🎈 Exploring Mickey’s Toontown Fair: A Lost Land of Walt Disney World 🐭
Join Lou Mongello from WDW Radio for a nostalgic, immersive journey back to Mickey’s Toontown Fair in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World... a colorful, cartoon-inspired land that once brought Mickey and friends’ homes to life before it was reimagined into Storybook Circus.
Originally released in 2010 as part of Lou’s Audio Guides to Walt Disney World CD series, this newly remastered episode captures the stories, trivia, and sounds of a land that’s now part of Disney history. Experience it as it truly was – with 3D, live-recorded ambient audio, fascinating facts, and a sense of discovery that only Walt Disney World could inspire.
Whether you remember Toontown Fair fondly or never had the chance to visit, this episode is a snapshot in time, offering a heartfelt look back at the “temporary” land that became a beloved part of Magic Kingdom’s story.
✨ What You’ll Discover:
- The evolution of Mickey's Toontown Fair from Mickey’s Birthdayland and Starland
- Hidden details and stories behind Mickey and Minnie’s Country Houses
- The connection between Toontown Fair and Storybook Circus today
- Why these Audio Guides remain a timeless way to explore Walt Disney World
🎧 Listen now and relive the magic of a place that may be gone, but never forgotten.
👉 Learn more at WDWRadio.com, and join the conversation in the WDW Radio Clubhouse on Facebook.
🚀 You can also work with Lou at LouMongello.com
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:Welcome to the next episode, or should I say land in my Audio guides to Walt Disney World.
Speaker B:I am Lou Mungello, the host of WW Radio, your guide to the Disney parks and experiences from around the world for more than 20 years.
Speaker B:I'm also a keynote speaker that shares lessons from the Disney Parks that can be applied to your business and I help creators and solopreneurs turn what they love into what they do over@lou mongello.com and welcome or welcome back to Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Speaker B:This and all the guides really are special to me.
Speaker B:I created them many years ago as an immersive 3D binaural audio tour of Walt Disney World that blends the history, trivia and storytelling to really help you experience the parks in a whole new way.
Speaker B: ickey's Toontown Fair back in: Speaker B:Yet it really does remain, I think, an important part of Magic Kingdom's legacy.
Speaker B:And that's what makes these guides snapshots in time.
Speaker B:They are little windows into Walt Disney World as it once was, and I hope they either bring back some fond memories or let you experience a little bit of magic you may have never seen or heard before.
Speaker B:Like all the guides, the audio is recorded by me in Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Speaker B:So if you listen carefully as you might hear some familiar and nostalgic sounds.
Speaker A:From the park as I walk with.
Speaker B:You from attraction to attraction.
Speaker B:But I want to start off by giving you a little bit of context and a little bit of history about how this land evolved from what was meant to be a temporary land into eventually Mickey's Toontown Fair and may it rest in peace in our memories.
Speaker B:Currently Storybook Circus and of course I'd.
Speaker A:Love to hear from you share your.
Speaker B:Memories of Mickey's Toontown Fair over in the clubhouse@www.radio.com clubhouse.
Speaker B:So whether this is going to be.
Speaker A:A trip back in time and down.
Speaker B:Memory lane for you or a trip to someplace you never had a chance to visit, I hope you enjoy our.
Speaker A:Tour of Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Speaker A:Walt Disney World is always in a constant state of change and growth.
Speaker A:Walt himself once said of Disneyland that the park would never be completed.
Speaker A:It would continue to grow as long as there was imagination left in the world.
Speaker A:That philosophy holds true for Walt Disney World as well.
Speaker A: In: Speaker A:As part of the expansion, Mickey's Toontown Fair, however, was lost, save for the track of Goofy's Barnstormer, rethemed to better fit into the story of the new Fantasyland.
Speaker A:But today, let's go visit Mickey and his friends and see where they live and how they relax when they aren't entertaining us on stage and on film.
Speaker A:Along the way, we'll point out some of the wonderful stories and details that Disney's imagineers put into this fun, fanciful land for kids and kids at heart.
Speaker A:Here in Mickey's Toontown Fair, every day is a special day because the county fair is going on and some famous toon celebrities have come to join in the festivities.
Speaker A:While some Disney fans consider the area just a small interactive playground for young children, there are plenty of playful details to entertain adults.
Speaker A:As we'll discover.
Speaker A:The 30s and 40s are considered the golden age of the Disney animated short cartoons.
Speaker A:And and this land is a tribute to that simpler era.
Speaker A:It's also a tribute to what Walt Disney referred to as the plausible impossible.
Speaker A:Basically, that term meant that in Disney cartoons, no matter how impossible and exaggerated the action, there was always a foundation of logic.
Speaker A:You've seen it many times, you know, where a character runs off a cliff, stays suspended in midair, realizes his situation, then runs back on the air and grabs the edge of the cliff.
Speaker A:Walt Disney described this principle in an episode of the Wonderful World of Disney TV show, where he explained that the plausible impossible takes something against the laws of nature, the impossible, and makes it appear rational and acceptable.
Speaker A:And he quoted from the Disney book the Art of Animation.
Speaker A:It's a principle that Walt explained wasn't invented by animators, but the concept has been around dating back thousands of years, using Egyptian jackals and Chinese dragons as examples.
Speaker A:That same formula applies in Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Speaker A:From a stove that can produce volcano heat to a shark that's so powerful and it can take a huge 8 foot bite out of a massive boat.
