As I’m writing this, the Red Car Trolley is on its second to the last day of operation. After tomorrow, Saturday February 7th 2025, it will officially close its doors to the public. This is a ride that probably had the lowest daily ridership of any Disney California Adventure ride, but its closure will greatly affect the park’s atmosphere and charm, as well as signal a new era for Disney Parks that has me growing increasingly concerned. 

Patterned after the street cars that used to transport people everywhere in pre-1960 Los Angeles, the two Red Car Trolley cars, one being car number 623 and the other 717, are ⅓ scale replicas of those original Red Car Trolleys. Unlike the original trolley cars, these cars were sideward facing instead of frontward facing. 

In addition, the “electricity lines” that run above the attraction are actually just for show. The cars are battery operated and are recharged every night in the trolley barn and are topped off throughout the day using chargers located in the ground at the Buena Vista Street station. The overhead wires along Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard are actually higher than the ones on Buena Vista Street, mostly to give way for parade floats to still be able to go up and down the parade route during performances.

The trolleys stop at 4 different stops: Buena Vista Street, Carthay Circle, Hollywood Boulevard, and Sunset Boulevard. When getting on the trolley, you’ll notice some advertisements on the upper part of the trolley. Those ads are for different businesses that are located along Buena Vista Street. There’s usually only space for about 20 people on board, the equivalent of 5 riders per bench. 

As your ride begins, a cast member conductor will provide you with information and tidbits regarding the trolley and the buildings along Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Boulevard. Fun fact: the Trolley has the fastest brakes in the entire resort, mostly due to the fact that it needs to stop quickly in case someone suddenly crosses in front of the trolley. The whole journey from Buena Vista Street to Sunset Boulevard takes about 5 minutes. And yes, most times it’s faster to walk. 

What the ride lacked in capacity, it made up for in charm. I have countless memories of seeing the trolleys roll down Buena Vista Street and Hollywoodland, honking their now iconic horns at passerby to signal for them to get out of the way. I also have memories of actually being on the trolley, sitting back, and just relaxing as it made its way down its route. There was never any line to experience this attraction, except of course in the days preceding its closure. 

The trolleys ceasing operations, though it may seem like a very minor event, actually have far reaching consequences for the Disneyland Resort, and even Disney Parks in general. Now I bet you’re probably wondering how that’s possible. Let me break it down for you. 

The Trolleys are, personally, my second favorite “transportation” attraction in the Disneyland Resort (after the Disneyland Railroad). They hold a special place in my heart because they add authenticity, theming, detail, and storytelling to the front of the park, and also because they bring much needed kinetic energy to DCA.

The Red Car Trolley’s presence on Buena Vista Street and Hollywoodland added to the authenticity of these spaces. The Imagineers created Buena Vista Street and Hollywoodland to represent areas as they might have looked in the 1920s when Walt Disney first arrived in Los Angeles. They crafted facades and building interiors to recreate these environments, and the Red Car Trolley added to the theming and storytelling of these lands, allowing them to feel real and “lived in” to guests.  

In addition, the trolleys added much needed kinetic energy to these two lands. Kinetic energy enhances the guest experience by giving guests visually appealing things to look at, making the parks feel alive and full of activity. A land in DCA that does this very well is Pixar Pier, with the Pixar Pal-A-Round and the Incredicoaster adding so much kinetic energy to that land. The trolley did this with Buena Vista Street and Hollywoodland. Without them, these areas will begin to feel lifeless and will suffer a drop in quality as themed entertainment spaces. 

I get it though, the barn that houses the Red Car Trolleys has to be demolished to make way for the two new Avengers attractions. So we are getting some (hopefully good) attractions out of the Red Car Trolley closing. However, Disney could reroute the track and build another barn if they wanted to, but probably decided that it’s not worth the time and money it would take to do so. Which is a huge shame in my opinion as experiences like the trolley put the “theme” in theme parks. They are the lifeblood of themed entertainment. 

Spaces or attractions that exist to help immerse you in a time and place should be celebrated, not removed. But as you can see with other decisions Disney has made recently, such as with the announced removals of the Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom, Muppets Courtyard in Hollywood Studios, and Dinoland in Animal Kingdom, Disney is sending a clear message to guests and fans about this new era of Disney Parks: nothing is sacred and anything can be on the chopping block.

But in my opinion, not everything in a park has to be a blockbuster E-ticket attraction. Good theme parks have an assortment of attractions within them, all unified under a single theme. If every ride was an E-ticket, a theme park wouldn’t be as fun. Sure, no one rode the Red Car Trolley as much as Radiator Springs Racers, but that doesn’t make them any less important to the identity of Disney California Adventure. But hopefully those two Avengers attractions make the closure (and the loss of some of the park’s identity) worth it. 

Before my last ride on the Red Car Trolley, which also happened to be the last Trolley ride of the day I visited, I witnessed two cast members interacting, seemingly for the last time, as Red Car Trolley cast members. They both got emotional as they bid each other farewell, promising to see each other soon. As the Red Car Trolley reaches the end of its line, I hope we get to see it again soon as well. Only time will tell, but just like Walt when he first arrived in California over 100 years ago, I’m optimistic. And sometimes, optimistic is all we can be.

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