Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin was rooted in the development of the unbuilt Roger Rabbit's Hollywood area for Disney-MGM Studios. Plans for the land at various points included at least two options for dark rides, one focused around riding Benny the Cab and Baby Herman's Runaway Buggy, which would place guests in a stroller as Baby Herman's stunt doubles for a new Roger Rabbit picture. When Roger Rabbit's Hollywood was shelved, the dark ride concepts were pooled together for a new attraction in development called Mickeyland, which would become Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland. The ride system concept of a spinning vehicle on a dark ride track was tested by way of Imagineers placing a Mad Tea Party teacup onto the track of Pinocchio's Daring Journey. Earlier plans for the attraction called for it to take place on multiple levels, with a brief outdoor section. While this was cut out of the attraction's budget, the exterior balcony for this outdoor track still exists in the land. The attraction opened on January 26, 1994, exactly a year and two days after Mickey's Toontown itself opened.
In September of 2021, the figure of Jessica Rabbit tied up in the trunk of the Toon Patrol's car was removed from the attraction and replaced with Dip barrels. Afterwards, it was announced that the attraction's storyline would be altered to place Jessica in a more proactive role as a detective out to foil the Toon Patrol's plot.[1]
Summary[]
Entering the Toontown Cab Company, the queue winds its way through darkened Toontown streets and alleys, passing through the Ink & Paint Club's backstage areas, like Jessica Rabbit's dressing room and the prop cage, then past the window of Baby Herman's apartment. In a window on the upper floors, the shadows of the Toon Patrol can be seen plotting to dip the city, with the queue taking guests through their Dip refinery. Exiting this area, the guests return to the Cab Company and approach the loading area. Characters' voices can also be heard throughout the queue, including two points where the Toon Patrol can be heard discussing their plans (one in the alley in front of the Ink and Paint Club and the other in their hideout) and Jessica can be heard talking on the phone by her dressing room door.
Setting off in Lenny the Cab (Benny's twin cousin), the ride begins with the Toon Patrol dumping barrels of Dip onto the streets, sending Roger Rabbit and Benny spinning alongside the riders. Smarty (in place of "Smartass" to prevent profanity) has tied up Jessica and placed her in the trunk of his car.
The cars then careen into a China shop run by a toon bull who is trying to protect some of his wares. Upon exiting the shop, the cars travel down Spin Street, where toon fire hydrants, power cables, and streetlights laugh and spin around.
Next, the cars enter the Toontown Power House, where Roger is having a shocking fight with Psycho. Passing through a series of explosions, the cars "fall down" from toon skyscrapers. Heading closer to street level past a group of stairs, Roger promises to fix things.
The cabs then enter the Gag Factory, going past various jokes and gags, with weasels threatening the cabs along the way. Jessica manages to free herself and mallet her weasel captors. Just as the Dipmobile is about to dip the cabs, they narrowly escape and Roger saves the day by stretching his arm out and using a portable hole to allow the vehicles to return safely to the Cab Company, going through a cartoon "The End" title card to return to the loading area.
On September 22, 2000, a 4-year-old boy named Brandon Zucker fell off the ride and suffered severe injuries when he was trapped underneath the vehicle. As a result of this incident, he suffered cardiac arrest and brain damage, which made him unable to walk or talk. Eight years and four months later, on January 26, 2009, at the age of 13, he died at the Children's Hospital in Orange County, California. Coincidentally, Zucker died exactly 15 years after the ride had opened at Disneyland in an unfortunate turn of events.[3]
Trivia[]
This is the only Roger Rabbit project to star Roger as the main protagonist and the Weasels as the main antagonists.
If accepted as a canonical narrative, the ride seems to imply the Toon Patrol was brought back to life sometime after the film. This is not as unlikely as it may seem, since a way to resurrect dippedtoons debuted in the graphic novel Roger Rabbit: The Resurrection of Doom, where this method was used on the Weasels' boss.
Normally, one can only carry two Fastpasses at one time: one at Disneyland and another at California Adventure. Actually, one can carry three: a Fastpass for any ride at Disneyland, one at California Adventure, and another for Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. This is because, for some reason, Roger Rabbit is part of another Fastpass category.
As of April 2013, the Fastpass machines seem to have been changed to no longer allow one to carry Fastpasses for a ride and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin at one time.
For the revamp, Jessica Rabbit's new outfit consists of a bright yellow detective trench coat and fedora. This is most likely a nod to Dick Tracy.