Speaker A:While impossible in the real world, it seems logical in the world of cartoons.
Speaker A:And speaking of history, in 20 years this area went through a fascinating evolution to become what eventually was Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Speaker A:When most people celebrate a birthday, they get clothes, toys, or if you're turning 60 or so, maybe a tie or a gadget from a catalog.
Speaker A:Not Mickey Mouse.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A: r and better in the summer of: Speaker A: ,: Speaker A: th in: Speaker A:Donald got a parade which featured small live ducks wearing party hats, a brilliant PR move from the mind of Disney publicist Charlie Ridgway.
Speaker A:And all of his character friends were invited singing Happy Birthday to youo, which you can actually find on the old splashtacular album.
Speaker A:But that was about it.
Speaker A: But actually, as far back as: Speaker A:For guests who for years complained that they could not easily find Mickey in the parks, it gave him a permanent home.
Speaker A:For Disney, it was another way to help generate attendance and revenue.
Speaker A:But for Mickey, it had to be something spectacular.
Speaker A:And what better present to give the mouse than a giant surprise party in his own new land in the Magic Kingdom?
Speaker A:Once the project was approved, there was only three months for it to be designed and built.
Speaker A:At just over two acres in size, it would be the smallest land at the Magic Kingdom.
Speaker A:But the brightly colored circus tents and party atmosphere were only going to be temporary.
Speaker A:So Disney decided to take some prime real estate between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland and carve out a place for Mickey's big, albeit relatively short lived, birthday bash.
Speaker A:It was to be aptly called Mickey's Birthday Land and would not only include the construction of new buildings, but an unprecedented new stop along the Walt Disney World Railroad line.
Speaker A:It would also be the first designated area in the park where guests could be guaranteed to meet Mickey Mouse personally in his private dressing room and get a photo or autograph.
Speaker A:In fact, not only did Mickey get a new railroad station stop, but they even renamed the entire Walt Disney World railroad line the Mickey's Birthday Land Express.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A:Alongside her stood First Lady Nancy Reagan.
Speaker A:Cindy cut the ribbon and dedicated the opening of Mickey's Birthday Land using an area that had previously been nondescript backstage areas in Fantasyland the new town that Mickey would call home, was nestled in between 20,000 leagues under the Sea and the Grand Prix Raceway.
Speaker A:In fact, the raceway, now known as the Tomorrowland Speedway, had to have its track moved and shortened in order to allow for construction of Mickey's Birthday Land.
Speaker A:The contemporary cartoon town in which the party was taking place was named Duckburg.
Speaker A: g, had premiered in September: Speaker A:Who Framed Roger Rabbit introduced the concept of Toontown as the homes for the Toons.
Speaker A: n't debut until later in June: Speaker A:So that's how Mickey and his friends ended up living in the town of Duckburg.
Speaker A:So sitting on a fountain in the middle of Birthday Land was Cornelius Coot, the founder of Duckburg.
Speaker A:And while much of Birthday Land changed over the years, Coot remained.
Speaker A:But instead of on a fountain, he eventually sat in the middle of a small corn garden, reflecting the new theme of the Toontown Fair.
Speaker A:Now, while this party may have been a surprise for Mickey, you first learned about the party even before you entered the Magic Kingdom.
Speaker A:From promotional materials in your room to Minnie's narration along the monorail routes, guests were invited to this new land to share in the festivities.
Speaker A:As you boarded the Walt Disney World Railroad from the Main Street USA station, you first noticed the decorative elements added to the engine, as well as the new narrations and songs celebrating the event.
Speaker A:Steve Hanson was the show writer for Mickey's Birthday Land, and he wanted to retheme the railroad and get guests into Birthday Land and have the line become a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom.
Speaker A:Ron Schneider, the original walk around Dreamfinder with figment, of course, from the opening of Epcot center, voiced the narration, which was punctuated by a new theme song about Rollin on the Mickey's Birthdayland Express.
Speaker A:Along the way, you passed by some of Mickey's friends, sort of more like cardboard cutouts placed along the route on their way to the party.
Speaker A:Although it didn't look like they were making very good time.
Speaker A:One of the funniest was the three little pigs in a straw house sitting on a raft, rowing their way over to the tents.
Speaker A: lly a real car from the early: Speaker A:Once you arrived in Birthday Land, whether it be by foot through the new entrance train, or if you hitched a ride on the aforementioned pigs, you were invited to head on over to Mickey's house where the surprise party was taking place.
Speaker A:Not unlike its current state, the house was merely a walk through attraction in which you saw his bedroom, office, backyard, etc.
Speaker A:And the plump red one seater convertible parked outside bearing the vanity Florida license plates Mik Min for Mick and Min.
Speaker A:He's a hopeless romantic, that mouse.
Speaker A: ouse looked inside and out in: Speaker A:But we'll get to that a little later as you exited Mickey's house where there really wasn't much of a party going on anyway.
Speaker A:You could see Pluto's requisite doghouse, Mickey's clothesline and lawnmower, and very well manicured lawn.
Speaker A:From there you then make your way into three large tents where Disney cartoons were playing and you could also watch a show with other Disney characters.
Speaker A:The show, called Minnie's Surprise Party, took place in her kitchen and is where guests could finally see the Mouse of honor along with the rest of the Fab Five, Chip and Dale and other cast member participants.
Speaker A:Of course, in true Goofy fashion, you could imagine who almost ruined the entire thing.
