Alright kids, are you ready for the next part of our ADVENTURE? Put on your nostalgia goggles and prepare for one heck of a blast to the past. No, seriously. I don’t know if you’re ready for this.
But if you are, hit the jump for more.
The next area up for exploration is Toon Lagoon. It’s a celebration of all things..uh…toony. Not just toon toony, either. RETRO toony. There are characters here that you probably haven’t seen in quite some time.
Also, that’s totally supposed to be Comic STRIP Cafe. Not Comic Trip. My mistake.
For those of certain generations this island is most likely going to be a gigantic nostalgia bomb. Everywhere you look there are old favorites like Rocky & Bullwinkle, Beetle Bailey, Mother Goose & Grimm, Marmaduke, etc. Enthusiasts of old cartoons and comics will have a field day in this area. Youngsters, on the other hand, will probably wonder who all these characters are.
It did make me a little sad realizing just how many characters in this area are either forgotten or just uncared for nowadays. Toon Lagoon, like Seuss Landing, is usually nowhere near as crowded as the Marvel or Harry Potter islands. When I first showed up on this particular day the area was practically deserted. It picked up tremendously after an hour, but it was still nothing in comparison to the other areas.
The two major rides here are water rides so you’ll want to take extra care with your electronics. Like the other areas there are plenty of shops here to burn your hard earned cash on. Betty Boop and Popeye lovers will find plenty to buy here!
Do you remember Blondie’s? And would you eat a sandwich composed of the ingredients seen above? I was digging it until the raw seafood showed up. I do like sushi but can’t say I want to put a whole fish fresh from the water on some toast. With spaghetti.
Flash! Flash, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth! *dun dun dun dun dun dun dun…*
I’m not sure who these guys are. They bark along to the area’s background music.
I know it’s an old joke, but who seriously cares about Family Circus? I never found it entertaining. But it was nice seeing the characters again. In fact, that’s a good way to sum up this whole island: a trip back through time where you’re reunited with old friends. Old papery friends who smelled like ink.
Woah, is that Little Nemo? That can’t be Little Nemo. No, seriously. Is that Little Nemo? That’s a reference a lot of the adults visiting the park might not get, much less the kids!
Oh man, that takes me back. Beetle Bailey? I haven’t read that comic in years.
But wait! It gets better! Not only is there a Beetle Bailey store…
…there are actual characters running amok as well!
I somehow managed to attract the attention of several Beetle Bailey characters by sitting around doing absolutely nothing. First to approach is good ol’ Zero, looking just as derpy as always. He was a dear. I managed to embarrass myself in front of him by having technical difficulties with my camera.
FUCKING CAMERAS HOW DO THEY WORK
And of course there’s Beetle himself. He somehow managed to have a ten minute conversation with a family without uttering a single word. It’s amazing what you can do with pantomime! Such a shame that you don’t see much of it these days. Eventually Zero showed up and tried to join in the fun but Beetle was having none of that and chased him off.
After finishing up with the family he decided to pay me a visit. Cool guy, that Beetle Bailey. We even took a picture together! Not that I’m posting it here. You’ll just have to imagine what it turned out like.
Cartoonish soldiers aren’t for everyone. Luckily there’s a rather nice looking Betty Boop running around as well. DAT BETTY, HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG. I would’ve gotten better pictures of her but people kept getting in my damn way.
HEY, THEME PARK ETIQUETTE RULE #1: IF YOU SEE SOMEONE TAKING A PICTURE, EITHER GO BEHIND THEM OR WAIT FOR THEM TO FINISH. DO NOT WALK IN FRONT OF THEIR CAMERA.
GEEZ.
It’s only when seeing a living breathing human version of Betty Boop do I finally realize that she really is a sex symbol. It’s hard to see her as ‘attractive’ in her cartoon form thanks to those bizarre things she calls a head and face. I mean, YIKES! But this Betty? This is a good looking Betty.
Cute, but totally family unfriendly! Alcohol? In my cartoon land? Modern Disney would have a fit.
That guy in the white shirt looks confused.
For those of you who don’t want to have fun (like me, I didn’t ride a single thing during this visit) you can hang out at this internet cafe. Why go on roller coasters and water rides when you can check your email? In all seriousness, though, this is a nice thing to have for those who are unable to go on the rides for one reason or another.
Presenting the most popular ride in Toon Lagoon: Dudley Do-Right’s…Roaring…Rip…well, it’s called something. And it’s quite a bit of fun. Word of advice, though…don’t take the front seat. DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU!
That Dudley face would make for a great reaction image.
Here’s a shot of the island’s most popular ride: …which, uh, I can’t remember the name of. But it’s a Popeye themed river adventure! You will get soaked. You WILL get SOAKED. If the splashing water doesn’t get you the little waterfalls will. If the falls somehow fail to get you the water cannons will wreck you. You’re getting wet, friend, one way or another.
I can just imagine Olive Oyl flailing in that there water screaming for Popeye to save her. Meanwhile, Popeye is playing fisticuffs with Bluto on one of the island’s inflatable rafts.
By the way, I should probably mention that you’ll want to bring a change of socks if you’re not planning on rocking sandals for your adventure. Don’t want to walk around in soggy socks all day, do you? There are rental lockers available for you to store your gear in while you get doused with gallons of whimsical water.
Popeye technically has its own little subsection within Toon Lagoon. The architecture changes from comic strip themed to pier themed. Check these decorations out. Don’t you feel like you’re really about to set off on a grand adventure with Popeye himself?
It makes sense for ol’ Pops to have his own section. He’s gotta be the least forgotten of all the cartoon/comic characters featured on this island. I mean…how many kids are honestly going to know (or even care about) the likes of Blondie, Marmaduke or Betty Boop?
Yeah, and you personally consume each of them too. >:(
While waiting for my father to finish getting soaked at the nearby water ride I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Using my camera’s lens to zoom in I discovered an entire shelf stuffed with these adorable chibified Popeyes. If I was more of a Popeye fan I probably would’ve taken one home with me. Didn’t see any cute Bluto or Olive Oyl plushies.
Out of the corner of my other eye I happened to notice this: a barrel themed trash can unique to the Popeye area of Toon Lagoon. Now THAT’S a themed trash can! Maybe not quite as visually impressive as the Seuss Landing one but rather nice regardless. Wish I could say the same for the other trashcan seen in Toon Lagoon…
I mean, really? Is that the best you can do?! What a crushing disappointment. It isn’t cartoony at all!
I guess we’ve all had enough of these cartoony shenanigans, huh? How about we take a break and visit an…”AGGRO CIRCUS“? Aggro? Isn’t that the horse from Shadows of the Colossus…?
Part 1: Port of Entry
Part 2: Seuss Landing
Part 3: Toon Lagoon <— YOU ARE HERE!
Part 4: Matt Hoffman’s Aggro Circus
Part 5: The Lost Continent & Jurassic Park
Part 6: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Part 7: Marvel Super Hero Island
- G.K. Sil Kamina
