RUMOR: When is Toontown closing?

[Carolynleanne]

I highly, highly doubt Disney would close Toontown, especially for a new land (i.e. Star Wars). Besides Toontown's obvious popularity, it also closes early every night that there are fireworks. I can't imagine Disney putting a new land back there, and then closing it early everyday. There is plenty of real estate in Tomorrowland for a Star Wars area. I agree that removing the subs and Autopia would be a good start. I also see that Innoventions is going down for eighteen months at the end of this month. This could be for the rumored Disneyland 60 exhibit, or it could be to gut the building for something new, or possibly demolition.

I concur

 

[huladancer1984]

Hoping this is just a rumor!!

 

[KeKy4]

My husband and I always thought Toontown should be turned into a Disney Jr. land.
Make it a little more up to date and Mickey and Minnie wouldn't have to go anywhere!

 

[JennyN]

Oh I hope Toontown won't close, I no longer have small children but I am looking forward to the day I can take my future grandchildren there.

 

[superme80]

My husband and I always thought Toontown should be turned into a Disney Jr. land.
Make it a little more up to date and Mickey and Minnie wouldn't have to go anywhere!

I think this is a great idea. There was a lot of things there that are from my childhood. The Gadget Coaster is from Gadget on Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers. That show is 20 years old. I hope they update it.

 

[Disneylandfan85]

Hoping this is just a rumor!!

Yeah, me too. I'd be crushed to see Toontown removed.

 

[iKristin]

With how popular RRCS is, I just don't see TT closing any time soon. Plus they'll avoid all major closures during the 60th for sure so that gives ya a year and a half guarantee it'll still be there. Unless they find a way to completely uproot RRCS and move it to someplace it fits (DCA is my only guess there) then don't expect it to happen because that ride is a huge pleaser

 

[beachdreamr1229]

See, the funny thing here, which my husband and I were just talking about, is that a lot of people seem totally attached to Toontown being a "great place for kids." But, Disneyland itself is a great place for kids. Fantasyland is practically made for little kids. We have a 4-year-old and 1-year-olds and have been to Toontown exactly once in about 15 trips we've taken since my oldest turned 2. I know I may be in the minority here, but Toontown as it stands isn't that great. I like the idea of doing a Disney Jr. area as it's more applicable to what kids today recognize. As an alternative, my husband brought up that he'd like to see a video game land based on the Wreck-It Ralph world.

 

[RKKUNK]

I know i'm probably going to get flamed, but my family doesn't care for Toon Town. Besides going there when our son was young a couple of times, we never even step foot in there. My son absolutely hated RRCS. The only thing we liked there was Go-Go Gadget Coaster. But that being said, I'm not sure they would close it down.

 

[Meriweather]

I've always loved Toon Town and hope it stays. We, as 2 adults always go through and spend time there. Looking forward to taking DGD to see it since she missed the WDW version

 

[bumbershoot]

But it's from "A long time ago...".

Exactly!

Not saying it should go to TT. Honestly I don't think we need more SW at all (though I like the original movies).

I can't imagine Disney putting a new land back there, and then closing it early everyday.

Great point.

Fantasyland is practically made for little kids.

Snow White's SCARY adventures? Pinocchio's land o' terror and donkey-boys? Going to "Hades" with Toad? Getting your head chopped off by the Red Queen? The abominable snowman growling at you? Going into the mouth of a gigantic whale? Eep!

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Snow White's SCARY adventures? Pinocchio's land o' terror and donkey-boys? Going to "Hades" with Toad? Getting your head chopped off by the Red Queen? The abominable snowman growling at you? Going into the mouth of a gigantic whale? Eep!

Yes, because a roller coaster with a height restriction and the spinning nausea of Roger Rabbit are super for the little ones. At least Fantasyland has the carousel, Dumbo, Small World, the princess area, Casey Jr...

To each their own, but the non-ride areas of Toontown are boring even for my 4-year-old. And the rides have theming that makes no sense to a kid who didn't grow up in the 80s or 90s. Even as a kid who grew up then, I found it entirely disappointing when it opened. It should have featured the Disney Afternoon characters more back then and today it should be featuring theming more closely related to Disney Jr.

