Panasonic is collaborating with Disney Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products to help power one of this year’s most-anticipated new attractions. Announced at the D23 Expo in 2017, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will open to the public this fall. Panasonic projectors and technology are being used to transform a two-dimensional cartoon into a real-world experience for the first-ever ride-through Mickey Mouse attraction.

Concept art for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Disney Parks Blog).

Panasonic already maintains a significant technology presence at Disney Parks following the 2016 naming of Panasonic Projection Imaging Systems as the “Official Projection Technology” of Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.

Attractions already using Panasonic tech include the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland Park; Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure Park; Haunted Mansion and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park; Frozen Ever After and Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros at Epcot; Na’vi River Journey at Pandora—The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

Based on the animated shorts airing on Disney Channel, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is located inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. 

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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