Walkabout The World - A Disney Podcast - Red Car Trolley Farewell at Disney California Adventure With Host Michelle

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hello, travelers, and welcome back to Walk About the World. I'm your host, Michelle, and today I'm at Disney California Adventure, and I have a special guest, a friend of the podcast, Mr. DCA himself, Steve Atherton. Hi, Steve. Hello there. Today, we're at California Adventure, and can you give me a little insight why you're Mr. DCA? It's just about all the time that I've spent here at the parks and just the appreciation for vintage DCA back when it was a little cringy and pun filled to what it's become now. Just

Starting point is 00:00:41 the overall change and my love for it since the beginning you're talking about sunshine plaza all of it yeah what does disney mean to you we all have some sort of like connection to the park obviously that's why we spent so much time here so what does it mean to you obviously growing up in southern california um once in a great while as a kid I'd get to come to the parks and make great memories with my family. Obviously growing up on all the movies and then becoming a Disney Parks fan myself and coming all the time and falling in love with both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park. And just being here and the sense of joy it brings me. I think we can all relate to that me especially uh what's what's your favorite disney movie that is a really hard one um but probably the rocketeer

Starting point is 00:01:34 i relate to that 100 i think we're both cliff seacord fans here yes um there are a couple uh rocketeer references inside one of us the street uh maybe we'll check those out a little bit later yeah all right so our main objective today is to say farewell the red car trolley how do you feel about that honestly i'm very sad about it um i think there is a way to save it but they're doing what they can to keep it around and um it definitely adds to that placemaking of one of us street and hollywood land uh so as long as you keep it around aesthetically but um the ride itself i will be missed by a lot of people, including myself.

Starting point is 00:02:25 Mine too. I think I'm going to miss the kinetic energy it brings to the park itself. Just seeing it drive down the Bonobos Street, you know, hearing the horn go and the wigwags. I'm going to miss the wigwags. Oh, absolutely, yes. Well, do you think we should ride? Absolutely, yes.

Starting point is 00:02:44 Well, let's go. Welcome aboard the Red Car Trolley. For your safety, please remain seated, keeping your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside. And watch your children. Para su seguridad, por favor permanezcan sentados con las manos, brazos, pies, ynas adentro del tranvía y cuiden a sus niños. Gracias. and then on to Sunset Boulevard. You are riding aboard our 623. The original 623 car on the Pacific Electric Railway, which we are modeled after, was built back in 1922

Starting point is 00:03:33 and put into service on Hollywood Boulevard back in the 20s and 30s. Not everyone owned an automobile. People got around on streetcars. And we are cruising down Buena Vista Street. This is our idealized version of Los Angeles in the 20s and 30s.

Starting point is 00:03:52 Something like what it might have looked like when Walt Disney first arrived here in 1923. Up ahead of us, the Carthay Circle Fountain, inspired by the Mulholland Fountain, which is up next to Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Aimed for William Mulholland Fountain, which is up next to Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Named for William Mulholland, the engineer responsible for bringing water from the Owens Valley to L.A.

Starting point is 00:04:12 He's also the namesake of Mulholland Drive in L.A. Straight ahead of us, Willie Sturo is named after Steamboat Willie, who was, of course, played by Mickey Mouse in the world's first synchronous sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie, back in November of 1928. You may have noticed there are a lot of churro carts around the resort. We sell over 3 million churros annually, which is why everywhere you look there is somebody with a churro in them. Straight ahead of us, the Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge,

Starting point is 00:04:45 right after the old Carthay Circle Theater, that used to be on the west side of Los Angeles, the Federal Movie House saw a lot of Disney history. The first of the Surrey Symphonies appeared there in 1929, Scallion Nets. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the first feature-length animation from the Disney Studios, premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in December of 1937.

Starting point is 00:05:08 And three years later, Fantasia had its West Coast premiere also at the Carthage Circle Theatre. Both of those films won honorary Oscars, Snow White for Achievement in Animation, Fantasia for Achievement in Sound Design with all its fabulous orchestral music. And speaking of Oscars and feature-length animation, this is Hollywoodland. I hope you all brought your resumes and your headshots. You never can tell. Lots of you here in Hollywoodland.

Starting point is 00:05:39 On the left, the Sunset Showcase Theater, home to Mickey's Still Her Magic. It's a fun 3D musical extravaganza. Mickey, the orchestra, the doctor, of course. In a moment, we're going to arrive in front of our Hollywood Van Stop, right in front of the Animation Building, home to the Animation Academy.

Starting point is 00:05:57 Every half hour, we conduct a class on how to draw a Disney cartoon character. The classes are free, they're great fun, and you get to take your drawing home with you at the end of the class. I highly recommend Animation Academy. If this is your stop, please remain seated until the doors are open and the lights are on. There is one more stop up around the corner at Sunset Boulevard. Thank you for riding with us. You're welcome.

