10. The legend of Toontown’s founding
Have you heard the amusing backstory surrounding Mickey’s Toontown? As you know, Toontown is home to the one and only Mickey Mouse, and Disneyland Park is home to Mickey’s one and only home—Toontown. But which one actually came first? Legend has it that back in 1928, following his starring success in Steamboat Willie, Mickey Mouse was so busy doing more films that he decided to build a home conveniently located in close proximity to Walt Disney Studios. Over the years more of his animated pals built homes around his and soon an exclusive toon-only residence came into being. Then, sometime in the 1950s while visiting Mickey and friends, Walt Disney shared with them an idea he had for creating an innovative new theme park. Mickey suggested that Disneyland should be built next door to Toontown’s secret community entrance, but also requested that Toontown be kept a top-secret haven for animated friends. Walt honored that request, and it wasn’t until 1990 that Mickey and the gang at long last decided to open their community to the public. The grand opening came three years later, and now Mickey’s Towntown welcomes in countless Disneyland Park visitors each year.