Construction walls went up in late June around the former Great Movie Ride (I can’t write that out without choking up…) and since then, we’ve only caught fleeting glimpses of some new “Hidden Mickey” lanterns that went up a few days ago. Well, walls are down around the Chinese Theatre and the ramp adjacent to it, revealing the main exterior queue for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
Initially, we believed this area to be the extended queue, but it appears this will be the main queue, with the inside queue set up just as it was before, minus the theater. (I’ll always miss being able to watch the Alien trailer here.)
With this area open, we also get an unobstructed view of these shiny new lanterns!
It’s nice that they thought to integrate fans into the queue instead of having to drag out generic floor fans like they’ve had to do over at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
All along the floor, you can see where the spots for queue rope are.
The ramp is now open, so guests with strollers and wheelchairs no longer have to loop around down to the Animation Courtyard gates.
Some of the fans are even scattered about the Animation Courtyard as well, tying in the whole space together.
Here’s a gratuitous closer look at the lanterns and fans. The fixtures feature gold copper metal hues and red glass panes, with sets of retro-looking fans jutting out from the body.
The real magic lies in the details. See that cut-out design on the metal lanterns? If you tilt your head to the side a bit, you can see it’s a pattern of curly Mickey head designs. Between the hues of red, gold, and green, it’s a good match for the Chinese Theatre’s existing facade and color scheme.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is scheduled to open “Spring 2020”, which could be as early as next February. You can check out our full walkthrough of what the attraction will entail here. (If you’re wary of spoilers, I’d suggest against it!) We’ll keep you updated on this project as it gets nearer to completion!
I understand that the Great Movie Ride is gone, but has the outer decor of the Chinese theater also been changed? I can’t get a grasp if the picture is the front or side. Has it all been redone to not even resemble what it used to be?
You can keep the new ride now that the great movie ride is Gone I have no desire to visit this land anymore. Even with the new addition of Toy Story land and Star Wars I have no intention of ever returning to this land again. With deletions such as Superstar TV – Sound Effects- Animation Studio and now the great Movie Ride there’s nothing that’s worth going there to see in my opinion anymore.