also 5 when we first went, and of course I loved the characters....but even then I knew (deep down) that this was just a fun place and we got to see people dressed up in costumes and ride rides. Just like I knew Sesame Street and Mr Rogers were full of puppets. It didn't ruin the shows by knowing that, it just made them more entertaining.

Even when my daughter was 4, I couldn't convince her that they weren't people in costumes because we were at WDW. She wasn't buying it. It didn't stop here from getting excited to see them and getting their autographs.

 

[Mick G.]

How about a train question?

It seems that the Toontown station has been where the steam locos take on water, and there is also a grill to the side of where the loco sits where they can blow down the boiler to get rid of accumulated particles, a very important thing. Before Toontown, and Splash Mountain, I believe the old Frontierland station had a water tower. Is there one at the new Frontierland station?

If not, will trains have to stop at Toontown anyway to take on water every so often?

And, in my opinion, WDW Fantasyland could use more solid D-ticket attractions, like Roger Rabbit in DL, or the WDW version of Pooh. Attractions that feature classic Disney moments and use high-capacity ride systems that can eat tourists like a hungry man at a churro cart. And which cost $10-20 million, not $200 million.

Mick

 

[Tom]

How about a train question?

It seems that the Toontown station has been where the steam locos take on water, and there is also a grill to the side of where the loco sits where they can blow down the boiler to get rid of accumulated particles, a very important thing. Before Toontown, and Splash Mountain, I believe the old Frontierland station had a water tower. Is there one at the new Frontierland station?

If not, will trains have to stop at Toontown anyway to take on water every so often?

And, in my opinion, WDW Fantasyland could use more solid D-ticket attractions, like Roger Rabbit in DL, or the WDW version of Pooh. Attractions that feature classic Disney moments and use high-capacity ride systems that can eat tourists like a hungry man at a churro cart. And which cost $10-20 million, not $200 million.

Mick

I'm guessing the trains will still stop there to re-fill/discharge. From what I know, they need to do it once every trip, so that should be interesting. I guess they'll have to build a very entertaining construction wall at the TT station to keep guests occupied.

 

[mharrington]

Well, with Mickey and the gang supposedly overtaking the Exposition Hall, I guess that defeats the purpose of my idea I've thought of here to move Walt Disney: One Man's Dream from the Studios to the Magic Kingdom. I wanted to move it elsewhere because I think it wore out its welcome at the Studios some time ago. The Exposition Hall seemed like the ideal place for it, especially since it would actually be going in a building that already once housed an attraction like it (that, of course, is The Walt Disney Story). But now, with Mickey and company supposedly using this area as the new meet-and-greet area after Toontown Fair gets sent to Walt Dated World, where can One Man's Dream go?

 

[sshindel]

Well, with Mickey and the gang supposedly overtaking the Exposition Hall, I guess that defeats the purpose of my idea I've thought of here to move Walt Disney: One Man's Dream from the Studios to the Magic Kingdom. I wanted to move it elsewhere because I think it wore out its welcome at the Studios some time ago. The Exposition Hall seemed like the ideal place for it, especially since it would actually be going in a building that already once housed an attraction like it (that, of course, is The Walt Disney Story). But now, with Mickey and company supposedly using this area as the new meet-and-greet area after Toontown Fair gets sent to Walt Dated World, where can One Man's Dream go?

Since they recently refurbished OMD and also are about to open up a new expanded area in it, I dont think it's going anywhere.

 

[stphnbogert]

What would be the purpose of moving it anyway? It's not going to make the attraction more popular. I think its fine where it is and with adding new stuff it makes even more worth while to go to. It's like saying Splash Mountain wore out its welcome at Magic Kingdom and should move to Animal Kingdom. Its silly. lol.

 

[mharrington]

What would be the purpose of moving it anyway? It's not going to make the attraction more popular. I think its fine where it is and with adding new stuff it makes even more worth while to go to. It's like saying Splash Mountain wore out its welcome at Magic Kingdom and should move to Animal Kingdom. Its silly. lol.

First of all, who said anything about popularity? And second of all, why would you compare OMD to Splash Mountain?

 

[stphnbogert]

First of all, who said anything about popularity? And second of all, why would you compare OMD to Splash Mountain?

Because I was making a point. There is absolutely no point to moving One Man's Dream to another park. And I compared it to Splash Mountain because that again has no reason to move.