Speaker A:The title pretty much described the plot of the show and featured a song called We Love youe Mickey Mouse.
Speaker A:After the show, guests would proceed to another room where Mickey and the gang did another short performance on top of a birthday cake with exploding confetti candles.
Speaker A:You could then visit with Mickey in his dressing room at the Hollywood Theater.
Speaker A:Leaving the tents and the party, you could then tour the town of Duckburg where Mickey's house was located.
Speaker A: the Duckburg news, founded in: Speaker A:All provided wonderful photo opportunities for guests young and old.
Speaker A:And although you couldn't enter these stores, they did a great job of hiding the tents behind them somewhat.
Speaker A:There was also a small red building with a large antenna on top representing the home of famed Duckburg inventor Gyro Gearloose.
Speaker A:Kids could interact with live animals over at Grandma Duck's Farm which was presented by Friskies at one point it was briefly referred to as Old MacDonald Duck's petting farm.
Speaker A:Here the star was a cow Destined for fame and as Minnie Moo was born with a large classic three circle hidden Mickey on her side.
Speaker A: ner pastures in the summer of: Speaker A:There was also Mickey's playground Mousercising and a Mouseka maze of topiary shrubs and trees.
Speaker A:The area continued to be so incredibly popular with guests that so that on the West Coast, Disneyland decided to recreate it in a new section called Toontown.
Speaker A:Thanks to the success of the film who Framed Roger Rabbit, people now accepted the fact that all animated cartoon characters lived together in Toontown.
Speaker A:And many themes from the movie were included in the design of the new area, including a wild cab ride.
Speaker A:The imagineering storyline was that Mickey and his friends had always lived in this Toontown area, even before Disneyland was built.
Speaker A:And in fact, that was one of the reasons Anaheim was chosen for Walt's theme park because of the close proximity to their homes.
Speaker A: However, by: Speaker A: ,: Speaker A:Now remember that Mickey's Birthday Land was only meant to be something temporary and the relative crude nature of the facades of was a dead giveaway.
Speaker A:And in fact, it was intended to be removed at the end of the 60th birthday celebration.
Speaker A: However, in: Speaker A:Thus, plans were set in motion to retheme the area and lose the birthday motif.
Speaker A:In Disney terms, it was being repurposed.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A:And just a few weeks later, on May 26, Mickey's Starland was born.
Speaker A:When it opened, the temporary buildings were changed and it looked very much more like a permanent town.
Speaker A:And to that end, some of the attractions and shows changed as well.
Speaker A:Minnie's surprise party became Mickey's Magical TV World.
Speaker A:And since this was Star Land, the show featured the stars of the Disney afternoon cartoons such as DuckTales, Adventures of the Gummy Bears, Chip N Dale's Rescue Rangers, Goof Troop, Tailspin and even Bonkers.
Speaker A:The show's story was hosted by C.J.
Speaker A:a male or female cast member, and involved Scrooge McDuck being trapped in a bank vault with the heroic Disney characters coming to the rescue.
Speaker A:Starland definitely had an 80s sound and feel to it.
Speaker A:And by the middle of the decade, it seemed as though Starland's days were numbered.
Speaker A: But in: Speaker A:Based on the success of Disneyland's Mickey's Toontown, the land was refurbished, once again being renamed Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Speaker A:It took much of its inspiration and some of the physical design elements from Disneyland's Toontown, including the houses for Mickey and Minnie, as well as Donald's new boat.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A:The refurbishment included further upgrades to the buildings, as well as the addition of new attractions.
Speaker A:Minnie moved in next door into her own country house.
Speaker A:Donald got a new boat.
Speaker A:Pete set up shop with his gas station, also known as the Restrooms.
Speaker A:And Goofy took over Grandma Duck's farm and created his own barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm roller coaster.
Speaker A:So while Mickey and the gang lived in Toontown in Disneyland, this land would be their vacation home.
Speaker A:And one of the reasons the Toons were all taking vacation was that it was the time of the year for the big local county fair.
Speaker A:And traditionally, Mickey is one of the main judges.
Speaker A:In fact, the sign at the entrance to Mickey's Toontown Fair shows a proudly smiling Mickey in his judge outfit, which guests could later see hung carefully in Mickey's bedroom.
Speaker A:Now we know the fair is only temporary because of all the banners that decorate the more permanent structures like the train station and of course, the big tents that were erected just for the fair.
Speaker A:Even the brooms from Fantasia are on vacation.
Speaker A:And you can tell by looking at the trash cans.
Speaker A:We are in keeping with the country theme.
Speaker A:The brooms are wearing straw hats and bandanas as they keep the area clean.
Speaker A:Now let's step into the world of the classic Disney animated short cartoons.
Speaker A:This is the land where the Fab Five and their friends bring a smile to our face as we discover what life is like for these Toon stars.
Speaker A:We're going to take a leisurely walk through Mickey's Toontown Fair down to the train station and comment on some points of interest we see on the left hand side and then walk back out commenting on locations we pass on the other.
Speaker A:The land is overflowing with visual and verbal humor.
Speaker A:And along the way, we'll Examine some of the more significant, obscure and funny ones and point out others that you just may not have noticed before.
Speaker A:As we approach the entrance to Mickey's Toontown Fair, we are greeted by the colorful sign welcoming us into the land.
Speaker A:And as with any good storytelling, the sign is giving us an indication of what we're going to experience inside.
