Credit: DisneyIf you have been looking everywhere all over Disney World for an attraction that starred both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, up until recently, you have had a hard time!
Sure, you can head on over to Mickey’s Philharmagic at Magic Kingdom, but that is more of a show rather than an attraction. But for a theme park to have such an iconic mascot, it did seem a little odd that after the removal of Toontown, the presence of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse was mostly through merchandise and meet and greets when it came to theme park visits.
However, that has now all changed with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway!
On March 4, 2020, Disney’s Hollywood Studios officially flipped The Great Movie Ride attraction into a trackless 2-D ride where Guests could step right into a Mickey Mouse short and the cartoon world that it entails!
And now that Disneyland is on track to get the same attraction in their Toontown area over in California, soon enough, both coasts will be celebrating the attraction and hopping aboard the train!
So today, we will discuss where Guests can find Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway — We will determine when it opened and discuss the history of the attraction as well as discuss what exactly Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is.
Whether you are a Disney fan or are just planning a Disney vacation, this will be a great ready for you. So please sit back, grab a coffee, because nothing can stop us now!
When Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will open
When discussing opening dates for this attraction, it is interesting because although the ride is open in Disney World, it is still under construction in Disneyland. So if you want to see your favorite Mickey Mouse cartoon, it will depend on what coast you visit at the moment, in terms of getting the chance to ride the new trackless ride vehicle.
When did Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway open in Walt Disney World?
When Guests visit Walt Disney World and head to the Chinese Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the marquee that used to read “The Great Movie Ride” changed to read “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway” as of March 4, 2020.
The Great Movie Ride was an opening day attraction that took Guests through all of the classic Hollywood films in an interactive adventure, but on August 13, 2017, it closed its gates for good. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was announced to replace The Great Movie Ride and was originally meant to open earlier than 2020. Many roadblocks caused a delay resulting in almost three years of work, and the attraction opened a year later than expected.
A fun fact about this delay is that when Guests ride the attraction in the city scene, they will see a set of roadblocks. On the bottom right of the roadblock, you will see a sticker that says “Rafferty’s Roadblocks.” Kevin Rafferty, now retired, was the head Imagineer of the project, and that Easter Egg was a joke regarding all of the “roadblocks” he faced while creating the attraction!
When is Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway planning to open in Disneyland?
At the time of publication, we still do not know exactly when Disney fans visiting Disneyland Park will get to ride the attraction, as the competition date for the Toontown ride is 2023 at the moment. That being said, we have seen that the construction on the show building has been constructed, and there is even a cheeky sign hanging from what is slightly an eyesore in a rather bright cartoon world acknowledging that, yes, there is a giant unfinished building in the middle of Toontown.
When was Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway originally scheduled to open in Disneyland?
Originally, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was meant to leave the Disneyland station in 2022. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the timeline for the project, like many others, had to shift down to 2023.
Times for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
What are the wait times like for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway?
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is quite a popular ride! Although it may not boast the same wait times as Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land, it has definitely picked up in popularity since The Great Movie Ride held a home there, as the attraction was typically a walk-on.
Guests visiting can expect to wait an average of 30-75 minutes to board the attraction. As FastPass+ is currently not available, all Guests must abide by the standby queue to ride. That being said, the ride wait time can fluctuate greatly depending on the day!
When visiting the park on a weekend, holiday, or peak season, Guests can expect to see the wait times climb to a much higher wait than 75 minutes. However, on days where the weather is bad or the parks are not so busy, depending on the time of year and time of day, you could end up entering the ride a lot sooner.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney has removed the preshow to the attraction, which means that Guests are boarding slightly faster, although they are missing a part of the attraction storyline.
How long does Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway last?
The ride time of this attraction is approximately five minutes long. It is not a super short attraction, but by far not the longest at Disney World. If Guests were to walk through the whole queue with no line, experience the pre-show, and then ride the attraction, they would spend around eight minutes at the attraction.
What hours is Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway open?
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway attraction is available to all from park open to close at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As the park hours are currently fluctuating often, those times may change, but as long as the Guest is in the park during park operating hours, the Mickey short attraction will be available to them! Just ensure you are in line before the park closes, and you will be able to ride.
Where to find Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
What park is Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway located in?
If you are looking to find Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction in Disney World, Guests will need to head to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Once there, walk straight down Hollywood Boulevard without making any turns to the Chinese Theater replica. As soon as you enter the theme park, you will see the neon lights beaming down Hollywood Boulevard, and it will be easy to see!
Now, as Disney World gets ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the theater actually received a new lighting package with spotlights, so it will be easier than ever to spot at night, as well.
