As we gear up for the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway on March 4 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we have a first look at the new Disney Parks Designer Ears that will be themed to this all-new attraction! Designed by Disney Imagineer Kevin Rafferty, Executive Creative Director for the attraction, this ear hat will be released on March 5 at Walt Disney World Resort and online at shopDisney.com.
This colorful ear hat features Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in the setting of “Perfect Picnic,” the cartoon featured in the finale of the attraction, and continues to delight as it lights up with bursting fireworks by the flip of a switch!
The back of the ear hat features the saying “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” from the attraction’s loveable theme song and displays a picturesque car ride inside the hat itself!
Want to add this zany ear hat to your collection? Be sure to visit shopDisney.com or purchase it at various locations at Walt Disney World Resort including:
Disney’s Hollywood Studios:
Stage 1 Company Store
Legends of Hollywood
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway kiosk
Disney Springs:
Ever After Jewelry Co. & Accessories
Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Available on March 6):
Discovery Trading Company
EPCOT (Available on March 6):
Art of Disney
MouseGear
Magic Kingdom Park (Available on March 6):
Uptown Jewelers
Celebrating the opening of his latest project, Kevin Rafferty will appear at Stage 1 Company Store in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to sign the newest ear hat and his book, Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career, on March 5 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Get ready for even more releases in the Disney Parks Designer Collection coming throughout the year, including:
John Coulter – March 14, 2020 (Available Disneyland Resort & shopDisney.com)
We absolutely love all of the Disney inspired ideas that come from the LEGO Ideas website! Not all of the ones we love always get approved, but we’re excited to say that LEGO Ideas has approved a new Winnie The Pooh LEGO Set!
The original concept art above was fantastic, and as you can see at the top of the article the design being brought to life is perfection!
The set is inspired by the 100 Acre Wood, the home of Winnie the pooh and his friends. You’ll be able to explore Winnie the Pooh’s home with Winnie the Pooh himself! Plus, Tigger, Rabbit, Owl, Piglet and Eeyore have come to play too. It looks like the final concept has also brought Christopher Robin into the story too!
This set works as a gorgeous display piece for collectors. However it also has great play aspects. The roof is removable, to give access to the inside of Winnie the Pooh’s house. You’ll also find a hidden nesting area in the tree. I wonder who might hang out there?
The Disney LEGO Universe continues to grow!
We’re very excited that a new Winnie the Pooh LEGO Set will be joining the assortment Disney LEGOs available. Be sure to also be on the lookout for other great sets in the future, like the Mandalorian Set featuring a Baby Yoda minifigure too!
It’s a world premiere nearly a century in the making!
When Mickey Mouse burst upon the silver screen in 1928 as the star of “Steamboat Willie,” he changed the world of entertainment forever. With his childlike innocence, impish sense of humor and plucky attitude, Mickey has adored the world over and has become a cultural icon synonymous with Disney.
Through all of his many adventures, though, there’s one thing Mickey has never done: starred in his own ride-through attraction in a Disney theme park. That is about to change on March 4, 2020, with the debut of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
In this bold and innovative new family adventure, guests go through the movie screen inside the park’s re-creation of the Chinese Theatre and into the whimsical world of Disney Television Animation’s Emmy Award-winning“Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. There they discover why “mouse rules apply” and anything can – and does – happen! With an original “Mickey Mouse” story by Walt Disney Imagineering featuring the new song “Nothing Can Stop Us Now,” Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a celebration of Disney heritage and a showcase for state-of-the-art storytelling and attraction design.
It’s a charming experience for the entire family – from grandparents to grandchildren and everyone in between – full of surprises and pure, joyous fun befitting those true originals, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.
Check out the Ride Exterior & Lobby area:
Here is a sneak peek of this all-new ride!
Anything Can Happen: The Story of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway invites families to begin their adventure together at the heart of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They’re ushered inside the theater for the premiere of a new “Mickey Mouse” cartoon short, “Perfect Picnic,” written by Walt Disney Imagineering and produced by Disney Television Animation. In the story, Mickey and Minnie set off on a journey to find the best spot for a romantic picnic, taking their little red convertible for a drive through Runnamuck Park.
Little do they know Pluto has accidentally stowed away in the trunk of their car, so when the roadster hits a bump and the dutiful dog flies out … mayhem ensues. It’s at this point Disney magic brings guests through the movie screen and into the cartoon world, where they join Engineer Goofy on a train ride on the Runnamuck Railroad, following Mickey and Minnie through the park on their quest for that perfect picnic. And with Goofy at the helm, what could possibly go wrong? A lot, actually, as along their journey guests will:
Stampede through the Wild West
Visit a carnival
Avoid a swirling twister
Escape an exploding volcano
Dive over a waterfall … and much more
It’s up to Mickey and Minnie to keep guests out of trouble, all while poor Pluto tries to catch up and bring them their picnic basket!
