Fun Facts About Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disneyland debuted as part of the Disney100 anniversary celebration in 2023 – marking the first time Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse star in a ride-through attraction at the Disneyland Resort. Located in the reimagined Mickey’s Toontown, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway transports guests into the whimsical world of Disney Television Animation’s Emmy Award-winning “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. The attraction combines physical sets, Audio-Animatronics figures, animated media, and projection-mapping techniques, all synced with trackless vehicles and a jaunty musical score. We’ve got some fun facts about this attraction below!

Story Behind the Attraction

“At Disneyland Park, the attraction takes place at the El CapiTOON Theater in Mickey’s Toontown, the land’s hometown theater and the place where Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends ‘prem-ear’ all of their movies for its citizens. Because of the excitement for their new film ‘Perfect Picnic,’ Minnie worked with the Toontown Hysterical Society to put an exhibit in the attraction’s queue.” — Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz, Portfolio Executive Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering

New Exhibit in the Queue

“The special ‘Mickey Through the Ears’ exhibit in the attraction queue was Walt Disney Imagineering’s way of letting guests walk through Mickey Mouse’s evolution from the black-and-white ‘Steamboat Willie’ to the highly stylized ‘Mickey Mouse’ cartoon shorts. It features iconic props, costumes and set pieces from Mickey’s long career in a way that only residents of Mickey’s Toontown would – look out for all those puns!” — Jonathan Friday, Senior Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering

Terrific Trivia About Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

• • Families begin their adventure inside the El CapiTOON Theater at Mickey’s Toontown for the premiere of a new “Mickey Mouse” cartoon short, “Perfect Picnic.” In the story, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse set off on a journey to find the best spot for a romantic picnic, taking their red convertible for a drive through Runnamuck Park. Little do they know, Pluto accidentally stowed away in the trunk of their car, so when the roadster hits a bump and the dutiful dog flies out … mayhem ensues. Disney magic then brings guests through the movie screen and into the cartoon world.
  • The queue inside the El CapiTOON Theater features a special exhibit created by the Toontown Hysterical Society called “Mickey Through the Ears,” which celebrates all things Mickey with costumes and props from classics like “Steamboat Willie” to modern favorites like “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.”
  • In addition to Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, the attraction is full of iconic Disney characters, including Pluto, Goofy, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck and Pete. It also featuresChuuby (pronounced “choo- bee”), a little bird created exclusively for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and destined to fly right into guests’ hearts.
  • Christopher Willis, Emmy Award-winning composer of the “Mickey Mouse” shorts, wrote “Nothing Can Stop Us Now,” the attraction’s exclusive theme song.
  • Guests are immersed in an all-encompassing environment and have the freedom to look in all directions. They may see different details depending on which vehicle they ride in and where they’re sitting within each vehicle.
  • Projections are used across multi-plane scenic flats and dimensional sets to provide depth of field while still maintaining a cartoon aesthetic. Special painting techniques were used on the attraction’s ride vehicles, so they appear to be hand-drawn.
  • The attraction features several sound effects created by Disney Legend Jimmy Macdonald for Disney animated shorts dating back to the 1930s; some new effects were developed using Macdonald’s original equipment. The tri-tone whistle from Mickey Mouse’s debut cartoon in 1928, “Steamboat Willie,” was used to record the locomotive whistle sound for Engineer Goofy’s train.

Hidden Gems Abound

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is full of nods to Disney history. It will likely take multiple rides through the attraction to spot them all. Examples include:

• • A newspaper features the headline “Oswald Wins!” – a reference to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the cartoon character created by Walt Disney that predates Mickey Mouse.
  • The Iwerks and Uwerks Waterworks water treatment plant is named for Disney Legend Ub Iwerks, the animator credited with sketching Mickey Mouse for the first time.
  • The 1401 Flower Shop is an homage to Walt Disney Imagineering’s headquarters in Glendale, Calif. The numbers 1901 and 1928 can be seen inside the attraction; these are references to Walt Disney’s and Mickey Mouse’s birth years, respectively.
  • A poster in the carnival scene references “5 for a Dime” tickets, a nod to the former Mickey’s Toontown Five & Dime shop.
  • Popcorn in the El CapiTOON Theater’s concession stand is shaped like Mickey, Minnie and Donald. The candy includes nods to favorite cartoons ranging from the Silly Symphony “The Grasshopper and the Ants” to cult classic “A Goofy Movie.”
  • The concession stand’s condiment pumps are branded “Begorra Orchards” – a reference to Patrick Begorra, the storied “Little Man of Disneyland” who, according to the 1955 Little Golden Book of that name, lived in an orange orchard on the land that Disneyland Park now sits on, and who now lives in the roots of a Disneyland tree.
  • Sharp-eyed guests may notice that posters in the El CapiTOON Theater’s foyer include cameos by rarely seen Disney characters, including Mortimer Mouse, Donald Duck’s costars in “DuckTales,” Minnie Mouse’s nieces, Mickey Mouse’s nephews and Max Goof’s classmates in “A Goofy Movie.”