Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the latest exciting attraction to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This family-friendly ride invites guests to join Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and other iconic characters inside their very own cartoon adventure.
Starting with the basics, you’ll find Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in the Chinese Theatre, the former home of The Great Movie Ride. A neon marquee will welcome you as soon as you enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios and start to walk down Hollywood Boulevard. This animated sign is lit up throughout the day and night, and is frankly a great addition to the park on its own.
On to the important stuff! Be warned that there may be some spoilers ahead. We’ll try our best to avoid spoiling too much of the fun, but we will touch on a few items regarding what works and what could be improved within Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
The overall premise behind the ride is that you’ve been invited to the premiere of a new short cartoon titled “Perfect Picnic” starring Mickey and Minnie. Naturally, nothing goes according to plan.
Entering the queue inside the Chinese Theatre feels very familiar if you’ve previously experienced The Great Movie Ride. The “lobby” of the theatre feels like a grand movie house of old, full of deep reds, golden yellows and some silly movie posters showcasing that Mickey Mouse humor.
Guests are then brought into a small theatre for the pre-show, which just so happens to be the “Perfect Picnic” short premiere. We won’t reveal too many details here, so let’s just say something goes wrong and guests literally walk into the world of the cartoon. This is one of those moments of pure Disney magic that leaves guests wondering how what they just saw was possible.
After another short queue that moves quite quickly, guests board the Runamuck Railroad. Here’s where things get really interesting.
Led by a steam engine, each train consists of four two-row cars. Each row is roomy enough to seat four or five guests, but we have seen some loaded with just two guests in each row. The fairly high capacity for the ride keeps things moving.
Your adventure begins with a gentle ride through the park. One mishap later, your journey spins out of control as the four vehicles split up and head off on their own unique path. To say things get crazy and chaotic is an understatement. Your car will zip through a western scene, an underwater scene, a busy town and spin through a dance studio. Again, we don’t want to reveal any of the more fun surprises, but we will say that there’s a lot going on at all times. It can be a bit difficult to keep up with the madness around you.
Facts About Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Every ride vehicle experiences something different in this attraction. The first car may have the best view of Goofy at the beginning while the fourth car will see Mickey and Minnie speed away in the first scene long after the other ride vehicles have exited.
Because each ride vehicle has a slightly different experience, this attraction is great for repeat visits. It also creates a fun debate over which ride vehicle is the best.
Love Hidden Mickeys? Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the home to the largest collection of Hidden Mickeys in any Disney attraction. There’s some very unique takes on Hidden Mickeys within the attraction beyond the regular three circles. One of our favorites can be seen in the light fixtures in the queue, pictured below, but let us know how many you have spotted!
There’s a great tribute to Walt Disney, a noted lover of trains, at the end of the attraction. Do you know where to find it? Click here to learn where Walt Disney is honored in the first ever attraction to feature Mickey and Minnie.
Ride time comes in just under five minutes. The exact time seems to vary slightly between 4:30 and 4:50, but that time will fly by.
Overall Thoughts
We think this is a great addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Do we miss The Great Movie ride? Absolutely. That being said, what has taken its place is a fun, whimsical ride that the whole family can enjoy.
Hollywood Studios has needed some more family-friendly attractions for younger guests and this perfectly fits the bill. At the same time, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway has enough movement, crazy effects and cartoon chaos to make this a winner for guests of all ages.
