Chris Beuler is Imagineering a Better Way to Commute

A regular visit to close-by Disneyland has become like therapy for Chris, a retired sheriff. But while he still has an appreciation for rides and attractions, his weekly trips have another purpose: hidden hand-crafted trinkets.

It all started when Chris was a kid with interest in blacksmithing and metal work. After his 27-year tenure at the sheriff’s department, he finally had enough time to consider his creative pursuits. Living in close proximity to Disney Land, he started to make Disney-inspired trinkets. He began to anonymously hide Avengers coins, Pooh bears, and even busts of Walt himself at the park.

Never driven by profit, he still wanted to see peoples’ reactions as they found his hidden art. So, he dipped his toes into social media. Chris’s hidden trinkets have earned him a couple of thousand followers on his Instagram account. Well-known among the park’s attendees and Cast Members, he now has more followers than his wife and kids combined (which he likes to rub in their faces).

People have even been known to plan their entire Disney trip around a chance to find one of Chris’ pieces. Some of his new friends also gift him with old Disney memorabilia, scrap aluminum, or bronze that can be repurposed into trinkets to hide. He was even gifted an 8-foot-long panoramic photo of 1990s Main Street, U.S.A, by an Imagineer!

While his supporters provide the materials, Blix provides the momentum. Formerly, walking to the park would take him about an hour each way. Going 4-6 times a week, these walks were really cutting into his crafting time. With his new mode of transportation, he no longer has to worry about motorists jamming up the streets or tourists taking up the sidewalks. On his e-bike, he can get there in under 20 minutes, giving him more time to create.

Because he goes so regularly, he has a second backup battery to keep moving forward. He’s constantly thinking of newer, better things to give away—and better ways to make some of his regular collection.

Like any former police officer would urge, Chris reminds fellow Blix commuters of the importance of keeping an eye on their surroundings and following the rules of the road. You can be safe, but everyone else might not be as aware.

Inspired by the freedom Blix has given him, Chris’ wife is now also thinking of getting a Blix to take to her ceramics studio and craft fairs. Cycling can allow for more time creating, after all.