Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Details, Review & Guide

When the Great Movie Ride closed down in 2017, Disney were eagerly awaiting the opening of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is the very first ride-through attraction for Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and it’s now become the next big attraction Hollywood Studios!

In this post, we are going to share the latest news and updates on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway including a full review of the attraction, the ride vehicle, opening date, trackless ride system, Genie+ and Lightning Lane information and even a full walkthrough of the attraction queue and the new ride itself.

We’ll also let you know if it’s worth coming to Disney World to ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, what kind of crowds you can expect and the best touring strategy for this ride.

Think of this post as “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway 101,“ where you can come to learn everything there is to know about this new attraction and get all of your questions about it answered.

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is NOW OPEN so make sure to scroll down to see all the details about this attraction!

We have updated the ride walkthrough with a detailed scene-by-scene look at the ride, new photos, a look at the ride’s merchandise, hidden gems and secrets you will find and a complete review of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

If you are looking to save time, you may find our Hollywood Studios Genie+ Guide useful, as well as our article on How to Purchase Disney Genie+ so you can make attraction reservations before going on Mickey’s Runaway Railway.

Before we start, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway as well as our best Disney vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

Overview

• Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Disney World) and Disneyland Park
• Status: Opened March 4, 2020 (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) – Opened January 27, 2023 in Disneyland
• Ride Type: Dark Ride, Trackless
• Thrill Level: Medium
• Genie+: Yes
• Ride Length: 4 Minutes and 50 seconds
• Height Requirement: No Restrictions
• Capacity: 32 riders per vehicle. Hourly capacity TBD.

To find out more about the Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride and a full walkthrough of the attraction, please keep reading further down where we explain it in greater detail.

What is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway?

If you haven’t heard of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway yet, it’s a new attraction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios which lets you step right through the big screen, and into the wacky world of Mickey, Minnie, and all their friends like never before. This newest attraction is based on the Award-winning “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts where you’re the star.

That’s right, you can now ride on the first Mickey Mouse-based attraction in the world!

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway uses an all-new “breakthrough technology to transform a two-dimensional cartoon into an amazing real-world experience.” They are calling this 2 1/2 D (more on this later).

The Chinese Theatre serves as the magic portal through which you’ll step from the human world directly into the unforgettable cartoon world.

As Disney describes: “join Mickey, Minnie, and friends like never before – bursting into a world where mouse rules apply.“ This Mickey ride puts you in the middle of a wild and zany adventure where anything can happen!

Also, don’t think this is just some cute kids’ ride, Disney has pulled out all the stops for this Mickey Mouse attraction and appeals to guests of all ages. Walt Disney Imagineer Keven Rafferty describes it this way:

“This is one of the boldest…most impossible things I’ve ever worked on in almost 40 years of being an Imagineer. And you know what? That’s what I love about it. This is not going to be a small attraction, it’s going to be game-changing.”

Sounds good to us! It is a welcome addition to the lineup of Hollywood Studios attractions and we’re happy it’s now open!

What Parks is it Located in?

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway is currently located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.

The Hollywood Studios version of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is located in the old Chinese Theater, former home of The Great Movie Ride and park icon. This is located right at the end of Hollywood Boulevard.

The Disneyland version is located in the Mickey’s Toontown area of the park. It’s has a brand new theater to house the attraction called the “El Capitoon Theater.”

What Did Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad Replace?

If you are a long-time Disney World goer, then you know that Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway may be going into the Chinese Theater, but it’s not the first attraction to call that building home.

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway replaced The Great Movie Ride, which was the only original opening day attraction left in Hollywood Studios. The Great Movie Ride was a dark ride that took guests on a timeless journey through the silver screen and into the movies.

Some of the movies that were featured in The Great Movie Ride were:

• Indiana Jones
• Aliens
• The Wizard of Oz
• Casablanca
• Mary Poppins, and more…

The entire show building has been emptied out and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is starting fresh. It’s using an entirely new ride system and entirely different show scenes. Most of the queue area, however, remains the same from The Great Movie Ride, only redecorated with a Mickey Mouse twist.

The Great Movie Ride was one of our favorite Disney attractions of all-time, and while we’re obviously sad to see it go, at least a ride based on Mickey Mouse is replacing it. If anyone can fill those shoes, it’s The Big Cheese himself.

Why Did They Get Rid of The Great Movie Ride?

There were many reasons why The Great Movie Ride closed and is being replaced by a Mickey ride. First of all, Disney didn’t own the rights to most of the movies featured in that attraction. They had to lease the rights to them, and when it closed, their contract was basically up. So Disney had to decide if it was worth it, and what they wanted the future of Hollywood Studios to look like.

A big part of that decision was that the ride was built around classic movies. Many of the films were from the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s, and quite frankly, today’s younger generation hadn’t even heard of the majority of those films.

While The Great Movie Ride was a great opportunity to introduce those films to younger guests, the reality is that Disney wasn’t going to keep a ride in their park featuring properties that they don’t own.

How Much of the Hollywood Influence Remains?

Even though The Great Movie ride is now gone from the Chinese Theater, that doesn’t mean that it’s lost its identity and its Hollywood Roots. In fact, there is still quite a lot of the Hollywood influence remaining as it transitions into Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

On the outside, the Chinese Theater looks very similar, with only minor changes to most of the building. The big difference is the giant neon marquee sign of “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway” hanging on the front of the Chinese Theater.

On the interior, Disney has kept around most of the old theming elements from the queue of The Great Movie Ride and uses them in Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway! Walking in you can see much of the original decor from the Chinese Theater is still there and has been cleaned up and retouched for the new ride.

In fact, most of the original lobby is exactly how it was before. Many of the doors, rugs, light fixtures and styling remains. Even its famous columns and tapestries that hung above the queue are still there!

Even though it retains its Hollywood glamour, the Chinese Theater has been given a “Mickey touch.” When you enter the theater there are digital Mickey posters hanging on the walls in video screens made specifically for this attraction. These posters are in the style of the new Mickey Mouse short films and show off some of the Mickey animated shorts.

