Orlando’s theme park enthusiasts may not have new Kylo Ren or Harry Potter-based attractions to look forward to in 2020. But Disney has a not-so-secret weapon: Mickey Mouse.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the first-ever ride-through attraction for the iconic rodents, is set to open March 4 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. It is being created inside the park’s Chinese Theater, which formerly housed the Great Movie Ride.
Disney has released some details about the ride along the way. We know that its characters are drawn in the animated style of the shorts currently seen on Disney Channel, that Mickey and Minnie have a perfect picnic planned and that we’ll go along in a train-inspired vehicle. Goofy is the engineer and things go, um, off-track.
In addition, Disney says Hollywood Studios will open Mickey Shorts Theater in March. From the artist’s rendering, it looks like the seats are a shout-out to Mickey’s shorts. Oh boy.
Beyond Railway — or should we call it MMRR? — exact opening dates are few. Here’s a roundup of known additions coming sometime in 2020.
Cirque du Soleil finally will be back in business at Disney Springs. “La Nouba” closed there at the end of 2017, and anticipation has been building for its follow-up, which will be called “Drawn to Life.” We’ve known for a while that animation will be a theme of the new show, and videos of rehearsals indicate that Cirque’s high-flying acrobatics will be involved. Tickets are on sale for the production, which officially opens April 17, although there are previews beginning March 20.
Over at Epcot, another character is moving into World Showcase. A dark ride named Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is slated to open in summer in a reconfigured France pavilion. Features of the attraction include trackless (but whiskered) ride vehicles and, in time-honored Disney tradition, riders are shrunk down to the size of rats. It’s set on the kitchen floor of Gusteau.
A trio of films are set to open Jan. 17 at Epcot, including “Awesome Planet” in The Land, “Canada Far and Wide” in Canada, naturally, and “Beauty and the Beast Singalong” in France. (The long-running “Impressions de France” will still be shown too.) This date coincides with the beginning of the Epcot International Festival of the Arts.
Eaters will have new options at Epcot “this winter,” Disney says. Space 220 will be a table-service restaurant adjacent to the Mission: Space attraction, and Regal Eagle Smokehouse will be the fast-casual replacement for Liberty Inn. The latter will feature barbecue with flavors from different regions of the U.S., Disney says. Meanwhile, Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant is planned for Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios.
At some point in ’20, “HarmonioUS” will take over as the nighttime spectacular at Epcot, replacing “Epcot Forever,” which currently has the slot that was held for 20 years by “IllumiNations.”
In springtime, Universal Studios will open the Bourne Stuntacular, a live-action show in the building that was home to Terminator 2: 3-D (which closed in October 2017). The new stunt show is based on the Jason Bourne character, and, according to Universal’s blog, “will blur the lines between stage and cinema in a hybrid form of entertainment that has never been seen before.”
Another coaster is rolling into town. SeaWorld Orlando plans to open Ice Breaker in the spring. “The steepest beyond vertical drop is just the beginning,” the park crows online. It will have four launches (backward and forward), and it’s being built near the Wild Arctic attraction and Bayside Stadium. Meanwhile, Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park, is adding a dueling slide called Riptide Race.
Dates for some of the parks’ annual festivals have been announced, so take note. SeaWorld’s Three Kings Celebration runs Jan. 4-6. The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is set for Jan. 7-Feb. 24, and the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is March 4-June 1. Universal’s Mardi Gras will be from Feb. 1-April 2, and the 30th edition of Halloween Horror Nights is now set for Sept. 10-Nov. 1.
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