Speaker A:So we see Donald on his boat, Goofy in his plane, Minnie doing some of her artwork, and Mickey with his judges sash.
Speaker A:Keep in mind that Toontown is not where Mickey lives, but where he and his pals go on vacation.
Speaker A:And when someone travels on vacation, traditionally they do so by car.
Speaker A:And that's why, as you enter Mickey's Toontown Fair from Fantasyland, Pete's service station is located right at the entrance to the land.
Speaker A:It would be the first place someone might want to stop after a long trip or before they get on the road to head off on their journey.
Speaker A:It's a chance to use the restrooms, fill up on gas, check the tires, get directions, and more.
Speaker A:Now there's a stereotype that such out of the way rural service stations are maybe a little crooked and might overcharge a desperate traveler in need of a quick repair or maybe not even take care of a car correctly.
Speaker A:So that's why a Disney scoundrel, the infamous Cat Pete, also known as Big Pete or Peg Legged Pete among other names, is running the place.
Speaker A: cartoon, steamboat Willie in: Speaker A:And of course everyone knows that oil and water mix.
Speaker A:Also, Sneaky Pete has dropped the restroom key into the gas pump to help keep customers around longer and hopefully charge them a little bit more until it's fished out.
Speaker A:And by the way, Pete is selling Gulp Gas, which is a subtle reference to Gulf Oil, who is a longtime Disney sponsor.
Speaker A: ction on Main Street USA from: Speaker A:The building they once occupied is now known as the Town Square Exposition Hall.
Speaker A:Golf also published a handful of Disney related giveaway magazines with comics and stories, as well as two record albums of Disney songs that were available at their gas stations.
Speaker A: Mickey's Service Station from: Speaker A:Throughout Mickey's Toontown Fair, we're going to see that there are other subtle allusions that to many of the classic Mickey Mouse cartoons of the 30s.
Speaker A:These aren't necessarily direct recreations from the specific cartoons, but instead playful references to remind guests that it was indeed, as Walt said, all started by a mouse.
Speaker A:The delicate house next door on our left that's painted pink and lavender and covered with hearts and is obviously the country home of Mickey's longtime girlfriend, Minnie Mouse.
Speaker A:Originally, this physical location was the spot where Mickey's Hollywood Theater was in Mickey's Birthday Land and in Mickey's Starland.
Speaker A:Inside Minnie's country house is a living room filled with pictures and mementos of her family and friends, especially her boyfriend Mickey.
Speaker A:Then guests get a chance to go through her craft room, office and finally her kitchen.
Speaker A:And her back porch is filled with items related to her love of gardening.
Speaker A:But starting in the living room, it's evident that this is a well kept, quaint and very feminine cottage location.
Speaker A:Minnie obviously takes pride in being a great housekeeper with everything being in its proper place.
Speaker A:In a corner of her living room is a huge old time radio turned to Wacky Radio All country all the tune that's broadcasting from across the street.
Speaker A:Listen carefully and you'll hear some amusing commentary coming from Red Barnes.
Speaker A:On the fireplace mantel is a picture in a blue frame with pink hearts of an elderly mouse, supposedly Minnie's grandfather, with a cane and newspaper called the Cheese Report.
Speaker A: ip artist Floyd Godfredson in: Speaker A:It was supposed to be what Mickey would look like when he was 60 years old, but a clever imagineer adapted it for use here.
Speaker A:The other pictures on the fireplace and hanging on the walls also look as though they were borrowed from Godfredson's comic strips, as they all bear his very distinctive drawing style.
Speaker A:The pictures decorating the walls are stills and scenes from some of the many animated cartoons that starred Mickey and Minnie, such as the nifty 90s, the brave little Tailor and Mickey's Christmas Carol.
Speaker A:However, the captions reveal that according to the story of Minnie's house, these are actually Minnie's many relatives and ancestors who bear a striking physical resemblance to Mickey and Minnie.
Speaker A:Between the chair and the couch on a blue table is a picture in a pink frame of Mickey sitting in a chair and petting Pluto.
Speaker A:Many Disney fans think that this is one of John Hench's famous Mickey Mouse birthday portraits.
Speaker A: ent postage stamp released in: Speaker A:This classic alternative was done for publicity where a more classic Mickey was required.
Speaker A:And it may very well be the only time that an additional birthday portrait was done.
Speaker A:Besides the official John Hench versions, Minnie's curio cabinets display some of her Disney collectibles, including her award winning sculpture of the Miss Daisy.
Speaker A:Just around the corner to your right, we'll enter Minnie's craft studio and you can see that Minnie is very artistic and dabbles in pottery, sewing and even painting.
Speaker A:Her homemade quilt on the wall has even won her a blue ribbon at the county fair.
Speaker A:Currently on her easel is a painting detailing the crash of Goofy and his plane into the water tower across the street that many must have observed through the large window that brings in so much light into the studio.
Speaker A:On the wall hangs a portrait of Donald Duck in a style that mimics the classic painting Blue Boy by Gainsborough.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A:Minnie won yet another blue ribbon award at the fair for this portrait.
Speaker A:On the floor is a toon version of Norman Rockwell's triple self portrait that was earlier parodied by Disney artist Charles Boyer.
Speaker A:On one version, Boyer inserted Mickey and Walt for Rockwell and an earlier edition featured Walt looking in the mirror painting Mickey Mouse.
Speaker A: hen Pleasure island opened in: Speaker A:Minnie is also the editor of Minnie's Cartoon Country Living magazine.
