RIVERDALE, Utah — Riverdale's Travis Larson doesn’t have your typical basement set up with an oversized couch, big-screen TV and maybe some storage space.
Instead, when Larson invites you to come over for a party or visit, you’re likely to find yourself hanging out in the Magic Kingdom.
“I brought up (to people) I've got a Disney-themed basement,” Larson said. “And what people assume is that it's pictures and knickknacks. And then when they see what this is they're like, that's totally not what they expected. That was the reaction I wanted.”
The Larson basement transformation didn’t happen all at once. The former railroad conductor, who now works for a company that erects large scale steel, has worked on the 2,200 square foot basement over a period of 12 years because of his work schedule.
The idea for the theme was born from a desire to create a one-of-a-kind and visually entertaining spot for his family and guests.
“So I went through a couple of ideas, a couple of iterations, like, one I wanted to be like a pirate theme, there was like an old west cowboy theme, like a 1920s type feel," Larson said.
It wasn’t until after a few trips to Disneyland that Larson realized the theme was something he had imagined all along.
“ I started taking some photographs, or going through some photographs, snd notice that some of the things that I had taken when I was at Disneyland lined up with things that I had already drawn, and I don't know if it was coincidence or not,” he said.
The entire basement is covered in Disney-themed spaces like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, and even a hidden door for Peter Pan to enter and exit.
“I liked Disneyland a lot, the way they do their styles,” Larson explained. “Their aesthetic is just unique, and I really liked the fantasy, German-esque feel, if you will. So that's kind of how I landed upon this theme.”
Many of the materials used were either recycled or handmade, and the entire cost has run Larson over $5000. His attention to detail can’t be missed, from handmade doorknobs, to hand-painted lanterns, to crowds and Disney sounds that he recorded himself at Disneyland echoing in the background.
The themed basement can even go from day-to-night mode.
While at first glance the basement looks like the facade of Disney buildings, a scaled-down version of what you’d see in the park, Larson pointed out there are actual rooms behind the tiny doors. The rooms are scaled-down to 70 percent, with one serving as his own workshop, while the other is his daughter Alyse’s room, who remembers the early stages of the basement's construction into a mini-Disneyland.
“I remember hanging out here when there was just plain wood,” she said.
Alyse no longer invites friends over, but she still marvels at how the space makes her feel.
“I like coming down here, and it feels different than being in a house, it feels like I'm outside.”
Larson still has a few more things to finish.
“There are some plants and stuff that I still want to do,” he shared. “ I'm working on the flower beds. There's a little bit of painting left. But other than that primarily for the for the most part, this is finished.”
But he isn’t tired of the magical process of creating his very own Fantasyland.
"To see that someone has got a little bit of excitement from what I created. That's the reward," Larson said with a smile.
