Disneyland Hurries to Finish Toontown for Yule Preview

Santa’s elves aren’t the only ones facing a deadline. At Disneyland, two shifts of workers are working six days a week to finish Toontown, the animated village scheduled to open in January.

Although the opening date is Jan. 26, Disney officials plan to preview the $100-million home of Mickey, Goofy and the other Disney characters during the Christmas season.

“We wanted to keep the concepts simple but wrap in a strong Disney story line,” said Joe Lanzisero, the veteran Disney animator who designed the living cartoon village.

When the fences and barricades are removed next month, visitors will be able to walk through Toontown, with cartoon-style lopsided houses.

Toontown is the first new land at the Magic Kingdom since Bear Country (now Critter Country) opened in 1972.

The cartoon village will be more participative than earlier attractions. Visitors can climb through rubber jail bars, jump on inflated floors and ring bells.

At Roger Rabbit’s Toontown Spin, riders will be able to control the spin on their cars as they careen through alleys, crash through a china shop and tumble down a stairwell.

In Minnie’s house, children can color pictures of Minnie on a touch-screen computer. Behind Mickey’s, the famous mouse will be acting on the set of one his movies.

Toontown will also dress up another Disney staple: waiting in line. As visitors shuffle through the looping line to Goofy’s house, for example, they can watch animated characters squirting water and otherwise cavorting.

Two years of 10- and 12-hour days haven’t dampened Lanzisero’s enthusiasm for the project he created.

“Part of me is relieved,” he said, comparing Toontown to having a child and then seeing it go to college.