A new ride, a new celebration, and the return of a fan favorite quick service restaurant. January was a BUSY month at the Disneyland Resort, despite this being the “quiet” time of year and peak refurbishment season. Let’s dive right into all the latest happenings at the happiest place on earth.
RUNAWAY RAILWAY AND A SNEAK PEEK AT TOONTOWN 2.0
The biggest news story of the month was undoubtedly the opening of Toontown‘s newest attraction: Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. This ride, which originally debuted in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in 2020, is a trackless system that takes guests on a wild train adventure aboard Goofy’s train. Disneyland’s version of the Railway is on the eastern side of Toontown, roughly where the Gag Factory store used to be.
 Source: Jim Shull
Currently, there is no standby line for the attraction – only a reservation system (much like Rise of the Resistance’s debut). It is also available as a lightning lane.
 Source: Disney Parks Blog
With the ride’s opening, visitors also got a peek at the changes happening across Toontown. Most notable are the upgraded hills, refreshed color scheme, and swapping of the Roger Rabbit fountain for an open grassy area that has already become a popular resting place for fans.
 Source: TPM Videos
I’m so eager to visit the Runaway Railway. The queue looks really fun and I absolutely LOVE the El Capitoon facade.
DISNEY100 BEGINS
This month also kicked off the Disney100 celebration. While many fans have confused the event as marking 100 years of Disneyland, it actually celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, not the park. I mentioned the festivities happening in a previous post, so I won’t get into it at length here. But I wanted to share some of the spectacular decor across the park.
First, the castle looking fabulous.
 Source: Disneyland Resort
The monorail’s iridescent wrapper is one of my favorites.
 Source: Scott Gustin
And one more quick look – Mickey and Minnie statues have popped up on Main Street alongside purple and silver accents on the shops.
 Source: Darin Munnell
OTHER UPDATES
runDisney is returning! Disneyland will host its first half marathon weekend since 2017. The race weekend will be January 11-14 2024, with registration opening up February 14th of this year.
Earlier this month, La Brea Bakery Cafe in Downtown Disney abruptly closed. The company confirmed their cafes are permanently closed, including the Los Angeles location. But later in the month, Disneyland confirmed that the Earl of Sandwich will return on February 1st, opening La Brea Bakery Cafe’s former location.
And finally, a surprise announcement this month – the French Market Restaurant in New Orleans Square will transform into Tiana’s Place. If you’re a regular reader of this blog – you may remember I’ve been hoping for this change many times in the last few years…so I’m thrilled! This restaurant needs some love, and I can’t wait to see the transformation.
 Source: Disney Parks Blog