Earlier today, we got our first look inside the new Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland Park. Taking place in the town’s legendary (but also new) El Capitoon Theater, guests pass by numerous fictitious Toontown-ified film releases from the Disney Canon, in poster form!
First, we have Toonsies, a take on Newsies. What’s even more fun with these posters is the taglines that also get the parody treatment, with this film’s fake animated poster marketing “A Thousand Gags, A Single Musical.” Fans of the Disneyland Resort will also be quick to notice that Mickey appears on the Toonsies poster in his outfit from Buena Vista Street and the Red Car Trolley News Boys show, which also featured music from the original, Newsies.
Next up, we have “Mickey, I Shrunk the Nieces.” A fun take on the 80s classic Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. The faux film also calls attention to Minnie’s nieces, Millie and Melody, from early Disney comics. If The El Capitoon hallways REALLY wanted to have some fun, they could have a Toon version of the full, original Honey, I Shrunk The Kids poster, which also touted the Roger Rabbit short feature, Tummy Trouble. Though, this might have been too meta, even by Toontown standards.
No its not the Lindsay Lohan/Jamie Lee Curtis version, “Goofy Friday” calls back to the original Freaky Friday starring Jodie Foster. Though, “Goofy Friday” has one great thing over the original source material – a reference to 1995’s A Goofy Movie in the tagline. “Father and son who never saw eye to eye.”
Noted animated scientist Ludwig Von Drake takes center stage in the poster for “The Absent-Minded Professor Von Drake.” A new spin on the original starring Fred MacMurray, this poster also features Pluto in lieu of a live-action dog, and a reference to Ludwig’s “Spectrum Song,” in which he literally sings the different colors of the spectrum, whether they be red, yellow, blue, red, purple, green, chartreuse or aqua.
One of the more modern films to be screened at the El Capitoon, fans are getting even more references to A Goofy Movie, with the whole cast appearing in “High School Goofical 3: Senior Year.” I’d watch it. The poster is a spot on duplicate for the High School Musical 3 poster, just a little goofier.
One of the ones that makes us want a print-on-demand option for these posters already, is “The Feisty Ducks.” Starring Donald in what I’m sure isn’t a complete plot pull, the poster features Donald as a hockey coach a la The Mighty Ducks, complete with nephews and other stars of DuckTales behind the glass.
Is this a parody or subliminal synergy? Minnie, Daisy, and Clarabelle Cow star in the poster for Meeska Mooska, a take on Hocus Pocus. While it's still funny and clever, it's not a completely new idea as the three characters already appear in their Hocus Pocus outfits at halloween events at Disney Parks and aboard the Disney Cruise Line.
The Happiest Millionaire gives way to the richest person in Toontown with “The Scroogiest Millionaire.” Another spot on parody, the characters give way to more characters from DuckTales alongside Scrooge McDuck.
Another one of those “Where can I buy this” posters, the poster for “The Mousketeer” is the toon version of the early 90’s classic, The Rocketeer, right down to its art deco style, but injected with that Mickey Mouse flair, as the helmet has the iconic shape.
Finally, we have the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan, now replaced by kind-of twins, Chip and Dale as they apparently try to get Donald Duck and Daisy Duck to reconnect in “The Chipmunk Trap.” This particular poster is great because somehow it manages to capture the live-action actor’s poses and emotions possibly better than the others.
You can see all these posters for yourself in the queue for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland Park, which officially opens on January 27th, 2023 at the Disneyland Resort.