There is another reason why the Chinese Theater is the perfect location for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. When Mickey Mouse starred in Mickey Steps Out all the way back in 1093, guess where it premiered at. That’s right… the real Chinese Theater in Hollywood.  So Mickey and the Chinese Theater have a long history together and it’s going to continue that way.

This is the First Mickey Mouse Ride

What makes Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway so special is that it’s the very first ride-through attraction for Mickey Mouse. Yes, technically Mickey has been involved in other attractions in the Disney Parks throughout the years like “Mickey’s PhilharMagic,” but Mickey has never had his own ride, until now!

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway pays homage to the Mickey of old and the Mickey of today. Its unique connection to Disney history even includes the very first Mickey Mouse cartoon: “Steamboat Willie.”

In fact, the train in Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway uses the same tri-tone whistle as the original Steamboat Willie cartoon does!

We for one are happy about there finally being a Mickey ride in the theme parks, and even though it was sad to see The Great Movie Ride go, if there is one character that deserves their own ride in Disney World, it’s Mickey!

• TIP: Are you a big fan of hidden Mickeys? Make sure to keep an eye out for them on the ride as there are more hidden Mickeys in Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway than any other Disney attraction, in any Disney park worldwide.

Original Theme Song and Music

Music and the sound effects are a big part of the experience for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Disney Imagineers Charita Carter and Kevin Rafferty worked especially hard on giving this ride the best sound effects and noises possible.

Instead of being produced digitally, they recorded real-life sounds from props in a studio, giving it a bit of a more old-school, realistic sound. Everything was made to feel as authentic as possible and was made that way by the team of developers working alongside the creators of the Mickey Shorts Cartoons.

Chris Willis from the Mickey shorts composed the music for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and that includes a 65-piece orchestra as part of the attraction’s score.  Disney Legend Richard Sherman even helped out a bit and was able to put in his two cents for the music.

Topping it all off, the attraction even has its own theme song “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” which will get stuck in your head and have you singing for days, I kid you not!

What Kind of Ride System Does it Have?

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a classic Disney dark ride, taken to a whole other level due to its new ride system and groundbreaking 2 1/2 D technology.

One of the things that makes this attraction special is the trackless ride vehicles guests ride in. These are the second trackless ride vehicles in Walt Disney World and they set up a whole bunch of zany fun as you go through the different attraction scenes.

If you aren’t familiar with how the system works, the ride itself doesn’t have any tracks that it rides on. Instead, there are high-powered magnets under the floor which propel the cars above forward, sideways or in any direction basically. This adds to the spontaneity of the ride and makes it more unpredictable than a normal dark ride.

They are extremely fun and one of the reasons this ride works so well!

If you’ve been on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance you will be familiar with it as Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway uses the same ride system as the main ride vehicle on that one (without the lifts and drops).

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT also uses almost the same ride system.

Is the New Mickey Ride 3D?

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway uses a new technology Disney Imagineering is calling “2 1/2 D.”

Don’t worry, there are no 3D glasses required, but Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway uses new technologies to turn, what is normally a flat cartoon world, into an environment that comes to life and can change extremely fast.

How does it work? Disney Imagineers have spent years making this new projection mapping technology, and when put into action, makes normal 2-D surfaces come to life and seem three-dimensional.

When you ride into a space in the attraction, the whole room changes form, almost the entire dimension, and perspective changes.  Like 3D, but not. It allows you to go from one type of environment to another in the blink of an eye.

It’s something you really have to see to understand, but we promise it’s something you will find fascinating!

Is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway a Roller Coaster?

This is the biggest question we receive as apparently everyone was hoping for a Mickey Mouse roller coaster. If that is you, I have some bad news for you, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is not a roller coaster, but a trackless dark ride instead.

Ride Vehicle for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

As we explained above, the ride vehicle for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is trackless, but that’s only half the fun. As you might imagine, the ride vehicles are in the shape of an actual train, with the locomotive upfront and the guest cars behind.

Goofy is the driver of this out-of-control train, so you can imagine all the twists and turns you’ll be taking!

Each ride vehicle holds 32 people. The trains are broken into 4 sections of 8 people each. In each section, there are 2 rows of 4 people. That means the total number of guests in each train is 32.

Here’s a look at a model of the ride vehicle which was on display at the D23 Expo:

Besides being trackless, one of the coolest parts about these ride vehicles is that 4 sections of the train separate from each other during the attraction, and are then reunited at various points. We think this is an amazing feature and one that will definitely surprise you!

Speaking of ride vehicles, Disney Imagineering had to develop special paint to allow them to adapt in well with the surrounding scenes, whether they are in black and white or color.

Ride Length

The official ride length time for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is 4 minutes and 30 seconds. That is not including the pre-show and queue area, but from the time you step inside the vehicle and start moving.

When you factor in the pre-show film, this attraction comes out to be almost as long as a typical Mickey short, coming in at about 6 minutes total.

One thing is sure, it’s nowhere near as long as The Great Movie Ride was. That attraction was just about 19 minutes long from the time you got inside the vehicle. The new Mickey Mouse ride, however, is not using the entire building and is a much smaller attraction.

While it’s always nice to have a super long attraction, we think that 4 1/2 minutes it is a pretty good length for the ride and gives you just enough to make you feel like it was worth the wait. You’ll have to let us know when you ride it.

Height Requirement

Some of the more recent attractions in Walt Disney World have also come with height restrictions. Thankfully, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has no minimum height requirements, meaning all guests, young and old can ride without problems.

Is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Scary?

If you don’t like scary rides, have no fear. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is not scary and can be enjoyed by the whole family. Disney wouldn’t make an attraction about its biggest star, and then make it inaccessible to all, they want everyone to be able to ride it.

Rides like Everest, The Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster are much scarier than Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is without question.

Is the New Mickey Ride Kid-Friendly?

With all the new technology this Mickey Mouse ride is introducing, plus the zany, fun nature of the Mickey shorts, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is already a smash hit with kids.

It’s also not scary and doesn’t have anything that they wouldn’t find enjoyable. Yes, this ride is fun for the whole family.

