Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway - Disneyland

[Disney Irish]

I can appreciate your point of view on this but I think it should have gone in DCA. They should have just found a way to put it in the Backlot and then work around it later. Of course, if they end up putting something great in the backlot/ expansion area then it’ll be worth it. MMRR not going to DCA may have saved Toontown. Though I’m not sure that’s necessarily a great thing. I guess it would depend on what they would have built there. Some sprawling Hagrids style coaster back there themed to Star Wars could have been really cool or maybe even a Fantasyland expansion as long as it wasn’t a single IP land like Arendelle.

Anyway DCA needs more. They better be thinking big for the backlot/ eastern gateway expansion area. I’m talking indoor coaster (or sprawling Hagrids style coaster) and a boat ride.

TT just made more sense in the long run in my mind. But it could have gone either way I guess, especially if they wanted to lean more into the early Hollywood era for the backlot.

Anyways I'm not sure if outside of the Avengers attraction (not coaster obviously) if they are thinking a huge attraction like an indoor coaster for DCA. I wouldn't be surprised if they go for more dark ride type attractions for the backlot, I guess it all depends on the theme of the land. I suspect they would save more of the coaster style attractions for the DL Forward expansions if they ever come to be.

 

[Dr.Cheeto]

I can appreciate your point of view on this but I think it should have gone in DCA. They should have just found a way to put it in the Backlot and then work around it later. Of course, if they end up putting something great in the backlot/ expansion area then it’ll be worth it. MMRR not going to DCA may have saved Toontown. Though I’m not sure that’s necessarily a great thing. I guess it would depend on what they would have built there. Some sprawling Hagrids style coaster back there themed to Star Wars could have been really cool or maybe even a Fantasyland expansion as long as it wasn’t a single IP land like Arendelle.

Anyway DCA needs more. They better be thinking big for the backlot/ eastern gateway expansion area. I’m talking indoor coaster (or sprawling Hagrids style coaster) and a boat ride.

This is probably getting off topic, but I still think a recreation of the Disney Hyperion studios would work in DCA’s backlot. Maybe it could house a Silly Symphonies dark ride, where guests pass animators desks, storyboards pinned to the walls, and sound recording booths in the queue. We are at the test screening/animation review of a ”new” Silly Symphonies cartoon, and the vehicles move into the screen. I realize it sounds similar to MMRR as I type this, but the difference would ideally have more physical sets, animatronics, and props. We could move from black and white scenes into full technicolor, blah blah blah it will never happen I‘ll stop talking now.

 

[Consumer]

This is probably getting off topic, but I still think a recreation of the Disney Hyperion studios would work in DCA’s backlot. Maybe it could house a Silly Symphonies dark ride, where guests pass animators desks, storyboards pinned to the walls, and sound recording booths in the queue. We are at the test screening/animation review of a ”new” Silly Symphonies cartoon, and the vehicles move into the screen. I realize it sounds similar to MMRR as I type this, but the difference would ideally have more physical sets, animatronics, and props. We could move from black and white scenes into full technicolor, blah blah blah it will never happen I‘ll stop talking now.

Omnimover tour of the Hyperion Studios narrated by Paul Frees with Walt Disney audio animatronic.

 

[Dr.Cheeto]

Omnimover tour of the Hyperion Studios narrated by Paul Frees with Walt Disney audio animatronic.

“Is this this cartoon dog squashing and stretching? Or is it your imagination — hmm?”

 

[fradz]

I don't get why many folks here are so negative about the ride. Yes it has some downsides, including that the technology is a bit overkill for the way it's being used (=not to it's full potential) and yes it takes up a lot of space (which in the case of DL is important, but it also didn't take away much)
Other than that, the ride is doing exactly what it should do: a no-height restriction dark ride for the entire family, where young kids are also really enjoying it without being scared, about icons of the Disney brand, and it has a not-terrible capacity. Yes it's not the most exciting but we are not the primary audience. Familles who want to see Mickey are. And from the few times I've been on the ride, they all loved it. I also thought it was very fun.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Nemo Subs!?! Oh no, why are you comparing it to my least favorite ride at Disneyland?

I knew you weren't a fan of the subs- I had no idea they were your least favorite ride though. Why do you hold it in such low regard?

 

[PiratesMansion]

I'm not really following too much with this, but think the idea sounds fun and that on paper MMRR is nothing but a win.

What's souring me a bit is the virtual queue/ILL only setup and that apparently they didn't actually alter the fireworks launch point, as I believe was at least implied by people in the know here.

They know that the park reservations introduces needless frustration and confusion; how is this any different? Holding your new ride hostage for no reason is not a way to endear yourself to the public when you are a company that is, on some level, in PR recovery mode and you have a highly anticipated area opening an hour or so down the road. It's not like this is a new prototypical ride system. Even WDW didn't open with a ride reservation system for this.

