Mail Call! Discover the Residents of Buena Vista Street at DCA

In today's episode of the Where In The Park Podcast, we’re heading down Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure to meet some of the residents who live there! Those familiar with streets at any Disney park know that many second-story windows and buildings pay homage to real-life people who have made a lasting impact on the company we know today. But most of these serve as “businesses”, and not so much “residences”. So today, we’re going to see who “resides” here on Buena Vista Street by heading to the apartment complex to the right of the entrance to the Five & Dime store. 


Those of you who have been to DCA may be thinking, “I’ve never seen a sign for an apartment building there…”. And you’re not wrong – this building is unmarked from the street level. However, between the main Five & Dime shop entrance on the corner and its second entrance before the monorail bridge is a small cutout with two archways featuring a shop window, and a few tiled stairs leading to a set of 4 golden metal mailboxes.

To the left of the mailboxes is a closed iron gate, followed by more tiled stairs and a door. You may have noticed a sign on the second story for Eye Works Optometrist – a nod to Ub Iweks, who worked with Walt Disney in the early days of the company and was the original animator for Mickey Mouse. And actually, he is arguably the creator of Mickey himself! But, we will cover Ub’s career in a future episode. But anyway, if you’re familiar with that location, the mailbox I’m referring to is directly below that Optometrist facade. Again – check out the blog at whereinthepark.com/podcast or join our WITP Explorers FB Group to see our photos of where I’m talking about. 

So now that we know where we are, let’s take a closer look at who’s “receiving mail” here—and what that tells us about the characters, cast members, and even connections to other Disney parks.

Mailbox 1 - S. Yoshiwara

A Cast Member Forever at Home

Our first mailbox is marked S. Yoshiwara. Staci Rei Yoshiwara was a beloved Disney Cast Member who passed away before Buena Vista Street was completed. As a tribute, Imagineers added her name to this set as a permanent way to honor her. She had a deep love for Disney storytelling and was part of the team that helped bring details like this to life. By honoring her in this way, she is forever “at home” here at DCA.

I love seeing details like this – the subtle Easter Eggs and nods to those who have made a lasting impact in the hearts and lives of Cast Members behind the scenes.

Mailbox 2 - E. Valiant

Disney's Toon Detective

The next mailbox is assigned to “E. Valiant.” Sound familiar?

That’s Eddie Valiant, the trench-coat-wearing private detective from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Bob Hoskins played him in the 1988 film that blended live-action and animation like never before.

Eddie might’ve had a chip on his shoulder when it came to toons, but his heart was in the right place. He helped save Roger Rabbit and crack the case behind Judge Doom’s plot to destroy Toontown.

Now, Eddie never physically appears in the Disney parks, but the world of Roger Rabbit certainly does—most notably in Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin in Toontown at Disneyland. And did you know? At Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, above the Hollywood & Vine restaurant in Echo Lake, there are nods to Eddie Valiant Private Investigators, specializing in “All crime, surveillance, and missing persons.” 

So, why is he on a mailbox here in California Adventure? Buena Vista Street is themed to 1920s-30s Los Angeles—The movie of Who Framed Roger Rabbit takes place in an alternate 1947 Los Angeles. According to subtle details found in the movie, including on Eddie’s desk, we can deduce that both Eddie and his brother graduated from the Los Angeles Police Department in 1925, and that they started their private investigation practice in 1934, working on toon cases for Donald Duck’s nephews and Goofy, just to name a few.

Additionally, in the movie, after securing the job from Maroon Cartoons, he visits the Pacific Electric Red Car Trolley Terminal Bar to see his girlfriend and borrow her camera for the job. That Red Car Trolley fleet is the same one that took guests up and down Buena Vista Street and Hollywoodland until its recent closure in early 2025 to make way for the expansion of Avengers Campus. You’ll now find a stationary Red Car Trolley at the station directly across the street from Eddie’s mailbox. So it all ties together. 

Mailbox 3 - T. Ogelvie

The Apple Dumpling Gang's Lovable Outlaw

Alright – so moving on to the third mailbox is T. Ogelvie—who is Theodore Ogelvie, one half of the clumsy outlaw duo from The Apple Dumpling Gang.

This 1975 Disney live-action comedy-western starred Don Knotts as Theodore and Tim Conway as his partner, Amos Tucker. The duo was originally referred to as The Hash Knife Outfit or Hash Knife Gang. If you have ever stood in line for the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, you have walked past a few posters about Theodore and Amos. The first is a wanted poster on the wall next to the large black Round Oak furnace in a corner. The poster is written on letterhead for T.W. Bullion Silver Mine in Virginia City, Nevada, and includes a sketch of the two outlaws. The Notice reads:


Be on the lookout for these two, claiming to be metallurgists…

Fouled up our whole operation and took off with ten pounds of lead. Complete incompetents. 


