News Restoration of King Arthur Carrousel

[Spongeocto4]

This appear to slip under the radar. Kim Irvine recently revealed the amount of detail that was required to restore King Arthur Carrousel, which went into refurbishment before the parks closed.

And today, I learned it spelled Carrousel, not Carousel.

[Captain Andy]

Was there ever a time in history where this Carrousel did not look flawless? Truly curious.

[Karalora]

I have always adored the Carrousel. The colorful tack on the horses, every possible combination of hues, continues to fascinate me. And I love the way this fixture of Victorian vintage manages to bridge the gap between the medieval village theme on one side and the circus theme with the Dumbo attractions on the other.

[Starcade]

Of all the off the shelf attractions that Disneyland has had the Carrousel has always seemed to the best. It's location the way it can be seen through the castle arch the music and colors it brings the short lines but long ride time comparatively. I remember thinking when I was a kid that Disney invented the carrousel because theirs seems so much better then others I had seen at the time as if the others were simply knock offs of Disney's.

[mickeyfan42]

gorgeous as ever, although I'm still partial to Dumbo as my favorite spinner ride at the parks

[Brian PieGuy]

I'm glad Disneyland has been productive during its closure. The video got me thinking about what an interesting choice it was to name the ride after King Arthur and not Sleeping Beauty, especially since the Sword in the Stone movie wasn't out when Disneyland opened. Is King Arthur invading Aurora's land or just renting her village?

[Mom kissed Walt]

It's truly beautiful, one of my most favorite things about the park. I treasure the pictures of our daughter on it!

[Karalora]

I'm glad Disneyland has been productive during its closure. The video got me thinking about what an interesting choice it was to name the ride after King Arthur and not Sleeping Beauty, especially since the Sword in the Stone movie wasn't out when Disneyland opened. Is King Arthur invading Aurora's land or just renting her village?

Sleeping Beauty wasn't out yet either when the park opened. Naming a purely decorative landmark after an upcoming movie is one thing, naming an actual ride after it might set up expectations that won't be borne out. As for why King Arthur, you might or might not know that the original "carousels" were devices for training knights in the art of the joust. Rings on strings would be hung from the outer rim of the carousel, and the knight would try to catch them on his lance as he went around. Since the original theme of the Fantasyland courtyard was a medieval tournament faire, this must have seemed like a natural fit. And they went ham on it--the shields around the canopy are the actual coats of arms attributed to some of Arthur's knights (plus or minus some tinkering with the tinctures).

[Brian PieGuy]

Sleeping Beauty wasn't out yet either when the park opened. Naming a purely decorative landmark after an upcoming movie is one thing, naming an actual ride after it might set up expectations that won't be borne out. As for why King Arthur, you might or might not know that the original "carousels" were devices for training knights in the art of the joust. Rings on strings would be hung from the outer rim of the carousel, and the knight would try to catch them on his lance as he went around. Since the original theme of the Fantasyland courtyard was a medieval tournament faire, this must have seemed like a natural fit. And they went ham on it--the shields around the canopy are the actual coats of arms attributed to some of Arthur's knights (plus or minus some tinkering with the tinctures).

I totally forgot Sleeping Beauty wasn't out yet. As for the knight training, that's really fascinating and I now I'm picturing how cool it would be for Disney to stage a "lancing event" on the carousel. Probably won't happen, but I can dream.

[Right Down Broadway]

The video got me thinking about what an interesting choice it was to name the ride after King Arthur and not Sleeping Beauty,..

Probably has more to do with the alliteration in the name.

[Deez Nutz]

I remember thinking when I was a kid that Disney invented the carrousel because theirs seems so much better then others I had seen at the time as if the others were simply knock offs of Disney's.

I'm pretty sure I read that Walt Disney took his daughters to the carousel in Griffith Park (still there--maybe that's where I read this), and that his big innovation was to make all rows of horses move up and down rather than just half the rows.

Carousel at Santa Cruz Boardwalk still has the brass rings you try to grab for a free ride (with your hand, not a lance).

[bigcatrik]

The rights to the 1938 book "The Sword in the Stone" were purchased by Disney in 1939 and the movie was in production (more or less) from 1944 onward. By 1955 it was obviously on the backburner with all the other animated films released at the time, but was still a "Disney property" so it hit all the marks: theme-appropriate (regal horses in the castle courtyard), land-appropriate (the wizard makes it fantasy), and IP-appropriate (forthcoming Disney film).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sw...lm)#Production

[Eagleman]

I just know..........Disney Carousel is always Clean and Bright !
and I always enjoy ,listening to the Carousel Music

[Brian PieGuy]

The rights to the 1938 book "The Sword in the Stone" were purchased by Disney in 1939 and the movie was in production (more or less) from 1944 onward. By 1955 it was obviously on the backburner with all the other animated films released at the time, but was still a "Disney property" so it hit all the marks: theme-appropriate (regal horses in the castle courtyard), land-appropriate (the wizard makes it fantasy), and IP-appropriate (forthcoming Disney film).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sw...lm)#Production

Interesting! I didn't know Disney had such a long history with that property. I have a little more appreciation for the ride now.

[bigcatrik]

Interesting! I didn't know Disney had such a long history with that property. I have a little more appreciation for the ride now.

Did you know all the horses have unique names and designs? Most seem to know about Jingles, but I'm partial to King Richard.

http://findingmickey.squarespace.com/king-arthurs-carrousel-horses

[Eagleman]

Interesting! I didn't know Disney had such a long history with that property. I have a little more appreciation for the ride now.

That Carousel.......Get Top Notch Care from Disney !

[Brian PieGuy]

Did you know all the horses have unique names and designs? Most seem to know about Jingles, but I'm partial to King Richard.

http://findingmickey.squarespace.com...rrousel-horses

Awesome!

[Brian PieGuy]

Did you know all the horses have unique names and designs? Most seem to know about Jingles, but I'm partial to King Richard.

http://findingmickey.squarespace.com...rrousel-horses

I don't normally ride the carousel, but this has given me a reason to go on it once I go back.

[WaltDisney'sAlec]

Is it just me or do the colors on top of the canopy look a little washed out? I wish they'd gone a bit darker/saturated with the colors, or at least try to match the purple on top to the flaps along the side. The rest of the carousel looks great, though.

[Eagleman]

Last extensive renovations and reopened in February 2003
So it over do
The over all carousel was built in 1922 which means next year it be 100 years
it came from a park in Toronto Canadian ,before 1954 it came to Disneyland