First Review: Red Car Trolleys on Buena Vista Street

Red Car Trolleys

Our Rating: 2 1/2 stars

Tom Bricker says:

“The Red Car Trolleys are beautiful!”

• What it is: Scenic in-park transportation.
• Scope and scale: Minor attraction.
• When to go: The first 2 hours the park is open.
• Duration of ride: About 8 minutes.
• Average wait time per 100 people ahead of you: 12 minutes.
• Loading speed: Very Slow

Description And Comments

Much like the vintage vehicles that travel up and down Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland Park, these trolley cars add visual interest to DCA’s entrance area, but not much entertainment value. Modeled after the Pacific Electric Railway that served the Los Angeles area in the 1920s and 1930s (as seen in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) the trolleys boast authentic details like narrating conductors who share historical tidbits during your travels, retro-styled interior advertisements, and realistic overhead power lines — un-electrified, as the new eco-friendly cars are actually battery-powered. More transportation than attraction, the Red Car Trolleys ferry guests between Buena Vista Street near the park entrance and the Tower of Terror, making stops in Cathay Circle and Hollywood Land along the way.

Touring Tips

It is usually faster to walk the route than to wait for the next Red Car Trolley, but if you wish to experience this nostalgic transportation, do so in the morning. Hop on at the station near the Tower of Terror exit; it should be less crowded than the station on Buena Vista Street near the park entrance.

The Red Car briefly stops serving guests several times daily so it can be commandeered as a stage for the Red Car News Boys show (see show schedule for details).

All eyes in the theme park industry turn this week to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, where the grand re-opening of Disney California Adventure is being celebrated in the high style befitting the finish line of a billion-dollar makeover marathon. Before this massive expansion officially opens to the public on June 15, invited media and paying sneak-preview participants will have already had an opportunity to experience the new attractions of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, and naturally the TouringPlans.com team is there on the scene. Touring Plans’ official photographer Tom Bricker, Unofficial Guide to Disneyland co-author Seth Kubersky, and new Touring Plans researcher Guy Selga, Jr. will all be on-property this week, documenting every detail to your touring advantage. Over the next few days, please check back on the blog for our hot-off-the-press first reviews direct from DCA, edited versions of which will appear in the 2013 edition of the Unofficial Guide.

All photos by Tom Bricker.