ABOVE : The trackless ride design allows your vehicle to move in dynamic ways . PHOTO BY LAURIE SAPP . TOP RIGHT : You ' re in good hands with Goofy operating the train . BOTTOM RIGHT : Walt Disney ' s love of trains is well established ; this photo is a great Easter egg acknowledging his passion for locomotives . PHOTOS BY BRETT SVENSON
First announced at the D23 Expo in 2017 , the ride took countless hours of creation and imagination from a talented team of designers , including Kevin Rafferty , who ’ s been working for Disney since 1974 . When the ride was still just a concept , he called it “ one of the boldest … most impossible things I ’ ve ever worked on in almost 40 years of being an Imagineer .”
“ This is not going to be a small attraction ,” he went on . “ It ’ s going to be gamechanging .”
He was right .
ALL ABOARD ! Ready to climb aboard Mickey & Minnie ’ s Runaway Railway ? You already know where to go . FastPass + is available for this ride , and you may want it — wait times have frequently soared over 2 hours on this exciting new attraction . ( That said , a lot of the stand-by queue is indoors and air-conditioned , which is always a treat .)
Upon first entrance , guests who ’ ve been to the Chinese Theatre before will find they recognize their surroundings :
The original lobby , with its beautifully decorated walls , is still intact . ( Unfortunately , however , the movie memorabilia that was once on display here in glass cases is no longer — an esteemed collection that had included Dorothy ’ s Ruby Slippers , Mary Poppins ’ carousel horse , and more ).
As guests progress through the line , we see movie posters for various Mickey Mouse shorts — including Perfect Picnic , the film we ’ re just about to see and experience for ourselves . Then , we ’ re ushered into a