Will This Ride Make Me Sick?

While I wouldn’t call this ride overly thrilling at all, it could make you sick if you suffer from motion sickness. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway utilizes a trackless ride vehicle that turns and spins in unexpected ways.

It’s not your classic dark ride where you can see the track and know where you are going. It’s very similar to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure coming to Epcot, and if you’ve been on the Paris version then you will know if it affects you.

Overall I wouldn’t be too worried as it’s pretty tame compared to some attractions like The Tower of Terror and it doesn’t spin you like the Mad Tea Party does.

Does Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Have a Drop?

There are no drops on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, so if you have a fear of heights or don’t like the feeling of falling, you need not worry. You can ride this attraction in peace.

Does Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Have Genie+?

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride uses the Genie+ system, Disney’s paid version of FastPass+. This gives guests access to the majority of the rides in Hollywood Studios for a flat fee per person, per day.

At least for the moment, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will remain a Genie+ selection. In the past, it was a pay-per-ride attraction and an Individual Lightning Lane selection which allowed guests to be guaranteed a ride on the attraction for a single purchase price.

How Much Does Lightning Lane Cost for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway?
It costs approximately $20 to $26 plus tax for the Genie+ service which gives you access to Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and other popular rides at Hollywood Studios for one flat fee.

Genie+ reservations are made in My Disney Experience each day and this ride should be one of the highest priority on your Genie+ attractions list in Hollywood Studios when you are planning your trip. The only other attraction we could see prioritizing over this is Slinky Dog Dash. The best thing is to get a Lightning Lane+ for one and rope drop the other.

If you aren’t able to get a Genie+ reservation, keep trying. People are often cancelling reservations so be persistent! If you still can’t get one, there is the standby queue and you can wait in line. It will no doubt be very long since it’s new, but at least you can get on.

Do I Have to Pay to Ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway?
No, you don’t necessarily have to pay to ride. You can get in the traditional standby line and ride for free. However, wait times can be long depending on the season and the date you are visiting, and purchasing a reservation is another option in case you don’t want to wait.

No matter what you decide to do, Runaway Railway at Hollywood Studios has been one of the most in-demand attractions in Disney World since opening, and you should make it one of your top priorities when visiting.

Read our Hollywood Studios Genie+ Guide for more info and strategies on this and all the other attractions in the park.

Does Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Have Boarding Groups and the Virtual Queue?

No, the new Mickey Mouse ride is not currently using the Virtual Queue, instead, it uses a regular stand-by line and Genie+. It’s not going to follow the path of its in-park neighbor and use the Boarding Pass system that Rise of the Resistance used to have.

It’s possible that Disney could eventually use the virtual queue on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at some time in the future, but it doesn’t seem likely. Honestly, we can’t imagine Disney would use the virtual queue here now when they didn’t even use it when the ride first opened and was at its busiest.

We’ll keep an eye on this and see whether or not they add the Virtual Queue to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at some point in the future, but it probably won’t happen.

Does Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Have a Single Rider Line?

Most new Disney attractions are equipped with a Single Rider Line option, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is no exception.

At this time, however, the Single Rider option is not available. This sometimes happens when Disney opens new rides. Rise of the Resistance for example in Galaxy’s Edge did not open with a Single Rider option because of the high demand for the ride.

When they do start using the Single Rider Line, guests riding with this option get sent through the Lightning Lane queue. That means some of the queue is going to get skipped, but not a whole lot and you pretty much get the whole experience. We still suggest that you go through the line the first time normally, and then use the single rider option for times after that.

We’ll update you as soon as Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway adds Single Rider.

Does it Have Rider Switch?

Pretty much all Disney World attractions have the Rider Switch option, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway does also.

If you aren’t familiar with what it is, it basically allows riders to take turns riding an attraction (most likely for one to stay back with a small child), and not have to wait in line two full times.

Guests wanting to use Rider Switch will have to send one person through the ride queue for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, who then can bring back a voucher for the second rider. Single Riders enter through the Lightning Lane queue, which shouldn’t be very long.

Guest Accessibility

Just because you use a scooter, wheelchair or any other accessibility device doesn’t mean you can’t experience this ride. In fact, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is equipped for riders with various accessibility needs.

After the attraction pre-show guests using accessibility devices will be sent through a different queue to board the attraction.

• One thing to keep in mind is that they will have to transfer out of their accessibility device to ride the attraction.

Just speak with the nearest Cast Member as soon as you get in line and they will accommodate you.

Does Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Accommodate Disability Access Service (DAS) Card?

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway also accommodates guests using the Disability Access Service Card (DAS).

The way it works is you go to one of the Guest Experience teams at the blue umbrellas, or the Cast Members stationed at the attraction and present your DAS card. Tell them you want to ride and they give you a time that you and your family can come back to experience it without having to wait in the standard line.

Many guests have used this option and reported that it works great. You can read more about it in our Disney World Disability Pass Guide.

What Characters are in Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway?

If you like the classic Disney characters, you’re in luck, this ride is full of them! Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway features these confirmed characters:

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Goofy
• Pluto
• Donald Duck
• Daisy Duck

You will also spot a few more rare characters in the ride, so keep your eyes peeled.

Cast Member Costumes

Recently we had a sneak peek at the Cast Member costumes for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

They are a vibrant take on a classic train conductor’s uniform. Super cute!

Ride Layout and Walkthrough

Now, we’re going to share with you a full walkthrough of the ride with you including the entire ride layout.

If you don’t like spoilers and want to experience the ride without knowing anything, then now is the time to skip ahead.

We will look at where guests load in and out of the ride, the pre-show, all the show scene areas, and the exact path this attraction will take. Ready to go? All aboard!!

Attraction Queue (Outside)

If you show up first thing in the morning, you will likely find the line for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway already stretched out far in front of the Chinese Theater. When you approach, look for the sign.

So far in our experience, even though things look like a mess and really disorganized, the Cast Members have done a phenomenal job keeping everyone going in the right direction and pretty well organized.

They start lining people up for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway before the official park opening, which means that even though the line looks super long at the beginning, once they officially open the ride, it actually moves really quick.

