Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway - Disneyland

[SuddenStorm]

It definitely has a decent roster for its age. I just think the investment is a little lopsided (in terms of quality not even necessarily quantity) at the moment. There are still a few areas ready for expansion. The Hollywood backlot at some point will house an E. One more in the current bus drop off area when the eastern gateway wraps up. And maybe one more at Pixar Pier or the challenge Trail in the future. Not to mention the Avengers E that will probably go behind MB. Where is that signature, people eating, friendly attraction? I’d like to see an nice long dark boat ride at go to DCA.

I wish I could've been there for the planning meetings for Galaxy's Edge, Mission Breakout, and Pixar Pier.

WDI: Man, we've got 600 million to spend on a new Star Wars Land. Where should it go? We've got a poorly executed park that has little attachment from fans and that struggles to keep guests for a full day. Heck, we even have to close it early every day! We've also got a park that takes a couple days for most people to hit everything, is iconic and beloved- built by our company's founder. It's bursting at the seems with crowds, and does twice the business of DCA on average. The choice is clear: Disneyland needs a new land.

WDI: We've got a park that's only got a few E ticket experiences... and only one that has any kind of fandom- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I know! Let's spend a ton of money (Tom Morris said in an interview the amount spent on MB was enough for a new attraction) to turn it into a Guardians of the Galaxy Ride!

WDI: Man, in a couple years, we're gonna have a new land opening- greatly increasing the demand for our resort. Additional capacity may be needed in both gates. Maybe we should configure a new attraction to help balance the crowds a bit? Nah, let's to a cheap reskin of a land, and retheme three existing attractions- not adding any additional capacity to the resort.

I hate to sound cynical, but man- if there was a park that needed a land as immersive and high quality as Galaxy's Edge, it was DCA- not the far more mature and established Disneyland.

 

[dennis-in-ct]

I agree that this shows a sudden switch to a focus on Disneyland ride capacity, and that's a good thing, but I think DCA will hold its own long term. And I don't count Midway Mania as an E Ticket, it is firmly a D Ticket, even in Tokyo Disneysea where it's aesthetically superior.

Let's assume they announce DCA's Marvel Land Avengers Coaster E Ticket at D23 Expo, since the only thing left out there unannounced in Rumorland is the Magic Happens parade coming next year to Disneyland. And if they start on construction in Fall, 2019 and get it open by Fall, 2022, six months after Runaway Railway opens next door, then DCA will have the following ride roster for 2022:

Disney California Adventure (2001): 20 Rides. 6 are E Tickets; Soarin', Grizzly River Run, Incredicoaster, Radiator Springs Racers, Mission Breakout, Avengers Coaster.

The other 14 rides are A thru D Tickets; Red Car Trolley, Little Mermaid, Golden Zephyr, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings, Emotional Whirlwind, Pixar Reach-A-Round, Midway Mania, Jessie's Critter Carousel, Luigi's Roadsters, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, Spiderman Dark Ride, Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley Have The Longest Attraction Title.

For a second park barely 20 years old, that's not bad compared to the Castle parks that are 20 or 30 years old and have the same or just a few more rides.

It is amazing to me that the two parks in California have (the same?) or less ride count than all 4 parks in Florida.

 

[shortstop]

I agree that this shows a sudden switch to a focus on Disneyland ride capacity, and that's a good thing, but I think DCA will hold its own long term. And I don't count Midway Mania as an E Ticket, it is firmly a D Ticket, even in Tokyo Disneysea where it's aesthetically superior.

Let's assume they announce DCA's Marvel Land Avengers Coaster E Ticket at D23 Expo, since the only thing left out there unannounced in Rumorland is the Magic Happens parade coming next year to Disneyland. And if they start on construction in Fall, 2019 and get it open by Fall, 2022, six months after Runaway Railway opens next door, then DCA will have the following ride roster for 2022:

Disney California Adventure (2001): 20 Rides. 6 are E Tickets; Soarin', Grizzly River Run, Incredicoaster, Radiator Springs Racers, Mission Breakout, Avengers Coaster.

