My Disney Musings: Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway

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In early March, before the stay at home orders swept the nation, I spent a day at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  Once again, it was a solo trip.  I wanted to check out the brand new ride, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.



I got there early, arriving at the park not long after six in the morning.  I knew that opening would be pretty intense with both the Rise of the Resistance boarding group rush and the just opened Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.  The crowd was allowed through the turnstiles just after 7 AM for an official park opening time of 8 AM.

I headed straight to the Chinese Theater and followed the Cast Member's directions as I worked my way through the serpentine queue.  The line was long, however, it rarely stopped.  I'm not sure when the first riders boarded, but I know that it was early, probably around 7:30.  I boarded the Railroad at 8 AM.  (Unfortunately, this was the exact time that the Rise of the Resistance boarding groups opened.  Luckily, my husband was able to grab one for me.  You must be physically in the park in order to get a boarding group, but if you are there anyone that shares your My Experience App can get the boarding group for you.)

Was the ride a "hit" or a "miss"? I love that there is finally a Mickey and Minnie ride at Disney World!  It honestly shocks me a bit that it's the first.  I will note that the animation used throughout the ride is based on the recent award-winning Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts, NOT what *I* would consider the classic animation.  I have to admit, I was a little disappointed they didn't use a more classic animation.  However, in the past months we've had the opportunity to watch the shorts on Disney+ and I'm slowly coming around.  I wonder if my kids will think of this newer animation as the "regular" style . . .

My biggest critique, or complaint if you must, is that the the ride is too short.  The official ride length time for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is 4 minutes and 30 seconds. (That does not include the mid-queue pre-show.)  This ride replaced The Great Movie Ride which clocked in at 22 minutes.  At a park that doesn't have many options for everyone in the family, this experience doesn't do quite enough to fill the void.  (This is one of only two rides in the entire park that infants and toddlers under 32 inches can ride.  Check out my post on What can I do With Little Kids and Babies at Hollywood Studios? for more information on this.)

The ride uses a trackless system, and it's pretty fantastic.  There are waterfalls, tornadoes, and even a tango!  It's not perfect though.  There are a few places where I felt there was a little too much reliance on straight up screens. The scene changes, and there are a few of them, are a little abrupt and disjointed.  I would like to note here that the ride is not a roller coaster or a thrill ride.  My personal classification of this ride would be "mild".  (Intensity-wise I would put it in a similar category to Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at Magic Kingdom.)

There are so many details to discover!  Hidden Mickeys are everywhere, both in the queue and on the ride.  I heard one cast member telling a family in front of me that there are several hundred.  Hundreds!  I love how they kept some of the original Chinese Theater elements in the lobby, the "Classic Hollywood" vibe is still alive!

I rode it three times in one day.  It's eminently re-ridable.  (Of course, I'm quite fond of having an Annual Pass, so I find most of the Disney experiences worth repeating.)  There's a little homage to the ride's predecessor, The Great "Moving" Ride, in the carnival scene, which I thought was particularly great.

Overall, I thought Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway was a lot of fun and I look forward to enjoying it with the whole family!  It's a hit for me!

For those who would like a little more information about the rest of my day at Hollywood Studios:

I was at Hollywood Studios until about 4 PM.  It was a last minute decision to go, so I had no FastPasses scheduled.  It was pretty crowded, so few "good" one popped up, but I was still able to have a blast on most of the headliners:

• Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
• Tower of Terror
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
• Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Toy Story Mania
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
• Rise of the Resistance 

Both times I rode Smugglers Run I went through the single rider lines, one time the wait was about 30 minutes the other closer to 45.  Both times the posted Stand By wait time was over 80 minutes.  

I also utilized the single rider line for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, but that one didn't go as smoothly, I actually think I would have been better off in the regular Stand By line. 

Toy Story Mania was a FastPass that I picked up while in the park.

I was boarding group 99 for Rise of the Resistance, which wasn't a "guaranteed" group, but it was called around 3:30. 