There are some umbrellas out in front and fans also which will help in the middle of the day with the sun beating down. It would be nice to see a few more, but they’ll probably make adjustments when they figure out the long-term guest capacity and how far people are in the queue on average.

Once you wind your way through the initial outside queue and get closer to the Chinese Theater, you start seeing some artifacts from the Hollywood-era reminding you of its splendor:

The outside of the theater looks fantastic, and the queue winds over to the front, where you get a great view of the new Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway neon marquee.

We know that there are some who aren’t fans of the new marquee, but we happen to love it. The Great Movie Ride never had a sign above the front entrance of the theater, but we think it fits in wonderfully with the classic Hollywood look and is great to see at night.

After a while of waiting in line, you will eventually find yourself in the middle of the Chinese Theater’s courtyard, where you can even look at some of the awesome hand and footprints of past and current stars.

Here are some of our favorite footprints outside the Chinese Theater… Spot anyone you know?

There are two separate doors to enter the Chinese Theater. Both are located under the marquee and at the front entrance of the building. This is one main difference as The Great Movie Ride had its queue come in through the side of the building and not in the front doors.

On the right side is the Stand-By entrance:

On the left is for FastPass+

We’re getting excited now as we make our way inside!!!

Attraction Queue (Inside)

Immediately when you step inside the front door, you realize that not a whole lot has changed at first glance.

As we explained before, most of the classic Hollywood theming that was here before is still intact. Everything has been cleaned and restored and it looks better than ever!

Look up at the dramatic high ceilings and the hanging lamps.

The gorgeous tapestries are still hanging on the wall and are vibrant-looking.

While there are some Mickey Mouse theming that has been added, we’re extremely happy they didn’t just tear everything out and make it look too modern. Having the 1920’s-1930s Hollywood-feel makes us nostalgic for the days of old.

Here is a better look at the hanging lamps:

One big change you’ll notice is that the old movie props have been substituted out and are no longer waiting for you in the queue.

The setup of the queue is slightly different, but the walls and ceilings look like they are mostly untouched!

Instead, there are digital posters placed every-so-often featuring some of the new Mickey Mouse shorts cartoons:

Here are closeups of some of our favorites:

Here is a look at one of the larger rooms of the queue when it was still The Great Movie Ride. Notice the glass case holding the movie props.

Looking at the picture below in the middle and far in the back is where that case used to be, and now is no more. It would have been nice to see some prop cases with Mickey Mouse memorabilia, or glass windows built into the walls of the theater. I think Disney missed an opportunity on that one.

Ok, we’re heading through the door on the right and closer to the theaters…

Once you make it down the ramp, you get to the hallway just outside the auditorium doors where you have to wait until the next screening is ready.

The cartoon is only a couple of minutes long so there isn’t much of a wait once you get to this point. Guests in line are split up into two groups and lead through 2 different sets of doors into 2 different theaters. Once the doors open, you go into the theater for the premiere!

Pre-Show

Guests are ushered into an auditorium where you will see the Mickey cartoon. This is similar to The Great Movie Ride, in that there was a room there also where you would watch old previews of upcoming movies before going into the loading area. I like that they have this as a throwback to that, again to keep the nostalgia of the old ride.

You will soon find out, however, that Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has an unexpected twist to it!

The video you are about to see, sets up the story of the adventure you are about to go on. The Mickey Mouse short “Perfect Picnic,” which was created specifically for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway comes us on the screen and the show starts:

Perfect Picnic sets up the ride and shows Mickey and Minnie packing for a picnic when of course everything goes completely wrong.

Overall I thought the pre-show was really good. I thought the cartoon was funny, and even though the animation style is not my personal favorite, it was vibrant and done in an exciting way which captivates the audience.

As Mickey and Minnie are driving to the park, they meet Goofy along the way. Dogs in closed in trunks, pies are flying everywhere and of course Goofy finds a way to crash that train.

In doing so, the show makes use of a cool visual effect. Right as the train crashes into a barn, huge hole is blown through the actual screen you are watching in front of you, where you then have to walk through to move to the loading area.

This effect had the entire audience shocked and staring at the hole wondering how it was possible. Even though you can see how it works when examining a bit closer, the way Disney Imagineering pulls this effect off is very impressive and a great start to the attraction!

You are heading into the big screen….literally!

Guests are going to love this part and I think it prepares you nicely for all the other special effects on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Loading Area

Once you head through the screen, you walk straight into the bard where the train crash occurred:

The first thing you’ll notice when walking in the barn loading area is the color. The light is a distinct glowing red color from the many lamps on the ceiling.

The walls and ceilings are made to look like wood boards and have the same cartoony effect that the Mickey shorts are done in.

There are three rows of switchbacks in the loading area and everything moves quite quickly. Actually our whole time in line for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway went by very fast and there aren’t many places that the line gets jammed up, so you never feel stuck.

Make sure to check out some of the old cartoon paintings on the wall:

This is a painting of Runnamcuk Park, where you are meeting Mickey and Minnie for a picnic. Pay attention to that tunnel on the left as that comes into play soon:

Any guest using an accessibility device or wheelchair who needs assistance in loading/unloading from their vehicle will split off from the normal queue at this point and into a separate line here. Just keep in mind you will need to be able to exit your accessibility device in order to enter the ride vehicle.

We’re getting toward the end of the line and when we make it to the other side, we’ll be ready to load our car!

The loading area for Runaway Railway isn’t super large, but loading times are very fast. There are 8 separate rows leading you up to the front.

Each train for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is “pulling” 4 train cars behind it. Each of those cars can hold 8 people, 2 rows of four each.

The coolest part about the ride vehicles, however, is the fact that they are trackless. This makes for a wild and unexpected ride and one of the things that makes it so re-ridable. It has many twists and turns, a lot like the Ratatouille ride currently in Disneyland Paris or Rise of the Resistance.

Everyone on board? Ok, here we go! Now let’s get into the fun part, the ride!

The Ride

This is where your adventure begins as Mickey and Minnie are getting ready to go on the perfect picnic together. Guests get onboard Goofy’s train with Mickey and Minnie following closely behind.