Starting point is 00:06:26 It's interesting. The last time I rode this, I didn't know where it was. They said there's something more in there, but not like this. I should just go. Okay. Thanks for staying with us, everybody. As a quick reminder, this is a guaranteed one-way trip. If you want to ride backwards at the end of the line, we'll just ask you to jump off and rejoin the line.

Starting point is 00:07:00 Up ahead of us, a couple of theater marquees, the El Capitan and the Crest, both modeled after real theaters. The El Capitan is in Hollywood. It was built back in 1926. And the Crest is in Westwood. It was built in 1941. Both of those theaters are still in use, despite their age. They have been refurbished, of course. Disney owns the El Capitan.

Starting point is 00:07:22 And UCLA owns the Crest. We are now making the right turn onto Sunset Boulevard. This is the end of the line for the Red Car Trolley. Please remain seated until the trolley comes to a complete stop. The doors are open and the lights are on. Up ahead of us, that would be the future Avengers campus. So it doesn't look like we have a line. If any of you would like to stay with us, you are welcome to stay on board. We're headed back to the front of the plane.

Starting point is 00:07:54 I think we're going to stay. Are we going to stay? Yes. We're going to stay, yeah. Welcome aboard the Red Car Trawler. For your safety, please remain seated, keeping your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside. And watch your children. Para su seguridad, por favor permanezcan sentados con las manos, brazos, pies, y piernas adentro del tranvía. Y cuiden a sus niños. Gracias. Good evening, everyone. For those of you who just joined us, welcome aboard the Red Car Charlie. This is local service. We are headed for Buena Vista Street and the park entrance.

Starting point is 00:08:28 We're making the left turn on Hollywood Boulevard. Over on the right, a couple of theater marquees. They are showing Pinocchio and Fantasia. That means that it's 1940 at this end of the boulevard, which is when those films both premiered in New York. Fantasia had a separate premiere here on the West Coast as well. Both of those films won Oscars. Fantasia for Achievement in Sound Design,

Starting point is 00:08:52 and Pinocchio for Best Original Score and for Best Song, for When You Wish Upon a Star, the sort of unofficial Disney theme. It was the first of 14 Oscars that the Disney company has won over the years for Best Song. Around the corner, Hollywood Studios back on to your right, is Monsters Inc., Mike and Sully to the rescue. Monsters Inc. won an Oscar for Best Song, or if I didn't have you. Up ahead of us on the right hand side Award Wieners Our hot dog stand I got an award for

Starting point is 00:09:29 Best Wiener in a Supporting Role Yes, I know, hot dog jokes They're the worst Up ahead of us on the left Our Disney Theater During the day home to the Disney Junior Dance Party The building is a replica Of a building that's up in Hollywood. It was built back in 1937, and which during the 1940s was home to the ABC broadcast studios.

Starting point is 00:09:55 Of course, in the 1940s, ABC was a radio network, not a television network. So that was glitzy Glamorous Hollywood Land. This is Card Bay Circle. Up ahead of us on the right-hand side on the corner is our storyteller statue. It depicts a young Walt Disney as he might have looked 100 years ago, 32 years ago, in 1923.

Starting point is 00:10:20 He came out from Kansas City, Missouri, joined his brother Roy, who was already out here. They formed the Disney Brothers Animation Studios in a garage down the block from their uncle's house. We have come a long way, ladies and gentlemen. Traffic out there. We have come a long way in 102 years. Up ahead of the trolley is Fiddler Piper and Cratchco, our neighborhood cafe, named after the Three Little Pigs from the 1933 Silly Symphony.

Starting point is 00:10:57 Three Little Pigs was hugely popular during the 1930s. It actually spawned three sequels. The sequels were called The Big Bad Wolf, The Three Little Wolves, and then finally in 1939, Practical Pig. You'll notice that that building is built out of brick. Yes, the pigs learned their lesson. And now we're making a left turn onto Buena Vista Street. This is our idealized version of LA in the 20s and 30s. Our street is lined with a bunch of little mom and pop shops,

Starting point is 00:11:30 all of which have some sort of a Disney theme. At the far end of the street on the left, Mortimer's Market, named after the world-famous Mortimer Mouse. You're probably asking, who's Mortimer Mouse? Mortimer was the name given to Mickey's character when he was first created. Until Mrs. Disney told Walt that Mortimer was too pretentious and Mickey would be better. And Walt, smart guy, listened to Lillian and ran off with Mickey Mouse. And this is when it is the street station, the end of the line for the trolley.

Starting point is 00:12:00 Your stop for Disneyland, Downtown Disney, Resort Hotels, Parking and Trams. We did it. Got our last ride in on the Red Car Trolley. What did you think? It was a great ride. We had a fantastic narrator. Very informative. Yeah, he said he had been working on the Red Car Trolley for 10 years, which is a really long time for one attraction.

Starting point is 00:12:29 That's fantastic, yeah. But he knew quite a bit, and I think that was one of the more knowledgeable trips I've had on the trolley. So it was a good last run for me. You could definitely tell his love for the attraction and the Red Car, and he definitely sounded sad about it leaving. So I think we were in really good hands. I agree.

Starting point is 00:12:46 I agree. So, should we go find some Rocketeer references? Yeah, absolutely. Let's go. Let's go. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:13:26 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:13:31 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeahpper today. Okay. We are heading into Fiddler, Pfeiffer, and Practical Cafe.

Starting point is 00:14:12 Should be some Rocketeer references in here. And we're coming up on my favorite. We have a poster for the South Seas Club. Famous club in the Rocketeer. Do you have a favorite reference in here? Well, besides the obvious South Seas Club, because the idea of that club sounds fantastic, but obviously the Tip Top Club from Hollywood Tower Hotel

Starting point is 00:15:00 both sound like amazing places to go hang out and obviously see the Silver Lake Sisters perform. I kind of wish this was a deli. Like, I understand the need for Starbucks. Yeah. Like, I get it.

Starting point is 00:15:22 Yeah. But, like, when I'm walking around one of us on the street, it just makes me really hungry and I want a giant sandwich. Oh, absolutely. That'd be fantastic. I think it'd just be

Starting point is 00:15:29 a great addition. Yeah. We're just, you know, imagineering here on the spot. It's fine. Oh, yeah. That or a, uh, like a soda shop.

Starting point is 00:15:39 That'd be, that'd be kind of cool too. Soda fountain with, uh, root beer. Yeah. Why not? I don't know. I always get hungry at DCA. It's my favorite eating park Soda fountain with root beer. Yeah. Why not? I don't know.

Starting point is 00:15:45 I always get hungry at DCA. It's my favorite eating park. Oh, absolutely. That's food. All right. Should we go find the other reference? Yeah. All right.

Starting point is 00:15:54 Let's go. Thank you. I don't know. So this reference isn't always here. It kind of changes with the season and how they decorate the inside of the store. So what do you think? Is it there today? Probably not. You're probably right. But I'm crossing my fingers you're wrong. Yeah. And it looks like you were correct.

Starting point is 00:17:25 But that's okay. Even if she does look nice. Yes, but she is no clips to cord. That is true. That is true. Well, all right. We tried. We did.

Starting point is 00:17:52 All right, Steve. thank you for joining me on one last ride on the Red Car Trolley. It was a fantastic trip, but I'm so sad to see it go. I agree. But maybe it'll come back. There's always hope, right? There's always hope. Unless it's gone. Yeah. All right.

Starting point is 00:18:05 Thank you, thank you. Thank you. All right, let's do some patron thank yous on the way out. At the Beautiful Tomorrow level, we have Beck Castle, Bill and Aaron Aziz, Ryan and Grant, Derek at Satisfactual Sign Company, John Hamilton, Meredith Izzo, Hannah Giz, Ryan and Grant, Derek at Satisfactual Sign Company, John Hamilton,

Starting point is 00:18:32 Meredith Izzo, Hannah Ginn, David Krause, Jessica Davis, Lindsay O'Connell, Courtney Otter, Cara Luisa Moody, Lori B, Randall Lynch, Barbara Torino, Barry Campbell, and Norm Disney. At the Living Laboratory level we have Debbie Gambala, Eric Steinhauer, Josh Nakano James Beecham, Rhiannon Jagaris with Kingdom Consultants and Eric Atuso until next time thank you so much for listening and following along with us each week here at Walk About the World

Starting point is 00:19:09 for our little in-park family reunion that we do. We really, really appreciate each of you that listen. You can find us online at walkabouttheworld.com where you can find links to pretty much everything that we do, including attraction ride-throughs, and where you can get your very pretty much everything that we do, including attraction ride-throughs, and where you can get your very own Walkabout t-shirt, if that's a thing that you would like to do. You can find us also on Instagram at walkaboutwdw.

Starting point is 00:19:35 You can find each of our hosts on Instagram. Find me, Jeremy, at jeremy__hunt__fl. Our producer, Josh, at at The Steel with an E. Pete, at Neverland Local. Rick, at Optical Jedi. And Michelle, at Havoc Jedi. If you like what you hear, can you do us a favor?

Starting point is 00:19:57 Wherever you listen, please give us a rating or a review. It helps a lot. It helps people find us, and it really makes our day to read them. Drop us a line via DM on Instagram at walkaboutwdw or you can send us an email at contact at walkabouttheworld.com. If you want to support us further, you can find us at patreon.com slash walkaboutwdw. Lastly, we want to end the way we always do by saying there's a great,

Starting point is 00:20:24 big, beautiful tomorrow out there, and we will see you in one of those tomorrows on a future episode of Walkabout the World. Bye, everybody. © BF-WATCH TV 2021

Walkabout The World - A Disney Podcast - Red Car Trolley Farewell at Disney California Adventure With Host Michelle

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