NEW ATTRACTION : Disney Toons It Down : In the Small-Scale Land Drawn for Kids, Only Adults Will Find Flaws

ANAHEIM —  Although its raucous colors and aggressively loony architecture may leave adults feeling like Alice after she fell down the rabbit hole, Mickey’s Toontown, the new “land” that opened Tuesday at Disneyland, will probably delight its obvious target audience: kids 8 years old and younger.

Like “Camp Snoopy” at nearby Knott’s Berry Farm, it is a collection of tamer, scaled-down amusements designed to divert small children while their older relatives go on Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and the other wilder rides.

The live action/animation hit “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988) provided the inspiration for the attraction: Toontown was the community where animated characters lived when they weren’t working in cartoons.

It would be physically impossible to reproduce the rubbery bouncing buildings in the film, so senior concept designer Joe Lanzisero and his crew opted for a generic zany look involving more garish colors and exaggerated physical styling than the rest of the park. There doesn’t seem to be a straight line or a right angle in Toontown: It’s a topsy-turvy conglomeration of curves, bulges, slants and angles.

Children will love some of its attractions--a small roller coaster, seemingly constructed of nuts, bolts and assorted scrap cartoon props; the corkscrew slides in Donald’s Boat (“Miss Daisy”) and the Chip ‘n Dale Tree Slide, and Goofy’s Bounce House, where they can frolic amid cushions and padded walls. e sign reading “You must be shorter than Goofy’s hand to bounce” will come as a welcome change from the minimum height requirements for other rides.) Parents can sit on the numerous benches while they watch their offspring burn off some excess energy.

Visitors also can stroll through Mickey Mouse’s house, which is stocked with ersatz memorabilia and cartoon props (his garage includes recycling bins for cans, glass and outsized gloves) and have their pictures taken with Mickey in his “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” robes. They can hear messages from Donald, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Roger Rabbit and Jessica by turning the knobs on the characters’ post office boxes.

Other interactive amusements include a dog pound with rubber bars to facilitate escapes, a plunger that triggers an “explosion” in the fireworks factory, and a group of storage boxes at the depot that unleash sound effects when opened. A Roger Rabbit ride is scheduled to open in August; currently, the nutty bunny appears in the center of a fountain and as a costumed character.

Ironically, the general look of Toontown is closer to some of the rival Fleischer studio’s cartoons of the early ‘30s than to Disney’s “Silly Symphonies,” which boasted a more subdued palette and elegant styling. There are few references to specific incidents in “Roger Rabbit” and none to the non-Disney characters who contributed so much to the film.

But these inconsistencies are apt to strike only animation-conscious adults; kids will be too busy climbing, sliding, bouncing, grabbing and listening to notice--or care.

* Disneyland is at 1313 Harbor Blvd. in Anaheim and generally is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $23 for children and $28.75 for adults. Parking is $5. (714) 999-4565.

WHAT’S WHAT IN TOONTOWN

Mickey’s Neighborhood:

Mickey’s House: The living room and den are filled with Mickey ‘s mementos. A doorway leads to his garden and Pluto’s doghouse. The garden path leads to Mickey’s barn, where people can pose for pictures with Mickey on the set of “Steamboat Willie,” “The Band Concert,” “Thru the Mirror” or “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”

Minnie’s House: Eavesdrop on Minnie’s answering machine, sample the perfume on her dressing table and experiment with her fashion options via a dressing room computer. In her kitchen, use her stove to make tea and bake a cake and turn on the dishwasher to see the dishes inside become a balancing circus of tableware.

Donald’s Boat: Kids can climb on a net, play with the periscope, whistle, bell and fog horn and ride a spiral slide from the upper deck to the boiler room.

Goofy’s Bounce House: In the yard are spinning flowers, popcorn stalks, watery watermelons and squashed squashes. Inside the house, kids can literally bounce off the walls, floors, furniture and even the fireplace.

Chip ‘n Dale Tree Slide and Acorn Crawl: Actually two slides. Younger children can dive into, roll in and crawl through Chip ‘n Dale’s stash of thousands of acorns.

Gadget’s Go Coaster: A miniature roller coaster, made from oversized combs, toothbrushes, matches, scissors and wooden block toys. Animated frogs squirt water over passing riders.

Mickey’s Fountain: Stepping on pads in the pavement around the fountain triggers various audio and animation effects.

Toon Park: A toddler’s play area.

Downtown Toontown:

The Jolly Trolly: Connects Downtown Toontown and Mickey’s Neighborhood.

The Industrial Zone: Facades include the Glass Factory, the GAG Warehouse and the Safe Co. At the Power House, various gizmos “electrify” visitors. There are two stores, the Gag Factory and the Toontown Five & Dime.

The Commercial Center: Interactive exhibits include the Dog Pound (children can sneak between the rubber bars), the Fireworks Factory (detonate cartoon explosives) the Post Office (where cartoon characters have talking letter boxes), Horace Horsecollar’s Gymnasium (lift the dumbbell), and the Toontown Fire Department and the Camera Shop (ring the doorbells and get unexpected responses).

Toontown Square: Facades include the 3rd Little Piggy Bank, the Planning Commission, the Department of Street Repair, the Department of Ink & Paint, the Toontown Skool, the Library and the Toontown City Hall with an animated Clockenspeil tower. Cartoon characters perform on a bandstand in the center of the square. There are three restaurants, Daisy’s Diner (for pizza), Pluto’s Dog House (for hot dogs) and Clarabelle’s Frozen Yogurt. Also, the restrooms are here.