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse search for their perfect picnic spot in Runnamuck Park as part of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the new family-friendly attraction opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The first ride-through attraction in Disney history featuring Mickey and Minnie brings guests into the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Classic Disney Storytelling, Driven by State-of-the-Art Design
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway blends classic Disney attraction design with cutting-edge technology to turn a two-dimensional cartoon world into a rich, vibrant environment. The attraction features a combination of physical sets, Audio-Animatronicsfigures, animated media and projection-mapping techniques, all syncing in time with trackless vehicles and a jaunty musical score.
The attraction experience is an all-encompassing environment full of rich and varied storytelling. Guests have the freedom to look in all directions and may see different details depending on which vehicle they ride in – and where they’re sitting within each vehicle.
Several scenes make transformations right before guests’ eyes by combining theatrical effects in ways never seen before on a Disney attraction.
Projections are used across multi-plane scenic flats and dimensional sets to provide depth of field while still maintaining a cartoon aesthetic.
Disney Imagineers experimented with new printing and painting techniques in ultraviolet light – mixing them with scenic elements and projections – to create an environment evoking the vibrant, hyper-reality of a “Mickey Mouse” cartoon.
Trackless vehicles that carry guests through Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway are anthropomorphic; they become their own characters in the story, each reacting differently to the action as it unfolds around them with their own specific animation programming. In one scene, they scurry away in fear from a volcano, while in another they dance in formation to music.
Audio-Animatronicsfigures appear throughout the attraction, giving guests up-close encounters with beloved Disney characters.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the inspiration for a new line of fun Disney products evoking the attraction’s lighthearted spirit. They include:
A whistle that re-creates the sound made by the Runnamuck Railroad locomotive
A pull-back toy of the Runnamuck Railroad locomotive and ride vehicle
A mug in the shape of the Runnamuck Railroad locomotive
A light-up glow spinner featuring Mickey and Minnie that plays the attraction’s theme song, “Nothing Can Stop Us Now”
A MagicBand featuring Mickey, Minnie and the attraction logo
An assortment of apparel and pins themed to the attraction
A new Wishables collection featuring Mickey and Minnie, Engineer Goofy, Chuuby and more.
Also debuting in conjunction with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the latest headwear design from the Disney Parks Designer Collection. Imagineer Kevin Rafferty designed the piece featuring Mickey and Minnie in the setting of their newest cartoon from the attraction, “Perfect Picnic.” Launched in May 2019, the Disney Parks Designer Collection is a series of limited-release Mickey ear hats and Minnie ear headbands designed by notable celebrities and artists.
Mickey & Minnie’s Trivia Time – Mouse Rules Apply! in the Play Disney Parks App
The Play Disney Parks mobile app now features a new trivia game in celebration of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and the new Mickey Shorts Theater (also opening March 4, 2020, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios). Mickey & Minnie’s Trivia Time – Mouse Rules Apply! gives guests the chance to play together and test their knowledge of Mickey and friends, featuring animations inspired by the “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts.*
Guests playing the game discover five trivia packs containing hundreds of questions – from “Steamboat Willie” all the way to today. Some of these trivia packs are available prior to arriving at the attraction to help guests prepare for their journey into Mickey & Minnie’s cartoon world, while others can be unlocked after experiencing Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, extending the fun.
Guests can also earn special new digital achievements in the app, including the “Runner-Away” achievement at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and the “Short Stuff” achievement at Mickey Shorts Theater.
In Their Own Words: The Making of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
“We’ve taken our whole grab bag of theatrical tricks and blended them together so seamlessly you won’t be able to tell what’s what. There is more happening in each and every scene than you could possibly have time to see in just one experience.”
– Kevin Rafferty, Executive Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering
“We look at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway as a musical. The melody of the attraction’s theme song, ‘Nothing Can Stop Us Now,’ takes on all the flavors of the different scenes as you progress through the experience.”
– Kevin Rafferty, Executive Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime project. It’s an amazing opportunity that I’m honored to be a part of. We are inviting our guests into a Mickey and Minnie cartoon. There are endless possibilities – anything can happen! You have cartoon physics and cartoon logic … there is so much that’s possible.”
