RUMOR: When is Toontown closing?

[Sherry E]

Sherry I was wondering the same thing about the Big Thinder Ranch area... To me it would make sense that they aren't having the carnival this year because they are planning on starting construction back there soon.

Personally I'm with the others who think if they're going to redo toontown (which they should update it in the least.) that they should go the Disney Jr route. Even if they kept it to just Mickey and the gang it would be more relevant

Well, it is curious timing (the Halloween Carnival suddenly and mysteriously not happening), indeed. I thought that maybe it had to do with Disney needing that space for storage or rehearsals, or possibly just keeping it closed so that it didn't interfere with the 60th anniversary happenings this year. But seeing that we are getting close to the big Expo (and whatever surprises are in store there), the Star Wars Land rumors have been floating around for a while, and we know that Disney is doing another billion dollar expansion that has to be completed by 2024... anything is possible at this point!!

I will miss Toontown if it gets torn down. It was the first brand new land that was created when I was old enough to appreciate it. Bear Country opened in my lifetime, but I was too young to appreciate that it was a brand new land in 1972. I was there for the "New Fantasyland" debut in 1983 too, but that was basically just a freshening up of the old Fantasyland.

But in 1993, when Toontown opened, it was exciting news. I remember my friend and I were rushing under the tunnel/bridge to see what awaited us in this new land. There were surprises around every corner, literally. The attention to detail, the inside jokes, the sight gags, the bright primary colors, the playful characters, being able to meet Mickey as he was "filming" his movies, the Bounce House -- it was a lot of fun, although it was a madhouse and packed with people for years. We loved Toontown -- and, to this day, Toontown has some of the most theme-specific, whimsical Christmas decorations during the holiday season.

I also love Car Toon Spin and I wish it could be relocated, though I doubt that would happen.

Alas, Toontown not only shows a lot of signs of neglect now, but it's a theme that I suspect a lot of people no longer connect with. I don't think that the Roger Rabbit elements translate as well with today's kids (or adults). It just seems like a dated concept. So I would be sad to see it go because I remember when it opened and the excitement that went with it, but at the same time I can see how Disney would put that land on the chopping block if they had to make room for something else.

 

[taffy]

Very much a rumour.

 

[Sherry E]

I just merged another thread about the same topic into this one. :

 

[sillybaer]

Sherry I was wondering the same thing about the Big Thinder Ranch area... To me it would make sense that they aren't having the carnival this year because they are planning on starting construction back there soon.

Personally I'm with the others who think if they're going to redo toontown (which they should update it in the least.) that they should go the Disney Jr route. Even if they kept it to just Mickey and the gang it would be more relevant

Disney Jr. changes too rapidly to be a themed land. It works for the show in DCA because shows are easier to revamp and frequently change anyway. The things that were big when Toontown opened (Rescue Rangers, Roger Rabbit) are definitely outdated. But when I went with my friends kids (now 9 and 12) they had to see Handy Manny and my now-preschoolers have no idea who that is. In another 5 years the current Disney Jr. shows will likely aslo be outdated.

Sure Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has had a good run so far. But that doesn't mean it will be around in another 5 years. So keeping with the traditional Mickey & Friends homes makes more sense then trying to re-theme to current shows that won't stay current.

 

[stephanie22]

Disney Jr. changes too rapidly to be a themed land. It works for the show in DCA because shows are easier to revamp and frequently change anyway. The things that were big when Toontown opened (Rescue Rangers, Roger Rabbit) are definitely outdated. But when I went with my friends kids (now 9 and 12) they had to see Handy Manny and my now-preschoolers have no idea who that is. In another 5 years the current Disney Jr. shows will likely aslo be outdated.

Sure Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has had a good run so far. But that doesn't mean it will be around in another 5 years. So keeping with the traditional Mickey & Friends homes makes more sense then trying to re-theme to current shows that won't stay current.

Oh don't get me wrong, I think that Mickey and Minnie's houses should stay, and goofy' garden too. My son loves to play at Goofy's and its like pulling teeth to get him to leave. And I love all the gags that are in the area. I'm just saying if they're going to get rid of the land, I'd much rather see it be something like Disney Jr than Star Wars. I love Star Wars, I just don't want a whole land dedicated to it. They could move the show over to toontown, and put roger rabbit in DCA. Instead of gadgets go coaster (which like another poster I always connected to inspector gadget lol) they could retheme it to something to do with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

 

[stephanie22]

Disney Jr. changes too rapidly to be a themed land. It works for the show in DCA because shows are easier to revamp and frequently change anyway. The things that were big when Toontown opened (Rescue Rangers, Roger Rabbit) are definitely outdated. But when I went with my friends kids (now 9 and 12) they had to see Handy Manny and my now-preschoolers have no idea who that is. In another 5 years the current Disney Jr. shows will likely aslo be outdated.