The other 14 rides are A thru D Tickets; Red Car Trolley, Little Mermaid, Golden Zephyr, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings, Emotional Whirlwind, Pixar Reach-A-Round, Midway Mania, Jessie's Critter Carousel, Luigi's Roadsters, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, Spiderman Dark Ride, Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley Have The Longest Attraction Title.

For a second park barely 20 years old, that's not bad compared to the Castle parks that are 20 or 30 years old and have the same or just a few more rides.

DCA’s problem is that it badly needs C-Tickets and D-Tickets. I would count TSMM, Monsters, and Little Mermaid as the only current DCA rides at either of those levels, which creates a highly imbalanced attraction roster.

 

[jmuboy]

Its just a thought. But I do believe Backlot is going to get something soon, 3-5 years soon.

On your side notes, I honestly don't see many of Fox's properties going into DLR at all really.

And I do agree Hyperion is a waste of space right now, same with FL Theater. But if both go that means no actual live shows will be available at DLR then. So one or the other has to stay and I would say Hyperion is a better theater.

Agree I’d rather see a 30-45 min show in the Hyperion and use the FL theater space for ride capacity

 

[jmuboy]

Honestly, I think the food and retail in MTT - by necessity - will Need to improve

Taking out the tree house and gadgets to add a Donald theme eatery in the residential area could be cool.

Roger , runaway railroad , goofy playground , Mickey and Minnie homes with meet and greets, current food court , new Donald eatery and reworked retail in a downsized gag factory and repaint for the entire land.

Maybe even do roger / runaway railroad combined fast pass location in the old trolley barn ( keep the trolley barn theme, tracks and the one trolley parked trolley for photo op )

Toontown could become an awesome modern version of itself ironically 2022 is Mickeys TT’s 30th Birthday too!?!?!?

 

[Mike S]

I’m only for DCA getting attractions that actually thematically fit. It’s currently in free-for-all mode and it shouldn’t be that way.

So Disneyland just gets stuffed with more reasons for people to not care about going to DCA.

 

[mlayton144]

So Disneyland just gets stuffed with more reasons for people to not care about going to DCA.

Yes , an incredibly stupid series of decisions , let’s stuff more great attractions into a park that is already way too small

 

[mickEblu]

DCA’s problem is that it badly needs C-Tickets and D-Tickets. I would count TSMM, Monsters, and Little Mermaid as the only current DCA rides at either of those levels, which creates a highly imbalanced attraction roster.

I think the problem is that they don’t know how to make small C/D tickets anymore or at least they are restricted by current laws so they could never make anything like the Fantasyland dark rides again. So when you have a park like DCA with limited room for expansion it would make sense for them to use the remaining space for mostly E tickets. Especially when you have C/B ‘s like Mater that take up the room they do. It certainly doesn’t need anymore flat rides and it’s unfortunate that the ones it does have don’t really have the charm as the ones at DL.

I think Spider-Man might be the last, maybe second to last D ticket DCA gets without tearing anything out.

 

[Californian Elitist]

So Disneyland just gets stuffed with more reasons for people to not care about going to DCA.

Sounds about right.

 

[Mike S]

Sounds about right.

Not if you’re trying to attract people to two different parks but attendance is incredibly lopsided.

 

[monsterdavid]

Seriously, this has all been like this for well over a decade. And they decide they need to add an E Ticket to Toontown first?!? I want to know what kind of weed they are putting into the AC system in TDA.

Lol, crazy right. I've always believed this is because they simply didn't, or still don't, know what they're doing with Marvel phase 2. EVERYTHING in that area is on hold until they make a decision on that. There has to be some kind of major failure happening at WDI for them to still be stuck on this.

Realize this Marvel Land talk started more than three years ago, and we just broke ground a few months ago on some weak Phase 1. They still don't know what they're doing with this.

 

[MisterPenguin]

That's good news. And seems to confirm this is simply an expansion of the current Mickey's Toontown, instead of a total rethinking of the existing space. I imagine there's plenty of aesthetic changes coming to Toontown, while the basic rides/amenities remain.

Really, this is incredible news for Disneyland. This park has just cemented its place as the most ride-populated and highest-capacity park of any in Disney's worldwide empire.