You can see Goofy at the front driving the train, and his appearance is done by screen technology. While it would have been cooler to have an animatronic Goofy figure in front, we can understand that it would have been impossible from a maintenance standpoint. There are just too many cars that the staff would never be able to keep up with repairs.

Our first scene is Runnamuck Park. Immediately the vibrant backdrop catches your eye and there are so many colors hitting you all at once. This is all done through a new projection mapping technology that can build and change the environments in the rooms you visit in seconds.

The artwork is beautiful and reminiscent of what you see in the new Mickey shorts cartoons. So far, so good.

Goofy takes the train on a wrong turn and into the tunnel! An animatronic version of Mickey and Minnie follow alongside the train in their car and through the tunnel. These are very basic animatronic figures and their faces are put on using projection mapping technology.

At this point, the conductor car and Goofy break off from the passenger cars, and you end up taking a completely different route through the tunnel.

Next, you exit the tunnel and reach the “Wild West scene” where there is a stampede and all 4 passenger cars split off from each other and go on their own paths.

Next, you head into a scene called: “Carnival Chaos.” This is another gorgeous scene and the capability of the projection mapping really shines as the environments seem to come to life like in 3D.

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is filled with all sorts of hidden easter eggs and secrets. Some of our favorites are in the carnival scene

All the cars are then swept up in a twister. Again, the trackless technology is put to use here with the cars spinning around and around as they get sucked up into a tornado, while the seats rumble making it feel realistic.

Here is a subtle shout-out to The Great Movie Ride and the twister that we never saw, only the house that fell on the Wicked Witch of the East.

Then comes my favorite two scenes from the plans: “Tropical Torrent” which is followed by “Over the Falls.” This scene is themed like a rainforest that changes in the blink of an eye to an island full of volcanoes on the brink of eruption.

The way the entire room changes in seconds is another testament to how cool this new technology really is! The water effect here really caught my eye.

Speaking of water, your train car all of a sudden finds its way downstream and straight into an oncoming waterfall!

This by far was our favorite moment and everything here worked to sell us that we we really in danger of falling straight down after Mickey and Minnie!

The highlight of an amazing ride so far.

You are then plunged under the water only to find an entire world living there!

Again, this is all the same room you just came from that used to be a jungle island, but projection mapping makes you think you are in a completely different place. Unreal!

How are you going to escape this you wonder? Down the drain…

You are flushed out and find yourself in the middle of a busy city center.

This was another one of our favorites as there were so many bright lights and sounds that attract your attention. Lots of the windows and signs also have hidden easter eggs on them so look closely.

Donald makes his appearance here and wouldn’t you know he is making a flower delivery to Daisy in her dance studio:

Get ready to enter Daisy’s dance studio where there is an animatronic figure of Dasiy Duck center stage:

This was another highlight moment for us. Daisy starts out by giving instructions to a slower dance number and all 4 cars move synchronized together.

The best part is when the dance goes from slow to fast and you still all move separately, but together. Everybody do the conga!

The climax of the ride comes when entering the factory where it looks like you are headed for impending doom, to be crushed by the aptly named: “The Smasher.”

Mickey and Minnie work desperately to shut it off and in the end, you are saved! This room is another great example of the 2 1/2D technology in Runaway Railway as the room totally transforms in front of your eyes in seconds.

We can’t get over how smooth it all looks.

Finally, after a few detours and some very close calls, you make it back to Runnamuck Park, only it’s much later. Animatronic figures of Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto are off in the distance with Mickey strumming the ukelele, playing a slowed-down version of “Nothing Can Stop Us Now.”

Goofy was never worried, I don’t know why you were!

We love this scene and it serves as a fitting ending to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. There are some nice firework effects on the wall as you ride back into the barn.

Once you get out, you can see some more paintings and decorations on the wall. These look like tools used in the barn.

Wouldn’t you know who made “Employee of the Month?”

The most fitting ending to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the picture of Walt Disney himself located by the exit. There you can see Walt on his train, a tribute to the man who was so passionate about them!

Since you are now essentially in the same room that The Great Movie Ride used, the exit is also located in the same spot.

Merchandise

You didn’t think Disney would make a ride all about Mickey Mouse without including some special merchandise, did you? Mickey’s and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has its own line of merchandise waiting for you as you exit the ride. Let’s take a look:

As you leave the ride exit you will find the merchandise shop on the right. It looks like Disney put this up pretty quickly and it doesn’t look like a permanent structure, but it’s where they’ve decided to seel this ride-specific merch for the time being.

You can also find merch from Runaway Railway at Mickey’s of Hollywood.

Heading into the shop you can see a variety of things from T-Shirts, to Mickey Ears, Minnie Ears, Plushes, Ornaments, Key Chains, Toy Trains and more…

All of the merchandise comes with either the logo for the attraction or features the characters in it.

Ahead you can see some of the ears including the “Nothing Can Stop Us Now Headband, Minnie Ears, Plushes and the Goofy Conductor’s Hat.

More ears and hats are located just outside the shop.

We are loving the “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” T-shirts which come with a cute graphic of Mickey and Minnie following Goofy in their car.

If you aren’t into characters, here is one with the song, but only the writing and a logo of the train.

Here are some different shirts and a whistle, good for driving people crazy back home!

There are more shirts, even long-sleeved ones.

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Ear Ornaments:

Pin collectors will be happy two know that there are 3 different types of pins for Runaway Railway: a LE pin, a Passholder LE pin and this Regular one.

Mickey and Minnie Plushes are available too. These are in the style like the new Mickey shorts cartoons, but also have a retro-look to them and remind us of Mickey from the late 1920’s.

Our favorite plush though are these Goofy conductor ones! So cute!!

If you are a MagicBand collector then look for the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway limited release bands, as well as the LE Passholder one (if you can get your hands on it as it’s already sold out).

Review

Now that Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is finally open, we can do a full review of the ride and share with you our thoughts on the first ride-through attraction for Mickey Mouse.