 

[Fantaluminishes]

Yes, because a roller coaster with a height restriction and the spinning nausea of Roger Rabbit are super for the little ones. At least Fantasyland has the carousel, Dumbo, Small World, the princess area, Casey Jr...

To each their own, but the non-ride areas of Toontown are boring even for my 4-year-old. And the rides have theming that makes no sense to a kid who didn't grow up in the 80s or 90s. Even as a kid who grew up then, I found it entirely disappointing when it opened. It should have featured the Disney Afternoon characters more back then and today it should be featuring theming more closely related to Disney Jr.

Let me see if I understand this correctly. According to your logic, all of Fantasyland, should be closed. With Toontown, you are suggesting that the theming is irrelevant to today's kids because only kids from the 80's and 90's can relate. Then all of the rides in Fantasyland should be irrelevant as well, because most of kids who grew up during the time of Alice, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Snow White and Pinocchio are all dead. Yet, even if that's true, Fantasyland is still, by far, the most popular area of the park.

I'll concede that Roger Rabbit and the old Disney Afternoon stuff may not be as timeless as the Fantasyland stuff. But Mickey's Toontown serves its purpose, and just because the WDW version (which was far inferior IMO) was removed, doesn't mean the DL version needs to, or should be closed down, especially to make room for a more-popular area that would only be open for part of the operating day.

 

[jeepwreck]

noooo i love toonland they cant close it

 

[sillybaer]

Let me see if I understand this correctly. According to your logic, all of Fantasyland, should be closed. With Toontown, you are suggesting that the theming is irrelevant to today's kids because only kids from the 80's and 90's can relate. Then all of the rides in Fantasyland should be irrelevant as well, because most of kids who grew up during the time of Alice, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Snow White and Pinocchio are all dead. Yet, even if that's true, Fantasyland is still, by far, the most popular area of the park.

I'll concede that Roger Rabbit and the old Disney Afternoon stuff may not be as timeless as the Fantasyland stuff. But Mickey's Toontown serves its purpose, and just because the WDW version (which was far inferior IMO) was removed, doesn't mean the DL version needs to, or should be closed down, especially to make room for a more-popular area that would only be open for part of the operating day.

Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy are all part of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and very relevant to today's youngsters. Roger Rabbit isn't as timeless but from what I understand the line hasn't gotten any shorter since I was at DLR last so obviously the lack of childhood association isn't a big deal. The Gadget coaster is cool because littler kids can go on it (either those that haven't made it to the 40/42 inch requirement of other rides or those who are scared of bigger coasters). I think the coaster could use some updating because as near as I can tell there's a very small segment of people who aren't like "Gadget who?" when they see the name. But I don't think kids would be that much more excited about it if it was named after a current Disney Jr. character.

While it's not a terrible idea to re-theme based on Disney Jr., the more classic characters make more sense because otherwise they'll have to re-theme every generation. (Whereas my fairly tv restricted preschoolers can identify Alice, Peter Pan, Dumbo, and Snow White, other classic princesses and characters who don't yet have rides, and all of the traditional Mickey & Friends gang.) Certainly generations of kids did just fine hanging out in Fantasyland or on Tom Sawyer's Island. But Toontown gives them additional options. Although my opinion is also clouded by the fact that I personally love Toontown. Forget the kids, keep Toontown.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I'll concede that Roger Rabbit and the old Disney Afternoon stuff may not be as timeless as the Fantasyland stuff. But Mickey's Toontown serves its purpose, and just because the WDW version (which was far inferior IMO) was removed, doesn't mean the DL version needs to, or should be closed down, especially to make room for a more-popular area that would only be open for part of the operating day.

