The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (139 page)

Bartenders demonstrate a little cocktail
magic
as as an ice ball press miraculously transforms frosty cylinders of ice into crystal-clear spheres larger than golf balls and smaller than a traditional crystal ball.  Perhaps most
magical
of all is the wall where ghostly silhouettes of
Walt
briefly materialize.

How do you enter the
1901 Lounge
?  Through the third set of entrance doors, on the right as you face
Carthay Circle Theatre
–near the plaque that reads
1901
.  But it’s a private lounge.  You must be a platinum member of
Club 33
, or a member’s guest, to enter.

But despair not; for the great majority of us, the 256-seat restaurant on the
Carthay
’s second level, and the 68-seat lounge on the ground floor, provide more than enough glamour and tasty cuisine.  The
Carthay Circle Restaurant
serves lunch and dinner inside (200 seats) and outside on its west and north terraces (56 seats).  Views are superb.  Reservations are strongly recommended ((714) 781-DINE).

Even if you don’t dine at the
Carthay
, take a moment to appreciate its beauty, and visit the lounge to see period photos of
Walt
and
Lillian
and hear the jazzy, golden-age soundtrack.  This locale is an attraction in that it transports Guests to a specific time in
Walt
’s history, the crowning achievement of the
Disney Studios
’ early days, and the seeds of
Disney
’s future successes.  The
Carthay Circle Theatre
finally gives
DCA
’s entrance district an iconic symbol that relates to
Walt
and the foundation of the
Disney
empire
.
 
Did You Know?
  The real Carthay Circle Theatre was designed in a circular format with 1,500 seats and lovely appointments from the paint to the tiles to the chandeliers.  Sadly, the legendary Hollywood theater ran its last film in 1968, and was torn down in 1969.  Office buildings were erected in its place.  Today, all that remains of this glamorous landmark is the small Carthay Circle Park and its plaque and statue. 
Did You Also Know?
  The Art Deco centerpiece of
DCA
’s
Carthay Circle Plaza
is the
Carthay Circle Fountain
, a great place to pose for photos. 
Imagineers
diligently reviewed designs of golden-age Hollywood and L.A., especially Pasadena’ Department of Water and Power fountain at Glenarm and South Fair Oaks, ensuring that the
DCA
fountain’s iron-work, varicolored blue tiles, glass, decorative caps, and strong vertical lines are all authentically reminiscent of the public fountains
Walt
would have seen when he arrived in L.A. as a young man.  Water has always been a powerful image for L.A., the Eden built on a desert, and L.A.’s fountains clearly communicated a reverence for water. 
DCA
’s
Carthay Circle Fountain
can be seen, also, as a visual echo of L.A.’s famed Mulholland Memorial Fountain–the tall central spires of water, attended by lesser geysers, and the concentric circles radiating out from the fountains’ centers.  Near the real
Carthay Circle Theatre
was a pond graced by the statue of a gold miner.  In 2008 the statue was stolen and sold to a junk yard; luckily, police recovered it so it could be repaired and returned to its current home at San Vicente and Crescent Heights.  Everything in a
Disney Theme Park
serves multiple purposes, and the
DCA Carthay Circle Fountain
is no different; look (and listen) carefully, and you’ll see that the decorative panels surrounding the fountain conceal speakers that broadcast the music and singing of
Five & Dime
and the
Red Car News Boys
. 
Jazz Vision:
  Do you like the music you hear while waiting in the
Carthay Circle Lounge
(jazz trio) or dining upstairs (jazz piano)?  Then take the jazzy tracks home with you!  Pick up
The Circle Sessions:  The Music of Carthay Circle
CD at
Off the Page
or
Elias & Company
.  The CD was released on November 6, 2012, and includes 1930’s-style renditions of
Disney
tunes such as
Be Our Guest
,
Some Day My Prince Will Come
, and
Winnie the Pooh
.  Guest reaction to the CD release was positive, with many requesting that CDs also be recorded featuring
Buena Vista Street
’s
Five and Dime
and
Red Car News Boys
. 
FastPass:
  The
Carthay Circle Theatre
doesn’t lend itself to the
FastPass
system.  Guests who wish to experience the lovely replica can enter and explore the lobby and the lounge.  Diners should make
Disney Dining
arrangements in advance, either at the restaurant, or by calling (714) 781-DINE.

Red Car
Trolleys

[
FastView:
 
Ride into the past on these beautiful half-sized replica trolleys.  A fun way to travel between
Buena Vista Street
and
Hollywood Land
.
]

The
Big Red Cars
, much beloved by those who remember them, were Pacific Electric Railway trains and buses that transported Angelenos all around Los Angeles and its neighboring communities from 1901 (the year
Walt
was born) until 1961.

The
Big Red Car
lines were most extensive in the mid-1920’s, right around the time that a very young
Walt Disney
, only twenty-two years old, arrived in Hollywood to seek his fortune. 
Walt
and his family and staffers would’ve seen and ridden the
Big Red Cars
everywhere, particularly in the lean early years, when
Walt
and
Roy
were so strapped for funds that they shared a room in a boarding house and split meals.