At Disneyland Resort, head over to Disneyland Park once the attraction is complete. You will be able to board the ride in Toontown!
What other Disney Parks will feature Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway?
At the moment, the ride can only be found in the U.S. Disney Parks, meaning you can only ride the attraction at Disney World, and shortly, in Disneyland.
What attractions are near Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway?
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is in the park’s center and slightly away from other attractions. However, just a few minutes of walking can bring Guests to Sunset Boulevard. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith are two of the more popular attractions.
What is Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway?
What type of ride is Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway?
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a trackless attraction created by Disney Imagineers, which takes Guests into a Mickey short. During the preshow, the screen of your Mickey short blows up, inviting you, the Guest, to walk into the cartoon.
Suddenly, you are encapsulated in a cartoon world filled with protection mapping and 2-D animation styles as well as screens that constantly transform your whereabouts. The attraction is a dark ride, which brings along Guests as Mickey and Minnie try to catch their derailed train that you are on. The goal is to end up in Griffith Park, the same park Walt Disney discovered he wanted to many Disneyland, with your picnic basket, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Pluto.
Related: Lights On! Guests on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway See Surprise ‘Easter Eggs’
Easter Eggs Inside Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
The ride has lots of Imagineer details and is filled with hidden Mickey’s at every turn. Considering Walt loved trains, making the ride vehicle a locomotive was the perfect option for his original Mickey Mouse creation to ride in.
Right off the start, The Dapper Dans make a hidden appearance in the background of the projections, and there is signage throughout leading you to “YENSID VALLEY,” which in case you aren’t familiar, Yensid backwards is, of course, Disney.
Related: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Has a Secret Storyline
The Easter Eggs continue with old sounds from The Great Movie Ride like the cat growl being repurposed in this attraction. Additionally, 1928 pops up often on signage as the year Mickey Mouse was created homage moment for Oswald on a newspaper in the ride.
When entering the water section of the attraction, you will see a sign that reads “Iwerks Waterworks,” which is named for Disney Legend Ub Iwerks, the animator credited to have sketched Mickey Mouse for the first time!
Of course, The Great Movie Ride got its own poster in the carnival scene as well, and the Easter Eggs go on and on. All of this just proved that the level of detail that the Disney Imagineer team put in to make this ride inherently Disney was of the utmost perfection!
For a full video of all the easter eggs this attraction has to offer, take a look at this video below:
How does Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway work?
The attraction works by Guests stepping into the cartoon world as a blueberry pie pops the train’s engine. Once Guests load into their train, they enjoy the trackless ride vehicle as it dances around various scenes while splitting apart from the other ride vehicles, as you are now derailed!
Mickey and Minnie are constantly trying to save the day, but as we go along for the ride with them, we are moved from the wild west to dance class with Daisy Duck, to underwater scenes, to carnivals, a city, and more! In the end, all is well, and Mickey and Minnie finally get to have their quaint picnic, and your train connects back together.
Upon exiting, you leave back into the real world by exiting through the other side of what looks to be the original blown-up theater screen from the preshow!
Disney describes the ride as:
Burst into Mickey and Minnie’s World
The darling duo are taking a leisurely drive to a picnic in their sporty roadster—with Engineer Goofy’s train following merrily along. Plot twist—you get to go, too! Climb aboard a runaway railway and embark on a whirlwind ride through a world where the rules of physics don’t apply. Prepare for unexpected twists, slapstick gags and mind-boggling transformations at every turn, as Mickey and Minnie try to save the day.There’s no telling where this train is heading! This is an adventure for Mickey and Minnie fans of all ages.
A First-of-Its-Kind Ride
Based on the recent award-winning Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the first ride at any Disney park that stars Mickey Mouse and friends.
What animation style does the Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride feature?
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway features new technologies that have been developed in-house by Walt Disney Imagineering, which Disney calls “2 and 1⁄2 D”. This style adds depth to 2D environments and makes them more 3D-like without the need to wear 3D glasses. The ride is themed to a film premiere of Perfect Picnic, a new animated short film from Mickey and Minnie Mouse from the 2013 animation style of the mouse.
So, now it’s time we hop aboard the zappiest train ever created and head on an adventure with Mickey and Minnie Mouse! Although the ride is new, its classic and nostalgic feel make it a must-ride and almost sure to be a classic attraction for years to come.
For a full POV ride aboard the attraction, take a look below!
Have you been on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway? What are your thoughts on the attraction?
If you want to take a spin on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, start planning your vacation today!
