The Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction at Disneyland will open on Jan. 27, Disneyland announced Thursday.
The attraction is part of an updated Mickey’s Toontown slated to open in spring 2023, but Disney announced the new Mickey and Minnie attraction would open early as part of the kick-off for Disney 100, a celebration for Walt Disney Co.’s 100th anniversary.
The ride opened at Walt Disney World in 2020 and was the first ride at any Disney park that stars Mickey and his friends. Based on the recent Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts, the attraction follows Mickey and Minnie as they take a leisurely drive to a picnic when a runaway railway takes guests on a “whirlwind ride through a world where the rules of physics don’t apply.”
Disney Parks worldwide will participate in the celebration, but the Disneyland Resort will be the center of it. This will be the largest-cross-company global celebration, the company announced.
The theme park also revealed an updated look for Sleeping Beauty Castle. The princess castle will dawn elegant platinum decorations for the “Disney100” celebration along with new fountains.
“Wondrous Journeys”, a new nighttime show, will illuminate Disneyland Park. The new show feature elements from every Walt Disney Animations Studio film and a new song,” It’s Wondrous.”
“It will continue to build upon the park’s state-of-the-art projection effects, turning Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle, the façade of “it’s a small world” and the Rivers of America into an artist’s canvas that brings characters to life all around you as fireworks dance in the sky,” Disney said in a press release.
The new fireworks show will light up the sky on select nights.
At Disney California Adventure Park, “World of Color – One”, an all-new show that celebrates “storytelling” over the past 100 years.
“It will tell a new story of how a single action, like a drop of water, creates a ripple that can grow into a wave of change,” Disney said in a press release. The show will also feature a new original song, “Start a Wave.”
The “Magic Happens” parade will make its return to Disneyland after disappearing when the parks closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The parade premiered on Feb. 27, 2020, and ended its run only two weeks later. Disney said the parade would return in the spring but declined to provide a specific opening date.
People interested in attending the celebrations can visit the Disneyland website for more details on these offerings. The company will release new information ahead of the festivities.
Parkgoers will still have a valid theme park ticket and reservation to enter Disneyland Park.
The company announced that theme park reservation is paused for dates beyond Jan. 8, but will resume within the coming weeks.