I actually did manage to score a Slinky Dog Dash FastPass for around 5, but I decided to call it a day and head home for some food. 

The posted time for Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway seemed to be inflated each time as well.  In fact, I think it was roughly half of the posted time. 

All in all, it was a great day!

Where you one of the lucky few to ride Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway before the shut down?  If so, what did you think of it?  If not, are you excited about it?  Do you wish they had left the Great Movie Ride alone? 

Must have items that I bring to Disney World:

Being local and an Annual Passholder, I go to Disney fairly often.  I always bring a portable charger, an insulated bag, a water bottle, and a protective case for my phone. 

Galaxy's Edge: Grand Opening in Orlando and Quick Tips

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I bounced at of bed the moment the alarm went off at 1:45 this morning.  Why? It's Star Wars Day!  Well, it's the official grand opening of Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios, which basically means: Star Wars Day!

We managed to hit our goal leaving time perfectly, something that so rarely seems to happen.  I was glad that we had packed our cooler and bags the night before.  (You can find some of my theme park must haves here.)

We got to the Hollywood Studios entrance . . . and the cast members forced everyone to make a u-turn to exit back onto the highway.  That was unexpected and a little annoying.  We drove down a ways, made another u-turn and headed back to the entrance.  This time they let us all just wait in line until the parking toll booths opened around 3:30.  

The park wasn't scheduled to open until 6 AM, but they allowed the massive crowd to enter the main gates around 4 and then gradually funneled everyone back to Galaxy's edge.  The atmosphere was upbeat and cheerful despite the intense Florida humidity. There were frequent cheers and lots of lightsabers lighting the predawn darkness.  

All we really wanted to do today was Smugglers Run, so we immediately just hopped in line. The line for the ride began on the right as soon as you entered Galaxy's Edge and wove all around the land.  It was not a short line!  According to the app, the wait time hit 300 minutes! We were all off the ride shortly after 9 AM (and we had rider swap, so it took a little longer for us).  The experience of the line itself was fairly pleasant.  It was nice that the sun wasn't up yet.  There were many fans spaced throughout the queue.  There were also several water cooler stations.  In the heat of the day I do think it would be a bit more uncomfortable, despite the many umbrellas.

A note about the rider swap: the cast members in blue vests standing to the side of the entrance on the ramp will set up the swap.  You will need the band of any repeat riders and your own band, of course, and they will be scanned and you will be given a return time.  Unfortunately, a kind, but misguided, cast member was at the ride's entrance giving incorrect information about rider swap.  (It actually wasn't the first time today that we encountered cast members giving wrong info, so be aware.  It's new to them too!)  We were able to sort everything out without issue, but if we had followed her directions I don't think I would have been able to ride.  (And this would have been after waiting in line for several hours.)

My Super Brief Ride Review: I very much enjoyed Smugglers Run.  It's a good ride.  However, I do have to say, it didn't blow me away.  It is Star Tours 2.0.  It did not feel like a brand new experience.  All that said, I am looking forward to riding again.

We didn't really spend too much time exploring the rest of Galaxy's Edge today.  The lines to enter any of the other building were over an hour.  We were happy to ride Smugglers Run and get a basic overview of the area.  It was a great day, and it's exciting that there is still more for us to discover!

A couple of quick tips for your visit to Galaxy's Edge:

1. Make sure you have the Disney Experience App downloaded if you have a smart phone.  Once Galaxy's Edge hit capacity today (at 6AM!) they used a virtual queue via the app.  When signing up make sure you include everyone in your party: including infants & toddlers that don't have bands/tickets! Just like they need to be included on restaurant reservations they need to be included on the queue.  (I believe it has to do with fire code: it's all about the actual number of people in the area.)
2. If you have little ones that are too short to ride, Rider Swap is available!  Look for the cast members in blue vests off to the side of the entrance.  They will scan your bands/tickets and give you a return time.  You will go through the Fast Pass entrance when it's your turn.
3. If a cast member tells you something that doesn't seem quite right it's best to check with a different cast member.  They are everywhere!  We were given incorrect information regarding rider swap and we witnessed the aftermath of incorrect information regarding those with mobility scooters.  
4. Currently you can only enter Galaxy's Edge near Muppets and exit into Toy Story Land. There is no re-entry from Toy Story Land.  They were quite strict about this.

