Disneyland Quietly Reverses Rule Requiring Phones to Be Put Away on This Ride

Disneyland puts in place various rules and policies for its rides to ensure safety and make sure each ride runs smoothly. Different rides have different rules, whether these are targeting cell phones, water bottles, or other factors that could impact safety and ride operations.

While some Disneyland rides allow you to have phones out, there are a few that require personal belongings to be put away. Now, a prior rule change has been reversed for one trackless ride that is prone to frequent closures after Disney initially added restrictions to it. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a popular resort hotel perk being expanded to more guests and the new closure date for Haunted Mansion.

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Disney Changes Phone Policy for Trackless Ride

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway picnic scene

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is one of the most popular attractions at Disneyland that takes guests on an adventure through various cartoon scenes after a relaxing train ride goes awry. This is a gentle dark ride, but it does have sudden motion, which can jostle guests. These sudden movements can cause a situation where guests can easily lose hold of their belongings if they’re caught off guard.

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Since Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a trackless ride, loose belongings falling from ride vehicles onto the floor can cause ride breakdowns. Last year, Disneyland implemented a rule that required guests to put away their phones and store them in a secure place. Once the rule went into effect, cast members would refuse to start the ride until guests complied.

Signage was also put in place to remind guests to put away loose belongings, and this rule has been a policy for the past year.

However, it appears now that Disney has reversed that rule. As of June 24, guests on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland appear to be allowed to hold their phones again without requiring any stowing of belongings. It’s unclear why Disney has reversed the rule. Perhaps the time it took for cast members to ensure phones were put away was more trouble than it was worth. We will see if this results in any downtime for the ride, which would cause the rule to return.

Pixar Pier

That’s not the only ride that requires different policies due to guest behavior. At Disney California Adventure, Disney began restricting loose water bottles on the Incredicoaster. Disney noticed the increasing number of guests with large cups, which can cause some risk when riding on an upside-down roller coaster.

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To reduce the risk, guests can no longer ride Incredicoaster with loose water bottles in the ride vehicle with them. They must either stow their water bottle securely in their bag or leave it behind at the load station to pick up when they exit.

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About Lindsay Brookshier

Lindsay Brookshier has been recognized as a Disney expert since 2017 and has been featured by outlets including CNBC, SFGate, NerdWallet, and Visit Anaheim. She holds a Master’s degree in English and visits Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Orlando multiple times each year, giving her first hand insight into park operations, seasonal trends, crowd patterns, and touring strategies.

Her experience also extends to Disney Cruise Line, where she has sailed on every class of ship, visited both of Disney’s private islands, and participated in specialty sailings such as Marvel Day at Sea and Very MerryTime cruises. This depth of travel allows her to provide practical, data informed travel guidance across Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line, Universal theme parks, and related destinations.

As Content Director of Mickey Visit, Lindsay oversees editorial strategy and daily content. She also leads the development and analysis of Mickey Visit’s crowd calendars, using historical wait time data, ticket pricing trends, and seasonal attendance patterns to forecast park crowd levels. Lindsay writes touring plans, authors in depth reviews, and offers expert analysis on Disney experiences. She also serves as an expert on Disney discounts and merchandise, tracking ticket offers, hotel promotions, seasonal deals, major merchandise collaborations, and collectible releases across the parks and online.

Lindsay comes from a lifelong Disney family and has been visiting Disneyland since the 1990s. She is currently planning a Disney Cruise Line wedding and her favorite ride is the Haunted Mansion.

See her Muck Rack profile here.

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