Complete Guide to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland

All aboard! Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in the revamped ToonTown at Disneyland. The new family-friendly attraction officially opened on January 27, 2023 as part of the Disney100 Celebration at Disneyland. The ride is very similar to the version that opened in 2020 at Walt Disney World, though, the Disneyland version has a completely unique and expanded queue.

UPDATED QUEUING INFO BELOW: Virtual queuing ends February 21st, regular standby will begin February 22nd. (See full queuing options below, including paid Lightning Lane access) 

Here’s your complete guide to Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland!

What is Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway?

While the name may sound wild, like Big Thunder, it’s actually a mild family dark ride attraction using modern digital projection technology and physical sets. With Goofy as the engineer, you follow Mickey and Minnie on a wild adventure. The animation is done in the new “cute” style for the classic Disney characters. 

The first version of this attraction opened in 2020 at Walt Disney World and is extremely popular with guests. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is likely to become a worldwide staple for the Disney Parks as it features the corporate mascot in a family-friendly attraction format. 

 

The attraction queue is different than the one in Florida and also very well done. You step into the El CapiTOON Theater and follow Mickey’s long career in film. It’s all done in a cartoonish style that fits well into ToonTown. 

Be sure to keep your eye out for ToonTown versions of famous movie posters!

How To Ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

To keep the queue from reaching epic lengths, Disney initially offered only a virtual queue and a paid queuing option with no standby. However, beginning Febuary 22nd, the Virtual Queue option will end and will be replaced with a standard standby option (though Disney reserves the right to implement a virtual if the need arises).  

Option 1: Free Standby Queuing (starting February 22nd)

Simply head to the attraction and get in line. (Virtual Queue for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will continue to be available through February 21st)

TIP: Since this is a new attraction, the line may get quite long at times. Additionally, the attraction is still a bit unreliable and suffers frequent downtime. We recommend using the Disneyland app to check wait time and availability before making the walk all the way back to ToonTown.  

Option 2: Paid Option to Ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

A paid Individual Lightning Lane is also available. It’s important to note that this ride is not included with the other Genie+ lightning lanes. This is offered as its own separate paid opportunity. You do not need to purchase Genie+ to buy this Individual Lightning Lane. 

The cost of Individual Lightning Lanes is dynamic and changes based on demand. So you won’t know until you try to book it. You can purchase individual selections for up to 2 different attractions per day but you need to enter the theme park before doing so.  So, if the attraction is in high demand, like this one is sure to be, it’s a good idea to be at the park as close to opening as possible. 

You can book an Individual Lightning Lane selection in the Disneyland app from the Disney Genie Tip Board or My Day itinerary options. It’s easiest for us to use the Tip Board option and simply scroll through all the attractions to find the one we want to book (You’ll also find other options for attractions in the Tip Board). 

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Overview

Mickey and his pals are about to premiere their new short film, “A Perfect Picnic,” at the El CapiTOON Theater. Minnie has worked with the Toontown Hysterical Society to put an exhibit “Mickey Through the Ears” in the queue of the theater.

This exhibit showcases props from Mickey’s early days as Steamboat Willie and into the present day as the stylized Mickey cartoon. It’s really neat seeing the “physical props” that we’re so used to seeing on the screen.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Disney attraction without a few hidden Mickeys throughout…

There is a bit of a kerfuffle at the premiere, and guests are brought into the cartoon world! Once inside the ride, you’ll find Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and all their pals doing what they do best, causing loveable mayhem.

After you return to the El CapiTOON, you’ll exit through the gift shop, ENGINEEAR SOUVENIRS, back into ToonTown (note that the shop isn’t scheduled to open until March 19th).

This is an attraction that you won’t want to miss!

Who Can Ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway?

Just about anyone can enjoy this attraction. If you are sensitive to motion, the ride does move and turn. There’s even a moment when you Samba, so there’s a bit of mild shaking. So there’s some risk of motion sickness for some riders. But, overall, this is a tame ride that is good for all ages and has no height or age limits: 

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway On-Ride Video

And now for the video you’ve been waiting for (or avoiding)! Join Dusty Sage on a ride through of Mickey & Minnie’s Runway Railway:

ToonTown Reopening March 19th, 2023

While Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is now open to guests, the rest of ToonTown is still in a mad dash to be completed by March 19th (it was originally secheuled to open on March 8th, but was pushed back due to rain delays).

For more information about the new ToonTown, please follow our coverage: 

UPDATED! Disneyland’s ToonTown Opening Date Pushed to March 19th!

Let’s Hear From You!

Are you glad to see Mickey and Minnie’s get their first ride at Disneyland? Are you a fan of the new animation style for Mickey and Minnie? Let us know in the comments below! 

This attraction was announced nearly 4 years ago… it’s been a long wait:

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