Meeting Some Real (and rare) Characters

Continuing our series of vintage Disney Parks photos this week, today we take a different perspective and look at some shots of characters rarely seen in the parks these days. DisneyShawn blog reader Katherine Sanders from Saskatchewan, Canada, contributed this series taken on her first visit to Disneyland in 1994. That's her with Roger Rabbit, near the Carnation Plaza Gardens. Following the 1988 release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Roger became a regular fixture in the Disney Parks, nearly as ubiquitous as Mickey Mouse.

I find this next shot interesting for a couple of reasons. Goofy's son, Max, can still occasionally be seen in the parks, but this is a rare instance of Goofy himself in his "Dad" outfit as seen on the "Goof Troop" TV series and in A Goofy Movie (released in 1995). He's much more commonly spotted wearing his traditional yellow vest and green hat. Click on the photo for a closer look, and you're sure to also get a kick out of the enormous video camera and fanny pack the fella in the red shirt is sporting!

These next pictures were taken in Mickey's Toontown, a fairly new addition to Disneyland at the time, having just opened in 1993. During that period, the Disney Afternoon TV programming block was very popular. In fact, this back corner of Disneyland had hosted Disney Afternoon Avenue a couple years earlier, so it's no surprise that on her visit young Katherine was able to meet stars like Launchpad McQuack from "DuckTales" and "Tale Spin" or Gadget (the inspiration for Gadget's Go-Coaster in Toontown) from "Chip 'n' Dale's Rescue Rangers."

Katherine's rarest find of all that day, though, was probably this guy: Bonkers D. Bobcat. Bonkers, of the Hollywood Police Department - Toon Division, was introduced in segments of the short-lived 1992 Saturday morning series "Raw Toonage." In 1993, Bonkers was spun off into his own, self-titled series on Disney Channel and in syndication, but he made very few appearances in the parks.

So what about you? Anyone else out there have some great vintage photos from your early Disney Parks vacations? If so, I'd love to feature them here on the blog. Maybe you captured something long gone or forgotten. Maybe you have a picture you just can't place or don't know anything about. Send them my way, and I'll do my best to help shed some light.

Downtown Toontown

Downtown Toontown at Disneyland is chock full of cartoony fun and knee-slapping gags. In fact, it's one of my favorite places in the park to just walk around and enjoy the details. Look at the City Hall, for example. The clock tower features more than the traditional bell (which itself is cross-eyed from being hand rung by a pair of mallets). There are also fireworks, screaming whistles and a pair of cannons to help mark the hour. I also love the exaggerated proportions of everything from the columns and lampposts to the Baby Herman-size stogie pictured on the "No Smoking" signs.

Details like this abound throughout the downtown area of the land, where (for a laugh) some things are taken literally. There's the Official Seal of Toontown - both emblem and marine mammal - and the Camera Shop, complete with old-fashioned bellows and a little birdie.

Everywhere in Mickey's Toontown, guests are encouraged to reach out and touch things. You never know what might happen! Ringing the bell at the Glass Factory might just startle someone inside, resulting in a toon-tastic catastrophe. Nearby, grabbing the doorknob to the Power House provides "shocking" results, and you can only imagine the things that go on inside the Fireworks Factory.

It's a subtle gag, but I especially enjoy the sign for the Planning Commission, carved without the appropriate level of planning!

For more Mickey's Toontown fun, check out this article from last year. Or better yet, head out to Disneyland and take some time to explore on your own. You'll surely get caught up in the wackiness of it all!

In the Land of Toons

Today, we pick up our tour of Disneyland Park in California with a look at the most recent land to be added. Mickey's Toontown, inspired in part by the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, opened here in 1993. According to legend it had been here all the time, and Mickey and the gang just finally decided to open up their little community to visitors.

Of course, Mickey's Toontown is the place to meet the Big Cheese and other popular Disney characters. Mickey can often be found hard at work in the Movie Barn out behind his house. The land is also a visual delight, full of bright colors and cartoony places to explore, from Goofy's wacky abode to Chip and Dale's Treehouse.

Donald's boat, the Miss Daisy, is docked in Toon Lagoon. Be sure to head inside for a look at his on board living quarters. He keeps things homey with pictures of Daisy, his nephews and best pals Jose and Panchito.

People tend to think of Mickey's Toontown as being exclusively for children, but adults are welcome to enjoy the fun, too. Personally, I love the Jolly Trolley, even if it is only a photo op these days. At one time, the Jolly Trolley travelled a route from Downtown Toontown out to Mickey's house. As it turned out, the ride was a bit too short and way too wobbly, so the attraction was ultimately retired. It's still fun to look at, though!

Of course, the main attraction in Toontown is Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, a wild ride through the streets of Toontown aboard Lenny the Cab (cousin of Benny from the film). It's great fun, even if you run into some Dip, but it's not the only thing to do downtown. Check back tomorrow, and I'll have even more Toontown fun for you.

Wherefore Art Thou, Mickey?

Although Mickey started making regular appearances at Disneyland in 1961, it was sometimes a challenge to actually find the big guy. Sure, you could see him headlining the daily parade down Main Street, but getting a personal hug or picture came down to pure luck.

