First Review: Buena Vista Street Shopping

California Adventure’s Buena Vista Street is filled with various shops whose facades mimic what one might have found in Los Angeles of the 1920s. We provided a general overview of Buena Vista Street last week. Not only did Disney Imagineers put great care into creating this themed environment, but they also put great care into the new merchandise that fills the shelves. In particular, Disney is selling many new souvenirs related to the nostalgia-inducing Red Car Trolleys.

It is not necessarily important that you know which shop has what merchandise; most are somewhat interconnected, and common items like t-shirts can be found in multiple locations not only on Buena Vista Street but throughout the park. If you cannot find what you are looking for, ask a Cast Member. And be sure to enjoy the period details on the building exteriors and the well-designed interiors! Each store has a story behind it.

Atwater Ink & Paint

Colorful store that sells mugs, cups, and other home goods.

Big Top Toys

Colorful, circus-themed venue selling toys, stuffed animals, clothing, and other children’s items.

Elias & Company

Appropriately styled after a sprawling department store, this largest store in California Adventure sells a little bit of everything. If you are looking for a particular souvenir from the park, odds are that you’ll find it here: shirts, jewelry, Walt-style fedoras, attraction-specific merchandise, and more.

Julius Katz & Sons

Sells Vinylmation and other collectibles, hats, shirts, statues, collectibles, photo frames, and other decorative items. Various appliances that the Katz family is “repairing” line the walls.

Los Feliz Five & Dime

General merchandise store with hats, shirts, frames, trolley collectibles, and more.

Kingswell Camera Shop

This “shop” is simply an area to view and purchase PhotoPass photos and accouterments.

Oswald’s Gas

Gas station (complete with a car and gas pumps) that sells simple, cheap souvenirs like mugs and key chains.

 

All eyes in the theme park industry turned last week to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, where the grand re-opening of Disney California Adventure was celebrated in the high style befitting the finish line of a billion-dollar makeover marathon. Before this massive expansion officially opened to the public on June 15, invited media and paying sneak-preview participants already had their way with the new attractions of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, and naturally the TouringPlans.com team was there on the scene. Touring Plans’ official photographer Tom Bricker, Unofficial Guide to Disneyland co-author Seth Kubersky, and new Touring Plans researcher Guy Selga, Jr. were all on-property that week, documenting every detail to your touring advantage. Check back on the blog for our hot-off-the-press first reviews direct from DCA, edited versions of which will appear in the 2013 edition of the Unofficial Guide.