room with a big screen for the preshow . Standing room only , of course .
The curtains open on Mickey and Minnie , packing up their picnic basket and getting ready to enjoy a beautiful , sunny afternoon in Runnamuck Park . “ Nothing can stop us now ,” Mickey sings — tellingly . “ Absolutely nothing will go wrong !” Minnie responds , having accidentally stuck Pluto into the trunk . ( Methinks the Lady Mouse doth protest too much !)
Soon , the happy couple encounters Goofy , who ’ s tooting along in his train . After a quick meet-andgreet , well … let ’ s just say something does go wrong , after all . Good thing Goofy offers to give us all a ride on his locomotive .
ZIP AWAY ON THIS ZANY TRAIN TO FUN After just a little bit more time in line , we finally get to climb on board the railroad car — which is operated by none other than Goofy himself , of course . ( That there ’ s a “ tour guide ” for the attraction is , itself , a nod to The Great Movie Ride , and riders are in good , gloved hands : Those who looked closely while in the queue may have noticed that Engineer Goofy was named Employee of the Month !)
Goofy promises a tour of the park , but soon , Mickey and Minnie show back up … and accidentally trigger the track switch , which leaves the train riders heading a totally different direction . Unfortunately , Goofy has gone “ back to work ” and shut the doors to the engine , so guests are
It ’ s so exciting to have an attraction themed after the main mouse . PHOTO BY LAURIE SAPP . on their own . We ’ re soon traveling through a dusty desert , barely escaping vultures , before transitioning to an amusement park , before being swept away by a rogue tornado to a desert island , and so much more . From free-falling down a waterfall to dancing in a beautiful , mirrored studio with Daisy Duck , the ride is visually spectacular , broad in scope , and fast-paced , catapulting guests from one stunning scene to another . ( This is no surprise ; it is called Mickey & Minnie ’ s Runaway Railway , after all .)
We won ’ t give it all away , but it ’ s worth noting that the ride does offer several nods to its precursor . Cowpokes clop around on horseback in the desert section , swinging their lassos and reminding guests of The Great Movie Ride ’ s famous Western scene , where a bandit hijacked the vehicle . The ride also swings through a cityscape reminiscent of The Great Movie Ride ’ s “ seedy Chicago underbelly ,” where the gangster scene took place . So many of the new ride ’ s sets recall seminal scenes from over a century of filmmaking , all packaged and delivered with the most state-of-the-art , immersive design technology available — and all strung through with