In their heyday, the
Big Red Cars
(and they were actually painted red) carried riders from Pasadena to San Bernardino, Santa Monica to Hollywood, Beverly Hills to Burbank, San Pedro to Torrance.  The
DCA
version doesn’t have such a wide range, but they are beautifully crafted half-sized versions of the original electric cars.

DCA
’s
Red Car Trolleys
have finally brought public transportation to this park, which has sorely lacked transportation for its Guests.  Just as
Disneyland
’s
Main Street
has the
Main Street Vehicles
to ferry Guests to the
Central Plaza
(or
Hub
) and back again,
DCA
’s
Buena Vista Street
now has the
Red Car Trolleys
to move Guests between
Buena Vista Street
and
Hollywood Land
.  Construction of the nostalgic
Red Car Trolley
route began in spring 2010, and the trolleys were unveiled when
Buena Vista Street
opened in June 2012.

In addition to the fun and the practical aspects of riding the
Red Car Trolleys
, their color and movement and the clang of their bells give
Buena Vista Street
an aural and kinetic excitement which
Sunshine Plaza
always lacked.  This is an attraction that Guests young and old were eager to welcome.

When my sister and I visited
Buena Vista Street
as part of an
Annual Passholder Sneak Preview
in early June 2012, one of the first things we noticed was a
Red Car Trolley
, big as life, parked at the
Buena Vista Street Trolley Station
near
Mortimers Market
.

The trolleys weren’t running yet, but we climbed aboard the parked
Red Car Trolley
to check it out.  Blue-suited Cast Members, costumed as
Red Car Trolley Conductors
, were happy to answer questions and pose for photos.

The cars’ colors are cheerful, the intricate period details
impressive.  Inside the cars, vintage advertisements for
Buena Vista Street
businesses line the edges of the ceiling (for
Kingswell Camera Shop
, for
Trolley Treats
, and so forth), adding yet another layer of verisimilitude to this fictional community.  There are two cars, their interiors circled by bench seats, and each trolley is capable of accommodating about 20 Guests.

Trolleys run day and night, connecting
Buena Vista Street
and
Hollywood Land
, and make four stops: 
Buena Vista Street
(at the entrance plaza);
Carthay Circle
(at
Carthay Circle Plaza
);
Hollywood Boulevard
(at
Disney Animation
); and
Sunset Boulevard
(at the
Tower of Terror
).  As with the Main
Street Vehicles
at
Disneyland
, each
Red Car Trolley
trip is one-way; Guests must exit at the
Buena Vista Street
or
Sunset Boulevard
stop to ensure other Guests have a chance to ride.

DCA
went to a lot of trouble to install overhead wires along the trolley tracks, because electrical wires used to power L.A.’s
Big Red Cars
.  But at
DCA
, the wires are merely for show, to add a sense of authenticity.  The
DCA
trolleys are battery-powered vehicles.

As the trolleys roll along, record
ings and Cast Member spiels give Guests information about the attractions and landmarks you pass.  The
Engineer
drives; the
Conductor
spiels.  You learn interesting bits of history about
Walt
–like how he came to L.A. with only 40 dollars in his pocket.

If this is your first trip to
DCA
, riding the trolleys is one way to get acclimated to your surroundings.  The trolleys are a boon for mobility-impaired Guests, and are even wheelchair accessible.  The trolley rides are scenic, and atmospheric, but be forewarned that they are slow.  If you’re in a hurry to get to your next destination, it’s better to walk.

One of my main concerns
about the trolleys was safety–how fast do the trolleys travel, and what safety measures are in place? Park Guests (myself included) are prone to wander along the streets in sugar-and-euphoria-induced stupors, oblivious to the vehicles or parades bearing down upon them.  Adding transportation to
DCA
was a great idea, but is it safe?

Red Car Trolleys
do not exceed 4 mph.  The
Conductor
narrates the journey, allowing the
Engineer
who drives the trolley to focus fully on the road.  So that the trolleys don’t have to execute elaborate turns, each vehicle is fitted with controls at both ends of the car.  Finally, at least one or two Cast Members accompany the
Red Car Trolleys
, walking ahead of them to keep their paths clear of Guests.

These are all excellent measures.  Even so …
It is astonishing how distracted Guests (the author included) become when exploring the park.  They don’t seem to hear whistles, horns, and Cast Member warnings to clear the way.  They step off of curbs, directly in front of moving vehicles, without looking left or right.  They even push strollers into the paths of oncoming trolleys.

Red Car Trolleys
have an excellent safety record, and long may it remain so.  But Guests are well-advised to exercise caution in and around the vehicles.

In
Disney
parks, most everything serves more than one purpose, and one of the
Red Car Trolleys
, when it’s not ferrying Guests, is part of the
Red Car News Boys
show.  There you are, strolling along
DCA
’s
Hollywood Boulevard
, and a trolley passes you.  It’s filled with
Red Car News Boys
in old-time vests and caps, and they sing to you.  The trolley stops at
Carthay Circle Plaza
, and the performers detrain, singing, dancing, communicating through lively songs (like
A Suitcase And A Dream
) the early history and dreams of young
Walt
Disney
.  They are joined by
talking Mickey
–yes, there is now a character version of
Mickey
that can talk and sing, as well as dance!