How ‘Wheelin’ Enjoyable is Mickey And Minnie’s Runaway Railway for Disabled Individuals?

For two decades, I have wondered why none of the parks in Disney World had an attraction dedicated to Mickey and Minnie Mouse. They are the most iconic characters Walt Disney has ever created. Disney and his imagineers surely put a lot of talent and time into making other beloved characters shine through amazing attractions. It seemed odd that none of them feature the captivating couple.

I was ecstatic when I found out which attraction was replacing The Great Movie Ride within the park’s replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Mickey And Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened on March 4, 2020. I had the pleasure of trying it out for the first time in late August. I’d say it met most of my expectations. It is an incredibly well done next-generation dark ride that offers family friendly fun in a park disproportionately full of thrills.

I love how the attraction began with a premiere of a cute cartoon called “Perfect Picnic” from the 2013 television series Mickey Mouse. The attraction’s exclusive song “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” is infectious all the way through the cartoon. It is very intriguing how the creators presented the feeling of entering the stylized cartoon world: passing through a simulated movie screen after the cartoon ended and boarding a train conducted by a giddy Goofy.

Like other recent attractions, Mickey And Minnie’s Runaway Railway features all the new technologies that Disney has been developing and deploying over the past two decades, such as trackless ride vehicles and “full 3D” audio-animatronics. The facial features of the characters are incredible.  It even has a heavy quality of projection-mapping that has transformed Cinderella Castle into the canvas for some pretty eye-popping nighttime spectaculars. 

The visuals are as attention grabbing as the layout of the ride. The speed of the ride, in the beginning, seems unbearably slow. However, the attraction switches gears and hits its “something has gone wrong” bump in the scenic road. The trackless vehicles glide through a series of loosely connected vignettes in a variety of environments, ranging from a windy tornado to a transformative grand climax where Mickey and Minnie prevent the carts from getting smashed. 

My favorite part of the ride is when all the trackless ride vehicles engage in a series of different dance moves of a routine instructed by Daisy Duck. Even though the design of the attraction was very impressive, I am a little disappointed about how accessible it was. It is a newly designed ride. Yet, it is as accommodating as the old-fashioned ones. 

I have Cerebral Palsy and I am wheelchair bound. No vehicle is accessible and transferring is required. The seats are uncomfortable, and it is difficult to stay straight up when the vehicle sways. Somebody with poor trunk control will not enjoy the ride as much.

Some special effects of the attraction are triggering for guests with cognitive disabilities. The ride still actually had a few technical issues at the time I visited, so the wait was ridiculous and the vehicle stopped twice during the ride.

With that being said, I believe the attraction is an eight out of ten. Each attraction has its own pros and cons. However, all of them are worth trying out. Mickey And Minnie’s Runaway Railway is not one of my favorites of Hollywood Studios, but it might be yours. So take the chance to experience the newly magical attraction.