ToonTown Square
At the center of ToonTown is their version of a Civic Center. Makes perfect sense. ToonTown is actually three areas with a strong centers. The fountain in front of Roger Rabbit defines the Downtown area. The Mickey Musical fountain is the center of Mickey's Neighborhood. The bandstand is at the heart of ToonTown Square.
In urban design, a strong center is a piece of common land that transforms the area into an outdoor room. A strong center leads to activity pockets at the edges of the area. The life of a public area is activated by both a strong center element and the edges.
Just like Main Street, ToonTown has his version of the Emporium. Once inside, you can see the toys being made (sort of). The facade is pure Main Street while the interior is more in place with the industrial area (Downtown) next door.
Toons ponder strange and wonderful things. There are a few traffic signs that help to forward the thought process.
Another gag borrowed from Main Street USA is the window tributes. On Main Street, important people who contributed to the success of the park or the Walt Disney Company are honored with their name in a window. The tag line is usually a reflection of a hobby or what they did for the show. In ToonTown, one of my favorite details is to identify the various cartoon characters. However, there is one exception. Throughout the land, there is only one human who is honored with a window.
There is only one person who truly crossed the world between humans and toons. That is reflected by the existence of the Laugh-O-gram Film, Inc.
Need a break. You are in the Central Business District so finding some food should not be a problem. ToonTown features one of the most clever food courts that you will ever find.
Clarabelle the Cow naturally features dairy products. Amazing to think that Clarabelle was the subject of the movies censors. It seems that some were offended and she had to begin to wear a skirt over her udders. California law requires it at her shop.
Hungry for a hot dog? The best one in the universe comes from Pluto. Not the planet, the dog. Mickey's buddy has the perfect familiar treat for your little one.
Daisy's diner is a more all purpose dining stop. If you want something healthy you need to go to the gas station.
These fish were imported from the Gulf of Mexico.
Once upon a time, all three areas were tied together with the kinetic movement of the Jolly Trolley. In fact, there were two of these little trains. As you would expect, they bobbed up and down. Sadly, both budget pressures and the tight corridor made operation something of the past. One was sold on eBay and the second train sits permanently in front of the station that was never a stop (it is ToonTown).
Getting thirsty after you snack. Only in ToonTown will you find the world famous Goofy Water. Now this isn't going to squirt into people's faces or anything like that. Go ahead, take a sip. Cool refreshing water. The fountains are usually in the shade. Wait. Was that the drain talking back? What was that sound? One of the very clever yet subtle touches, the Goofy Water fountains are just like the Mail Box or the Manhole cover, they talk back.
As an urban planner, I am not sure if this makes me want to laugh or just cry.
The Toons have their how way to deal with the financial crisis. Everything is pretty flexible as long as you avoid stepping into Dip. That would be an act of tragic not comic consequences.
Another extinct effect was the very special phone. Like a traditional pay phone, you can make calls. However, push the buttons and little cartoon sound effects could be heard by you and the person you were calling. Disneyland used to have three of these phones. They used to be upstairs on the second level of Innoventions and a little phone booth at the exit of Indiana Jones.
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