Speaker A:As you walk through her office, you can press the button on her answering machine and check her latest messages, read notes and memorabilia on her bulletin board and see covers of past issues of her magazine.
Speaker A:Decorating the hallway Wandering into Minnie's kitchen.
Speaker A:It's important to take your time and not just look, but touch everything as it's very interactive.
Speaker A:Guests could bake a quick rising cake at the touch of a button on her oven, or pop up a fresh batch of noisy microwave popcorn.
Speaker A:Trying to grab one of Minnie's cookies set out on a plate becomes a challenge since it's merely an old magician's illusion and designed to spark some laughs.
Speaker A:The spice rack has time.
Speaker A:Good time, bad time, and out of time.
Speaker A:Just another example of the many amusing details that are in plain sight but often ignored by guests rushing through the house.
Speaker A:Opening the door to Minnie's Westing Mouse refrigerator gives guests a welcome blast of icy cold air and reveals all the different cheese products inside, including cheese chip ice cream.
Speaker A:Finally, there's a sunroom porch with some examples of potted plants Minnie has grown, including dandelions that have the floral faces of a lion, tulips that literally have tulips, and tiger lilies with the face of a tiger, daisies as in the duck, and many more examples of punny plants, all taken from Clarabelle's Big Book of Pun Plants can be found in the room.
Speaker A:Take some time here and see how many you can find.
Speaker A:And can you locate the Super Toon plant food?
Speaker A:Notice that it's recommended to use with caution, but that it's empty and keep that in mind as we tour another part of Toontown a little bit later on.
Speaker A:Interestingly, there's no bedroom in Minnie's house, but it's been suggested that since she knew that visitors were dropping by, that the bedroom isn't on the tour since she wants to keep that private and we'll see that.
Speaker A:Another significant difference between Mickey's house and Minnie's is that Minnie has a loveseat and chairs that guests can actually sit on while all of Mickey's furniture is off limits.
Speaker A:Wandering farther into Toontown, the Cornelius Coot County Bounty tent on our left attracts our attention almost immediately with its large cartoony banners inviting us to enter.
Speaker A:Goofy is bringing a bushel of corn, Donald Duck a prize acorn, and daisy duck, some award worthy baked goods, and all of them hope to win a blue ribbon for their efforts.
Speaker A:And just like at any local fair, in front of the tent is Cornelius Coote Commons with a statue of the enterprising old farmer Cornelius Coote, who turned his corn crop into loot.
Speaker A: from March of: Speaker A:In keeping with the history Barks had created for the town of Duckburg, there was a statue of Cornelius Coot, the founder of Duckburg, in the center of town.
Speaker A:The statue was part of the original Mickey's Birthday Land, but was in the center of a water fountain rather than a cornfield and remained when the area became Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Speaker A:At that time, Coote was retroactively made the founder of the Toontown Fair as well as Duckburg, especially since his corn crop fit in nicely with the fair story of exhibiting prize produce.
Speaker A:Cornelius was Donald Duck's great great grandfather and supposedly scared off Spanish soldiers who were attacking Fort Duckburg by popping corn to fool them into thinking reinforcements had arrived and were firing off their guns.
Speaker A:Coot also piped mountain water into the area that allowed corn crops to flourish.
Speaker A:So that is why Coot is proudly holding out an ear of corn and why the first statue was in a water fountain.
Speaker A:Although the Cornelius Coot County Bounty tent is primarily a merchandise location, the tent is very well themed to the story of a county fair and this is where the Toons bring their homegrown or homemade treasures to be awarded ribbons for being the best inside the tent.
Speaker A:Some of the Disney characters entries for the big judging competition are displayed with the awards they have won, including Toby Tortoise's turtle neck sweater and and Clarabelle cows bell bottom jeans with cowbells on the bottoms.
Speaker A:Underneath these exhibits and along the walls is a plethora of Disney merchandise from plush to books to pins and more.
Speaker A:In fact, you can even get a variety of Mickey ears stitched with your name on the back at the blue ribbon sewing bee hat stitching.
Speaker A:Look carefully at the sign for the stitching service behind the register.
Speaker A:Can you identify the character that's on it?
Speaker A:It's Spike the Bee, who was Donald Duck's nemesis in many animated shorts from the 40s and 50s, including inferior decorators and let's Stick Together.
Speaker A:Expanding on the original concept of the area, the interior of the tent is also the entrance to the hall of Fame, which where guests can meet some of their favorite Disney characters.
Speaker A:Over the years, those meetings have changed from a variety of characters, including Disney villains, to many of Mickey's friends.
Speaker A:The last characters to ever occupy the two rooms inside the Toontown hall of Fame for meet and greets included a Disney Princess room with characters such as Aurora, Snow White and Cinderella and a Disney Fairies Room where guests could enter a miniature forest and magically be shrunk down to fairy size as they enter Pixie Hollow.
Speaker A:Located deep in the heart of Neverland.
Speaker A:This is where a baby's first laugh brought Tinker Bell to life.
Speaker A:And it's here where guests young and old could hear Tinker Bell speak for the first time and meet many of her fairy friends.
Speaker A:The centerpiece of this land is the four room interior of Mickey's country house.
Speaker A:There's a bedroom, living room, game room and kitchen.
Speaker A:Both the living room and game room feature a strong sports theme.
Speaker A:While the kitchen is undergoing a disastrous remodel for a contest by Mickey's friends Donald Duck and Goofy.