 

[mharrington]

Because I was making a point. There is absolutely no point to moving One Man's Dream to another park. And I compared it to Splash Mountain because that again has no reason to move.

Not even to make room for something that might be better?

Okay, and we're getting off-topic. My point was to move it to another park to make better use of space that, in my opinion, is being wasted. But now that doesn't seem likely to happen.

 

[stphnbogert]

Not even to make room for something that might be better?

Okay, and we're getting off-topic. My point was to move it to another park to make better use of space that, in my opinion, is being wasted. But now that doesn't seem likely to happen.

I think moving it would be ok but not to another park. That was just the point I was trying to make. I would love to see a Pixar expansion but I think they should wait for this "secret movie" and Brave to come out to see what they can do. With two parks getting Toy Story land and DL getting Cars Land. You already have Bugs Life in DL. I think something with UP! or The Incredibles for the time being would be nice.

 

[MiklCraw4d]

Even when my daughter was 4, I couldn't convince her that they weren't people in costumes because we were at WDW. She wasn't buying it. It didn't stop here from getting excited to see them and getting their autographs.

LOL that's pretty funny - kids aren't dumb! I remember getting my picture taken with them too, but I think kids are smart enough to understand the difference and still have fun. It's all pretend, after all! It's like knowing the mall Santa isn't "real" Santa, just one of his helpers.

 

[Disneyfanatic!!]

What would be the purpose of moving it anyway? It's not going to make the attraction more popular. I think its fine where it is and with adding new stuff it makes even more worth while to go to. It's like saying Splash Mountain wore out its welcome at Magic Kingdom and should move to Animal Kingdom. Its silly. lol.

One Man's Dream fits in many places. Where it currently sits isn't the most logistical place. I believe it should sit in Magic Kingdom, Walt's last theme park, or in Epcot, which was his last idea. I'd prefer in Magic Kingdom however because the Epcot we know and love is not the Epcot Walt dreamed of.

And now that you mention Splash Mountain in Animal Kingdom... They should have just waited six years and put it in Camp Minnie-Mickey. It would have made that area of the park so much better.

 

[Atomicmickey]

I think they should wait for this "secret movie" and Brave to come out to see what they can do.

What "secret movie"? Can't find any rumors on the internets about a Pixar secret movie? First I've heard of it.

 

[Jrn14]

Well, the Magic Kingdom has long since established itself as the resort's true kid-friendly park.

And the characters need a true place to rest their weary heads after a long night. Now they won't have one.

Eeek... I hate to sound cruel, and maybe because I don't have kids, but Meet and Greet/Smeet and Greets... I won't miss them and honestly you can stick a character in front of a wall anywhere in WDW they don't need to take up valuable real estate with houses that they never spend any time in... Just my 2 cents.

 

[stphnbogert]

What "secret movie"? Can't find any rumors on the internets about a Pixar secret movie? First I've heard of it.

Look up Pete Docter (director of UP!). He's working on a Secret Pixar movie to be released 2013/2014. It's not the Monsters Inc. sequel. I'm guessing he's going to work on the animation aspect of Magic Kingdom. Which I'm REALLY hoping Pixar gets involved in the project.

As for One Man's Dream...I could see it in Magic Kingdom because it would feel more appropriate there. But there is no place to put it. You would have to put it on Main Street but there is no place there to put it. Disney isn't going to give up retail space there to put an attraction.

 

[MotherOfBirds]

Couldn't they move it to the movie theater in the back of Exposition Hall? I think OMD fits well in DHS, but I think it'd also fit well on Main Street in MK, considering that the park was kind of his baby.

 

[mharrington]

We could put part of a new Toontown over where the Tomorrowland Speedway is, but the problem with that the Tomorrowland Transit Authority travels above part of it and it's in plain view of Space Mountain.

 

[Tom]

We could put part of a new Toontown over where the Tomorrowland Speedway is, but the problem with that the Tomorrowland Transit Authority travels above part of it and it's in plain view of Space Mountain.

Disney is very good at obstructing views and blocking lines of sight

 

[MickeyMind]

I didnt read through the 8 pages, but has someone addressed that theres land on the other side of the railroad to build a fully realized toontown like dl's? Im not sure if its big enough but I kno there IS land over there that can be used. Why not just build a bridge over the train track to connect it to a nice sized toontown? mk has no reason to be getting rid of toontown or demolishing it and not replacing it with a better toontown.