The news we all anticipated finally came down the pike today. Disney Parks Blog is reporting that Mickey’s Toontown Fair will close in February 2011 to make way for the Fantasyland expansion.
While the news comes as no surprise – re-purposing Goofy’s Barnstormer roller coaster was mentioned in the very first wave of Fantasyland expansion news – it’s still a little sad now that the time is upon us. After all, Toontown has been around for an entire generation. Originally opened at Mickey’s Birthdayland, many visitors to Magic Kingdom have never known a “Toontown-less” existence.
Still, progress is, well, progress, and Mickey’s Toontown is closing to make way for the biggest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom. The new Fantasyland promises to make the storybook-inspired attraction – currently the favorite destination of the 3 to 8 set – appeal even more to a broader audience: older guests, as well as boys.
Disney is quick to note that it will not be leaving the character interactions out in the cold. Mickey, Minnie, and the Princesses will move to a new home near Town Square in 2011. Meanwhile, Tinker Bell will alight at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and her fairy friends will take up residence at Epcot next year – presumably in time for the Epcot’s annual Flower & Garden Festival.
Guests who want to visit Mickey’s Toontown Fair one last time will have until Friday, February 11 to take in the land’s sites. The Fantasyland expansion is scheduled to be completed in phases, with the majority of the new attractions opened by 2013.
