Red Car Trolley

June 2012 – present

LOCATION

Buena Vista Street – The Red Car Trolley makes two stops on Buena Vista Street. The first is at the entry plaza, near the lockers. The second is in front of Carthay Circle.

Hollywood Land – The Trolley also makes two stops in Hollywood Land. The first is in front of the Disney Animation building. The second is in front of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

BACKGROUND

When California Adventure reopened in 2012, Buena Vista Street was the breath of fresh air the park needed to draw in visitors and reintroduce fans to Disneyland’s counterpart. One of the biggest issues with Buena Vista Street’s predecessor, Sunshine Plaza, was that it lacked any kind of icon or signature attraction. The new bustling Buena Vista Street has both: Carthay Circle is its towering landmark, and the Red Car Trolley is its classic attraction.

The Red Car Trolley has two cars, and both are replicas of the Pacific Electric Railway’s Southern California “Red Cars”, which were hugely popular in the 1920’s.

EXPERIENCE

Details:

• Single Rider Line – no
• Fast Pass – no
• Height Requirement – none
• Duration – roughly 20:00 to complete the one-way trip

The Red Car Trolley is unique in that it is both a ride and a vehicle used for shows, so guests can have two different experiences at the same attraction. For most of the day, guests can board the Trolley at stops on Buena Vista Street or in Hollywood Land, and take a trip through glamorous 1920’s Hollywood.

Several times per day, the Red Car Trolley goes out of service and transports the singing Red Car Trolley Newsboys from Hollywood Land to Buena Vista Street. The Newsboys put on a 25-minute show in front of Carthay Circle, singing and dancing alongside Mickey Mouse as he arrives in 1920’s Hollywood, ready to make his dreams come true.

MY RATING: ★★★☆☆

The Red Car Trolley cars are beautiful, and it’s fun to ride on an old-fashioned vehicle, like on the Main Street Vehicles. But the Red Car Trolley is only a one-way trip, and it’s usually much faster to just walk to your destination. If you’re looking to get off your feet for a few minutes, or want to see Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Land from a different vantage point, take a ride on the Red Car Trolley. But if you’re looking for quick transportation, you’re better off walking.

The Newsboys show is also fairly entertaining, but you have to be in the right place at the right time to see it. Mickey and the Newsboys jump out of the Trolley to dance, so unless you’re in the front few rows of the crowd, you won’t be able to see much. If you really want to see the show, find out the day’s show times and stake out a spot on Buena Vista Street ahead of time. Otherwise, you’ll be able to see the Newsboys as they travel to and from the show spot on the trolley, and they’ll give you a friendly wave.

VISITING TIPS

The Red Car Trolley’s crowd levels depend entirely on crowds in the park. On weekends, summer days, or the holidays, it’s next to impossible to get on a car. There are usually lines at every stop, and the Trolley frequently goes out of service for the Newsboys show. But if you visit the park on a quieter day, you shouldn’t have a problem taking a ride no matter what time of day you visit Buena Vista Street.

Newsboys shows differ each day, so ask a cast member about times on the day of your visit. The cast member at the information center next to Carthay Circle is your best resource for up-to-date information about the Red Car Trolley schedule.

TRIVIA

The overhead wires are just for show; the trolley is battery-powered, and recharges through in-ground induction coils at the Tower of Terror stop.

If you look up at the posters inside the Trolley cars, you’ll notice they all advertise different restaurants in California Adventure.

Each car has its own number with some significance to Disney history. One car is #623. The 6 is a reference to the 600 series trolleys from the 1920’s, and 23 refers to 1923, the year Walt Disney moved to Los Angeles. The second car is #717, a reference to the date of Disneyland’s opening on July 17^th.