Speaker A:Inside this bright yellow house, everything is mouse ified from the design of items with the famous three circle icon like checkers, chairs and plants, as well as references to Mickey's favorite food, a variety of cheeses.
Speaker A:Even the mailbox outside by the curb is shaped like the head of Mickey himself.
Speaker A:Unlike Mickey's former house, in Mickey's Birthday Land, the Disney imagineers designed the house with curves and the animated stretch and squash architecture that echoes cartoon animation.
Speaker A:During construction, both Mickey's and Minnie's houses provided some difficulties for the builders who were used to straight level lines rather than toony curves.
Speaker A:It was the same problem faced with building these houses in Disneyland's Toontown.
Speaker A:The exterior of the house was changed somewhat from the original Birthdayland design to when the land became Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Speaker A:Of course, Mickey isn't at home at the moment because he's out in the judges tent next door participating in the town's fair activities.
Speaker A:This walkthrough tour gives a clever glimpse into the lifestyle of the world's most famous mouse and is filled with a seemingly endless selection of humorous details.
Speaker A:Mickey's bedroom is has an open closet filled with the exact same pressed black and red suits that Mickey always wears.
Speaker A:And there's a drawer overflowing with the famous four fingered white gloves.
Speaker A:A huge pair of glasses on the bed suggests that maybe the mouse's eyes have finally succumbed to age.
Speaker A:The room is filled with pictures and memorabilia that would logically be in Mickey's house, including photos of Mickey as a baby posing with Santa and as a Boy Scout in the hallway.
Speaker A:Just outside his bedroom by his telephone is Mickey's mail, including a package from Peter Pan with the notation Use no hooks, referring to Peter's nemesis, Captain Hook.
Speaker A:A letter from Buzz Lightyear has the return address Infinity and Beyond.
Speaker A:And another one from Ariel, the Little Mermaid.
Speaker A:Was sent from under the sea.
Speaker A:The living room has recently been abandoned because Mickey lost track of time and he had to rush to his appointment in the judge's tent.
Speaker A:But it's evidenced by the remains that Mickey and his friends were just watching a sports competition between Duckburg University and Goofy Tech.
Speaker A:Pennants, pom poms and popcorn are scattered around, and the television is still broadcasting news of the big game.
Speaker A:Looking along the walls, can you spot the picture of the Miss Daisy?
Speaker A:See if you can find the framed photo of the shark taking a big bite out of it, explaining why the boat across the street has a giant hole in its side.
Speaker A:Mickey must love sports because he also has an entire game room with a ping pong table in its center.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And once again, some clever, often unseen pieces of humor, Like a rubber dart hitting a picture of Donald Duck's rear end as he's golfing.
Speaker A:Trophies and memorabilia fill the room, and a scoreboard shows that Mickey is winning a ping pong tournament against Goofy and Donald.
Speaker A:Directly across from this room is Mickey's kitchen.
Speaker A:But as you can see, it's completely unusable because Donald and Goofy have entered the Toontown Fair kitchen remodeling competition and have left the work unfinished.
Speaker A:There's a stack of paint cans in the sink dangerously close to tipping over, makeshift wiring hung from the ceiling, and tools and blueprints scattered around the room.
Speaker A:The blueprints are from the Chinny chin Chin Construction Co. With general contractor Practical Pig, a reference to the three little pigs.
Speaker A:And like everything else, make sure to study the drawing carefully, because in the plans you'll see that there's a garbage disposal that's merely a pig.
Speaker A:Under the sink on Mickey's stove, there's a heating dial that indicates volcano heat.
Speaker A: Mickey's surprise party from: Speaker A:And like Minnie, Mickey clearly is a fan of many variety of cheeses.
Speaker A:But don't be distracted by the chaos and the paint splatter on the walls and cabinets to miss the red hidden Mickeys in the wallpaper.
Speaker A:In fact, the entire house is filled with hidden Mickeys.
Speaker A:Scattered among the more obvious decorative Mickeys.
Speaker A:Outside is man's and Mickey's best friend Pluto's dog house.
Speaker A:With bone shaped wind chimes, the house may seem a little plain and unused because Pluto is probably staying inside with Mickey most of the time.
Speaker A:In fact, a pet gate screen to Mickey's bedroom shows the silhouette of Pluto bursting through to join his master.
Speaker A: cartoon Mickey's garden from: Speaker A:Looking outside, you'll see Mickey's Mouse kosh overalls hanging nearby awaiting Mickey when he finishes his duty inside the judges tent.
Speaker A:His cactus garden has grown into the shapes of his toon friends and his pumpkins.
Speaker A:The pumpkin pie are squared variety are huge thanks to the special growth mixture super toon plant food that Mickey borrowed from Minnie who lives next door.
Speaker A:Do you remember noticing the bag in her sunroom?
Speaker A:Well, there's a healthy crop of tomatoes which are an experimental toon plant hybrid labeled Holly wooden vine tomatoes of the species Maximus catchupicus.
Speaker A:After exiting Mickey's backyard garden, guests are given an opportunity to return back into Mickey's Toontown Fair through Mickey's garage or go to the judge's tent for a chance to have a private meeting with Mickey himself.
Speaker A:In the judge's tent, a video pre show about Mickey's exploits entertain guests who are waiting to meet the big cheese.
Speaker A:The Toontown Hysterical Film Society has set up an old sheet and projector to entertain the guests as the Toontown Fair Film Festival is going on.
