now, 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 community alive and growing.

A Disney spokeswoman declined to comment.

the Toontown Rewritten The team knew they were operating in murky waters. Without a licensing agreement from Disney, 11 years of hard work could be shut down at any minute by a Disney lawyer. So they took several steps to try to avoid any concerns the Mouse House might have, including establishing a nonprofit organization to manage the game; making the game free to play; withholding of advertising revenue; removing NPCs of Disney characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald Duck; and implementing a strong content moderation system to protect young players.

“We try not to mess with their brand,” says Elizabeth Reedy, head of creative media. TTR. “We’re trying not to bite the bear.”

These volunteers aren’t just donating their time, either. Toons of the World, the nonprofit behind Toontown Rewrittenis funded entirely through voluntary donations. The server costs alone for TTR amount to nearly $17,000 in 2023, according to tax filings. The remaining expenses for Toons of the World—totaling $22,000—go toward hosting in-person fan conventions and running an online museum dedicated to preserving the history of the original MMO. .

“Games and communities always die whenever they’re closed,” said Maya Cohen, an art director. TTR who was part of the early revival efforts. “Although I’m not sure, I want to imagine that if the people of Disney are looking at us, maybe it will warm their hearts to see the impact of their project on its players and how they keep it alive. for a long time time.”

“Don’t Let Corporations Kill You”

Toontown Online is considered the first massively multiplayer online game designed for families. The brainchild of game designer Jesse Schell, it first launched in 2003 and was inspired by Toontown in Who framed Roger Rabbit and Duckburg, the fictional hometown of Donald, Daisy, and Uncle Scrooge created by artist Carl Barks.

In the game, the players (customizable, cartoon animals called “Toons”) face the world of Toontown taken over by business robots, who hide in the streets and take over the shops with their teeth -ad, gloomy corporate offices. To fight, the Toons work together to complete tasks and use silly gags like cream pies and seltzer bottles to defeat the baddies and take back their town.