Marinwood's Legendary Mickey Mouse House Christmas Tradition Coming To An End
MARINWOOD (CBS SF) -- For 48 years, it has been part of the Christmas season for residents in and around Marinwood.
Thousands of people have streamed by the display on Blackstone Drive that has lovingly earned the title the "Mickey Mouse House." It's become a holiday tradition for both the young and the old.
"I started collecting Mickey Mouse things not realizing it would turn into an obsession," said "Mickey Mouse House" Creator Les Mize.
Mize's obsession morphed over the years into a collection of more than 5,000 pieces of memorabilia. Each Christmas, he and his family have built a holiday display featuring the collection.
"The neighbors and people would stop and come up our driveway and look in, and so it kind of caught on and my wife and kids at the time thought it was nuts," he said.
The display takes a month to create -- something that has become increasingly difficult for Mize and his wife. So they have decided that this year will be the last for the "Mickey Mouse House."
"I don't have that energy anymore so we thought we'd go out on a high note," Mize told KPIX 5.
As the clock counts down on the display, thousands have undertaken one last pilgrimage including Brian Belgarde.
"I come back every year," he said. "It's something I have come back to every year since I was 5 years old. It's part of our Christmas tradition."
Likewise for Mike Olsen.
"It's special that we're here on the last year and we're sad to see it go," he told KPIX 5. "But we're happy for what they've done all these years to bring some nice lights and happiness to the neighborhood at the holidays."
One of the biggest questions is what is Mize going to do with all of these decorations that fill 60 plastic bins, a large storage shed in the backyard and one side of their 2 car garage?
He says he plans to split up all the memorabilia among his 6 children so they can carry on the Disney Christmas tradition for themselves.