Both Red Car Trolleys Running for First Time in Five Years at Disney California Adventure

Shannen Ace

Both Red Car Trolleys Running for First Time in Five Years at Disney California Adventure

Shannen Ace

Both Red Car Trolleys Running for First Time in Five Years at Disney California Adventure

The second Red Car Trolley has returned to service at Disney California Adventure, marking the first time both trolley cars have run at once since 2018.

Red Car Trolley in Disney California Adventure

Though the Red Car Trolley is now considered an iconic element of Disney California Adventure, it was only added in 2012, over a decade after the park opened. In 2018, Red Car Trolley closed due to Avengers Campus construction. It remained closed for years longer than planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since returning to service in July 2022, only car 623 has been running.

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Now trolley car 717 has returned to service and the two cars can be seen passing each other on Hollywood Boulevard.

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717 is a reference to the opening date of Disneyland, July 17.

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Though both trolley cars are, of course, red, 717 and 623 otherwise have different designs.

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717 has orange borders around the top and bottom, orange doors, and orange art deco “wings” on the sides and ends.

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623, on the other hand, is entirely red, which is how the trolley cars it’s based on were delivered after construction. It’s specifically inspired by the St. Louis Car Company’s 600-series trolleys from 1922.

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6 comes from the 600 series, while 23 comes from the year The Walt Disney Company was founded: 1923.

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The 717 is inspired by the 700-750 series trolleys constructed by the J. G. Brill Company in 1925. Its paint scheme more closely resembles the well-known design of the real Pacific Electric Railway’s trolley cars.

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The original Pacific Electric Railway system operated from 1901 to 1961.

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Each trolley seats precisely 20 people. The cables they appear to run on are just for show — the trolleys are battery-powered.

The three Red Car Trolley stops are near Animation Academy, at Carthay Circle, and on Buena Vista Street near the main entrance.

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