Cast Member previews have begun of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and we have a spoiler-filled, scene-by-scene breakdown of the ride for those of you who just can’t wait until March 4th!
Guests enter the Chinese Theater at the end of Hollywood Boulevard the same as when the structure use to house The Great Movie Ride. Gone is the single, giant theater. It has been replaced by two theaters that guests are split into to maximize efficiency for the attraction.
The pre-show is of the Picnic Perfect short with Mickey and Minnie. One thing leads to another in the cartoon short and Goofy’s train actually crashes into the screen, causing a hole to be created for guests to literally step into the screen and into the barn loading area.
The first scene is a colorful and bright start to the ride. Guests enter “Runamuck Park” where Mickey and Minnie try to have their Perfect Picnic.
Goofy is driving the train lead car and is presented to guests via a screen. Mickey and Minnie animatronics show up and ride alongside the train, with projections used for their faces.
After the above scene, something goes wrong with Goofy’s train and the individual cars that guests are in are separated from each other and operate individually for the first time in the attraction. By utilizing trackless ride vehicles, Imagineers are able to make the cars move through the space to create individual experiences.
We enter a wild west scene with movement seemingly everywhere in the room. Mickey and Minnie attempt to save us while atop horses, but we’re swept into a carnival scene.
The Mickey and Minnie animatronics make a return in this scene before we encounter a tornado that sends our cars for a spin while some in-vehicle rumbling effects take place.
The tornado sweeps us up and spins our cars in a scene where a tornado is created via special effects. We’re thrown into a huge tropical scene where guests experience a volcano eruption and a waterfall. The waterfall scene is described as an individual experience for each car in their own simulator-type room.
Just like every other form of peril we’ve faced so far, we survive the waterfall and end up traveling underwater, through a culvert into a city scene.
Making our way through the city scene, we eventually meet up with an animatronic Daisy in her dance studio. The cars dance along to Daisy’s instructions.
Mickey and Minnie save the day (and guests) from machinery in a factory after leaving the dance studio.
Finally, we’ve made it into the park and the picnic that Mickey and Minnie have been trying to enjoy throughout the experience.
Guests pass back through the screen after unloading from the train and exit back into Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
While this scene-by-scene breakdown is fairly complete, we’re told that words don’t do the ride justice, but that photos and video aren’t allowed during Cast Member previews.
For a full ride through of the attraction and a more robust review, check back with us here at BlogMickey.com on opening day – March 4th!