Speaker A:Now showing is Mickey's history of the fair, but some of the upcoming programs listed include the Art of Crop dusting by Goofy, Building a Dreamboat by Donald, Famous Cows of History by Clarabelle and Minnie's film Paint yourself silly.
Speaker A:Like his house, Mickey's garage is filled with wonderful details that'll bring a smile to the inquisitive guest that stops and looks around and up.
Speaker A:There's a last aid kit rather than a first aid kit for emergencies, craft mouse tools and books with clever titles such as Build a staircase in three easy steps, Repairing electrical and Bermuda Shorts, how to tune up your car, replace your wheels without tiring and the Autobiography of Susie the Blue Coop.
Speaker A:It's not the years, it's the mileage.
Speaker A: rt, the Little Blue Coop from: Speaker A:On an upper shelf is Mickey's mailbox from his original house in Mickey's Birthday Land, while another shelf has cans of Mojave Oil, the oil company whose tanker truck has run into trouble at Catastrophe Canyon.
Speaker A:Over at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Speaker A:On the wall is a framed license plate which reads Mick in min, which as we pointed out earlier was taken from his parked old balloon tired car that once sat in the driveway when this was Mickey's Toontown Fair.
Speaker A:And of course, a picture can be worth a thousand words.
Speaker A:On the wall of Mickey's garage is a framed picture of Mickey fishing with Pluto.
Speaker A: artoon the simple things from: Speaker A:In fact, Mickey wouldn't appear in another theatrically released film until Mickey's Christmas Carol 30 years later.
Speaker A: like Mickey's good deed from: Speaker A:Mickey's Good Deed is the story of an impoverished Mickey and his dog Pluto and and how their friendship is put to the test and survives at Christmas time, while Mickey's Nightmare is a dream where Mickey marries Minnie with a frightening outcome.
Speaker A:Continuing past Mickey's house is the Toontown Fair train station.
Speaker A: Frontierland, and only since: Speaker A:When guests arrived to Mickey's Birthday Land, they were directed to Mickey's house located nearby so they could attend the surprise party.
Speaker A: Mickey's Starland Station in: Speaker A: own and completely rebuilt in: Speaker A:Unlike the other more elaborate train stations on Main street and Frontierland, this is merely a simple metallic queue.
Speaker A:There's a temporary banner announcing the fair, another indication that this is a special out of the ordinary time in Toontown.
Speaker A:Look closely across the tracks and see if you spot a small water tower.
Speaker A:This is the only location that the train can take on water hourly as needed as the tender needs to be topped off with water every two or three trips or circuits around the park.
Speaker A:The original water tower was located near the original Frontierland Station, but was removed during construction of Splash Mountain between Minnie's house and Donald's boat.
Speaker A:Across the street is the small child friendly Toon park with a tiny playhouse, tunnels, small slides and more for the little ones to burn off some steam.
Speaker A:Over the years, this area has gone through some changes as well.
Speaker A:At one time it was a spongy green area filled with foam topiary in the shapes of characters and animals such as goats, cows, pigs and horses.
Speaker A:Kids could jump and hop on interactive lily pads to hear the animal topiaries moo, bleat and whinny.
Speaker A:And there was even a treehouse complete with multiple rooms and slides.
Speaker A:When Mickey's Birthday Land opened, Donald had many more reasons to be jealous.
Speaker A:In fact, he didn't have a house or even his boat.
Speaker A:It wasn't until Mickey's Starland opened that Donald had his own boat, appropriately self titled the SS Donald.
Speaker A:Unfortunately for Donald, it was only a facade, like the storefronts.
Speaker A:In fact, until Mickey's Toontown Fair, the only solid house in Mickey's Birthday Land was Mickey's.
Speaker A:And not only was Donald's boat just a two dimensional facade, but to the right of Mickey's house were facades for Minnie's house and Scrooge's mansion.
Speaker A:It wasn't until Mickey's Toontown Fair that the boat became three dimensional and was renamed the SS Miss Daisy in honor of Donald's girlfriend Daisy Duck, who also modeled for the figurehead.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker A:Not only is Donald's sailor suit hung out to dry on the rigging above the ship, but a careful look from a distance at the ship itself reveals that it resembles Donald himself.
Speaker A:With the yellow cabin as a beak, the porthole serving as an eye, and the roof being a blue sailor cap, the boat is an interactive water play area where where pint sized sailors can wade through the water surrounding the boat, which is actually just blue tinted safe deck padding, splash on the lily pads and dodge sprays of water that jet up unexpectedly.
Speaker A:The mysterious hole in the side of the ship is explained by the picture inside the TV room of Mickey's country house that shows a massive shark gleefully taking a large bite out of the boat while Mickey, Donald and Goofy are out fishing.
Speaker A:This explains why the boat is probably dry docked across the street for repairs.
Speaker A:Inside the ship is a detailed explorer map created by Ludwig von Drake that's filled with duck related puns including the Kwakatoa volcano and Mount Quackmore.
Speaker A:The map also shows the location of Toontown and and reveals that the town of Duckburg is now 23 miles away.
Speaker A:There's also two hanging ropes.
Speaker A:The one to the right will ring a loud bell if pulled firmly, while the one on the left will squirt water on whoever just went out.
Speaker A:The gaping hole in the side of the boat located between Donald's boat and the Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm is a small covered stand as we discovered in the county Bounty tent.