Our first two words that come to mind without overthinking things are fun and stimulating. There is just so much going on in Runaway Railway and every room seems to top the previous with its special effects and excitement. You really have to ride this groundbreaking attraction to understand how cool it is, especially how the projection mapping technology works.

We had extremely high hopes for this ride since rumors of a Mickey Mouse ride started flying months before the official announcement and I can honestly say all my expectations were met and then some. Let me preface that by saying, if you have Rise of the Resistance-level expectations, then you are going to be disappointed.

I knew it wasn’t going to be on that level, and you really need to think of and compare Runaway Railway to the Fantasyland-style dark rides, where it comes out near the top.

We’re going to share with you some of the things we loved about this ride and what we think could have been done just a little bit better.

Positives

Projection Mapping – Yes Disney has been using projection mapping for years now, most famously in the Happily Ever After fireworks show in the Magic Kingdom. Disney has now perfected that and uses it in Runaway Railway to seamlessly create and transform environments, in mere seconds.

We were stunned at how fast the look and feel of one room can change so quickly to another, and have it all work so smoothly. Now I know there are some die-hard theme park fans who hate screens in rides, but for the most part, I didn’t get that vibe at all here. It transformed 2D objects into 3D ones that came to life right before your eyes.

Even though the rooms you travel through are huge, they don’t feel that way. They projection mapping technology allows them to fill the space using 3D effects that make everything feel much more intimate than the actually are.

Trackless Vehicles – Just like in RotR, the trackless vehicles in Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway steal the show. I don’t understand why Disney has been using these in its International parks for years now and we are just getting them in Disney World. I’m just happy that we have them now.

Honestly, once you’ve been on a trackless ride vehicle, it’s hard to go back to the old way. Instead of moving the traditional way on a track like most dark rides, these ones are “free” and move in any direction, all unpredictability and in a very smooth motion.

Our favorite part was in the dance studio where all 4 cars “dance” in sync with each other. It’s just one of the many very impressive effects.

Exciting and Fast-Paced – This is not your dad’s dark ride, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is very fast-paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is made possible by the first two points we brought out, and it will have you smiling the whole way through the ride. There are so many moments where you will have your mouth open wide wondering how they pulled off these effects so well.

Music and Sound Effects – From the old-school sound effects from original Mickey Mouse cartoon props to the catchy theme song, everything works perfectly here. Me and my dad were singing and humming “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” for the next 2 days after riding for the first time and it’s the best attraction song in at least a decade.

Attention to Detail – The details for Runaway Railway is also on the level we’ve come to expect from Disney Imagineering with tons of hidden easter eggs to discover and shoutouts to Disney history. Look out for Pluto too, who subtly makes appearances throughout the ride.

Negatives

Even with so much to love about Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, there are still a few things we aren’t crazy about and think they could have done a better job with.

Story Build-up – Going into the ride for the first time, we knew that we were invited to a new Mickey Mouse premiere and we were the special guests, but we thought this could have been communicated a bit better while waiting in the queue. We also were expecting to see more Mickey Mouse props from early cartoons in the queue, the way that The Great Movie Ride was laid out.

Animatronics – There are a few audio-animatronic figures in the ride, but most are very rudimentary and not particularly impressive, especially after the amazing ones that we’ve seen in the Galaxy’s Edge rides. Worst of all are the Mickey and Minnie figures which are essentially empty shells with their faces projected on. This effect works in the sets, but not on moving characters imo.

Is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Better Than The Great Movie Ride?

Since Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has replaced The Great Movie Ride, it’s natural for comparisons to come up. Unfortunately, even though they are located in the same building and have the premise of bringing you “into the big screen,” these rides are nothing alike and it would not be a fair comparison.

The Great Movie Ride was one of our favorite attractions of all-time, and from nostalgia alone, we can’t rank Runaway Railway higher. TGMR was an epic journey into the classic era of Hollywood and paced much slower than this. It also was a much longer attraction than Runaway Railway which comes in at only 4 min 30 seconds.

The Great Movie Ride was definitely an attraction that adults appreciated more than children, while Runaway Railway might feel a bit chaotic to older guests but perfectly-paced to kids.

If we’re going to make a comparison to another attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway feels a lot like the Ratatouille in Walt Disney World Studios, in Disneyland Paris, or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure which is coming to Epcot soon. Both use trackless vehicles and have similar timing, pace, and the feel of danger.

If I have to make a choice between the two, I’m still going to choose The Great Movie Ride. To us, it was the perfect ride and was able to fully encompass that old Hollywood-era feel and transport us into some of the greatest scenes in movie history.

Overall, I think Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is an incredible ride and is exactly what Hollywood Studios needs right now. It’s an attraction that is fun for the whole family. It also has a high hourly rider capacity which will eat some of the increasingly large crowds in the studios. And it is easily now one of the best rides in Hollywood Studios.

I wish that both attractions could exist in Hollywood Studios at the same time. But if we had to see The Great Movie Ride say goodbye, I’m glad the Imagineers were able to give Mickey his own ride, and make it something worthy of Disney’s most beloved character.

Overall it’s a great dark ride and in our opinion will instantly become a fan-favorite. Once it opens we will have a full review ready for you!

Secrets & Hidden Gems

One of our favorite things about Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is how re-ridable this attraction is, and a big part of that is all the hidden secrets and easter eggs you’ll find in its rooms. In fact, it’s almost impossible to spot them all on the first, second or third ride, so you’ll have to keep those eyes wide open.

Here are 15 of our favorite easter eggs you’ll find:

Hidden Mickeys – This one technically starts before you even get on the attraction. Naturally, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has more Hidden Mickeys than any other attraction built by Disney Imagineering. It’s only fitting this is the case so try to count as many as you can starting in the attraction queue and throughout the whole experience.

Whistle – Does the train whistle sound familiar to you on Runaway Railway? That’s because this is the exact same tri-tone whistle that was used in Mickey’s debut cartoon, 1928’s “Steamboat Willie.” That whistle used by Disney Legend Jimmy Macdonald for that cartoon was also used to record the train whistle on the ride, adding to the authenticity.