As I sit here watching The Ten Commandments on ABC on Easter Eve (and since I can only see All About Eve any time Anne Baxter comes on screen), although it's amazing how great a 1956 movie looks on a 70 inch 4K TV, I'll take this time to do a new tally on Disneyland's ride count since the Israeli tribes are just now escaping Egypt and I already know how The Ten Commandments ends.

In 2022, Disneyland will have 38 rides. No other Disney park comes close.

14 will be E Tickets: Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones Adventure, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Milennium Falcon, Rise of the Resistance, Mickey's Runaway Railway, it's a small world, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Submarine Voyage, Space Mountain, Star Tours.

The other 24 rides are the A to D Tickets; Disneyland Railroad, Main Street Vehicles, Horse Drawn Streetcar, Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island, Explorer Canoes, Winnie The Pooh, Sailing Ship Columbia, Mark Twain Riverboat, Pinocchio's Daring Journey, Snow White's Scary Adventure, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Dumbo, Carousel, Peter Pan's Flight, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Teacups, Alice In Wonderland, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Sprin, Gadget's Go Coaster, Monorail, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear, Astro Orbiter.

In comparison, here are the other Castle parks and their ride count by 2022;

Magic Kingdom Park (1971): 25 rides. 8 are E Tickets; Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, it's a small world, Space Mountain, Tron Lightcycle.

Tokyo Disneyland (1983): 24 rides. 8 are E Tickets: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, it's a small world, Space Mountain, Frozen, Beauty & The Beast.

Disneyland Paris (1992): 22 rides. 6 are E Tickets: Pirates of the Caribbean, Phantom Manor, Big Thunder Mountain, it's a small world, Space Mountain, Star Tours.

Hong Kong Disneyland (2005) 19 rides. 7 are E Tickets; Mystic Manor, Grizzly Gulch Mine Train, Jungle Cruise, it's a small world, Space Mountain, Iron Man, Frozen. (Marvel E Ticket opens in 2023)

Shanghai Disneyland (2016) 17 rides. 4 are E Tickets; Pirates of the Caribbean, Tron Lightcycle, Soaring Over The Horizon, Grizzly Rapids.

So it was written, so it shall be done. And a happy Easter to everyone!

I agree that this shows a sudden switch to a focus on Disneyland ride capacity, and that's a good thing, but I think DCA will hold its own long term. And I don't count Midway Mania as an E Ticket, it is firmly a D Ticket, even in Tokyo Disneysea where it's aesthetically superior.

Let's assume they announce DCA's Marvel Land Avengers Coaster E Ticket at D23 Expo, since the only thing left out there unannounced in Rumorland is the Magic Happens parade coming next year to Disneyland. And if they start on construction in Fall, 2019 and get it open by Fall, 2022, six months after Runaway Railway opens next door, then DCA will have the following ride roster for 2022:

Disney California Adventure (2001): 20 Rides. 6 are E Tickets; Soarin', Grizzly River Run, Incredicoaster, Radiator Springs Racers, Mission Breakout, Avengers Coaster.

The other 14 rides are A thru D Tickets; Red Car Trolley, Little Mermaid, Golden Zephyr, Jumpin' Jellyfish, Goofy's Sky School, Silly Symphony Swings, Emotional Whirlwind, Pixar Reach-A-Round, Midway Mania, Jessie's Critter Carousel, Luigi's Roadsters, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, Spiderman Dark Ride, Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley Have The Longest Attraction Title.

For a second park barely 20 years old, that's not bad compared to the Castle parks that are 20 or 30 years old and have the same or just a few more rides.

WDW says, "Hold my beers around the world"...

 

[Mike S]

WDW says, "Hold my beers around the world"...

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The fact the numbers are that close and WDW has 2 more parks can be viewed as not so great. Should be close to double.

 

[mickEblu]

Lol, crazy right. I've always believed this is because they simply didn't, or still don't, know what they're doing with Marvel phase 2. EVERYTHING in that area is on hold until they make a decision on that. There has to be some kind of major failure happening at WDI for them to still be stuck on this.

Realize this Marvel Land talk started more than three years ago, and we just broke ground a few months ago on some weak Phase 1. They still don't know what they're doing with this.