That is exactly why Fantasyland is fine, but Toontown is not. Timelessness. My kids have all seen Peter Pan, Snow White, Alice, etc. because they are the classic Disney movies. They have not seen Roger Rabbit (I consider them too young to "get" it) and will probably never see Rescue Rangers (Gadget). Every time we go to DL, my oldest asks where Mickey Mouse's clubhouse is, because when he thinks of Mickey Mouse, he thinks of the newer cartoons even though he's seen the older ones, too. Mickey's house is interesting, but it's not THE clubhouse. Tomorrowland suffers the same plight for a different reason since the future quickly becomes outdated. I don't think either Tomorrowland or Toontown should close necessarily. They just need to be re-done. And that's going to be an ongoing issue for either, while literally all the other lands have a sense of timelessness to them. And if Disneyland has to give up space from one of their current lands for one of their new projects, why not use Toontown or some of the space in Tomorrowland that's being wasted? There's not much space to work with unless they buy up more of the surrounding area.

 

[Fantaluminishes]

I agree 100% about Tomorrowland. I think everything except Space Mointain, Star Tours and (I guess) Buzz should be bulldozed. Then they can build the Star Wars stuff. If they took out Toontown, the new land would have to be open the entire park day. So they would need to figure a way to accomplish that with the fireworks. While Toontown really isn't big enough for a full-fledge "land", it could be if they connected it to Big Thunder Ranch. For a Star Wars project, I could see that area themed like Endor. Imagine a rethemed Tomorrowland and a Star Wars land.

 

[HollyL]

What Disney really needs to do is built a stand alone, Star Wars Land - There is plenty of land out here in Texas, this would be a great place for it. I don't know if it's just rumors, but supposedly, Disney owns a bunch of land outside of Houston. With Galveston just an hour away, and Disney Cruise Lines sailing out of Galveston seasonally, it just makes perfect sense!
Although Toon Town isn't my favorite part of DL, and a part that I have completely skipped over many times, I think it needs to stay. Star Wars needs something on it's own for sure.

 

[corinne76]

That is exactly why Fantasyland is fine, but Toontown is not. Timelessness. My kids have all seen Peter Pan, Snow White, Alice, etc. because they are the classic Disney movies. They have not seen Roger Rabbit (I consider them too young to "get" it) and will probably never see Rescue Rangers (Gadget). Every time we go to DL, my oldest asks where Mickey Mouse's clubhouse is, because when he thinks of Mickey Mouse, he thinks of the newer cartoons even though he's seen the older ones, too. Mickey's house is interesting, but it's not THE clubhouse. Tomorrowland suffers the same plight for a different reason since the future quickly becomes outdated. I don't think either Tomorrowland or Toontown should close necessarily. They just need to be re-done. And that's going to be an ongoing issue for either, while literally all the other lands have a sense of timelessness to them. And if Disneyland has to give up space from one of their current lands for one of their new projects, why not use Toontown or some of the space in Tomorrowland that's being wasted? There's not much space to work with unless they buy up more of the surrounding area.

A MM Clubhouse like the one in the show would be so cool! My kids would love that!

I think the name Tomorrowland is kind of misleading now. Or odd? Some rides fit, but submarines and race cars? How is that "tomorrow?" And does the new show Miles From Tomorrowland throw anyone else off? I always think DL but it's not remotely similar.

I still love the themeing of Toontown. the nonride parts are still cute IMO, but I agree that it could use an update. I watched Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers as a child and forgot who Gadget was

 

[Disneylandfan85]

I highly, highly doubt Disney would close Toontown, especially for a new land (i.e. Star Wars).

You don't know that. No one does, except for the fact that one so-called "insider", WDW1974 at WDWMagic.com, still sticks to the claim of Star Wars Land replacing Toontown. It was claimed over there that the Tomorrowland replacement rumor was obsolete and nothing about Toontown as the main choice was changed.

Besides Toontown's obvious popularity, it also closes early every night that there are fireworks. I can't imagine Disney putting a new land back there, and then closing it early everyday. There is plenty of real estate in Tomorrowland for a Star Wars area. I agree that removing the subs and Autopia would be a good start. I also see that Innoventions is going down for eighteen months at the end of this month. This could be for the rumored Disneyland 60 exhibit, or it could be to gut the building for something new, or possibly demolition.

Yes, those are all good arguments. What are the odds that Innoventions will (partially) be the spot for anything Star Wars-related after the 60th is over?