1901 – There are quite a few numbers in this ride that have hidden meanings. The year “1901” appears in the sewer scene and of course, stands for Walt Disney’s year of birth.

1928 – The year 1928 is also prominently featured in Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and that one stands for Mickey Mouse’s birth year, when he debuted in “Steamboat Willie.”

The Dapper Dans – You know those awesome entertainers you stop and listen to every time you walk down Main Street U.S.A? They’re also in Micky and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. That’s right, you can find the Dapper Dans in the very first scene as they ride by in the background on a quadruplet tandem bike.

Pluto and the Picnic Basket – Pluto, like any good dog, is loyal to his master, who in this case is Mickey. After he sees that the picnic basket got thrown from the trunk in the opening pre-show movie, he naturally wants to return it to Mickey. Throughout the ride you can see Pluto following the cars, trying desperately to make sure Mickey doesn’t ruin his picnic with Minnie.

Yensid Valley – This appears in the first and last scenes of the attraction, and wouldn’t you know, it is “Disney” spelled backward. This is also a shoutout to the sorcerer’s name in Fantasia from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”

The Great Moving Ride – You all know that Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway stands on the exact spot that The Great Movie Ride used to operate on. Paying homage to this is a sign in the carnival scene which reads “The Great Moving Ride.” Love it!

Musical Tornado – At the end of the carnival scene, a tornado comes through and sweeps you all away. You may have noticed the musical instruments flying around inside that tornado, which is a reference to the iconic Mickey short: “The Band Concert.”

Miss Fortune – Miss Fortune is a callout to Miss Adventure Falls in Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, which was originally going to be called: “Miss Fortune Falls.”

Iwerks Waterworks – As you enter the sewers and into the water treatment plant, be on the lookout for a sign that reads: “Iwerks Waterworks.” This of course is paying homage to the man who sketched Mickey Mouse for the very first time, Disney Legend, Ub Iwerks.

House of Mouse – In the city scene you might notice a sign that reads: “Maison des Souris.” That is French for “House of Mouse.”

1401 Flower Shop – The address for the 1401 Flower Shop is referring to the headquarters of Walt Disney Imagineering, located in Glendale, California at 1401 Flower Street.

Oswald Wins! – You’ll be happy to know that Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway also makes reference to Mickey’s predecessor, and fellow Walt Disney creation, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. You can find him mentioned in the newspaper near Jackhammer Pete which reads: “Oswald Wins!”

Safe for Ink and Paint – Also in the city scene you’ll notice a sign for detergent which reads: “safe for ink & paint.” That is a reference to the Ink & Paint department, which was crucial to early animation.

There are so many fun references to Mickey Mouse and Disney history on this ride, try to find them all on your next ride, and let us know of any others you might have found too!

Videos

Here is a Full POV Ride-Through of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway:

When is the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Opening in Hollywood Studios?

The good news is that Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is already open in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It had its grand opening on March 4, 2020!

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Bob Chapek announced the good news in a special presentation at the Walt Disney World Resort some months ago. Disney had previously confirmed the new attraction would be opening in Spring 2020, but March 4 was even earlier than we were anticipating!

The construction for Mickey’s Runaway Railway took a little longer than originally planned, as a Fall 2019 opening date was originally announced. That date had since been moved back to Spring 2020, and then it finally opened on March 4, 2020.

The attraction was delayed a bit due to its complicated layout and its trackless ride system. It’s not a coincidence that the star attraction for Galaxy’s Edge, “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance” is also a trackless ride and suffered delays.

Speaking of which, the opening of this new Mickey Mouse ride comes just in time as Disney’s Hollywood Studios needs some other attractions to take the pressure off guests coming for Rise of the Resistance.

When is the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Opening in Disneyland?

We’ve known about Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway coming to Hollywood Studios since 2017 and shortly thereafter Disney also confirmed that this new Mickey attraction was also opening in Disneyland Park, in Mickey’s Toontown.

The good news is that Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disneyland Park is open now. It’s official opening was January 27, 2023.

Disney was pretty bold already announcing the building of a second Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride before guests have even had been on the original. Their confidence was justified as it’s been a hit with guests in both parks.

Is the Disneyland Version of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway a Clone?

For the most part, yes. The version of this Mickey Mouse ride in Disneyland is an exact clone of the one in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The only difference between then two that we know of at this time are the buildings they are housed in.

The Disneyland version of the ride has a brand new building called the “El Capitoon Theater,” and it isn’t replacing any old rides. Since it’s located in a different building, the ride queue is also much different, but with the same idea of going to a film premiere.

I wouldn’t make a trip all the way out to Disneyland for this ride only, but if you are planning a trip out there anyway, you’ll definitely want to ride it.

Touring Strategy

Now that you have an idea about what the attraction is like, what is the best touring strategy for riding Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway? Now that it’s been open for a few years, crowd levels have been a lot easier to predict. First of all, make sure to look at a good Disney World Crowd Calendar to figure out what attendance might be when you are planning to go.

Since Hollywood Studios is always packed now, it’s going to take a good touring plan to get you through all the new ride successfully.

So far this new Mickey Mouse ride has been received extremely well by fans and is going to be very popular for a long-time. Mickey has never had a ride-through attraction before, and since he’s Disney’s biggest star, fans will continue circling the Chinese Theater to get in!

Check out our Touring Plans and Itineraries for Hollywood Studios which will help you plan out every aspect of your entire day visiting the park.

Here are some things to keep in mind when planning your visit to Hollywood Studios to ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Crowds and Expected Wait Times

As with any new Disney attraction, expect the crowds to be long for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway when you visit. You can expect lines to get as long as 60 to 90 minutes in the morning and throughout the day, especially on busy days in Hollywood Studios.

When it first opened, we saw crowds 3-4 hours long at one point, but that’s because it was the first few days of operation. So far on a normal basis, we haven’t reached the extremely high levels that we’ve seen for recent Disney attractions like Flight of Passage and Slinky Dog Dash. Even after years, those attractions still see 3+ hour waits regularly.