Were you at Galaxy's Edge with me on opening day?  How was your day?  What did you think of the land?  What did you think of the ride?

Disney World Adventures: My Solo Park Day at Disney's Hollywood Studios

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Check out my Amazon page for my "Theme Park Must Haves" list!

Disney World isn't just for kids.

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time at Hollywood Studios all by myself.  I had a great time!  Yes, I missed my family, but it was nice to have a little Mom time.  It was rather fun to be the one completely in charge of the itinerary.

Below is a breakdown of my day with a few tips at the end for single travelers. 

I am a big proponent of getting to the parks early, and today was no different.  In fact, without any kids to buckle into car seats or strollers to push, I scanned in quite early, about 8:15, despite leaving at our "regular" departure time.

The park didn't officially open until 9 AM, but they've been unofficially opening Toy Story Land early and I was hopeful that they would do the same today.  I was not disappointed.  At exactly 8:45 the cast members began walking the massive crowd to Andy's Backyard.  The crowd can get mob-ish with hundreds of people trying to be the first to get to the same place.  Since I was all by myself this wasn't a big deal, but it could be stressful with the kids and a stroller.

I waited in the line for Slinky Dog Dash for about five minutes.  The line moves pretty quickly first thing in the morning, but it doesn't take it long to back up.  The line was out the door and around the bend by the time I was off.

After Slinky Dog I quickly walked over to Toy Story Mania and waited about 10 minutes.  I was so hoping to break the 200,000 mark, but I failed.  I had a great time anyway and I was "Best in Vehicle"!  (This is a rarity for me as my wonderful husband usually is the one to claim this honor.)

My first FastPass was Rock 'n' Rollercoaster, which I picked up using the app while in line earlier, so I headed over there and had a blast.

The lines were getting pretty long at this point, and I couldn't modify my FastPasses to get anything better, so I hopped into the single rider line for Rock 'n'.  I waited only about 20 minutes, which was great since the posted wait time for Stand By was 65 minutes.  (While in line I was able to modify my second FastPass to a better time.)

After the roller coaster thrills, it was time for a quiet show and food.  I love the live Beauty and the Beast show!  It's a Broadway style show with singing and dancing.  I found it really relaxing to watch the show alone.  I used this time to eat some of the snacks that I brought with me.  (Food is allowed in this semi-outdoor theater!)

My second FastPass was Slinky Dog Dash, so I skipped on back to Toy Story Land.  At this point the park was packed and Stand By wait times were quite high.

As I was exiting Toy Story Land, I realized the Indiana Jones show was about to start, so I quickly worked my way there.  The cast members warned that it was standing room only by the time I got there, but being a party of one it was pretty easy to get a seat on the edge.  (Then the family in front of me left after about five minutes, so I ended up having a great view, even if it was a little off center!)

My third FastPass was Tower of Terror.  I'm a little bit unique in my perception of this attraction.  I find the theaming to be excellent, but in all honesty, a little creep-tastic; while the ride itself is a blast and not even a little scary.  I do really enjoy it though, so I was really thankful to have the FastPass as the Stand By line was at 105 minutes!  Even the FastPass line was a little backed up, but that gave me the opportunity to take a few photos.  I have to say, I'm pretty happy how this one turned out!

At this point I was thinking about heading out, it was crowded and I already had been able to do many of the big attractions, but decided to see what was available.  I refreshed the app a few times and to my amazement scored another FastPass for Slinky Dog in ten minutes!  I couldn't pass that up, so back to Toy Story Land I went.  (You might not know it from this blog post, but Slinky Dog Dash is currently one of the most difficult to obtain FastPasses.)

