REVIEW: Comparing the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Attractions

Will you be visiting both Disney parks and not quite sure if you should check out both versions of the same attraction? In this review, I will showcase the similarities they both share and the differences between them.

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Opening Dates

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway features an original story which takes guests through an immersive and trackless dark ride. It is the first Mickey Mouse themed attraction at any Disney theme park.

The attraction was first announced for Disney’s Hollywood Studies at the D23 Expo in July 2017. The attraction opened on March 4, 2020. It replaces the The Great Movie Ride and is housed within the park’s replica of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

At Disneyland, the attraction opened in Mickey’s Toontown on January 27, 2023. The attraction is housed in a new show building within the El CapiTOON Theater, a pun on the El Capitan Theatre that is presently located in Hollywood, California. Ironically enough, it is located directly across the original Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

A spin off from the attraction can also be found on the Disney Wish, Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship. The Aqua Mouse is Disney’s first attraction on sea which also features a dark ride portion. There are two different storylines which take place within the same Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway universe.

Premise of Attraction at both Parks

Guests first begin the ride by watching a premiere of a new Mickey Mouse cartoon, Perfect Picnic, in which Mickey and Minnie are preparing for a picnic. Goofy serves as the train conductor and guests quickly realize he is not quite the best at his job! Guests are then transported into the cartoon and aboard Goofy’s train on a locomotive for a wacky and wild adventure!

The attraction features brand new technology which provides the guest a 2d environment without having to wear 3D glasses. The song, “Nothing Can Stop Us Now,” was specifically written for the attraction.

Queues at Both Attractions

One of the obvious differences of the attraction at both parks are the façade of each building, the location, entrance and the queue.

In the Disney’s Hollywood Studios version, guests enter the Chinese Theatre which is the focal point of the park from its entrance. Guests walk through a lobby enclosed with a series of Mickey Mouse shorts. At Disneyland, the attraction is located within Toontown, its own land. The entrance of the attraction once more pays homage to another historical theatre very close to Disneyland Park.

The differences in the queues between both attractions are immense! In the Disneyland version, the queue features a special exhibit curated by the Toontown Hysterical Society called “Mickey Through the Ears.” They showcase Mickey’s career with posters, props, and costumes.

The end of the queue experience at both parks are identical. Guests arrive at the auditorium where the short, Perfect Picnic will be premiering. Once the auditorium doors closes, the cartoon begins on the movie screen.

Disneyland’s Intricate Queue Details

From the moment the guest steps inside the El CapiTOON Theater, they are brought into a fully immersive experience of what it means to celebrate Mickey and his great accomplishments. I (Marisol) was immediately blown away by the scale and Disney magic that Imagineers poured their hearts into this queue.

As I continued to walk through the queue, I was in awe of the various “real life” props from popular Mickey Mouse movies that I had grown up with. The Disneyland attraction queue is themed with props from different eras of Mickey’s cartoon career.

You will spot props like the music stand and drum from “The Band Concert” or the iconic beanstalk (which is busting through the queue ceiling!) from “Mickey and the Beanstalk.”

Several large rooms are filled with props and acknowledgement to Mickey Mouse such as odes to 1928’s Steamboat Willie, Plane Crazy, The Prince and the Pauper, Mickey and the Beanstalk, just to name a few. You can’t help but walk through and smile, point and appreciate the immersion all around you!

Even the walls are adorned with fake movie posters that replace favorites like “Freaky Friday” with Disney characters.

Personal Favorite Touches

One of my personal favorite exhibits was Mickey’s costume in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.“ Every couple of minutes guests will witness his iconic hat magically rise from his head. Another exhibit from the queue that cannot be missed is the concession stand. It is filled with easter eggs alluding to “The Goofy Movie and Ducktales.” The scent of the popcorn can be made out when walking into the room.

Fun fact: Be sure to spot the hidden Mickeys within the popcorn machine!

However, the highlight of the queue for me personally was the prop scene from “Pluto’s Christmas Tree” from 1952. It felt iconic stepping into Mickey’s living room with the 1950’s feel of the tinsel Christmas tree. The mantle that displays the mischievous Chip and Dale as mantel centerpieces was the piece of resistance!

One Minor Detail of the Attraction at Disneyland

The Disneyland version of the ride adds an extra room in the final scene of the attraction. Before you see Mickey and Minnie at the attraction’s end, guests will travel through a tunnel where Goofy has an extended monologue.

“There were two scenes that we couldn’t bridge and so we actually created a covered bridge scene that’s unique to Disneyland,” Imagineer Shaver-Moskowitz said. “So you get some extra time with Goofy and it makes it a little bit of a unique experience here for Disneyland.”

Imagineers realized they did not have the right space to connect the final two scenes.

Final Thoughts

I will be honest that it took me a couple of times riding the attraction before I began to appreciate and enjoy it. The first time I rode it I left the ride feeling very confused and not quite sure what I had just experienced! I can now say that I do enjoy riding and the song is quite catchy in itself!

I would like to take this time to acknowledge that Lighting Lane and DAS pass guests will enter the queue from a different section than where the stand by queue begins. Guests walking through this side of the queue will be able to experience many of the exhibit prop rooms.

However, they will miss the final exhibit room which includes props from Mousercise, Mickey Mouse House Club House and The Prince and the Pauper costumes. Instead the Lightening Lane queue enters a hallway full of movie posters on the walls before rejoining the standby queue.

Lastly, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland first began with a virtual queue. However, as of February 22nd, the attraction changed to standby queue. Individual Lightning Lane are still available. Disney has stated that on very busy days, Disneyland may offer a virtual queue for the attraction. Guests can check the Disneyland app the day of their visit.

Both versions of the same attraction are not to be missed at either park! Have you visited both versions of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway? Which one is your personal favorite? Please share this article with a friend who loves Mickey and Minnie Mouse!