Walt Disney’s Little Man of Disneyland, a story to promote the park's opening in 1955. It follows the leprechaun Patrick Begorra, whose orange tree house sat in the path of Disneyland's construction.
Only at an exhibition about Disneyland could an abominable snowman, bodiless pirate heads and a leprechaun who inhabited Anaheim's orange groves all coexist together.
Disneyland: The Exhibit celebrates the theme park's 60th anniversary with all sorts of oddities and props pulled from the Walt Disney Archives. It's part of this weekend's D23 Expo, a fan fest dedicated to all things Disney—right down to the must-have merch and Space Mountain-length lines.
The Disneyland exhibit is equal parts history and nostalgia. You’ll find familiar park icons like a pirate ship vehicle from the Peter Pan ride alongside some more obscure tidbits of Disney history, like the story of the leprechaun Patrick Begorra and his orange tree home. As warm and fuzzy as it is to see pieces of Disneyland's past, the exhibit is also a reminder that change can be great; no matter your nostalgia for the Main Street Electrical Parade, the old Cheshire Cat float on display just can't compare to the whizbang tech behind Disneyland’s current nighttime parade.