Along the line queue is a series of partitions that are bulletin boards with various telegrams, patent designs, and more. We found one source saying that one of these telegrams is about the Apple Dumpling Gang, but our photos could not make out any of the telegrams while we were in line. First, each one is in a different font, and two, we were taking pictures while the line was moving, and didn’t want to hold up the entire line taking individual pictures. Regardless, with Big Thunder being under construction, we’ll have to wait and see if these references are still in the line when it reopens.

In any case, the first poster on the left was a large wanted ad that read:


Wanted for attempted bank robbery, chicanery, skullduggery, tomfoolery and habitual bungling

The Hash Knife Outfit

Theodore Ogelvie

51 years old 

Weight, 135 lbs

5 ft 7 inches tall

Bulging eyes

Sweaty brow

Nervous disposition

Amos Tucker

42 years old

Weight, 152 lbs

5 ft 6 inches tall

Brown eyes

Fleet of foot

Slow of wit


Traveling by mule
Reward of $50 - $25 each
Homer McCoy – Sheriff – Quake City, California


(Homer McCoy is the town’s sheriff, barber, and justice of the peace in the movie.)

While it’s clear the duo has ties to Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, what is less clear is why Theodore resides in 1920s Los Angeles on Buena Vista Street. If the timing of Big Thunder is the late 1800s, and Theodore was 51 at the time of the wanted poster, that would mean he is well into his retirement, living peacefully here at DCA.
________________________________________

Mailbox 4 - P. Peabody

Officer, Mechanic, or Both?

Lastly, the fourth mailbox is for P. Peabody – and the verdict is still out as to who this is about – but there are two leads in this case:

The first might be A. “Peevy” Peabody, the mechanic played by Alan Arkin in the 1991 Disney film The Rocketeer, which is set in 1930s Los Angeles—again, right in line with Buena Vista Street’s timeframe. The Rocketeer has a cult following and blends aviation adventure with classic Hollywood flair.

References to the movie have appeared in several other locations around Disney property, including movie props at Jock Lindsey’s Hanger Bar at Disney Springs, Peevy’s Polar Pipeline at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (which took over the Lakeside News stand in 1991 when the movie came out), there is a parody of the movie poster in line for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland, with the title changed to The Mouseketeer, and Tomorrowland at Disneyland featured several displays when the movie came out, as well as a Toastie Roastie in Tomorrowland. For those who don’t know, a Toastie Roastie is the small character who turns the crank on Disney popcorn carts. We have it on the calendar to cover these in depth for our January 16, 2026, episode, to celebrate National Popcorn Day on the 19th. It has a fascinating history that you won't want to miss!

The second owner of this mailbox might be Officer Percival Peabody, who patrols Hollywood Blvd at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and appeared in their Citizens of Hollywood performances. For those of you familiar with Officer Blue at DCA, Officer Peabody was clearly trained by the same department, as he also interacts and improvises with guests, and even hands out “citations."

Who do you think this “P. Peabody” mailbox belongs to? Officer Percival Peabody from DHS, or “Peevy” Peabody from The Rocketeer? Maybe somebody else? Let us know in our private Facebook Group, WITP Explorers!  

Speaking of Officer Blue at DCA, he and his neighbors can sometimes be seen walking up and down Buena Vista Street - be sure to check the live entertainment schedule when you're at the park to see when you find citizens like:

Donna Linn De Larria - "The Dog Lady"

Donna is the unofficial "Mayor" of Buena Vista Street, and is so excited to welcome newcomers into town, give directions, and (of course) show off her pet dog, Lady.

Officers Calvin & Clyde Blue - the biggest smiles on BVS

We already mentioned Officer Blue - but we didn't mention that there are two of them! Yes - brothers Calvin and Clyde Blue patrol the street and make sure that guests are on their best behavior. In fact, you may even get a citation for "Best Smile" or "Lending a Helping Hand". If you Have ever received a citation from either Officer Calvin or Clyde Blue, we'd love to hear about it over on our Where In The Park Explorers Facebook Group! Officer Calvin is mentioned in Issue 1, Volume 1, Page 3 of the Buena Vista Bugle as the lead investigator of the incident that had occurred at the Hollywood Tower Hotel on October 31st, 1939. He is quoted as saying, "We'll find them, brave citizens. One way or another, they'll pop up. And when they do, good behavior citations for all!"

Molly & Millie - "The Messengers"

Sisters Molly & Millie are often on tricycles delivering mail up and down the street. If you stop and chat with them, you may find that they even have a telegram for you! If you have ever received a telegram, definitely share it with us in the Facebook Group!

Phiphi Farouk Francis - "The Photographer"

Phiphi is a world traveler and loves taking photos of her travels for her magazine. She will absolutely take your photo, but if she uses her camera, it may take some time to develop. She would also want to see the latest technology of your camera, too. 



Why the Disney Details Matter

So next time you wander down Buena Vista Street, pause for a moment at those little golden mailboxes—because in each name and tiny detail, you’re holding a piece of Disney history, connecting beloved characters, hidden park nods, and heartfelt tributes all in one small area of the park. Each detail tells a story and is placed there with intention, and it has been a blast diving deeper into these details and discovering their significance. We hope you feel the same!

 

✨Articles referenced in this blog ✨

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