Downtown is soon to become Toontown.
Putting their business competition aside, the ZCMI Center and Crossroads Plaza - Salt Lake City's two downtown malls - are teaming to host the Mickey's Toontown Tour Tuesday and Wednesday, April 6-7.Featuring live stage shows, intermittent mini-concerts by Norman Foote, interactive Toontown buildings and photo opportunities with Disney characters, the 23-city national mall tour commemorates this year's opening of Mickey's Toontown - Disneyland's newest "land" in more than two decades.
The Toontown tour is a traveling version of Disneyland's new 3-D cartoon community and marks the most ambitious national mall tour ever by Disneyland. Some of the set facades tower three stories high.
Most staged events and character visits are scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and evenings (see accompanying schedule). However, Toontown sets are open from midmorning to closing hours.
Event highlights include:
- Mickey's Talented Toontown is an elaborate City Hall facade for a 15-minute stage show as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Roger Rabbit and other Toon characters scramble in a talent search.
- Disneyland sketch artist Stacia Martin shows how Disney cartoon characters were created.
- Children's recording artist Norman Foote, whose music and videos have been featured on the Disney Channel, offers frequent 20-minute mini-concerts.
And the traveling sets? Mickey's House is the place for kids to meet Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters; Toontown Jail features bendable bars; Toontown Gag Factory offers spinning eyes and crazy jokes; Toontown Fireworks Factory displays funhouse mirrors and explosion effects; and "The Miss Daisy" is Donald Duck's larger-than-life inflatable boat.
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(Additional information)
Let the Toon times roll
Following is a listing of Mickey's Toontown Tour events and activities at ZCMI Center and Crossroads Plaza: ZCMI Center
- Opening ceremony, Main Stage, Tuesday, 2 p.m.
- Mickey's Talented Toontown, Main Stage, Tuesday and Wednesday, 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Disneyland sketch artist, behind Main Stage, Tuesday and Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Norman Foote concert, Main Stage, Tuesday and Wednesday, 3:10 p.m, 4:40 p.m., 6:10 p.m., 7:40 p.m.; Wednesday only, 1:40 p.m.
- Toontown Fireworks Factory, Park Food Court, ZCMI Center, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Crossroads Plaza
- Disney Characters at Mickey's House, Richards Street level, Tuesday, 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Toontown Jail, Main Street entrance, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Toontown Gag Factory, Richards Street level, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Donald's Boat, Richards Street level, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.