On the
journey,
Mickey
Mouse and
Minnie
Mouse find
a romantic
picnic spot in
Runnamuck
Park.
In 1928, five years after Walt Disney
moved to Hollywood, California, he released
Steamboat Willie, Mickey Mouse’s first publicly
released black-and-white cartoon. It was the
first in a series of 130-plus animated short
films in Mickey’s career. The whistle from
that original cartoon was used to record the
locomotive whistle sound for Goofy’s new
train ride. The Runaway Railway attraction
is filled with hidden Disney gems that refer to
Disney history, such as references to Oswald
the Lucky Rabbit, the cartoon character Walt
created before Mickey, and the numbers 1901
and 1928, Walt’s birth year and the year of
Mickey’s first appearance.
MAY/JUNE 2020 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 135
The cars in the
Runaway Railway
attraction are
designed to give
everyone a different
experience, since
new technology
allows this ride to
take each person on
an individualized
journey into the
cartoon world.
In this “underwater” section of the ride, guests experience
the awe of the capabilities of the Disney Imagineers.
KENT PHILLIPS
KENT PHILLIPS
MATT STROSHANE