Speaker A:Even the merchandise locations are themed to the story of a county fair.
Speaker A:Here, a makeshift farmers market is set up with souvenirs and an opportunity to get a piece of fresh fruit or cold drink.
Speaker A:Merchandise is displayed on carts and wagons with an old fashioned pedestal bathtub being repurposed into a merchandise cartoon.
Speaker A:The open air structure reinforces that like most farmers markets, this is just a temporary event and once the fair is over, it will be abandoned until the next weekend or special occasion.
Speaker A:Notice that the design of the structure is also very similar to the farmers market over at Disney's Hollywood Studios that was inspired by the famous farmer's market in Southern California.
Speaker A:The screams and laughter that we hear in the distance let us know that we are near Goofy's Barnstormer where odd aircraft quickly swoop, twist and turn as if they were out of control.
Speaker A: form of entertainment in the: Speaker A:Barnstormers also toured local farms selling tickets to the citizens for a short airplane flight, usually during the season of harvest fairs.
Speaker A:In Mickey's Birthday Land, this area was Grandma Duck's petting farm, filled with goats, pigs, ducks, miniature horses and chickens.
Speaker A:The star of the farm was Minnie Moo, a Holstein cow who had the iconic three black circle Mickey Mouse head silhouette on one side of her white body.
Speaker A:Disneyland had their own version who was Mickey Moo?
Speaker A:Located at the Big Thunder Ranch, those buildings are now used as the wacky radio station.
Speaker A:That's why the rowdy rooster announcer is Red Barnes because he broadcasts his show from a red country barn.
Speaker A:This also serves as the entrance to the queue for Goofy's Barnstormer.
Speaker A:The real chickens from Grandma Duck's farm were relocated along with the other animals to the Fort Wilderness campgrounds.
Speaker A: ction at Epcot that closed in: Speaker A:And by the chickens is even a chicken exit for those who don't wish to ride the attraction and who have chickened out.
Speaker A:These lively animatronic birds cluck loudly whenever the plane crashes through the barn.
Speaker A:Goofy took over the area of Grandma Duck's farm, but his wiseacres farm isn't as successful since his squash has literally been squashed by his big shoes.
Speaker A:His bell peppers are in the shape of bells.
Speaker A:There's a crop of popcorn and the Goofy scarecrow seems to attract crows wandering through the queue.
Speaker A:Through the crops Guests discover that in order to pay his bills, Goofy has tried to supplement his lack of farming income by making some changes.
Speaker A: of crop dusting, although his: Speaker A: c cartoon Goofy's glider from: Speaker A:Oh, and while you're in the queue, pay attention to the details and be sure to look up and around.
Speaker A:See if you can find the real jelly jars and Mary Poppins famous carpet bag on display.
Speaker A:Goofy is also quite the inventor as well, and he's working on a multiflex octoplane powered by a chipmunk.
Speaker A:From the blueprints, it's apparently Dale running on a hamster wheel.
Speaker A:Guests can try out this new contraption in a wild flight pattern that lasts less than a minute and ends up crashing through the barn.
Speaker A:Obviously, we're retracing Goofy's erratic flight pattern, as we can see by his silhouette in the side of the barn.
Speaker A:However, unlike Goofy, we land safely back where we started.
Speaker A:Goofy's Barnstormer was designed by the same outside company, Vekoma, that designed the Rock N Roller coaster starring Aerosmith over at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Speaker A:While Disney's imagineers added the appropriate theming and details, this attraction mirrors Gadget's Go coaster at Disneyland's Toontown again as a mild roller coaster primarily scaled for children.
Speaker A:Exiting the Barnstormer and heading towards the gateway to Mickey's Toontown Fair, we notice that the storyline of Pete's service station has expanded.
Speaker A:Across the street from the station is Pete's Paint and Body Shop, where head painter Pete and his crew can give a child's face a tune up with face painting while they sit in automobile bucket seats.
Speaker A:The colorful paint cans and machinery adds to the fun and the theme of an automotive shop where cars are painted.
Speaker A:There's also Pete's Impound Lot, where he impounds a lot for stroller parking.
Speaker A:And he's even growing a bumper crop of car bumpers, just as other residents were taking pride in their gardens.
Speaker A:For an area originally created to last at most 18 months, this toon land thrived for two decades, bringing smiles and laughter to countless guests.
Speaker A:Many have found memories of the different evolutions of the area, and it's always a welcome respite for young children who may be frightened by some of the traditional dark rides or too small for others in the Magic Kingdom.
Speaker A: gdom and since its opening in: Speaker A: In September: Speaker A:At this time, the plans are still being finalized, but the area, which doubles the size of the original Fantasyland, will include interactive opportunities with Disney Princesses, new dining experiences, a Little Mermaid attraction, and the relocation and doubling of Dumbo, among other additions and enhancements.
Speaker A:Whether any elements from Mickey's Toontown Fair will survive or be incorporated in this new expansion is currently unclear.
Speaker A:Certainly Mickey and Minnie and their friends will be given new homes elsewhere in the Magic Kingdom and to once again give guests a dedicated location to meet and hug their favorite characters.
Speaker A:Like some other Magic Kingdom favorites, including 20,000 Leagues under the Sea or Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, or even the Plaza Swan Boats, Mickey's Toontown Fair will one day be a footnote in the development of Disney's first Florida theme park, but one that will always live in the hearts of minds and memories of the guests who enjoyed it in so many ways for so many years.
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