That all changed in 1988. In celebration of Mickey's 60th anniversary, a whole new land was added to the Magic Kingdom. For the first time ever, Mickey's Birthdayland provided an opportunity for Disney Guests to meet Mickey Mouse at a specific time and place.

The highlight of Mickey's Birthdayland was the "Minnie's Surprise Party" show, after which Guests could go "backstage" and meet Mickey in his dressing room. Birthdayland and the show were only intended to be temporary additions to the Magic Kingdom, but the concept of having a designated place to meet Mickey turned out to be a huge hit. When the birthday celebration was over, the land stuck around, changing to Mickey's Starland (and later Mickey's Toontown Fair).

In 1993, Mickey's Toontown opened at Disneyland, bringing a west coast opportunity to meet the mouse in the Movie Barn out behind Mickey's house. Today, any Guest visiting a Disney Park around the world can have the chance to get a little face time with Disney's biggest star.

Although those greetings have become far more structured and scheduled over the years, Mickey does still occasionally get a chance to "pop up" in the parks and surprise his fans with memorable one-on-one moments. Meeting Mickey Mouse has become a right of passage and a quintessential Disney Parks experience.

Welcome to the Fair

With the recently announced expansion of Fantasyland at Walt Disney World, the days are numbered for Mickey's Toontown Fair, so let's pay a visit to the eighth land of the Magic Kingdom while we still can.

This corner of the park was first developed in the summer of 1988 as Mickey's Birthdayland, a temporary addition in celebration of Mickey's 60th birthday. For the first time, park Guests had a designated place where they could be sure to meet their favorite mouse. Birthdayland was an instant hit, and the decision was made to keep it around.

In 1990, the area was converted to Mickey's Starland, keeping the "Meet Mickey" feature but changing the main attraction to a show starring characters from popular Disney Afternoon series such as "DuckTales," "Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers," "Gummi Bears" and "TaleSpin." In 1992, the Starland idea was successfully combined with the concept of Toontown from the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, resulting in Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland.

By 1996, it was time to give Mickey's Starland a makeover. For practical reasons, the tent-like structures from the original Birthdayland were kept and worked into a story line that would introduce Guests to the characters' country homes, all in the setting of a county fair.

Although Mickey's Toontown Fair has now been part of the Magic Kingdom for more than a decade, in the story of the land the Fair is a special event that's happening in Toontown today. Throughout the land are permanent structures that are always here (Mickey and Minnie's country homes, for example), along with "temporary" items which have been put up for the Fair (like the tents).

The train station is a great example. The station is a permanent landmark, the marquee on which typically reads "Mickey's Toontown Train Station." Today, though, a banner with the word "Fair" emblazoned on it has been hoisted up to let everyone know it's a special occasion.

Other decorations for the Fair include the Mickey-shaped balloon signs and souvenir wagons, all done in signature Toontown style - bright, colorful, oversized, exaggerated, squashed and stretched.

A Window on Toontown

Until Mickey's Toontown opened its gates to human visitors in January 1993, it had always been the exclusive realm of animated characters. There is one human, though, who has been known and welcomed in Toontown since the early days: Walt Disney.

Of all the details, references and tributes throughout the land, this is the only one which refers to a real person. It's just above the Library and is an homage to one of Walt's earliest cartoon endeavors.

Laugh-O-Gram Films was a short-lived venture of Walt's during his days in Kansas City. From 1922 to 1923, he produced a total of six Laugh-O-Gram shorts telling "modern" versions of classic fairy tales such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood. The distributor didn't make his payments, so Walt was forced to declare bankruptcy. And thank goodness he did! It was the push he needed to head west and seek his fortunes in Hollywood.

The rest, as they say, is history...

Get Tooned In

When Mickey's Birthdayland opened at Walt Disney World in 1988, it was the first time in Disney Parks history that Guests could know exactly where and when to meet Mickey Mouse throughout the day. The temporary land was a huge success and lives on today as Mickey's Toontown Fair.

In 1993, the concept found a home at Disneyland with the opening of Mickey's Toontown. As the story goes, Toontown Fair in Florida is where the Disney characters have their country homes. This is where they live on the West coast, just outside downtown Toontown and a short distance from Hollywood.

Much of the inspiration for Mickey's Toontown comes from the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, including the land's signature attraction, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. That's Benny's crazy brother, Lenny the Cab, bursting through the walls of the Toontown Cab Co. and inviting Guests to come along for a ride:

Throughout the land and its side streets are countless details, from fun references to classic characters and films to unexpected interactive surprises. Here are just a few of my favorites. Of course, I was thrilled to discover a salute to my favorite Disney character, Professor Ludwig von Drake. He runs the Old Curiosity Shop:

At the Toontown Post Office, I particularly enjoy that the mail is handled by carrier pigeons. The silhouettes on the mailboxes are fun, too. And wherever you go in Toontown, tug or pull or twist things. You never know what might happen. I'm just sayin'...

And the piece de resistance... the ultimate "sign" of wackiness that lets you know you're in Toontown, a place just the other side of normal: