Disneyland has announced that the “Red Car Trolley” will be reopening at Disney California Adventure starting at 8am PT today (July 17), which also happens to be the 67th anniversary of Disneyland opening.
The Attraction
The “Red Car Trolley” is modeled after the Pacific Electric Railway trolleys that crisscrossed the Los Angeles area from 1887 until 1961.
The design of the trolleys are inspired by the Pacific Electric “Hollywood” class cars, built in the 1920s.
The attraction first opened on June 15, 2012, as part of the re-dedication of Disney California Adventure.
The Closure
The “Red Car Trolley” closed in April 2019 to allow for the construction of the “Avengers Campus” in the park.
The closure was only expected to last a year, but Disneyland and its parks closed for more than a year in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Then more pandemic delays pushed the opening of “Avengers Campus” to June 2021.
Now after a little more than three years, the trolleys will once again ferry passengers within Disney California Adventure.
Theming Issues
In reopening the “Red Car Trolley,” Disneyland had to deal with theming issues.
The trolley was introduced with a theme that paid homage to Walt Disney’s 1920s Los Angeles.
However, now the trolley track route travels past the futuristic “Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout” building (formerly “Tower of Terror”), and into the high-tech “Avengers Campus.”
Neither scream vintage 1920’s Los Angeles.
Disneyland says they have solved that issue by pushing the trolley stop that was in front of “Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout” closer to the Hyperion Theater.
And while the tracks cut through a corner of “Avengers Campus” near Pym’s Test Kitchen, it will pass through a hidden door built into the Avengers Headquarters building.
Disney says the trolleys will only be seen on campus as they pass through to and from the backstage storage barn.
Trolley Stops
The “Red Car Trolley” line has four stops:
- Buena Vista Street at Buena Vista Entry Plaza
- Carthay Circle at the Carthay Circle Theater
- Hollywood Boulevard at Animation Academy (Sunset Boulevard-bound only)
- Sunset Boulevard near the Hyperion Theater (New)
Previously, the trolleys ran every 8 minutes while the park is open, so it’s likely Disney California Adventure will keep to the same schedule.
Are you excited the trolleys are back? Did you get to ride them before they closed? Let us know in the comments!