Today, Toontown rewritten has more than 2 million registered users, with an average of 50,000 monthly users and 10,000 daily users. Ziolkowski, now 26 and a professional game designer, is still part of the team of volunteers who oversee the game and Toontown vibrant and growing community.
A Disney spokesman declined to comment.
The Toontown rewritten The team knows that it is in murky waters. Without a licensing agreement with Disney, 11 years of hard work could be undone at any time by a Disney lawyer. Because of this, they have taken extensive steps to circumvent all of the Mouse House’s concerns, including setting up a non-profit organization to oversee the game; make the game free to play; Waiver of advertising revenue; Removing NPCs of Disney characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald Duck; and implementing a robust content moderation system to protect young players.
“We try not to tarnish their brand,” says Elizabeth Reedy, head of creative media at TTR. “We try not to poke the bear.”
These volunteers don’t just donate their time. Toons of the World, the non-profit organization behind it Toontown rewrittenis financed entirely by voluntary donations. The server costs alone TTR was nearly $17,000 in 2023, according to tax returns. The remaining expenses for Toons of the World – which total about $22,000 – will go toward hosting in-person fan conventions and running an online museum dedicated to preserving the history of the original MMO.
“Games and communities die when they close all the time,” says Maya Cohen, art director of TTR who was involved in the early revival efforts. “Even though I don’t know for sure, I like to imagine that when people at Disney look at us, they might feel warmed by the impact their project has had on players and how they’re doing it Sustaining life for so long.”
“Don’t let the company wear you down”
Toontown Online is largely considered the first massively multiplayer online game for families. Game designer Jesse Schell’s idea first came to market in 2003 and was inspired by Toontown Who framed Roger Rabbit? and Duckburg, the fictional hometown of Donald, Daisy and Uncle Scrooge, created by artist Carl Barks.
In the game, players (customizable cartoon animals called “Toons”) are confronted with the world of Toontown, which is being taken over by business robots that lurk on streets and take over businesses with their ugly, sad corporate offices. To fight back, Toons work together to complete tasks and use silly gags like cream pies and seltzer bottles to defeat the villains and take back their city.
