King Arthur Carrousel

Infobox Disney ride
name=King Arthur Carrousel

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caption=The Carousel at night
park=Disneyland
land=Fantasyland
designer=WED Enterprises
manufacturer=
type=Carrousel
theme=
control_system=
propulsion=
soft_opened=
opened=July 17, 1955
closed=
host=
music=
vehicle_type=Various Horses
vehicle_names=
guests_per_vehicle=1
cars_per_vehicle=
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duration=2:18
length=
attraction_height=
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speed=
height_requirement=
site_area=
lift_count=
audio-animatronics=
custom_label_1=Total Horses
custom_value_1=72
custom_label_2=Required Ticket
custom_value_2=A
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custom_value_3=
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sponsor=
fastpass=
single_rider=
accessible=1
transfer_accessible=1
assistive_listening=
cc=

King Arthur Carrousel is a ride in Fantasyland at Disneyland park.

History

Walt Disney wanted to recreate the Griffith Park carousel. Therefore, a Dentzel park model carousel which had operated since 1932 at Sunnyside Amusement Park in Toronto, Ontario was taken from Sunnyside and moved to Disneyland in 1954. The ride was originally a Dentzel Menagerie Carousel, consisting three rows of horses and animals on a 22 meter diameter platform. The attraction was built by William Dentzel. The ride was refurbished, and turned into a 4 row unit, (thus increasing ride capacity) by adding additional horses that came from various other carousels from around North America.

The carousel has been significantly altered since then. The original chariots were removed and used as cars on the "Casey Jr. Circus Train" attraction. A Wurlitzer #157 band organ face is on the carousel, but does not operate. Motifs from "Sleeping Beauty" were used in 1955 to replace elements of the carousel. Also the Princess and the Jester Head motifs have been redone in 18k gold leaf.

The carousel has seventy-two horses, most carved in the Dentzel factory in the late 19th and early 20th century. Some of the horses were taken from a Stein and Goldstein carousel and Coney Island's carousel in 1955 to add a fourth row, completely made of jumpers and operated by custom-built crankshafts. Standers on the original three rows were converted to jumpers in 1955. Because of the overwhelming popularity of the carousel's single white horse, all horses have been painted white since 1975.

King Arthur Carrousel reopened in February 2003 after extensive renovations. These renovations included an entirely rebuilt turntable, and a new computerized operating system that stops the carousel in the same spot every time. Also, beware that one of seventy-two horses is a mule.