Mr. Toad's horse friend , "Cyril Proudbottom", was a character created for this film. He is based, visually and vocally, on British entertainer George Formby
The idea to produce a film based on "The Wind in the Willows" (1908) was suggested to Walt Disney in 1938. Since the novel featured anthropomorphic animals, it was thought that animation would be the ideal medium for an adaptation. Disney secured the rights to the novel the same year.
There was a legend that said that one animator stopped worked on "The Wind In the Willows" to join the Army during World War II and then returned four years later to continue work on the exact same film sequence.
The Toon Patrol, villains featured in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), were designed and patterned after the Weasels in the Disney version of "The Wind in the Willows".
Angus MacBadger tells Ratty and Mole that something has to be done about Toad as he's spending too much money. This was a sly dig at Roy O. Disney who was always complaining to the animators about his brother Walt Disney for spending too much money.