News Red Car Trolley to close February 8, 2025

[smooch]

I haven't really been as active on here or actively following Disney Parks news for the last few months, I only caught up on D23 announcements a few days after rather than following day of, but this just solidifies why I keep up less and less, and focus more on my other hobbies. I'm not gonna act like the Red Trolleys are the same level as Main Street Vehicles or the ROA or anything, but it's Disney's constant removal of all the atmosphere and things that really stick with you after your visit and make the world feel a bit more real and like the company cares. It's a free service that adds much needed kinetic motion and helps you suspend disbelief just a bit more and feel more immersed in the time and place you're in.

This isn't a new thought by any means, it's been said here a million times, but I just can't stand seeing a product be so constantly degraded in quality while inflated in price (and complexity). The parks won't replace this with anything to help with atmosphere, they'll just put in more IP to sell more merchandise. I'm not even surprised or anything with all these poor decisions announced with this and the slew of D23 news recently, not to act like this particular instance is more meaningful to me, it's just been the slow and steady death by a thousand paper(cost)-cuts.

 

[DLR92]

Except it was only added 12 years ago as part of the beginning of the "big fix" for DCA.

And it was a WELCOMING addition. There’s goes my desires to even think about repeating a new visit to the Disneyland resort. This year will be the only visit I will do. And put a big pause after.

 

[trainplane3]

Can’t wait for my Twitter feed for the next week being people pretending that the trolley has always been a critical part of their Magical DCA Day.

On my first time into DCA (2 weeks ago), the Trolley was actually the one thing that stuck out. Cars Land was pretty nice too. But most of DCA is just a not great version of DHS. And DHS isn't very great either.

 

[CosmicDuck]

This one? In hindsight it was pretty clearly supposed to be a Web Slingers ride vehicle.
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Ah, fair point. I don't think I ever looked at this again since the announcement.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I eagerly await the reasons this just has to be done.

I hear the trolleys are in bad shape and only operating at 15% of their potential capacity.

Also there's a sinkhole under the tracks, and they can't sell pictures with the trolleys in them.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Every Disney theme park is now trying to emulate Disney Adventure World.

Their least attended park they're spending billions to fix.

 

[PiratesMansion]

This is really disappointing news, although perhaps I am part of the problem because I have never actually ridden the trolley. I guess I'll have a bittersweet first/last go-around later this year.

If there's any petty consolation I can take, it's that those wires that were apparently the only important thematic detail in the entire park to one exec will finally be gone.

 

[Phroobar]

I've been saying this for a long time. It's better to not renewal your annual pass and use that money to travel and see the world. The world is a lot more beautiful and interesting than any theme park can do. Leave the theme parks to children. The problem is there isn't anywhere to go like Disneyland if you have little kids.

 

[Consumer]

If there's any petty consolation I can take, it's that those wires that were apparently the only important thematic detail in the entire park to one exec will finally be gone.

Yeah, just like the People Mover tracks.

 

[Dr.Cheeto]

Breaking: Pixar Pier Lagoon to be filled in for defunct Red Car Trolley car storage.
"The most historically accurate California theming to come to California Adventure," a Disney spokesperson said.

 

[Parteecia]

I will miss them. One time my friend and I were the only people on board and we joked with the CM about feeling like celebrities. When we got to the station they made a big deal of letting us off as if we were. A little touch of magic that made the day.

Plus they remind me of my Boston trolley dodging days. I'm still oblivious. DING DING DING!

 

[mickEblu]

It's even worst that we lost the Jolly Trolly. Only a toon would remove the red line.

This lamebrain idea could only be cooked up by a toon.

 

[mickEblu]

This is really disappointing news, although perhaps I am part of the problem because I have never actually ridden the trolley. I guess I'll have a bittersweet first/last go-around later this year.

If there's any petty consolation I can take, it's that those wires that were apparently the only important thematic detail in the entire park to one exec will finally be gone.

“Nobody” rides it. I don’t think that has much if anything to do with its removal though. I’ll miss the kinetic energy it adds and placemaking it helps support. The second tweet can mean there is a sliver of hope it remains but not looking good. Hopefully that Five n Dime band that goes up and down Hollywood Blvd will stick around.

 

[Jedi14]

I've been saying this for a long time. It's better to not renewal your annual pass and use that money to travel and see the world. The world is a lot more beautiful and interesting than any theme park can do. Leave the theme parks to children. The problem is there isn't anywhere to go like Disneyland if you have little kids.

So, how are the children supposed to get there?

 

[Too Many Hats]

Such a bummer. Is there no alternative? They can’t fit a new barn location into the Pandora/whatever plans?

 

[mickEblu]

Such a bummer. Is there no alternative? They can’t fit a new barn location into the Pandora/whatever plans?

No ROI baby!

 

[lazyboy97o]

I gotta say I don’t think that’s true at all. It was a copy paste of the main Street vehicle concept because the original version of the park had very little to do other than shopping and eating and so they added this so they could call it a ride. it was neat sure I won’t say it wasn’t neat, but I think it’s really disingenuous to pretend there was ever some grand vision behind it other than it was something to do for the bad park they’d just built.

Your understanding of history is poor, and that is being quite generous. The Red Car Trolley was not an opening day attraction. It was added during the massive investment intended to relaunch the park and opened more than a decade after the park itself.

The attraction’s history goes back more than twenty years before it actually opened. Bob Weiss tried to include trolleys on Hollywood Blvd and Sunset Blvd at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1989 and 1994. It was part of a vision because the Pacific Electric was a major part of Southern California. Even without the attraction Disney’s Hollywood Studios has references to the Red Cars and their history. A history finally brought to life at Disney’s California Adventure, something that required some effort to create the right look of the centenary and trolley poles while still operating in a contemporary theme park setting.

 

[Phroobar]

So, how are the children supposed to get there?

Uber.

 

[lazyboy97o]

On my last visit last November, I was sitting on a bench outside the Animation Academy building and watched as multiple CMs switch the Trolley's electric lines above and it was lovely. Their communication, enthusiasm, and coordination was impressive. Couple groups of guests stopped to watch them and clapped as soon they were done and the Trolley resumed on its way.

It was really a minor thing, but it stood out to me on such a busy day doing ride after ride after ride (we only had 1 day to do both parks, so it was hectic!).

And this is a whole process that serves no actual utilitarian purpose. The trolley poles are not functional. The catenary is fake. It’s a show that’s there purely for the atmosphere of doing this thing associated with iconic imagery.

 

[Consumer]

Your understanding of history is poor, and that is being quite generous. The Red Car Trolley was not an opening day attraction. It was added during the massive investment intended to relaunch the park and opened more than a decade after the park itself.

The attraction’s history goes back more than twenty years before it actually opened. Bob Weiss tried to include trolleys on Hollywood Blvd and Sunset Blvd at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1989 and 1994. It was part of a vision because the Pacific Electric was a major part of Southern California. Even without the attraction Disney’s Hollywood Studios has references to the Red Cars and their history. A history finally brought to life at Disney’s California Adventure, something that required some effort to create the right look of the centenary and trolley poles while still operating in a contemporary theme park setting.

Shipping the Red Cars off to Orlando to be implemented on Sunset Blvd would be the ideal situation.