Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is old-school in a modern way | How Your Favorite Ride Was Made

July 23, 2024 7:24 AM PT

Part old-school theme park attraction, part love letter to animation and part modern showcase of projection technology, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the latest addition to Disneyland’s Toontown, its second but most fitting home. The Walt Disney World import is a nostalgia-fueled charmer.

There are plenty of nods to modern theme park flourishes in the trackless attraction — characters look at us, talk to us, direct us, dance with us and give the illusion of responding to us — but the ride is a standout in the Anaheim park’s portfolio for its they-don’t-make-’em-like-they-used-to ethos.

Los Angeles Times amusement park aficionado Todd Martens brings you a new series, breaking down his favorite amusement park rides in Southern California and pulling the curtain back on how they were made, what they mean to the park and why you cannot miss them.

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Todd Martens

Todd Martens is a features columnist at the Los Angeles Times who writes about theme parks and West Coast Experiences, among other topics. Martens joined the Los Angeles Times in 2007 and has covered a mix of interactive entertainment as its game critic and pop music as a reporter and editor. Previously, he reported on the music business for Billboard Magazine. Martens has contributed to numerous books, including “The Big Lebowski: An Illustrated, Annotated History of the Greatest Cult Film of All Time.” He continues to torture himself by rooting for the Chicago Cubs and, while he likes dogs, he is more of a cat person.

Mark E. Potts

Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.