In 1999, an Anaheim architect began building a backyard Disneyland; 27 years later, his miniature world includes a garden railroad and a 350-LED light show/Image: Castle Peak & Thunder Railroad
What began as a garden railway project in the late 1990s has grown over 27 years into a miniature Disney world, complete with castles, trains, themed buildings and an aerial skyway. Its latest addition is Pixie Hollow, a water and light show featuring 350 LED pixel lights that can be programmed individually. Sheegog, now 70, began the project while he and his wife Frances were homeschooling their children at their Anaheim, California, home.
He wanted the backyard to become a “living laboratory” where the children could explore science and nature. For David Sheegog, Disneyland did not end at the park gates. The architect took the idea home, first to his dining room table and eventually across almost every corner of his Anaheim Hills backyard. Garden railroading soon became part of that plan
Construction began in 1999, and Sheegog showed the first version of the project to friends and family in 2000. “I wanted to build this from scratch, and wanted them to be impressive, like 5 feet across and 4 feet tall. Or in the case of one of our castles, 7 feet tall,” he told the newspaper. Pixie Hollow, which debuted on May 9, features a water and light show using 350 LED pixel lights. The project involved around 13 consultants, including animators, music arrangers and contractors, he told the magazine. There is no admission charge, but places can be difficult to secure, with all 2,000 spots for one autumn open house disappearing in 56 seconds. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Sheegog recalled one woman who was nearly 100 and had worked at the park on its opening day. After 27 years, the backyard is still changing. The railway that began as a family project has become a detailed miniature landscape, and the latest 350-LED show suggests Sheegog is still finding new ways to expand it.
“For about two years, between ‘97 and ‘99, we had a model of our backyard on our dining room table,” Sheegog told PEOPLE. “Somewhere in that period, I decided that the theme would be Disney and so I started making the landmarks,” Sheegog told the outlet . “Most of the garden railroads I had seen people had bought pre-made kits of little plastic buildings that are all about 12 inches by 8 inches,” Sheegog told the Los Angeles Times. Each light is independently programmed, according to Sheegog. “It’s the most complicated thing I’ve ever done,” Sheegog told PEOPLE. He is also considering additional interactive experiences involving laser shows, holograms, animations and live actors, according to the Daily Mail. “My favorite thing isn’t something we’ve built, it’s seeing how people enjoy it,” Sheegog told the Daily Mail. He told the Los Angeles Times that he hoped to continue the project for at least another decade, with plans to build during his 60s and operate it through his 70s and potentially into his 80s. “We grew up with the park, and it has a certain sentimental niche in your psyche,” Sheegog told the Los Angeles Times. Sheegog says watching families “interacting and having fun” remains the reason he keeps doing it.
Before construction began, Sheegog spent about two years developing a miniature version of the backyard on the family’s dining room table. He built the model from clay and used the architectural computer programme he worked with to design the railway track layout. The model helped persuade Frances to go along with the idea. But Sheegog still needed a theme for the railway and landscape. A family trip to Disney World eventually supplied it. Sheegog noticed Snow White’s cottage being built in the background as his children prepared to leave While watching home video from the trip. The sight helped him decide where the project would go. Rather than relying entirely on small prefabricated buildings, he wanted to create larger structures himself. “They look like premade little buildings, like a barber shop. No. His own designs were considerably larger. The garden now includes miniature versions of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, the Haunted Mansion and the Disneyland Railroad, along with Casey Jr. Circus Train. Sheegog has also built structures based on characters and settings from Disney and Pixar films, including Beast’s Castle, Prince Eric’s Seaside Villa from The Little Mermaid and Carl Fredricksen’s house from Up . Some components were made from sets, others were built from scratch, while more recent additions have used 3D printing. The latest addition has pushed the project into more elaborate territory. The technical work is a significant departure from the clay model that started the project more than two decades ago. Yet Sheegog continues to treat the backyard as an evolving project rather than a finished attraction. The backyard is normally private, but the Sheegogs open it to visitors several weekends each spring and autumn. The events have also brought visitors with their own connections to Disneyland. She had spent her career there and began crying while recounting memories from her youth. For Sheegog, those reactions have become as important as the structures he builds. “When we have open houses and I see families interacting with each other, sometimes I just sit on the bench and watch the people. Sheegog has considered retirement, but that has not stopped him from planning new additions. The attraction has also become a way for people who grew up around Disneyland to reconnect with memories of the park. “People just want to be around it, and our place provides an outlet for that. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.