Fans of the Disneyland Resort already had their eyes on 2023, as the next big new ride at the resort, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, was already set to debut. But it’s been revealed that a lot more is planned in the area surrounding the ride’s location, as Mickey’s Toontoon will be getting a massive new overhaul that will require the closing of the entire land starting early next year.
This morning, on the opening day of the IAAPA Expo, the major trade show for the amusement industry, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed the plans for a massive change that will bring “all-new experiences so families and young children can have more opportunities to play together inside Disneyland park” according to Disney.
We already knew that Mickey’s Toontown would be getting a big new addition, as the show building for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway has been under construction for some time, but now it seems that a lot more will be changing. Based on the concept art, it looks like a near complete overhaul of the land is planned.
Mickey’s Toontown has been an overlooked portion of Disneyland for some time. It sits in the back of the park, and it’s clearly been a case of “out of sight, out of mind.” The land hasn’t seen a major overhaul since it was first opened nearly 30 years ago.
The description of what’s to come, including a new area called CenTOONial Park, promises fun to be had, but it also promises things that we haven’t seen at Disneyland in a while, like shaded grassy areas where kids can just run around or grown ups can just relax. This will now be part of the new land.
And of course, there will be the big new attraction, which is expected to be a copy of the same Runaway Railway found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The question is: what happens to the other attractions in the space?
The concept art seems to show Gadget’s Go Coaster still in operation, as well as the areas like Donald Duck’s boat that kids can run around. However, Roger Rabbit’s CarToon Spin is less obvious, and considering that the Roger Rabbit water fountain looks to be getting replaced, it’s possible that ride, which recently underwent minor updates, might be on its way out. Disneyland has promised details on what is happening to the dark ride soon. The fact that CarToon Spin isn’t officially safe, makes it seem likely it could be gone. It’s also possible the ride could stay, but be getting a major overhaul as part of this total update.
Mickey’s ToonTown is set to close in March 2022, and it will reopen in early 2023 with the brand new land, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. This honestly looks like it could be a lot of fun. If only it wasn’t going to take most of a year for us to be able to experience it.