Sure, Cars Land is great, but I was most excited about Buena Vista Street and especially the Red Car Trolleys! Here are a few vintage shots showing the inspiration for this wonderful addition to Disney California Adventure. The first shot is the Sherman Way Trolley, December 1952.
Compare this vintage image...
with the DCA version. I would say they did a pretty amazing job, wouldn't you?
I'll leave you today with this October 1950 Santa Ana Trolley image:
See more Disney California Adventure Red Trolley photos on my Red Trolley web page.
Yes, they did a great job on the Red Car Trolley. This is the kind of attraction I wish Disney would do more of. A simple pleasure.
ReplyDeleteLove the Trolleys -- so full of character. A nice side effect of Roger Rabbit's success was the way that an entire new generation of kids grew up knowing what the Red Car Trolleys were. And they certainly add charm to DCA's entry experience.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the blog on a similar story about the Red Cars.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theblueparrot.info/the-red-car-rides-again/
I have to admit I'm a Roger Rabbit generation Trolley-lover, and I'm extremely disappointed that you can't ride the backs of the cars at DCA, Eddie Valliant-style.
ReplyDeleteNot a fan of CARS LAND or the FINDING NEMO subs, or anything that seems now just a promotion to films. I realize the Peter Pan ride etc were also films but they seemed to stand on their own and weren't just promotions. And these Trolleys ruled. This could be the best blog ever.
ReplyDeleteThat last photo was taken at the Red Car Depot on east 4th street (aprox the 500 block). There are condos there now. I remember it well because the building had a curved frontage to accommodate the curve in the track as it entered. Also; the car place was ounce a paint shop where my first car got a new color. Later, after the Red Car was gone, it became the bus depot.
ReplyDeleteCoxPilot
@ James M. Tate: Gotta disagree on that point: Cars Land and the Nemo Subs stand on their own as attractions just as well as Peter Pan or anything else in Fantasyland, the canoes or Splash Mtn. And most of the people I've been to Cars Land with enjoyed the place without having ever seen the films. I agree, though, the Trolleys rule!
ReplyDeletePeter Pan is a classic character and those rides embody a form of classic literature. Cars and Finding Nemo are cross promotional and like everything, Disneyland has become too corporate.
ReplyDeleteAs always Dave...awesome photos...thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Lee & Roger - thanks for the great follow-up info!
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