Disneyland closing decade-old ride to make room for expansion

Disney California Adventure will close a decade-old ride that serves as a symbol of the reimagining of the once-troubled park and a tribute to the Main Street U.S.A. vehicles that add kinetic energy to the entrance promenade of Disneyland.

The Red Car Trolley at Disney California Adventure will close in early 2025, according to Disneyland officials.

The Red Car Trolley opened in 2012 as part of the reimagining of the DCA entry promenade with a thematic motif that paid homage to Walt Disney’s 1920s Los Angeles.

The expansion of Avengers Campus will displace the backstage location of the Red Car Trolley barn, according to Disneyland officials.

Construction will begin in 2025 on the new Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab attractions as part of an expansion that will double the size of the Marvel-themed land.

DCA’s Red Car Trolley closed in 2019 to allow for the construction of Avengers Campus and did not return until 2022 following the COVID-19 pandemic closure of the parks.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland to remove negative stereotypes from Peter Pan’s Flight

The Red Car Trolley created a bit of a thematic challenge for Walt Disney Imagineering with the addition of Avengers Campus.

The trolley track route travels past the futuristic Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout building and into the high-tech Marvel campus — neither of which throw off much of a vintage 1920’s L.A. vibe.

The trolley tracks cut through a corner of Avengers Campus near Pym’s Test Kitchen and pass through a hidden door built into the Avengers Headquarters building.

DCA’s twin trolleys were modeled after the Pacific Electric Railway that crisscrossed Los Angeles from 1887 to 1961.

The trolley attraction serves as a transportation vehicle that takes riders on a scenic journey through Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Land — making stops near DCA’s main entrance, Carthay Circle Restaurant, the Animation Academy building and the Hyperion Theater.

The 20-seat trolleys are battery powered with the catenary lines running above the vehicles just for show, according to D23. Onboard batteries are recharged overnight in the backstage trolley barn.

Disneyland has not yet announced if the trolley tracks on Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Boulevard and in Avengers Campus will be removed.

The “Red Car News Boys” show that used the Red Car Trolley as a backdrop was canceled in 2019.