– Charita Carter, Senior Producer, Walt Disney Imagineering
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse search for their perfect picnic spot in Runnamuck Park as part of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the new family-friendly attraction opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The first ride-through attraction in Disney history featuring Mickey and Minnie brings guests into the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Engineer Goofy says hello to Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the new attraction opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Guests hop aboard Runnamuck Railroad with Goofy as Mickey and Minnie search for the perfect picnic spot in their sporty red roadster in this new family-friendly adventure through a vibrant cartoon world. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Guests watch a new “Mickey Mouse” cartoon short, “Perfect Picnic,” to begin their Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway experience in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The first ride-through attraction in Disney history featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse brings guests into the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Guests follow Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse underwater as part of their journey through the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the family friendly new attraction opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Chuuby, an adorable little orange bird, loves to sing and dance in Runnamuck Park as part of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Chuuby (pronounced “choo-bee”) was created exclusively for the attraction. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Guests come face to face with Donald Duck on a busy city street during Mickey & Minnie’s Runway Railway, opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The first ride-through attraction in Disney history featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse brings guests into the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Guests visit an action-packed carnival as part of their journey aboard Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The first ride-through attraction in Disney history featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse brings guests into the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Guests come face to face with Jackhammer Pete on a busy city street during Mickey & Minnie’s Runway Railway, opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The first ride-through attraction in Disney history featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse brings guests into the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Guests board Runnamuck Railroad and journey into Runnamuck Park as part of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The first ride-through attraction in Disney history featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse brings guests into the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Guests travel underwater as part of their journey through the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the family friendly new attraction opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Jackhammer Pete is one of several beloved Disney characters featured in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, opening March 4, 2020, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The first ride-through attraction in Disney history featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse brings guests into the vibrant world of “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
The new “Magic Happens Parade” is a huge hit among guests of the Disneyland Resort! In celebration of this new and fun parade, the resort is serving up some incredible new treats.
Inspired by the new Pixar’s Coco float, the Jolly Holiday is serving up the Dia de Los Muertos Hand Pie! This pie has a guava filling that is perfectly sweet and tangy. The outside of the hand pie is covered in purple frosting and is decorated with sugar skulls and brightly colored sprinkles.
The Jolly Holiday is also serving up and a Royal Cupcake in celebration of “Magic Happens”! Also, the churro cart near the castle has 2 new churros debut along with the parade!
This isn’t the first time the Disneyland Resort rolled out a series of snacks for a parade. With the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade, Disneyland introduced a full menu of items. These eats could be found throughout the park in celebration of the parade’s return. All the sweet and savory items were inspired by the different floats and characters.
We hope as “Magic Happens” continues to capture the hearts of guests, that more tasty, inspired eats are on their way! For now, make your way to the Jolly Holiday to try the delicioso Dia de los Muertos Hand Pie!
Photo courtesy of our friend and Disneyland Correspondent: Monique
Starting March 20 guests visiting Disney parks will get a sneak peek of scenes from Disney’s epic new adventure, ‘Mulan.’ These early glimpses of the film will be shown in the Tomorrowland Theater at Disneyland park, as part of the Walt Disney Presents attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and aboard select sailings on Disney Cruise Line in late March.
“Disney Movie Magic“, a cinematic nighttime projection show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will incorporate an all-new sequence featuring ‘Mulan’ when it returns to the park for a limited run starting March 13. “Disney Movie Magic” transforms the park’s iconic Chinese Theater with state-of-the-art projection mapping technology, placing guests in the middle of a celebration of films from the Disney family of studios.
Check out this special message from two of the stars of ‘Mulan’, Yifei Liu and Yoson An, who play Mulan and Honghui:
Disney’s ‘Mulan’ comes to theaters on March 27, 2020.
Let’s taco about this delicious dessert at Disney Springs!
It’s the Minnie Waffle Taco!! As if tacos weren’t amazing enough, imagine one that also has some cookie dough inside, sounds like heaven.
This cute treat is made of a taco shaped waffle filled with peanut butter, fluff cookie dough, caramel sauce, whipped cream and topped with a cherry and Minnie’s iconic bow!
Definitely a must try during your visit to Walt Disney World, plus it looks adorable!
‘Three Men and a Baby‘ Rumored to Get a Remake for Disney+. The mega-popular 1987 film, ‘Three Men and a Baby‘ is rumored to be getting a remake for Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+.
“New York City roommates Peter (Tom Selleck), Michael (Steve Guttenberg) and Jack (Ted Danson) are all successful and happily unmarried, but Peter and Michael get the surprise of a lifetime when a young woman abandons an infant in front of their loft. They also receive a letter stating that the child, named Mary, belongs to Jack, but he’s away on business. Michael and Peter are then forced to care for Mary — and though they make hopeless babysitters, they soon become quite attached to the girl.”
Three Men and a Baby was modeled after the 1985 French film, Trois Hommes et un Couffin (Three Men and a Cradle) and became an instant hit in theaters, quickly becoming the top title of 1987. It is currently unknown when the film would premiere on the streaming service and who will star in the remake. Will Reichel is rumored to be penning the script for the remake. No official statement has been released by Disney at this time.
The original 1987 version of the film is currently available to stream on Disney+. Would you watch a ‘Three Men and a Baby‘ remake on Disney+? Or does the original stand alone? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co.. for all things Disney+!
Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr Set to Appear on ‘Pawn Stars.’ The famed Disneyland Imagineer is set to appear on the popular TV series, Pawn Stars and will feature one of the original gondola’s from the original Skyway that has since been removed from Disneyland Park.
Photo Credit: Bob Gurr (Facebook)
Hardcore Disney fans are very familiar with this Disney Legend, but for those who don’t know, check out this synopsis of Bob and his career with WED by D23.
“Imagineer Bob Gurr has always been a man on the move. And, for nearly 40 years, he helped move many a happy Disney theme park guest aboard vehicles and ride conveyances of his own design. As he’s often quipped, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it. Bob has developed more than 100 designs for attractions ranging from Autopia and Matterhorn Bobsleds to the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Monorails, and more.”
Photo Credit: Bob Gurr (Facebook)
Bob shared to his verified Facebook page, “With Pawn Stars Rick Harrison on location with a Disneyland Skyway Car that I designed in 1965. Pawn Stars TV 2020 season will feature a story of the design and history of the Skyway Car as the Pawn Stars explore its collector value. Pawn Stars has been a top show 15 years running with well over 500 shows.”
Bob was recently featured in the popular Disney+ original documentary and book, One Day at Disney and shared stories while touring the interior of the Matterhorn and riding the monorail around Disneyland. It is currently unknown what episode Bob Gurr will appear in on the 2020 season of Pawn Stars or if he will strike a deal on the show.
Photo Credit: Bob Gurr (Facebook)
We can’t wait to see what goodies Bob has to show Rick and the audience. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for all things Disney!
AristoCrepes is now offering a special new souvenir bowl. The Mickey Mouse Club Ear Hat Bowl is a fun retro design. You can get the bowl when you order a bubble waffle sundae. Guests have the choice of ordering either the Salted Caramel or Strawberry Bubble Waffle Sundae. But look at the size of this dessert! It’s delicious and big enough for two people to share.
We got the bowl with the Salted Caramel Bubble Waffle Sundae. It costs $17.49 to get the souvenir bowl with your bubble waffle sundae. The warm bubble waffle is wonderful to taste. If you’ve never had a bubble waffle, then you need to rectify that by heading to AristoCrepes. The sundae alone is a great dessert, but the bubble waffle kicks up the taste to a whole different level!
You can find AristoCrepes in the Marketplace area at Disney Springs. It’s a quick-service location with delicious crêpes and bubble waffle cones. It’s worth exploring their menu if you want to try an exquisite dessert. So far this new souvenir bowl for their bubble waffle sundae is a huge hit!
‘Call of the Wild‘ Expected to Lose $50 Million at the Box Office. Harrison Ford‘s latest film, ‘Call of the Wild,‘ is projected to lose upwards of $50 million during its theatrical run. The film is based off Jack London’s best selling novel The Call of the Wild and premiered in theaters February 21st.
“Buck is a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life gets turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon in the 1890s. As the newest rookie on a mail-delivery dog sled team, Buck experiences the adventure of a lifetime as he ultimately finds his true place in the world.”
According to BoxOfficeMojo, the films budget is reported to have cost $135 Million and at the time of writing the film has only earned $79 Million at the global box office (domestic and international).
Likely a contributing factor into the films poor performance was the timing of the films release along with the merger between The Walt Disney Company and Fox Studios. Call of the Wild was filmed and produced by 20th Century Fox, soon to be called 20th Century, and hit a few snags on the road to its premiere including poorly timed marketing that only seemed to pop up right before the films release.
Have you seen Call of the Wild in theaters? What other films are you excited to see in theaters in 2020? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for all things Fox!
The newest Disney Pixar original film “Onward” is a family must-see! It’s the first original story we’ve seen from Disney Pixar in a long while.
Onward is set in a suburban fantasy world and follows two teenage elf brothers as they embark on a quest to discover if there is still magic out there and get a little bit of time with their father.
Onward is a classic Disney Pixar animated film with surprises and delights along the way: some surreally comical (I laughed out loud multiple times) and some modestly spectacular. But this is more than a straightforward boys’ adventure.
The story strays into matters of male relationships along the way-both paternal and fraternal. The main characters deepen and reveal strengths as well as vulnerabilities in a way we don’t often see with male-led films. There is an unexpected, yet quite moving, twist amid the climactic action. Be sure to bring tissues!
Overall, Onward is a heartwarming, engaging, and sincere story. If you like quests that are full of excitement and soul, you’ll definitely want to take your family to see Onward.
There is nothing more frustrating than heading to Disneyland and one of your favorite rides, attractions or restaurants is closed for Refurbishments. Unfortunately, from time to time things do need to close for maintenance or repair and this is where our monthly Closures and Refurbishments article comes into play.
Here is the current list of Closures and Refurbishments for March 2020 and beyond at the Disneyland Resort.
