Mickey’s Toontown

January 1993 – present

BACKGROUND

Mickey’s Toontown was the last of the main lands in Disneyland to open, debuting in 1993. This land was also the first designed specifically for the youngest of Disney fans, with no major attractions and a primary focus on characters and the charm of the town. Although it has expanded somewhat, and even includes a ride with fast pass access, Toontown remains the corner of the park with the most Imagineering gags, hidden faces of classic characters, and the place to visit the home of Mickey Mouse himself.

THE EXPERIENCE

Guests arriving in Mickey’s Toontown find themselves immediately inundated with smells of candies and the cheery music playing from every building. The slightly topsy-turvy and brightly-colored stores and homes in Toontown are often occupied by beloved Disney characters. Whether visitors want to ride the Gadget Go Coaster, have some frozen yogurt, or meet Mickey Mouse, there are tons of things to see and experience during your time in Toontown.

CHARACTERS YOU MAY ENCOUNTER

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Goofy
• Donald Duck
• Daisy Duck
• Pluto
• Chip
• Dale

ATTRACTIONS

• CenTOONial Park
• Chip ‘n’ Dale GADGET Coaster
• Donald’s Duck Pond
• Goofy’s How-To-Play House
• Mickey’s House
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Minnie’s House
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin

DINING

• Cafe Daisy
• Good Boy! Grocers

SHOPS

• EngineEar Souvenirs

TRIVIA

Mickey’s Toontown is the only land at the Disneyland Resort with an official backstory: “Choosing to live away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, Mickey Mouse moved to a Toon suburb in a hidden part of Anaheim in the 1930’s, keeping in touch with his humble Midwestern roots. His friends followed suit and built their own houses nearby. When Walt Disney was looking for a location to build Disneyland, Mickey pointed him towards a large orange grove nearby for him to build his park. When the park opened, Mickey and his friends traveled between their Toontown homes and Disneyland to meet the countless guests that visited the park. Eventually, in 1993, Mickey and his fellow Toontown residents decided to open their hometown to the public for visitors, digging a tunnel through the berm.”

TOURING TIPS

Toontown is definitely most exciting for families with small children. Older guests may not want to spend much time in this area of the park, but if you get a chance, I still think it’s worth a look around. Toontown is truly Imagineering at its finest, and fans of all ages can appreciate its unique charm.

In my opinion, Mickey’s Toontown is always consistent with park attendance. If the whole park is crowded, it will be crowded. If the park is lightly attended, it will be a ghost town. Some of the other lands stay packed even on lighter days, but Mickey’s Toontown dramatically changes depending on the day.

On lightly attended days, Toontown is a nice change of pace from lands with lots of major attractions. The décor is adorable, the food is good, and exploring the cartoonish buildings is a lot of fun. If you do visit the park during peak season, you will have a tough time in Toontown. Only one ride offers fast passes, and the others are very slow to load. My advice for those braving crowded days would be to look for characters, and if you don’t see any, take a quick stroll around and move on.