Yeah I think it’s pretty clear that if the Eastern Gateway plans didn’t fall apart and Marvel plans were finalized that MAMRR would have gone in the Backlot. Toontown fans need to thank Mayor Tait.

 

[MisterPenguin]

The fact the numbers are that close and WDW has 2 more parks can be viewed as not so great. Should be close to double.

Well, we're just counting "rides." WDW has a lot more other types of attractions: shows, zoos, and national pavilions.

 

[fravit]

WDW has a lot more other types of attractions: shows, zoos, and national pavilions.

Someone please make a big chart with these, too. I would but I'm too lazy and I don't want to.

 

[Disneylover152]

WDW says, "Hold my beers around the world"...

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I wouldn't count the monorail, ferries or Skyliner as attractions considering they're transportation from one park to the other and you have to leave the park turnstiles to ride them. It's like counting the tram or the Busses to the Toy Story Lot as an attraction. I also wouldn't count the UK ride considering what we have is just rumors which can't seem to make up their mind.

Plus, aren't we missing stuff from DCA? Where's Silly Symphony Swings?

 

[rebelk73]

I am glad that MMRR is going into ToonTown. As a huge fan of Who framed Roger Rabbit, it makes a lot of sense thematically to have it there. I don't really care about he lopsidedness of disneyland and DCA. I love DCA. It has a more laid back vibe than Disneyland. When I take in the resort as a whole having that is really nice. DCA will continue to grow and change through the years. For its age and dubious beginnings, it is in a pretty good place. The whole dang park had to be rethemed. I would love some thoughtful fleshing out of DCA. Let's not put things in a park just because it needs more attractions. Would MMRR really feel better at DCA? Toontown is going to seem like a better fit that where it is going in WDW. Blue Sky thinking for DCA to me would be things like adding a few country bear animatronics to Grizzly River Rapids , a reworking of Hollywood land (let's face it, it makes no sense back there), and an over the top good job on Marvel Land. I think Disney is finding that they aren't having the interest in Marvel that they thought they had based on ticket sales for Marvel after hours events. I am not into Marvel, but a well themed area with excellent attractions doesn't need to be something I am into to enjoy. They cannot get that wrong. I agree with another poster that DCA needs more D and C rides, more family rides. It would also be great to see a really quirky restaurant at DCA like the restaurant with Sonny Eclipse at DW (though I dream of him coming to Tomorrowland here).

 

[TP2000]

WDW says, "Hold my beers around the world"...

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Sir, you are truly a God among mere men. I wish you could have seen my amateurish ways last night during commercial breaks for The Ten Commandments as I stared at my empty martini and counted on my fingers and toes trying to tally rides around the world. Meanwhile, you have this wonderful and very professional chart. Thank you!

The fact the numbers are that close and WDW has 2 more parks can be viewed as not so great. Should be close to double.

Exactly. And the fact that this chart has removed the four rides closed suddenly last year at DCA, at the same time adding the three big E Tickets announced suddenly for WDW two years ago and currently under construction. That's six new E Tickets currently under construction at WDW! It's alarming how it took a huge building push of three E Tickets plus Star Wars Land and Runaway Railway for WDW to pull slightly into the lead by the 2020's.

Plus, aren't we missing stuff from DCA? Where's Silly Symphony Swings?

Nice catch. Silly Symphony Swings is missing from the DCA tally on @MisterPenguin's list. I'm sure it will be corrected momentarily.

 

[TP2000]

Yes , an incredibly stupid series of decisions , let’s stuff more great attractions into a park that is already way too small

Well, to be fair, they are expanding the park acreage to do this. Mickey's Runaway Railway at Disneyland will use a warehouse space that has never been part of the park's operating footprint, and where no customer was allowed to go before.

Much like for Star Wars Land, where they incorporated a dozen acres that were either unseen warehouse space "backstage", or severely under-utilized empty areas like the old Festival Arena and tree forest.

Interestingly, at DHS for both of these new areas - Star Wars Land and Runaway Railway, they used areas within the existing park footprint and closed operating rides and lands to build the new stuff. The complete opposite of how they built the same things at Disneyland, by pushing the park boundaries out and adding new acreage to the park experience.