Sure Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has had a good run so far. But that doesn't mean it will be around in another 5 years. So keeping with the traditional Mickey & Friends homes makes more sense then trying to re-theme to current shows that won't stay current.

It won't let me edit my previous post so I'll just add it here. As I think about what you wrote I agree more with your point that Disney Jr changes too often for it to make a good land. I don't particularly like the idea of Toontown going away at all, it makes me sad. But they do need to do something to revitalize the current land. Whether that's changing or rethemeing some of the areas, or completely revamping it I don't know.

 

[sillybaer]

I think re-theming the coaster is a good idea as that could likely be done with a new sign and maybe some new paint (ie not an expensive change).

Note sure how easy it would be move Roger Rabbit but it seems like it's still a popular enough ride despite being outdated. Switching RR with the Disney Jr. show or creating a small stage in Toontown might be a good way for a current tie-in. Creating something that is easily updated to appeal to the current generation while keeping most of the town traditional would be the balance it needs.

I don't see the push to replace Toontown either. It may not be the most popular land in the park, but Roger Rabbit & the coaster had at least 30min wait times except for first thing in the morning and sometimes as much as an hour and Mickey & Minnie's houses had 45min waits (except for the hour when Minnie's house was closed but the line waiting for it to open was pretty long starting 15min before it was supposed to reopen).

I also don't see a whole land dedicated to Star Wars but it seems to be a popular idea. I just hope it doesn't overrun Toontown as it really is a great place for little ones to just play.

 

[Sherry E]

I don't know how feasible this would be, as I don't know exactly how much area and acreage would be needed for Star Wars Land, but if Toontown has to go, I wonder if there is any logical way Car Toon Spin could be saved and kept in the exact spot where it is now, but somehow made to be a part of Fantasyland. Know what I mean? It's way over to the right when you enter Toontown. I wonder if that little section with the ride could be preserved and suddenly included in Fantasyland. Of course, there would have to be some re-theming and work done around it to make that happen, but then everything else in Toontown could still be razed.

 

[fairytalelover]

Disney Jr. changes too rapidly to be a themed land. It works for the show in DCA because shows are easier to revamp and frequently change anyway. The things that were big when Toontown opened (Rescue Rangers, Roger Rabbit) are definitely outdated. But when I went with my friends kids (now 9 and 12) they had to see Handy Manny and my now-preschoolers have no idea who that is. In another 5 years the current Disney Jr. shows will likely aslo be outdated.

Sure Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has had a good run so far. But that doesn't mean it will be around in another 5 years. So keeping with the traditional Mickey & Friends homes makes more sense then trying to re-theme to current shows that won't stay current.

Handy Manny doesnt have a show anymore? My now 9 year old loved watching Handy Manny when he was little......

 

[stephanie22]

Handy Manny doesnt have a show anymore? My now 9 year old loved watching Handy Manny when he was little......

No it ended in 2011. They still play reruns though.

 

[disneyphilip]

Please stop perpetuating this lie. Thank you.

 

[Sherry E]

Please stop perpetuating this lie. Thank you.

People are free to discuss rumors on this board, whether or not anything ever comes of them. Sometimes I think that, at a glance, some folks may assume that a rumor might actually already be official and set in stone -- and that can be a problem -- but other than that, it's fun to toss around what's out there, and speculate.

ETA: I added the "RUMOR" label at the beginning of the title of this thread, just so that people would know that it's not something that is actually official or confirmed as of now.

 

[Sherry E]

Did anyone read the latest MiceAge Update this morning - http://micechat.com/108619-disneyland-rumors-starwars/

It's interesting to note that MiceAge has been sorely lacking in their famous Updates as of late -- since Al Lutz fell ill, either the rumor mill dried up, or the people at MiceAge just didn't have the urge to post anything juicy. It was to the point where people were starting threads on their forums about how there had been no Updates or rumors, and they felt like they were being lied to or cheated somehow!

Anyway, it is a pretty substantial article, with some elaboration on previous rumors and a couple of new ones. They are holding firm that Star Wars Land is coming to DL -- and that it will wipe out Toontown, the Festival Arena and the Circle D Ranch -- but they also expect that it will not be announced at the Expo this weekend. They are also holding firm that a Marvel Land is going to pop up in DCA (but I think it will be much smaller than Star Wars Land).

