Alaska Airlines unveiled its latest Disneyland-themed livery this week. The aircraft, named “Mickey’s Toontown Express,” is adorned with images of Mickey Mouse and his friends.

Mickey’s Toontown Express

The new livery is painted on a 17-year-old Boeing 737-800 aircraft, registered as N565AS. Both sides of the aircraft feature colorful imagery of popular Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. Their chipmunk friends, “Chip ‘n’ Dale,” are painted by the boarding doors and the inside of the winglets to greet passengers. On board, the aircraft will offer activity books and snack packs with designs featuring the various characters. The newly, renovated Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland Park, a whimsical animated neighborhood geared towards children, inspired the paint job.

The tail of Alaska Airlines’s “Mickey’s Toontown Express” livery (Photo: Alaska Airlines | Joe Nicholson)

The aircraft flew its first passenger flight with the new livery on Wednesday, Nov. 1. On this first day of operations with the new paint job, the plane fittingly flew two roundtrips between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., the closest airport to the Disneyland Resort.

“It’s heartening how much our Disneyland Resort-themed airplanes spark joy in our guests — young and young at heart. What makes this even more special is the return of Mickey Mouse on an Alaska Airlines plane since he made his debut on our fleet eight years ago,” Sangita Woerner, Alaska’s Senior Vice President of Marketing & Guest Experience said in a press release.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 N565AS with its “Mickey’s Toontown Express” special livery after leaving the paint shop at Spokane International Airport on October 31, 2023 (Photo: Alaska Airlines | Joe Nicholson)

Prior to entering service with the new livery, the aircraft a few weeks in the paint shop at International Aerospace Coatings (IAC)’s facility at Spokane International Airport in Washington. According to Alaska, it took over 400 hours and 20 days to hand-paint the aircraft. The airline published a video showing the painting process for the plane.

Alaska’s Longstanding Disneyland Partnership

The Seattle-based carrier has had a longstanding relationship with the Disneyland Resort, with the two having collaborated on eight special liveries to date. From the first Disneyland-themed special livery in 2004 – painted on a Boeing 737-400 registered as N784AS and named “Spirit of Disneyland” – to the latest Toontown-inspired addition, Alaska aircraft have displayed over a dozen different Disney characters over the past two decades.

Two other Alaska Boeing 737-800s – N537AS and N538AS – are currently painted in Disneyland liveries. N537AS has a livery called “Friendship and Beyond at the Disneyland Resort,” featuring Woody, Buzz, Lightyear and Jessie from the Toy Story film series. Meanwhile, N538AS has a sleek black livery called “Star Wars Transport to the Disneyland Resort,” in celebration of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area of the theme park.

Alaska’s “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” Themed Boeing 737-800 (Photo: Alaska Airlines)

“Our relationship with Alaska Airlines is more than 25 years strong and truly celebrates the magic of Disney,” said Sybil Crum, Vice President of Marketing and Commercial Strategy at Disneyland Resort. In talking about the latest special livery, she added: “The plane’s artwork marks Alaska Airlines’ eighth transformation of an aircraft featuring Disney artistry and exhibits the excitement and playfulness of the re-imagined Mickey’s Toontown. We’re so delighted for the opportunity to create even more memorable experiences for our guests together.”

An Alaska 737-900ER in a the “Spirit of Disneyland II” livery (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

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Andrew Chen

Andrew is a lifelong lover of aviation and travel. He has flown all over the world and is fascinated by the workings of the air travel industry. As a private pilot and glider pilot who has worked with airlines, airports and other industry stakeholders, he is always excited to share his passion for aviation with others. In addition to being a writer, he also hosts Flying Smarter, an educational travel podcast that explores the complex world of air travel to help listeners become better-informed and savvier travelers.

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