Buena Vista Street white building

Buena Vista Street Names

Much like the windows and shops on Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland Park, Buena Vista Street in California Adventure Park has shops with names that relate to something about Walt and his life. They are subtle though so not everyone gets the connections that are being made as they stroll down Buena Vista Street.

Here are just a few of the names and connections they have with Walt:

  • Mortimer’s Market – The original name for Mickey Mouse was Mortimer until Walt’s wife Lillian convinced Walt to change it to Mickey.
  • Kingswell Camera Shop – Walt and his brother Roy had an office located on Kingswell Avenue. It’s said to have been their very first office.
  • Los Feliz Five & Dime – An area that Walt and his brother Roy spent a lot of time working and living in when they were first in LA.
  • Hollymount Property Associates – An actual realty company who shared an office building with Walt and Roy when they were first starting out in LA.
  • Oswald’s – A character that Walt created before Mickey Mouse. He was lost for a time to an ex-business partner of Walt’s and Universal Studios (who first distributed the Oswald cartoons) but was re-acquired by Disney in 2006.
  • The billboard featuring the California Limited – It references 3 major cities: Chicago, Kansas City, and Los Angeles. They represent Walt’s movement west including his birth-town Chicago, his growing-up years in Kansas City (or close to), and his eventual work place Los Angeles.

Next time you take a stroll down Buena Vista Street be sure to check these out and share you new-found knowledge with others!