One I built when I was a kid, and it was a real miniature of Disneyland. I fell in love with the park when I went there with my parents on my 12th birthday.

Sherman recalls an early, formative encounter with Disneyland that moved beyond ordinary childhood enthusiasm into imaginative emulation: he not only enjoyed the park but tried to recreate it in miniature. The quote highlights how powerful themed environments can be in shaping a child’s sense of wonder and creativity—turning a visit into a lasting personal attachment. By anchoring the memory to a specific milestone (his 12th birthday) and to family accompaniment, he frames the experience as both intimate and catalytic, suggesting that nostalgia and early inspiration can become part of one’s lifelong relationship to popular culture and place.