Should a Grown Man say “Toontastic”?

Recently my son splashed a telemarketer with a glass of water.  A few days ago he dropped a flower pot on someone’s head.  He throws muffins at others with pinpoint accuracy.  I can see where this is heading.  In a few weeks he will be splitting the eardrums of his victims with the foghorn he just acquired.   Don’t fret; I am not raising an antisocial maniac who is running amuck.  My kid, like thousands of others, has found his way to Toontown.  Disney’s Toontown is an interactive online community where kids become cartoon characters and battle evil robot Cogs in an expansive, virtual world.  With hundreds of games, challenges and campaigns the game never actually ends, ever.  And we like it.  It is kid-safe and fun for the whole family.  For less than seven bucks a month it is one of the best bargains we have found.  It beats any kid’s software we have played so far.  I hate to actually say it but the game really is Toontastic.  Oh man, I think I just threw up a little.

Download a free trial and you’ll see what I’m talking about.  When you start the game your kid has to create an online character.  My boy is a blue dog named Jacques.  After a brief basic training, you’re off to the local HQ for a list of assignments to help your fellow Toons or to defeat the evil Cogs.  Defeat enough Cogs and you will gain skills and new gags that will help you take on even bigger challenges.  Before you know it, you are part of the game itself.  The game can be very simple or hard enough to leave the most seasoned adult gamers cursing under their breath. 

Like any other game this one can suck the life out of your child if you allow it.  We don’t let our kid sit in front of a computer all day.  Be warned – this game can be addictive.  When we first started we had to ration it with the ruthless efficiency of a methadone clinic.  Several months after we started the dire need to play the game subsided, but it is still one of the favorite options for play at our house.  Since the game updates and changes every day it always seems new.

Overall it has been quite educational.  Our kid has learned to plan for the virtual future.  The robust economy of the game has taught him the value of money.  The social network and team approach on many tasks has taught him the importance of honoring his commitments to friends.  He even learned that having a pet isn’t all fun since someone has to feed and play with the thing to keep it happy. 

There is so much to explore in the Toontown world that the $7.00 a month (on a year contract) will seem like a real bargain.  I have to admit that our cost is actually $14.00 a month since Mom and Dad are now networked into to the game as well.   Our whole family can now be found on the streets of Toontown, throwing pies and knocking out Cogs.

Look out for future articles on Disney's Toontown: 

• Toontown Economics – Teaching Your Kid the Real Value of a Jellybean
• Toontown Friendship – Teaching Your Kid not to Suck as a Friend
• Toontown Responsibility – How Disney Tricks Your Kid into Being Responsible