Hidden Disney Details in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway!

There’s no question the brand-new Mickey & Minnie’s Runway Railway at Disneyland is a feast for the eyes and ears with colorful immersive cartoon scenes and a catchy theme song – “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” – that may even challenge “it’s a Small World” for the Disneyland earworm crown.

But once the initial wonderment subsides, eagle-eyed riders are noticing that Disneyland’s newest ride-through attraction (and the resort’s first ride starring Mickey and Minnie) is also loaded with hidden nods to Disney history (AKA Easter eggs), and we’re told it has more Hidden Mickeys than any other attraction at the Disneyland Resort.

There are dozens of surprises hidden by Imagineers in the Disneyland-exclusive queue experience inside the El CapiTOON Theatre as well as throughout the attraction itself.

How many have you found? I’ll share some of my favorite details from Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland below!

Movie Poster Puns

Disney Imagineers love a good pun, and there’s certainly a plethora of punny posters in the El CapiTOON lobby.

Here are a few that caught my eye (and tickled my funny bone):

Easter Eggs in The El CapiTOON Queue

The room featuring “Pluto’s” Christmas Tree” includes the little Santa candles from the cartoon short on the mantle; however, Dale seems to have skedaddled.

Be sure to take a closer look at the popcorn at the El CapiTOON concession stand. Can you tell the kernels are shaped like Mickey, Minnie, and Donald?

The candy sold at the El CapiTOON is also chock full of Easter eggs, including Laugh O Grahams – which is a sweet tribute to Walt’s very first animation company, Laugh-O-Gram Studios, which he founded in Kansas City in 1921.

The cash registers at the concession stand also tell us we’ve spent 11.18 and 19.28 on snacks – Mickey’s birthday (Nov. 18^th) and the year “Steamboat Willie” premiered.

Some of the condiments at the El CapiTOON concession stand are certainly a little odd, but they’re also branded Begorra Orchards, a wink to Patrick Begorra, the “Little Man of Disneyland” who lives in a tiny house in Adventureland. The BBQ sauce also references Smoke Tree Ranch, Walt’s Palm Springs, Calif. vacation home.

A similar Easter egg in Avengers Campus are oversized condiments branded to bountiful Farms, which is a throwback to the area’s previous tenant.

If you don’t know the story of Patrick Begorra, you can learn about him here:

The Charming Story of the Little Man of Disneyland

Easter Eggs During the Ride

Although the whole queue of Mickey & Minnie’s Runway Railway with the “Mickey Through the Ears” exhibited is packed with hidden details, the Easter Eggs continue into the ride. Let’s take a look at some of the things you should keep an eye out for.

In the first ride scene, the “1928” above the entrance to the tunnel is the year Mickey Mouse first appeared in a Disney cartoon (“Steamboat Willie”).

Another “Steamboat Willie” Easter egg can be heard rather than seen. Imagineers used the same tri-tone whistle from “Steamboat Wille” for the sound of Goofy’s train whistle.

The Iwerks and Uwerks Waterworks water treatment plant sign honors Disney Legend Ub Iwerks, who is credited with drawing the very first Mickey Mouse sketch (on display at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, Calif.).

Many of the ride’s Easter eggs can be found in the city scene:

Right as you enter the city scene (on the right), you’ll spot a door with the address 33. That’s a tribute to Disneyland’s exclusive Club 33, which opened in New Orleans Square in 1967.

Check out the headline of the newspaper! It reads, “Oswald Wins!” which is a reference to Walt Disney’s first character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

Also, in the city scene is a blue vertical sign on the left for “Retlaw Parking.” Retlaw is Walt’s first name (Walter), spelled backward.

Did You Know? The original bright yellow Retlaw1 Combine coach #101 from the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad that circled the Anaheim park on opening day is on display at Walt’s Carolwood Barn in Griffith Park.

A billboard advertising Delux-O-Detergent as safe for Ink and Paint refers to the Ink and Paint department at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif. Walt’s wife, Lillian, was famously working in this department when she met her future husband.

And the 1401 Flower Shop reveals the Walt Disney Imagineering Headquarters address located at 1401 Flower Street in Glendale, California.

When we finally make it to our perfect picnic, there’s a carousel that looks familiar. Could this be a tip of the hat to the iconic Disneyland carousel in Fantasyland and/or to the classic Disney movie “Mary Poppins”?

If you want to learn more about the history of the King Arthur Carrousel horses at Disneyland, check out our article:

Disneyland Revealed: The Fascinating Story of Jingles in the Heart of the Park

Hidden Mickeys in Runaway Railway

The official definition of a Hidden Mickey is “a representation of Mickey Mouse that’s been subtly inserted into the design of an attraction or other location in a Disney theme park, movie, TV series, or other Disney product.”

Most of the time, a Hidden Mickey is three circles that create the silhouette of Mickey’s head and ears (known as a “Classic Mickey”). Hidden Mickeys can be found in background scenery (like the three hot air balloons in Soarin’ Around the World), or they can be made up of actual objects (like the three plates on the table in the Haunted Mansion ballroom).

We know Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway contains a huge number of Hidden Mickeys, so there’s no way we’ve found them all, but here are a few we’ve spotted so far:

See Hidden Details For Yourself

In case you haven’t been out to Disneyland to see this new attraction in-person, we’ve got you covered. Take a look at the very-first on-ride video from Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in the video below:

 

Let’s Hear From You!

Let us know your favorite hidden Mickeys and subtle nods to Disney’s 100-year history in the Mickey & Minnie Runaway Railway queue and attraction at Disneyland. There are so many that we may never know all of them, but it sure will be fun trying to find them! We’re told this ride has more Hidden Mickeys than the rest of the park combined! How many have you spotted? Let me know in the comments below!

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