At about 1:30 I decided to call it a day.  It was a great day!  Being a local passholder is so much fun, but it is a little disjointing to go from the magical World of Disney in the morning to running mundane errands in the afternoon. (I'm looking at you, Sprint.)

Photo courtesy of Disney's PhotoPass System.

A few tips for a solo Walt Disney World Disney park day:

1. Use the My Disney Experience App.  The smaller the party the easier it is to score great FastPasses.  Keep in mind that you might need to refresh the page often.
2. Pack light.  I wore a sling cooler (older and not as cool as this KAVU Ropesicle Insulated Cooler Rope Sling Bag).  This was plenty big for my lunch, snacks, phone, wallet, keys, and portable cell phone charger.  I realize many people wouldn't consider this "packing light", but since I typically also have diapers, wipes, baby blanket, a change of clothes, sippy cups, pins for trading, a camera, three kids, etc., this was light for me.  
3. Utilize single rider lines when available. Only a few attractions in Disney World have them, but when they are available they are almost always better than Stand By.    

What about you?  Have you enjoyed a Disney park solo?  What are you favorite things to do?  Have you been able to ride Slinky Dog Dash?  What are some of your favorite things to do at Hollywood Studios?

You also might enjoy:

What Can I Do At Disney's Hollywood Studios with Little Kids and Babies?

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(Note: Jake, sadly, is currently NOT scheduled as a regular meet and greet.)

Hollywood Studios.  I'll be honest, this park isn't a great one for little kids (and babies) that enjoy rides.

Can I bring my little ones on rides at Disney's Hollywood Studios?

There are only two rides for guests of any height.

• Toy Story Mania!
• Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway (Read more of my thoughts on this ride here.)

If you have a toddler, that is at least 32 inches tall, then you have one more option.

• Alien Spin (32 inches)

Are the shows appropriate for all ages?

Yes!  Also, Beauty and the Beast is an absolute must see for any Disney experience.  The singing and the dancing will keep everyone entertained.  Random fact: This show started on November 22, 1991, which was also the day the animated classic opened, which was the first time that a stage show opened the same day as the movie that inspired it.

• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Voyage of The Little Mermaid
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Jr Live on Stage
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular!

What characters can I meet?

There are a few characters that are currently exclusive to Hollywood Studios.

• Chewbacca 
• Darth Vader
• Stormtroopers* 
• The Jawas ** 
• Green Army Men from Toy Story 
• Doc Mcstuffins
• Vampirina
• Olaf

*The Stormtroopers frequently patrol the area in character.  This means that they don't really stop and pose for pictures.  They do interact with guests though, so be prepared!

**Not technically a "Meet and Greet", but they walk around and interact with guests in the Launch Bay.  They might even do some trading, since they are traders by trade.

What can't my little kids and babies ride?

Below are the rides that you will need to utilize the rider swap option if you have little ones in your group.

Slinky Dog Dash: 38 inches
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run: 38 inches
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: 40 inches
Star Tours – The Adventures Continues: 40  inches

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™: 40  inches

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith: 48 inches

What else is at Hollywood Studios?

If you have Star Wars lovers this really is a fun place to be.  As you saw above, there are some great Star Wars Character meets, plus there's Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple, which is a super interactive experience for the kids.  There's a fun Stormtrooper show on the main stage.  The Star Wars fireworks are also quite enjoyable.  Of course, Fantasmic, the night show, is absolutely fantastic.

Keep in mind that things at Walt Disney World are constantly changing.  Something that might be there today might not be there tomorrow.  Something that is there today might not have been there yesterday.  If you notice something on this page that needs updating please leave me a comment.  This park in particular will be evolving a lot over the next couple of years!

Check out the other posts in this series:

What Can I Do At Magic Kingdom with Little Kids and Babies?