There are some other Star Wars tidbits in the piece -- including what's supposedly coming to Tomorrowland by Veterans Day weekend... and the possibility of the Christmas parade moving to DCA for this year.

Anyway, it's a good read, whether or not anything comes from the rumors.

 

[violentlyserene]

This thread is making me very nervous. Toon Town is going to be a good chunk what my two year olds want. Just leave it for 80 more days and then it can go. I don't love the idea of ditching it but changes happen.

 

[Sherry E]

This thread is making me very nervous. Toon Town is going to be a good chunk what my two year olds want. Just leave it for 80 more days and then it can go. I don't love the idea of ditching it but changes happen.

It makes me wonder when it will actually go, if it goes (If MiceAge was right). I wonder if Disney will even bother to decorate Toontown for the holiday season, as they normally do. And if it is on the chopping block, I wonder if the Disney Parks Blog will eventually make an announcement about Toontown going away.

It's such a shame, because there needs to be an area like that, for kids, with whimsical touches and interactive features. Fantasyland is not interactive like Toontown is. A Bug's Land in DCA isn't even quite like that. It's been clear for a long time that Disney just didn't care much about Toontown. They let it fall to the wayside, to the point where it was really showing signs of neglect. It seemed like they just kind of forgot about it. They even took away what used to be the "good" Christmas trees and replaced them with hideous plastic trees without real branches. It's a shame TT couldn't be repurposed, but maybe Disney always kind of looked at it as a disposable land.

I just wish there were a way to salvage Car Toon Spin, as it really is a fun dark ride. I don't know if that could be possible, though. It just seems a waste, because the whole land is 'only' 22 years old -- still pretty young and new in the scheme of things. However, the concept may or may not still be relevant to today's kids and young adults (people seem to have varying opinions about that).

 

[disneyphilip]

Did anyone read the latest MiceAge Update this morning - http://micechat.com/108619-disneyland-rumors-starwars/

It's interesting to note that MiceAge has been sorely lacking in their famous Updates as of late -- since Al Lutz fell ill, either the rumor mill dried up, or the people at MiceAge just didn't have the urge to post anything juicy. It was to the point where people were starting threads on their forums about how there had been no Updates or rumors, and they felt like they were being lied to or cheated somehow!

Anyway, it is a pretty substantial article, with some elaboration on previous rumors and a couple of new ones. They are holding firm that Star Wars Land is coming to DL -- and that it will wipe out Toontown, the Festival Arena and the Circle D Ranch -- but they also expect that it will not be announced at the Expo this weekend. They are also holding firm that a Marvel Land is going to pop up in DCA (but I think it will be much smaller than Star Wars Land).

There are some other Star Wars tidbits in the piece -- including what's supposedly coming to Tomorrowland by Veterans Day weekend... and the possibility of the Christmas parade moving to DCA for this year.

Anyway, it's a good read, whether or not anything comes from the rumors.

Once again, those are all lies.

 

[Sherry E]

Once again, those are all lies.

Maybe. Maybe not. I have no vested interest in whether MiceAge is accurate or not, but it's fun to toss around rumors just to see what people think. Certain changes are going to happen at some point, and because we don't have the inside track on what Disney people are discussing in meetings, all we have are rumors and speculation.

 

[Lebestiole]

I just wish there were a way to salvage Car Toon Spin, as it really is a fun dark ride. I don't know if that could be possible, though. It just seems a waste, because the whole land is 'only' 22 years old -- still pretty young and new in the scheme of things. However, the concept may or may not still be relevant to today's kids and young adults (people seem to have varying opinions about that).

Exactly! I liked TT when I was younger but now it kinda lost it's charm... don't shoot me, please!

I don't think I'd like to see a Star Wars land, tho... it's not a very Disney thing to put there. Maybe expand Fantasyland and Tomorrowland? Or maybe they should make space for all the new movies like Big Hero 6 or Wreck it Ralph.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I was just reading the MiceAge article. I'm wondering how accurate it will be. I predicted the Marvel ride pretty accurately and the location of the Star Wars land from what they are saying, but I'm still trying to figure out the logistics. IF the whole thing is accurate, will it have more than one entrance? And what's going to happen to Tomorrowland? Might we see some Big Hero 6 or Wreck It Ralph somewhere? Please? So many questions, so few answers.