I dunno, it just feels like they should be thinking a little more about how this all will look to Johnny Public is all.

I suspect I'll like the final product more than many people here, but the unforced errors just frustrate me.

 

[CM.X777]

Railway was going to go into the DCA's Holloywood Land, had the Eastern Gateway not been canned.

 

[Consumer]

I could've sworn WDW had a virtual queue for MMRR but it was quickly dropped after realizing it wasn't necessary, but perhaps that was a different new ride?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Umm... what? Virtual queue AND an ILL upcharge?

*sigh* I'm not sure why this surprises me. These execs are just shameless.

I can see calling ILL shameless, but, what's shameless about VQ?

VQ is free. Rather than rope-dropping the park or getting in 90 minute standby lines, you have two opportunities in the day to be part of what's tantamount to a virtual lottery and get a window of scheduling the ride.

I know some people are willing to rough it long lines... but I know I'm not. I don't see how families with children could tolerate it.

I've liked VQ for the rides that used it in WDW.

And, after a while, the VQ goes away.

Right now in WDW, only one ride uses VQ, i.e., Cosmic Rewind. All the other ones that had it no longer do so. (Also, for point of reference, only one ride in each park uses ILL, and you can't do more than one ILL per day.)

Give it a year or two, and the VQ will go away and you'll be able to stand in 60 minute long lines.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I'll be the odd man out and say I loved MMRR. Very glad it's coming to Walt's park. I'll probably ride it every visit alongside Pirates, Mansion, Indy, and Small World.

 

[DCBaker]

I could've sworn WDW had a virtual queue for MMRR but it was quickly dropped after realizing it wasn't necessary, but perhaps that was a different new ride?

It didn't - it opened with Standby and Fastpass+ in WDW.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Umm... what? Virtual queue AND an ILL upcharge?

*sigh* I'm not sure why this surprises me. These execs are just shameless.

Seriously. No standby and ILL?? Hate it.

 

[DCBaker]

One note on the Virtual Queue, Disney has clarified Guests can be in both an attraction Virtual Queue and an entertainment one (as of next week, World of Color - One) at the same time.

Here is what Disney says -

If more than one attraction is using a virtual queue, Guests will need to enter those virtual queues one at a time. But Guests may enter a virtual queue for an attraction and one for entertainment at the same time.

 

[mickEblu]

I knew you weren't a fan of the subs- I had no idea they were your least favorite ride though. Why do you hold it in such low regard?

I can’t think of a ride with a longer wait with a lower pay off. You’re usually looking at a 45 minute wait. Load and unload feel painfully long. Then you re stuck in that claustrophobic sub watching Finding Nemo on screens underwater. Submarine Voyage was a much better iteration of the ride but still not a favorite of mine or anyone I know. Still a very unique experience and I hope the lagoon never goes away.

 

[Heppenheimer]

This is probably getting off topic, but I still think a recreation of the Disney Hyperion studios would work in DCA’s backlot. Maybe it could house a Silly Symphonies dark ride, where guests pass animators desks, storyboards pinned to the walls, and sound recording booths in the queue. We are at the test screening/animation review of a ”new” Silly Symphonies cartoon, and the vehicles move into the screen. I realize it sounds similar to MMRR as I type this, but the difference would ideally have more physical sets, animatronics, and props. We could move from black and white scenes into full technicolor, blah blah blah it will never happen I‘ll stop talking now.

I have this image in my head of the ride vehicles moving between the Land of Symphony and the Isle of Jazz as they conduct their musical warfare. Explosive notes pass over the guests heads and land with a discordant symphonic crash into each rival kingdom.

But of course, this isn't promoting a modern IP, so such a ride would never happen with today's Walt Disney Company.

 

[Disney Irish]

Railway was going to go into the DCA's Holloywood Land, had the Eastern Gateway not been canned.

Not sure how much I believe that, not saying it wasn't considered just not as currently designed. Especially since if using the building footprint as built today behind TT, it probably wouldn't have fit in the EGW footprint. Not saying they couldn't have built something smaller, but if that is the case then why not use the available space in the backlot today. Plus the rumors at the time always were that the EGW expansion area was to be used for an expansion of the Marvel area.

So too many things in my mind just make that not add up to it being 100% accurate.

 

[Californian Elitist]

 

[J4546]

I think the eastern gateway will still get built

 

[truecoat]

Given that MMRR is E-Ticket attractions that widely anticipated, i expected guests who entered the ride after 8pm to be mad just because of nightly closing due to fireworks (particularly in peak days/summer) due to high demand of the attraction.

Will be interesting to see how guest would react when the MMRR close at 8pm at the official opening day.

I assume they don't close if pyro is not used or canceled?