The King Arthur Carrousel inside Fantasyland is one of Disneyland’s original attractions.
It was acquired by Walt Disney in 1954 and ready to take its first set of passengers the next year for Disneyland’s opening day.
The ride undergoes routine refurbishments and repairs. It was reportedly built in 1875.
Disney history books cite that Walt Disney would visit LA’s Griffith Park and spent time observing the park’s carousel. He wanted one for Disneyland.
So he searched until he found a majestic 72-seat wooden carousel that had been operating at Sunnyside Amusement Park in Toronto, Canada since the early 20’s. The carousel had a variety of animals but Disney wanted an all-horse attraction.
When the carousel arrived in Anaheim, not all horses were “jumpers” but Disney wanted every rider to experience the motion of a jumping horse so he made sure the ride was altered to make it happen.
Disneyland’s King Arthur Carrousel is apparently repainted several times a month to hide any signs of wear and tear.
Other interesting facts:
1. Guests can request a list of all horses’ names at City Hall on Main Street U.S.A.
2. Each horse is hand carved and no two horses are identical
3. Today, the carousel features a total of 68 jumping horses
4. The lead horse is named Jingles, a Disneyland Park ambassador
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