In-Depth Look: Buena Vista Street Brings Heart to DCA’s Doorway

Iain

Updated on:

In-Depth Look: Buena Vista Street Brings Heart to DCA’s Doorway

If you have any appreciation for Walt Disney and his success story, you’re most likely going to fall in love with Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure. Not only does it evoke nostalgia for the long gone Los Angeles, but it brings to life the story of Walt Disney and the people who affected his life and company. Let’s take a walk around this charming new entrance to California Adventure:

Looking Towards Elias and Company

We already covered the Carthay Circle in a previous post, but it is still beautiful…

The front of Fiddler, Fifer, & Practical, Clarabelle’s and Trolley Treats

Buena Vista Street is charming during the day, but just like Main Street, it takes on a whole new persona at night

Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical Cafe Seating Area

The backstory says the restaurant is owned by three singing sisters who performed all over the country

Clarabelle’s

Trolley Treats

Rock Candy Mountain is in the window display

Love the little trolleys running through it

Train models is the window next door. Fun fact, the store in this space previously (Engines, Ears, Toys) originally sold model trains.

Rock Candy Mountain from the outside

LIGHT UP SIDEWALKS!

These were to allow light into basements

The old Candy sign from Greetings From California has moved across the street

Candy kitchen

The next store is Atwater Art Supply

And sells mostly cooking accessories, more-so just mugs…

A lot of detail in the shelving

This is a neat bulletin board behind the check in counter

Firehouse Five is the Firemen on Main Street, at this time they were the Firehouse Four…

The Three Caballeros are referenced here

WDP, Walt Disney Productions

4651 Kingswell was Walt and Roy’s original studio

S. White…

Roger Rabbit?

4409 Kingswell is where Walt and Roy stayed in Los Feliz when they first went to Hollywood. They lived with their uncle Robert Disney. That’s why it says to “See Robert.”

Lots of fun references in this one. First Flower Street is home of Imagineering. Also the Hyperion Theater at the very bottom.

The next store is Julius Katz and Sons and sells various collectibles including these great new big figures

This store is themed to an electricians shop. A bunch of fun appliances are up on the shelf.

They had a little fun with the tags

“Sew What?”

Julius Katz and Sons

Haha….

A little blurry, but an Epcot reference? Really?

The photo shop is very nice

Even the lockers facade is incredible….

Morimer’s Market is a fruit stand on the corner

Love the old style coolers

On to the other side of the street now, This is Los Feliz Five & Dime

Buena Vista Steet has it’s own Baseball Team, The Buena Vista Stars

Red car Trolley making a stop

Another window in Los Feliz has a few storybooks that inspired Disney films

Grizzly Peak appears behind Davy Crockett

The top of the shelves in Los Feliz have merchandise that actually would have been sold in the store at the time

The store sells hats and generic DCA merchandise

The next store is Big Top Toys and is a toy shop. The music loop in this room is actually from Storybook Circus which just opened over at The Magic Kingdom.

Yes the stores stay closed as part of a green initiative

This is the first section of Elias & Company, the children’s department

Cow jumping over the moon

Here is the main entrance

Chandeliers imported from Italy

This appears to be the men’s department

The Rocketeer!

And the last area of Elias and Company sells jewelry and other accessories

This is the old Candy Shop from Greetings From California, but it has been painted and refurnished nicely

The Storytellers statue

There is a small park outside of Elias and Company

Los Feliz window

Eddie Valiant, Roger Rabbit reference

Officer Percival PEabody from Hollywood Studios?

Oswald’s sells hats, sunscreen, and other things of that sort.

The new Guest Relations building

If those photos weren’t enough, you can take an in-depth video tour of Buena Vista Street at night:

Buena Vista Street has a lot of heart and is certainly going to be endearing to any Disney fan. There is a sense of real community up and down the street, much like Main Street U.S.A. and I think guests will connect to Buena Vista Street just as they have to Disneyland’s entrance for over 57 years now. This is a fantastic change for the park and a wonderful area to just meander around for a few hours. It may have all started with a mouse, but for California Adventure, it all starts with a man, a suitcase, and a dream.

3 thoughts on “In-Depth Look: Buena Vista Street Brings Heart to DCA’s Doorway”

  1. Wonderful! I look forward to exploring it all for myself when I go there in October. We'll be there five days so there should be plenty of time to just look around while also hitting all the rides (esp Cars Land). Everyone involved in this site has done a great job of showing us far-away readers all the cool new stuff. Thank you.

  2. Isn't the Roger Radcliffe piano lessons sign refering to Roger from 101 Dalmations? Potentially… :)

Comments are closed.