The Chaotic Cabs of Car Toon Spin

Mouse Troop's got toons on the brain this week, so today we're taking a look at the vehicles and loading zone for the dizziest dark ride in Disney's lineup, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

Remember, this is Lenny the Cab, not Benny from the movie. Benny actually appears as a character in the first ride scene.

Is it just me, or does Lenny look a bit too eager to plunge us into danger?

I love this little red/green light signal hand that sends each pair of cabs on their way. Seconds into the ride, weasels throw toxic "dip" on the track, sending your cab into a spin mode that lasts for most of the ride.

Although riders can influence the spinning by turning the steering wheel, it doesn't take long to realize that--between the cars' momentum and the many sharp turns in the track--the cabs seem to have a mind of their own. That's actually a plus on this ride, because your struggles to guide the lurching vehicle add to the ride's slapstick atmosphere.

If you want it to spin constantly, it's going to fight you. If you don't want to spin at all, you're still going to pivot a lot. And if you just want to keep facing forward to take pictures...yeah, good luck with that!

Out-of-control craziness is the order of the day at Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin, and that seems like the perfect approach for a Toontown adventure.

Reviewing the Competition: How Peter Pan Might Hold a Clue to Adventure Time's Success

Have you ever wondered what an average day in Neverland is like for Peter Pan? Sleep late, fry up some crocodile eggs, fight pirates, play games, visit mermaids, fight pirates, have lunch on the volcano, fight pirates....

In a nutshell, that's the drawing power of Cartoon Network's smash hit animated series, Adventure Time: Its hero, Finn, lives every boy's dream of the perfect treehouse-based life. Blend Neverland with the post-apocalyptic world of Ralph Bakshi's Wizards, add heaps of Mad-Libs random craziness, and you've got a show full of endless story possibilities.

If you're an Adventure Time fan, think about it a moment:

No Shortage of Ice Cream (with Fish Heads & Crumbs)

From Mickey Bars to Ghirardelli sundaes and Cozy Cone cones, ice cream can be found all over Disneyland Resort.

Clarabelle's on Buena Vista Street serves up Waffle Cones and an amazing Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae. For something a bit different, try the Dark Chocolate-Dipped Berry Sorbet bar.

Our roving food critic, Aston Walrus, has often resorted to trickery in his attempts to satisfy his ice cream addiction, but last week he had an encounter which threw his snack life into turmoil. I wish I could say he's accepted the challenge with maturity and grace, but...oh, well...

The Roger Rabbit Fountain

Toontown's Roger Rabbit fountain sits just a few yards from the entrance to the character's popular dark ride, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

Robert Zemeckis, Richard Williams, and the other creators of Who Framed Roger Rabbit found an original niche for their title character -- a personality that didn't simple copy any previous major cartoon star. Roger's a good-hearted, enthusiastic, can-do optimist...who also happens to be a hyperactive disaster magnet.

The fountain sculpture sums him up perfectly, having him strike a happy show-biz pose seconds after a major automotive mishap--completely unaware he's got fire hydrant water spouting from his ears.

A Slight Disruption in Theming

On our recent Disneyland trip, something seemed a bit...off...in Frontierland. I dunno, I can't quite put my finger on it...

Eeesh, look at that thing! Now we've got a better idea of what a complete track replacement at Big Thunder involves. It sure isn't just a couple of guys with screwdrivers.

Wouldn't it be awesome to get up there for some photos? Wouldn't this be a great concept for a new Mickey/Donald/Goofy cartoon?

Roger Rabbit Details: Backstage at the Ink & Paint Club

In honor of the recent Blu-ray release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, I'd like to highlight my very favorite detail hidden inside Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin at Disneyland. We can't use a Fastpass to find it, for it's tucked inside the amazing standby queue.

The queue takes us into the town's shadowy back alleys. As you approach the Ink & Paint Club, don't be alarmed when the door panel bangs open and the bouncer tells you to get lost; we're almost to our goal.

Ah, there it is! We're backstage at the Ink & Paint Club, and this is the call board listing the order of the acts for the night's show. In the movie, this is the show private eye Eddie Valiant walked into part way through. If you've ever wondered what the entire night's lineup was, here it is, performed three times a night:

Warm-Up - Goofy
Dog Tricks - Mickey & Pluto
"Always" - Minnie
Ballet - Horace & Clarabelle
Card Tricks - Mickey
"Hungarian Rhapsody" - Donald
"Do Right" - Jessica
Finale - Company

Wouldn't you love to see this show from beginning to end? If you're a fan of the movie, you know "Hungarian Rhapsody" is actually a duet performed by Donald and Daffy. Either Daffy decided he could no longer work with the volatile Donald...or else Disney (understandably) didn't want to pay Warner Bros. for the rights to use his name in a queue gag.

Toontown Skyline

Happy Labor Day Weekend, everyone! In downtown Toontown, there seems to be no holiday rest for the workers at the Toontown Post Office, Fire Station, Fireworks Factory (seen in side view here), or Gag Warehouse. Things just keep right on clanging, barking, honking and booming along!

Of all the lands in Disneyland, Toontown seems to be the one designed specifically to cut a great silhouette against the blue Southern California sky.

Fish Heads and Crumbs

We've got a new Monday feature beginning today. This is what happens when you hire a walrus as your food critic and fail to notice the "weekly comic" clause in his contract.

Click to enlarge