In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to share about one of our favorite Disney Legends…Patrick Begorra, the Little Man of Disneyland.
I remember reading this book when I was little, so I was so excited when I found a copy a few years ago. Little A was still just a baby, so I held onto it for a few years. But a couple months ago, we read the book and went on a Disneyland Scavenger Hunt for Patrick Begorra’s home!
Who is Patrick Begorra, you ask? Well, Patrick was a leprechaun who lived in the base of an orange tree in Anaheim, long before there was a Disneyland. His tiny home was hidden away where nobody could bother him. One day there is a great commotion outside his home and he discovers Mickey Mouse, Donald, Goofy and Pluto getting ready to move trees so they can build Disneyland! Patrick is not impressed! But after lots of convincing and tales of the magic that would soon come, Patrick gives his permission for the construction to continue, as long as he can live there too! And so begins the legend of the Little Man of Disneyland.
Patrick Begorra’s legend is full of Disney magic. The Little Golden book story was actually illustrated by Dick Kelsey, an animator on Pinocchio, Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland and so many more. He was also one of Disneyland’s designers. The book was first published in 1955, the same year Disneyland opened. It was re-published again just in time for Disneyland’s Diamond Anniversary in 2015. Patrick Begorra’s house has been known to move around too! Rumor has it that the little house was originally near the docks of the Jungle Cruise and then suddenly disappeared. However, I have not been able to find definitive evidence that it was actually there. I would LOVE to hear from you if you know someone that actually saw it there! Regardless, in 2015, Patrick’s house popped up in its current location near Indiana Jones.
When I first read this story to Little A, the only word I can use to describe her reaction was enraptured. She was stunned that she never knew about Patrick and insisted we go immediately to Disneyland to find him. Since that was my master plan (Ha!) off we went on a hunt for a leprechaun! If you know where to look, he’s super easy to find. Underneath the entrance sign to Indiana Jones, on the right is a short stone wall that encloses an area of trees and plants. Turn your back on the sign and look at the base of the big tree, in between the roots, and there you will find little Patrick’s house. We knocked, but I don’t think he was home. So we cleaned up his front porch and went on our merry way. Little A was so excited. She definitely thought she was in on some magical secret. It was so cute!
You can find the book The Little Man of Disneyland on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. If you are up for a fun, family scavenger hunt, pick it up and head to Disneyland for an adventure.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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