We haven’t see Flight of Passage or Rise of the Resistance-type popularity or wait times, but more on the level of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. What really helps the Runaway Railway is that it has a high hourly capacity and eats crowds for breakfast. This helps so that lines don’t get super long.

Another big factor is so far has been how smoothly the ride has run from Day 1. Part of the reason Rise of the Resistance lines are always so long is because it just can’t handle very many guests per hour because it’s always breaking down.

While they have similar ride systems (at least for one part of the ride), it hasn’t been a problem for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. We haven’t heard anything negative about the Imagineers or Cast members having a hard time keeping it running continuously, instead it almost always is running at full capacity.

When you visit you should expect it will have solid 1+ hour waits on most days. It’s still the most recent addition to the park, so expect long wait times for a while.

From a touring perspective, all this means Mickey and Minnie’s needs to be one of your top priorities when it comes to Genie+ selections in Hollywood Studios at this time.

If you can snag a FastPass for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, we suggest consulting our guide to Hollywood Studios Rope Dropping to see how to successfully ride both Slinky Dog Dash and Smugglers Run. (That guide is currently being updated with this brand new info, so stay tuned)

We’ll keep you updated with any touring strategy changes for Runaway Railway as soon as we have them.

What Time Should I Get to Hollywood Studios?

As hard as it is predicting wait times, it’s just as hard predicting what time you have to get to Hollywood Studios in order to ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

First of all, it isn’t using the Boarding Pass system. That means you’ll be able to jump in line for it no matter what time you get to the park, and it’s not 100% necessary to be there at park opening to ride it.

Now that said, you are definitely going to wait longer if you show up much after Hollywood Studios’ opening time. Right now there are still thousands of guests who arrive at the park BEFORE it even officially opens for Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash.

Unfortunately, when the guests see the even longer waits for those rides, many make a dash for Mickey and Minnie’s seeing as it’s the next best thing.

If you are going to Hollywood Studios, you also are probably interested in riding Rise of the Resistance. In that case, you definitely need to get there before the park opens if you don’t want to stand in line all day or buy a Lightning Lane pass for it.

Another you need to know is the Hollywood Studios park hours. Right now they are pretty stable without too many huge changes on a weekly basis. For almost the next few months, Hollywood Studios opens at 8:00 am or 9:00am, so you know you need to be there earlier than that.

The important thing to know is that if you want to ride Runaway Railway and the majority of the other rides in Hollywood Studios (especially RotR), you need to be there at least 60 minutes before the park opens.

Of course, if you have a Genie+ or don’t care about which other rides you do that day, you can show up whenever you want.

Again, keep an eye on the ever-changing schedule to know for sure when the park is open.

Rope Dropping Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

So you want to rope-drop Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway? That’s what you and 3,000 other fans are thinking. Even so, it’s likely to be your best chance to ride it and the other rides in Hollywood Studios without waiting a ton.

Before we talk more about this ride specifically, make sure to read our Hollywood Studios Rope Drop guide for more strategies for each ride in the park and what it means now with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opening (that article is currently being updated)

Not only is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway a new attraction, but huge crowds for Rise of the Resistance have made Hollywood Studios extremely crowded, which should keep pushing up wait times here as a result.

Depending on your priorities and if you purchase Genie+ or not, you are going to have to decide between rope-dropping Mickey and Minnie’s, Slinky Dog Dash or Rise of the Resistance. If you have Genie+, this makes everything much easier.

In that case, I’d make a Lightning Lane reservation for Slinky Dog first, then Runaway Railway very soon after that. With your place in those line secure, Rise of the Resistance would be my first pick to rope drop.

If you aren’t using Genie+, it’s probably a good idea to race over to the Chinese Theater to get in line for Runaway Railway. The line moves quickly in the morning, and you can knock this one out right away and head over to your second attraction of the day before too many people get in the park.

Even if you don’t want to rope drop Runaway Railway, you’re going to need to be in the park early. Just like Rise of the Resistance though, if you want to rope-drop the new Mickey Mouse ride, your place inside the park will matter since it’s using a standby queue.

So the further up Hollywood Boulevard you are at rope drop, the better.

We’re going to say to show up 60-90 minutes before the park opens to rope drop this ride or the other two I mentioned to be safe. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to ride it.

Should I Visit Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in 2024?

With all this talk about crowds in Hollywood Studios, you might get the idea that it’s better just to skip it in 2024 and go when the crowds slow down. We wouldn’t advise that for a few reasons.

Now that there is no risk of Walt Disney World closing anymore, we are predicting huge crowds in 2024. Of course, this could also change depending on the full financial impact the economic downturn has on the average Disney visitor.

Most guests are back to traveling normally once again, and even the ones that don’t want to go outside the country still find comfort and security in visiting the Orlando theme parks. We did have a dry spell in 2023 during the summer, but we don’t expect that to continue.

Not only that, 2 new attractions (TRON Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind) have also recently opened up which means more guests for all 4 WDW parks. What happened a few years ago when people stopped going to Disney World just isn’t going to happen again outside some catastrophic event, and you are never going to find crowd levels that low again.

Plus, there are still many attractions in the pipeline coming to Disney World in the near future, so if you wait past this year, it could get even more crowded.

For those reasons, we think you should visit Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in 2024 if you have the opportunity.

Sure, it’s always best to experience an attraction right when it opens up. But even though it’s been a few years, pretty much everything is still in pristine condition, all of the special effects are working, etc. As the years go by, some things stop working and you might never get a chance to experience like that again (hello broken Yeti).

All that being said, you’ll have to schedule your trip to Walt Disney World when it’s best for you and your family, but we think that if riding Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is important to you, there is no better time than 2024!

Read our post on “Which Year is Best to Visit Disney World?” for more info and the pros and cons for the upcoming years.

FAQs

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is definitely one of the coolest new rides coming to Disney World and we can’t wait until you get to visit and see it in person!

Stay tuned right here at Ziggy Knows Disney for more info about Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. We will continue to update our ride strategy as time goes on.

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the new Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride…

• On a scale from 1-10, what do you rate this new attraction?
• Which new Disney World ride are you most looking forward to?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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